MLB roundup: Verlander outduels Archer, Tigers beat Rays
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Detroit's Justin Verlander outdueled Tampa Bay Rays' Chris Archer and the Tigers scored two unearned runs, avoiding a sweep with a 2-1 win Wednesday.
Detroit took advantage in the seventh of two misplays by Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera -- an error on what could have been an inning-ending double play, then a two-out line drive from Nick Castellanos that went off Cabrera's glove for an RBI single.
Verlander (1-3) struck out 10 batters and walked none in eight innings for his first win in eight starts this season. Archer struck out 11 but was doomed by a 32-pitch seventh inning in which his defense didn't help him. Tigers closer Joakim Soria pitched a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save.
Both pitchers took perfect games into the fifth inning, with Archer striking out seven in the first four innings and Verlander fanning five. Archer's perfect game was broken up with one out in the seventh inning when Jose Iglesias got an infield single.
Indians 12, Royals 1
CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber came within two outs of his first career shutout and Cleveland hit three home runs in a six-run sixth inning against Kansas City.
The Indians banged out a season-high 18 hits, including four home runs in snapping their six-game losing streak and the Royals' four-game winning streak.
The right-handed Kluber (6-11) pitched a five-hit complete game, with six strikeouts and one walk. Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie (7-7) and gave up eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Royals.
Pirates 10, Twins 4
MINNEAPOLIS -- A five-run sixth inning busted open a tie game as Pittsburgh completed a two-game sweep of Minnesota.
Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh, which has won three straight games.
The Twins have lost four consecutive games and are 3-7 since returning from the All-Star break.
Cubs 3, Rockies 2
CHICAGO -- Jon Lester struck out a season-high 14 in eight innings to lead Chicago over Colorado.
Anthony Rizzo and Dexter Fowler each hit a home run. Lester (6-8) allowed two runs, five hits and one walk in his longest outing the season.
Carlos Gonzalez, a subject of trade talks, hit his 21st home run (his eighth in the last seven games) for the Rockies.
Diamondbacks 8, Mariners 2
SEATTLE -- Welington Castillo hit two home runs and Arizona pounded Seattle starter Felix Hernandez on the way to its fifth straight win.
Patrick Corbin (2-3) outdueled Hernandez (12-6), giving up one run and three hits in six innings. Arizona rocked Hernandez for 12 hits and seven runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Arizona has won six of its last seven and posted its first sweep since June 13-15.
Giants 5, Brewers 0
SAN FRANCISCO -- Ehire Adrianza delivered a two-run single in a five-run seventh inning as the Giants won for the 10th time in 12 games since the All-Star break.
Right-hander Jake Peavy and three relievers combined on a six-hitter, holding the Brewers to two runs or fewer for the fifth time on their just-completed, seven-game trip. The shutout loss was Milwaukee's third on the trip and 12th this season.
Brewers starter Mike Fiers, who had allowed two or fewer runs in four of his previous six starts, took a two-hit shutout into the bottom of the seventh in a 0-0 game but didn't retire another batter.
Nationals 7, Marlins 2
MIAMI -- Bryce Harper hit a three-run, tiebreaking home run and added a second upper-deck blast, leading Washington to a win over Miami at Marlins Park.
Harper, who drove in four runs, has 29 homers this season. Michael Taylor hit a solo homer in the eighth.
The game-winning homer, in the fifth inning, was Harper's fourth this season off Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler. Three of those four homers were hit to the upper deck in right field, including the one Wednesday.
Blue Jays 8, Phillies 2
TORONTO -- Troy Tulowitzki homered and had two doubles and three RBIs in a victory over Philadelphia in his debut with Toronto. The new Blue Jays shortstop was acquired in a six-player trade that sent shortstop Jose Reyes to Colorado on Tuesday.
Toronto right-hander R.A. Dickey (5-10) allowed seven hits and two unearned runs in eight innings for his second straight win.
The Phillies' five-game winning streak ended. Philadelphia is 9-2 since the All-Star break.
