The marquee matchup of the day was set in Los Angeles where the Dodgers hosted the Atlanta Braves. Two pitchers with ERAs under 1.00 took the mound. Brandon Beachy pitched well but was outdone by veteran lefty Ted Lilly. Neither pitcher factored in the decision as Dodgers’ closer Javy Guerra allowed three runs in the top half of the ninth with the winning run being knocked in by Chipper Jones, as the Braves won 4-2.
The Atlanta Braves stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers with three runs in the ninth to win 4-2. (Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE)
Lilly went seven innings giving up one run on three hits and one walk. He struck out two batters and his ERA now stands at 0.90.
Beachy pitched 6.2 innings giving up two runs on seven hits and one walk. He struck out six batters and his ERA creeped up to 1.05 for the season.
With a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly called upon his closer Guerra. The results were not what he hoped. Guerra got Martin Prado to fly out to right, but then the hits started to fall. Five straight singles brought in three runs with Jones’ single providing the winning margin. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his seventh save of the season.
Matt Kemp hit his major league leading tenth home run for the Dodgers.
National League
St. Louis Cardinals 5
Chicago Cubs 1
Lance Lynn threw eight innings of one-run ball and David Freese homered and drove in three runs as the Cardinals moved to 12-7 on the season. It was Lynn’s fourth win against zero losses. Bryan LaHair hit his fourth home run of the year for the Cubs.
Game 1
Colorado Rockies 2
Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Despite a superb effort from James McDonald and getting a hit from each member of the starting lineup, the Pirates could not come away with the victory in the first game of a double-header. McDonald had a no-hitter through six innings, but Juan Nicasio pitched well enough to keep the Rockies in the game (6.2 IP, 9 H, 1 BB, 5K). The Rockies scored the go-ahead run in the eighth on a Tyler Colvin sac fly.
Game 2
Colorado Rockies 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 5
The Pirates did not let the second great effort from their starter get away as they defeated the Rockies to earn a split behind Charlie Morton. Morton (7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 2K) was backed by a five-run fifth inning highlighted by home runs from Garrett Jones and Pedro Alvarez, his second of the double-header.
Houston Astros 7
Milwaukee Brewers 5
Neither starter was particularly effective in this one and that carried into the bullpen for the Brewers. J.D. Martinez drove in the deciding runs in the top of the eighth inning. Ryan Braun, Travis Ishikawa and Corey Hart all homered for the Brewers.
Philadelphia Phillies 7
Arizona Diamondbacks 2
Cole Hamels did it on the mound and at the plate. He pitched eight innings allowing two runs on four hits and a walk. He struck out seven and also had a two-run single to support his own cause. Placido Polanco went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Trevor Cahill took the loss for the D’Backs allowing four runs in 5.1 innings.
Washington Nationals 7
San Diego Padres 2
Jordan Zimmermann tossed six innings of one-run ball. He gave up four hits and did not walk a batter while striking out six. His season ERA sits at 1.33 with the effort. Adam LaRoche paced the victors with three hits and two runs scored. The Padres bullpen allowed five runs in two innings after Joe Wieland went six, allowing the same number of runs.
New York Mets 5
Miami Marlins 1
R.A. Dickey‘s knuckleball was dancing as he stifled the Marlins. He surrendered one run on only three hits and a walk. He struck out seven. David Wright passed Darryl Strawberry on the Mets all-time RBI list (735) with a two-run home run off Marlins starter Mark Buehrle. Omar Infante homered for the Fish.
San Francisco Giants 2
Cincinnati Reds 4
Barry Zito pitched well again but it was not enough as the Reds reached reliever Clay Hensley for three runs (all unearned) in the seventh after Zito allowed a Scott Rolen homer. Bronson Arroyo only pitched five innings, but the Reds bullpen was spectacular going four shutout innings with Sean Marshall notching his fourth save.
American League
Chicago White Sox 4
Oakland A’s 5 (14)
Jarrod Parker‘s A’s debut was a good one as he scattered seven hits in 6.1 innings and allowed only one run. He left the game with the lead, but White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko unleashed his 400th career home run in the ninth off A’s closer Grant Balfour to tie the game at 2. Alexei Ramirez doubled home two runs in the top half of the 14th inning, but the A’s stormed back with a two-run blast from Yoenis Cespedes and a walk-off single from Kila Ka’aihue.
Kansas City Royals 8
Cleveland Indians 2
The Royals snapped an awful 12-game losing streak behind Luke Hochevar and four home runs, two from Billy Butler. Butler’s first homer, off Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez got the Royals out in front 2-0 in the first inning. Eric Hosmer added a two-run shot in the fifth to put the Royals up 4-0. That is all Hochevar would need as he gave up two runs in 6.1 innings. Butler ended up with three RBIs and Alex Gordon added a three-run homer among his three hits.
Seattle Mariners 9
Detroit Tigers 1
The Mariners jumped all over Detroit starter Adam Wilk en route to a second straight night where they accumulated 15 hits. Felix Hernandez went seven innings allowing a solo homer to Brennan Boesch as his lone blemish. Dustin Ackley went 3-for-6 with three RBIs. Ichiro Suzuki and Jesus Montero added three hits apiece.
Toronto Blue Jays 0
Baltimore Orioles 3
Jason Hammel sparked the O’s past the Jays with seven shutout innings. Hammel is now 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA, a pleasant surprise for the surprising Orioles who maintained a tie for first place in the AL East with the Tampa Bay Rays. Wilson Betemit and Chris Davis hit solo blasts for the O’s.
Los Angeles Angels 2
Tampa Bay Rays 3
The Rays win moved them into a tie with the Orioles for first place in the AL East with an 11-7 record. Despite C.J. Wilson‘s 11 strikeouts, the Angels couldn’t get their anemic offense going to compensate for the two runs Wilson allowed. Jason Isringhausen didn’t help matters in the eighth when he walked four Rays batters to force in what would be the deciding run. Jeremy Hellickson improved to 3-0 with six effective innings.
New York Yankees 3
Texas Rangers 7
The Rangers won the rubber match of the three-game series upping their MLB best record to 15-4 with an easy win over Phil Hughes and the Yankees. Hughes was again ineffective and lasted only 2.2 innings after allowing four runs including a homer to Adrian Beltre. Beltre ended up with three hits and three RBIs on the night. Scott Feldman, a long reliever, started the game and the rest of the Rangers bullpen allowed only one run over the final 5.2 innings. Raul Ibanez had a double and home run for the Yanks.
Boston Red Sox 7
Minnesota Twins 6
The Red Sox are trying to turn around a pathetic start and found the right opposing team to kick start them in the Twins. Dustin Pedroia had three hits and Mike Aviles continued his torrid hitting with a three-run home run to offset a shaky start from Clay Buchholz. Buchholz got the win despite allowing five runs, four of which came in the Twins half of the sixth when they put up a five spot. The Red Sox bullpen held the Twins in check for the final three frames with the save going to Alfredo Aceves, his fourth of the season.
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