Baseball Capsules
August 21, 2015
HOUSTON (AP) Mike Fiers has pitched the second no-hitter in the major leagues in nine days, leading the Houston Astros to a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.
Fiers (6-9) struck out Justin Turner on his 134th pitch to end it and threw his glove high into the air for his first no-hitter and fifth in the big leagues this season. Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma tossed a no-no on Aug 12.
Acquired by the Astros at the trade deadline to help with their playoff push, Fiers has been stellar in his three starts for Houston. This was something else, though.
Having never thrown a complete game in his five-year career, Fiers was dominant Friday. He struck out 10 and walked three, retiring the final 21 batters.
Nolan Ryan applauded from a suite as Fiers was mobbed by his teammates at the mound after finishing the 11th no-hitter in Astros history.
INDIANS 7, YANKEES 3
NEW YORK (AP) - Carlos Carrasco struck out 11, Carlos Santana homered and Cleveland stopped New York once again.
The last-place Indians improved to 4-1 against New York this year. A night after a 3-2 victory at Yankee Stadium, Cleveland remained the only sub-.500 team in the majors with a winning record on the road.
Carrasco (12-9) outpitched Masahiro Tanaka (9-6), giving up one run and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. Carrasco has permitted just six runs in his last five starts. Soon after he left, the Yankees got close.
Alex Rodriguez bounced an RBI single in the eighth off Zach McAllister that made it 4-2. With two outs, second baseman Jose Ramirez let an easy grounder roll between his legs for an error that produced another run.
Closer Cody Allen retired Stephen Drew on a long fly with the bases loaded to end the inning, protecting a 4-3 lead.
GIANTS 6, PIRATES 4
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Madison Bumgarner homered in his second straight start and struck out six in 6 1-3 innings to lift San Francisco over Pittsburgh.
Bumgarner crushed a Jeff Locke (6-8) fastball 418-feet over the wall in left field in the second inning, a two-run shot that gave the Giants an early four-run lead and all the cushion Bumgarner would need on the mound. Bumgarner (15-6) allowed two runs and five hits, walking one while winning his fourth consecutive decision. Santiago Castilla worked the ninth for his 30th save.
Marlon Byrd had three hits, including a two-run home run, in his debut with San Francisco after being acquired in a trade with Cincinnati on Thursday.
Michael Morse scored twice for the Pirates, who lost for just the second time in their past nine games.
TWINS 4, ORIOLES 3
BALTIMORE (AP) - Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run single in the eighth inning to cap a comeback against All-Star reliever Darren O'Day and carry Minnesota past Baltimore.
Baltimore was 51-1 when leading after seven innings, and O'Day (5-2) entered with a 1.15 ERA and a run of 11 straight scoreless appearances.
A walk, a pop single down the right-field line and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Eddie Rosario, who delivered a fly to right. All three runners advanced, and Suzuki followed with a bloop past the drawn-up infield.
Casey Fien (3-5) worked 1 2-3 innings, Trevor May pitched the eighth and Kevin Jepsen struck out the side for his sixth save, the first since coming to Minnesota from Tampa Bay in a July 31 trade.
BREWERS 10, NATIONALS 3
WASHINGTON (AP) - Domingo Santana homered in his Milwaukee debut and the Brewers took advantage of several defensive miscues in a victory over struggling Washington.
Jonathan Lucroy had three hits and drove in a run, and rookie Jimmy Nelson allowed two runs in 5 1-3 innings against Washington, which fell one game below .500 at 60-61.
Bryce Harper hit his 31st home run and Michael Taylor also homered for the Nationals.
Gio Gonzalez (9-6) allowed five runs - four earned - over five innings, and the Brewers added a five-run seventh Washington lost the opener of a nine-game homestand following a 3-7 West Coast trip.
Kyle Lohse picked up his first save.
RANGERS 2, TIGERS 0
DETROIT (AP) - Colby Lewis pitched seven strong innings to help Texas beat Detroit.
Lewis (14-5) allowed six hits and a walk, but the Rangers defense turned three double plays and threw out another runner at the plate. Shawn Tolleson pitched the ninth for his 24th save, despite allowing Miguel Cabrera's third double of the game.
The game was delayed for several minutes in the eighth inning after a female fan seated in the first row behind the Tigers dugout was hit by a line drive off the bat of Anthony Gose. After lengthy attention from three paramedics, she was taken out of the stadium on a stretcher, wearing a neck brace, but appeared to be conscious and speaking.
Justin Verlander (1-6) took the loss despite allowing two runs - one earned - and four hits with a walk in seven innings. Since July 10, Verlander has allowed one or fewer earned runs in six of his eight starts, but is 1-4.
CUBS 5, BRAVES 3
CHICAGO (AP) - Kris Bryant and Miguel Montero had consecutive RBI doubles in the sixth and Chicago extended Shelby Miller's winless skid to 17 games.
Anthony Rizzo added an RBI single in the seventh for Chicago.
Jason Motte (8-1) earned the win in relief, starting a string of four innings during which Cubs relievers didn't allow a hit until pinch-hitter Nick Swisher doubled with one out in the ninth off of closer Hector Rondon.
London recovered to earn his 22nd save in 26 opportunities.
Miller (5-10) dropped his career-high ninth straight decision.
RED SOX 7, ROYALS 2
BOSTON (AP) - Johnny Cueto had his worst start since coming to Kansas City just before the trading deadline, and Boston beat AL Central-leading Royals to send them to their second straight loss.
Cueto (2-2) had allowed just six runs in four previous starts for the Royals. He allowed six earned runs and 13 hits on Friday, striking out three before leaving after six innings. The Royals also committed two errors, leading to another run.
Henry Owens made the longest start of his short career, pitching eight innings of four-hit ball. Blake Swihart had four hits and Mookie Betts three for the Red Sox, who tied a season high with their fourth win in a row.
The Royals entered the series against last-place Boston with a 14 1/2-game lead in the division.
A 23-year-old lefty who is one of Boston's top pitching prospects, Owens (2-1) was making his fourth career start since being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Aug. 4.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, REDS 3
CINCINNATI (AP) - Rubby De La Rosa allowed two runs in seven innings and A.J. Pollock homered in his second consecutive four-hit game to help Arizona send Cincinnati to its seventh straight loss.
Pollock scored three runs and Yasmany Tomas added a solo shot for the Diamondbacks.
Joey Votto hit his 23rd homer in the eighth inning off Keith Hessler for the Reds.
De La Rosa (11-5) improved to 5-0 with a 2.54 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break. He allowed seven hits with one walk, six strikeouts and a wild pitch. He also had two hits.
Addison Reed finished the eighth and Brad Ziegler pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.
Reds rookie left-hander David Holmberg set a single-game career high by allowing 11 hits. Holmberg (1-3) gave up five runs with one walk and two strikeouts and hit a batter in five innings.
PHILLIES 7, MARLINS 1
MIAMI (AP) - Jerad Eickhoff pitched six scoreless innings and drove in two runs in his major league debut to help Philadelphia over Miami.
Ryan Howard had three doubles and drove in two runs and Odubel Herrera had two hits and scored twice for the Phillies.
Philadelphia broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning by scoring four runs on four hits off Kendry Flores (1-2), who was making his first career start. Herrera's single and Freddy Galvis' sacrifice fly put the Phillies on top 2-0 before Eickhoff's two-run single.
Eickhoff (1-0) is a 25-year old right-hander, who was one of six players acquired from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade on July 31. He allowed five hits and walked one while striking out five. He threw 52 of his 75 pitches for strikes.