Phillies right-hander Jerome Williams (3-8) allowed 10 hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Orioles 2, Braves 0
BALTIMORE -- Right-hander Chris Tillman extended his winning streak to six games and Baltimore got a pair of homers from Jonathan Schoop and J.J. Hardy to complete a three-game sweep of Atlanta.
The Orioles are two games above .500 for the first time since July 10. They have also won five straight -- their longest winning streak since June 7-13. The Braves lost 10 of 11 on the road and are a season-high nine games under .500.
Tillman came within one-out of a complete-game shutout. He was pulled after allowing a double to Cameron Maybin. Tillman allowed just four hits with two strikeouts and no walks. He has not lost since May 31.
Padres 7, Mets 3
NEW YORK -- Justin Upton had two hits, including a solo homer, and three RBIs, when San Diego scored two runs apiece in the first, second and third innings on their way to a win over New York at Citi Field.
Yangervis Solarte tied a career high with four hits while scoring two runs and collecting an RBI for the Padres, who also received two hits each from Wil Venable, Yonder Alonso, Jedd Gyorko and Austin Hedges. Yonder Alonso hit a solo homer and Matt Kemp had an RBI single.
Lucas Duda hit three solo homers for the Mets.
Reds 1, Cardinals 0
ST. LOUIS -- For Cincinnati it was a rare series win under the Gateway Arch. For St. Louis, it was two losses in one.
Rookie right-hander Anthony DeSclafani tossed seven shutout innings Wednesday night as Cincinnati took a 1-0 verdict at Busch Stadium to accomplish its fourth series win in St. Louis since 2003.
The Reds supplied the only offense as Jay Bruce walloped a homer to start the second inning, his 17th home run of the year.
White Sox 9, Red Sox 2
BOSTON -- Adam Eaton led off the game with a home run, and Chicago cruised to a rout of floundering Boston for its seventh consecutive win on their current road trip.
Eaton, who had three hits, drove in another run, and Alexei Ramirez also homered to back a strong start by left-hander Jose Quintana.
Chicago climbed within a game of the .500 mark for the first time since May 22. The White Sox are just 2 1/2 games out of the second American League wild-card position.
Astros 6, Angels 3
HOUSTON -- Preston Tucker and Jon Singleton socked solo home runs and Lance McCullers worked seven strong innings as Houston claimed a win over Los Angeles at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros reclaimed first place in the American League West for the first time since a six-game losing streak leading into the All-Star Game break cost them their perch atop the division. Houston has hit multiple home runs in a game 42 times and is 37-5 in those contests.
Tucker bashed his 10th home run of the season into the home bullpen in right-center field to open the sixth inning. Singleton chased Angels right-hander Garrett Richards (10-8) with his first homer, also into the Astros bullpen, with one out in the seventh. Singleton added an RBI single as part of a two-run eighth inning that provided some insurance.
Rangers 5, Yankees 2
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas snapped a three-game skid behind a solid outing from starter Colby Lewis and Josh Hamilton's two RBIs.
Texas' victory over New York served as a mere backdrop to a blockbuster deal landing Philadelphia ace Cole Hamels. Word of the multiplayer trade began to circulate during the game and was widely reported by several media outlets. Hamels, signed through 2018, was acquired with next season and beyond in mind for a club with playoff aspirations this season.
The Yankees were coming off a 21-5 rout the previous night but had their four-game winning streak end. New York is still 4-2 on its current 10-game road trip and would take three in the four-game series with Texas with a win on Thursday night.
Dodgers 10, Athletics 7
LOS ANGELES -- Pinch-hitter Enrique Hernandez hit a go-ahead two-run double to spark a five-run rally in the seventh, and Los Angeles beat Oakland before 51,788 at Dodger Stadium.
Adrian Gonzalez lined a run-scoring double off the center-field wall and Yasmani Grandal had an RBI infield single in the seventh to pull Los Angeles within 6-5 before Hernandez ripped a two-bagger in the gap between left and center with two outs.
Yasiel Puig, who homered, added an RBI single in the seventh and Howie Kendrick drove in two more runs in the eighth for the Dodgers, who snapped a three-game losing streak and remained a half-game ahead of the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West.
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Detroit's Justin Verlander outdueled Tampa Bay Rays' Chris Archer and the Tigers scored two unearned runs, avoiding a sweep with a 2-1 win Wednesday.
Detroit took advantage in the seventh of two misplays by Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera -- an error on what could have been an inning-ending double play, then a two-out line drive from Nick Castellanos that went off Cabrera's glove for an RBI single.
Verlander (1-3) struck out 10 batters and walked none in eight innings for his first win in eight starts this season. Archer struck out 11 but was doomed by a 32-pitch seventh inning in which his defense didn't help him. Tigers closer Joakim Soria pitched a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save.
Both pitchers took perfect games into the fifth inning, with Archer striking out seven in the first four innings and Verlander fanning five. Archer's perfect game was broken up with one out in the seventh inning when Jose Iglesias got an infield single.
Indians 12, Royals 1
CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber came within two outs of his first career shutout and Cleveland hit three home runs in a six-run sixth inning against Kansas City.
The Indians banged out a season-high 18 hits, including four home runs in snapping their six-game losing streak and the Royals' four-game winning streak.
The right-handed Kluber (6-11) pitched a five-hit complete game, with six strikeouts and one walk. Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie (7-7) and gave up eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Royals.
Pirates 10, Twins 4
MINNEAPOLIS -- A five-run sixth inning busted open a tie game as Pittsburgh completed a two-game sweep of Minnesota.
Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh, which has won three straight games.
The Twins have lost four consecutive games and are 3-7 since returning from the All-Star break.
Cubs 3, Rockies 2
CHICAGO -- Jon Lester struck out a season-high 14 in eight innings to lead Chicago over Colorado.
Anthony Rizzo and Dexter Fowler each hit a home run. Lester (6-8) allowed two runs, five hits and one walk in his longest outing the season.
Carlos Gonzalez, a subject of trade talks, hit his 21st home run (his eighth in the last seven games) for the Rockies.
Diamondbacks 8, Mariners 2
SEATTLE -- Welington Castillo hit two home runs and Arizona pounded Seattle starter Felix Hernandez on the way to its fifth straight win.
Patrick Corbin (2-3) outdueled Hernandez (12-6), giving up one run and three hits in six innings. Arizona rocked Hernandez for 12 hits and seven runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Arizona has won six of its last seven and posted its first sweep since June 13-15.
Giants 5, Brewers 0
SAN FRANCISCO -- Ehire Adrianza delivered a two-run single in a five-run seventh inning as the Giants won for the 10th time in 12 games since the All-Star break.
Right-hander Jake Peavy and three relievers combined on a six-hitter, holding the Brewers to two runs or fewer for the fifth time on their just-completed, seven-game trip. The shutout loss was Milwaukee's third on the trip and 12th this season.
Brewers starter Mike Fiers, who had allowed two or fewer runs in four of his previous six starts, took a two-hit shutout into the bottom of the seventh in a 0-0 game but didn't retire another batter.
Nationals 7, Marlins 2
MIAMI -- Bryce Harper hit a three-run, tiebreaking home run and added a second upper-deck blast, leading Washington to a win over Miami at Marlins Park.
Harper, who drove in four runs, has 29 homers this season. Michael Taylor hit a solo homer in the eighth.
The game-winning homer, in the fifth inning, was Harper's fourth this season off Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler. Three of those four homers were hit to the upper deck in right field, including the one Wednesday.
Blue Jays 8, Phillies 2
TORONTO -- Troy Tulowitzki homered and had two doubles and three RBIs in a victory over Philadelphia in his debut with Toronto. The new Blue Jays shortstop was acquired in a six-player trade that sent shortstop Jose Reyes to Colorado on Tuesday.
Toronto right-hander R.A. Dickey (5-10) allowed seven hits and two unearned runs in eight innings for his second straight win.
The Phillies' five-game winning streak ended. Philadelphia is 9-2 since the All-Star break.
Phillies right-hander Jerome Williams (3-8) allowed 10 hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Orioles 2, Braves 0
BALTIMORE -- Right-hander Chris Tillman extended his winning streak to six games and Baltimore got a pair of homers from Jonathan Schoop and J.J. Hardy to complete a three-game sweep of Atlanta.
The Orioles are two games above .500 for the first time since July 10. They have also won five straight -- their longest winning streak since June 7-13. The Braves lost 10 of 11 on the road and are a season-high nine games under .500.
Tillman came within one-out of a complete-game shutout. He was pulled after allowing a double to Cameron Maybin. Tillman allowed just four hits with two strikeouts and no walks. He has not lost since May 31.
Padres 7, Mets 3
NEW YORK -- Justin Upton had two hits, including a solo homer, and three RBIs, when San Diego scored two runs apiece in the first, second and third innings on their way to a win over New York at Citi Field.
Yangervis Solarte tied a career high with four hits while scoring two runs and collecting an RBI for the Padres, who also received two hits each from Wil Venable, Yonder Alonso, Jedd Gyorko and Austin Hedges. Yonder Alonso hit a solo homer and Matt Kemp had an RBI single.
Lucas Duda hit three solo homers for the Mets.
Reds 1, Cardinals 0
ST. LOUIS -- For Cincinnati it was a rare series win under the Gateway Arch. For St. Louis, it was two losses in one.
Rookie right-hander Anthony DeSclafani tossed seven shutout innings Wednesday night as Cincinnati took a 1-0 verdict at Busch Stadium to accomplish its fourth series win in St. Louis since 2003.
The Reds supplied the only offense as Jay Bruce walloped a homer to start the second inning, his 17th home run of the year.
White Sox 9, Red Sox 2
BOSTON -- Adam Eaton led off the game with a home run, and Chicago cruised to a rout of floundering Boston for its seventh consecutive win on their current road trip.
Eaton, who had three hits, drove in another run, and Alexei Ramirez also homered to back a strong start by left-hander Jose Quintana.
Chicago climbed within a game of the .500 mark for the first time since May 22. The White Sox are just 2 1/2 games out of the second American League wild-card position.
Astros 6, Angels 3
HOUSTON -- Preston Tucker and Jon Singleton socked solo home runs and Lance McCullers worked seven strong innings as Houston claimed a win over Los Angeles at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros reclaimed first place in the American League West for the first time since a six-game losing streak leading into the All-Star Game break cost them their perch atop the division. Houston has hit multiple home runs in a game 42 times and is 37-5 in those contests.
Tucker bashed his 10th home run of the season into the home bullpen in right-center field to open the sixth inning. Singleton chased Angels right-hander Garrett Richards (10-8) with his first homer, also into the Astros bullpen, with one out in the seventh. Singleton added an RBI single as part of a two-run eighth inning that provided some insurance.
Rangers 5, Yankees 2
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas snapped a three-game skid behind a solid outing from starter Colby Lewis and Josh Hamilton's two RBIs.
Texas' victory over New York served as a mere backdrop to a blockbuster deal landing Philadelphia ace Cole Hamels. Word of the multiplayer trade began to circulate during the game and was widely reported by several media outlets. Hamels, signed through 2018, was acquired with next season and beyond in mind for a club with playoff aspirations this season.
The Yankees were coming off a 21-5 rout the previous night but had their four-game winning streak end. New York is still 4-2 on its current 10-game road trip and would take three in the four-game series with Texas with a win on Thursday night.
Dodgers 10, Athletics 7
LOS ANGELES -- Pinch-hitter Enrique Hernandez hit a go-ahead two-run double to spark a five-run rally in the seventh, and Los Angeles beat Oakland before 51,788 at Dodger Stadium.
Adrian Gonzalez lined a run-scoring double off the center-field wall and Yasmani Grandal had an RBI infield single in the seventh to pull Los Angeles within 6-5 before Hernandez ripped a two-bagger in the gap between left and center with two outs.
Yasiel Puig, who homered, added an RBI single in the seventh and Howie Kendrick drove in two more runs in the eighth for the Dodgers, who snapped a three-game losing streak and remained a half-game ahead of the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West.
