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Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rockies end 8-game losing streak, beat Sale and Braves
The Colorado Rockies ended an eight-game losing streak as Brenton Doyle hit a tiebreaking home run off reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale in the third inning of a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Colorado had lost 16 of its previous 17 games and had been outscored by 78 runs. At 5-25, the Rockies avoided joining the 1988 Baltimore Orioles as the only teams since 1901 to lose at least 26 of their first 30 games. Doyle homered on an inside fastball, ending an 0-for-20 skid with a 421-foot drive to left-center. He later doubled. Rookie Chase Dollander (2-3), the Rockies' No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft, allowed one run, two hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Making his fifth big league start, he got his second win. Dollander came out after trying to pitch with a cracked fingernail. Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Zach Agnos finished a three-hitter, with Agnos getting three outs for his first major league save. Bird struck out two in 1 1/3 innings and has 24 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings. CARDINALS 6, REDS 0, 1ST GAME CARDINALS 9, REDS 1, 2ND GAME CINCINNATI (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the second game, Pedro Pagés added a solo shot and St. Louis swept a day-night doubleheader from Cincinnati. Contreras and Pagés homered off 22-year-old left-hander Chase Petty, 22, who allowed nine runs, seven hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings in his major league debut. Pagés homered on the 11th pitch of his at-bat and Jordan Walker added a two-run double in the third. St. Louis entered 2-12 on the road and matched its season wins total away from home. Petty was selected 26th overall by Minnesota in the 2021 amateur draft and was acquired in the March 2022 trade that sent pitcher Sonny Gray to the Twins. Cardinals starter Steven Matz allowed five hits with no walks and six strikeouts in four scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 1.50. Gordon Graceffo (1-0) got his first major league win, giving up one run and two hits in five innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball. St. Louis hit three consecutive homers in the ninth inning and beat the Reds 6-0 in the first game, a makeup of Tuesday's rainout. Cincinnati was 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position on the day. TIGERS 7, ASTROS 4 HOUSTON (AP) — Javy Báez capped a five-run third inning with his ninth career grand slam and Detroit avoided a series sweep by beating Houston. Baez's two-out homer off AJ Blubaugh (0-1), a 24-year-old right-hander making his major league debut, put the Tigers ahead 7-1. All five runs were unearned due to shortstop Jeremy Peña throwing error on Kerry Carpenter's grounder. Riley Greene tied his career high with four hits. Brenan Hanifee (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Jackson Jobe, who allowed three runs, four hits and four walks in three innings. Detroit has won five of seven and nine of 13. Blubaugh (0-1) struck out two in a 1-2-3 first and gave up seven runs — two earned — and five hits in four innings with six strikeouts and a walk. Peña hit the first career leadoff home run, the first of his three hits, but Colt Keith hit a two-run homer in the second to put Detroit ahead for good. Jose Altuve hit a two-run double in the fifth and Victor Caratini homered in the seventh against Tyler Holton. Holton struck out Yainer Diaz to strand two runners in the seventh and Tommy Kahnle struck out Christian Walker to leave two runners on in the eighth. Houston went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners. DODGERS 12, MARLINS 7 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Gonsolin threw six strong innings in his return from Tommy John surgery, Mookie Betts drove in four runs and Los Angeles extended their win streak to five with a victory over Miami. Gonsolin, making his first start since Aug. 18, 2023, gave up three runs and six hits, struck out nine and walked none in a 77-pitch effort. The Dodgers, who banged out 17 hits, pushed a 4-3 lead to 8-3 in a span of four pitches in the sixth. Betts drove a two-run triple off the center-field wall and Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run homer. Betts also keyed a three-run third with a two-run single. Cal Quantrill (2-3) gave up four runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings to fall to 1-7 with an 8.22 ERA in nine appearances against Los Angeles. Kyle Stowers homered twice for Miami. MARINERS 9, ANGELS 3 SEATTLE (AP) — J.P. Crawford hit a tie-breaking two-run single in a six-run seventh inning and Seattle won their seventh straight series with a victory over Los Angeles and Mike Trout, who left the game with a sore left knee. The outfielder was lifted for Jo Adell in the fourth after running out a groundout in his previous at-bat. Trout has started all 29 games this season and is batting .179 with nine home runs. In four of the previous five seasons he has played fewer than 100 games, including just 29 last year. Trout, who was 1 for 2 on Wednesday, said he hoped to play Thursday. While the Angels have lost five straight, the Mariners have won four in a row and are 15-3 in their last 18 games. Emerson Hancock pitched six innings, giving up nine hits and three runs. Casey Legumina (2-0) got the win with a scoreless seventh. Leo Rivas had three hits and three RBIs and Randy Arozarena hit his fifth homer for Seattle. PADRES 5, GIANTS 3 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Elias Díaz homered and scored twice, and Fernando Tatis Jr. had three hits for San Diego, who beat San Francisco for a two-game sweep. The Padres leapfrogged the Giants into second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ultra-competitive NL West. Díaz homered on a line shot to left off Landen Roupp (2-2) leading off the third for a 2-0 lead. A fan in the front row wearing a Giants T-shirt reached his glove over the fence but the ball caromed off his wrist. After a lengthy crew chief review, it was determined it wasn't fan interference. It was the catcher's second homer. Tatis had three singles and scored on Manny Machado's single to right in the two-run fifth. Jose Iglesias beat out a dribbler for a two-out infield hit that scored Luis Arraez. Arraez, a three-time batting champion who returned from the seven-day concussion injured list on Tuesday night, had his first triple of the season to bring in Díaz with two outs in the sixth. Michael King (4-1) held the Giants to one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one. Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his major league-leading 12th save. GUARDIANS 4, TWINS 2 CLEVELAND (AP) — Bo Naylor hit a three-run homer and Luis Ortiz kept Minnesota's hitters off balance and off the scoreboard for 6 1/3 innings, leading Cleveland to a win over Minnesota. Naylor connected in the seventh inning off reliever Brock Stewart after the Guardians finally scratched out a run against Minnesota starter Pablo López (2-2), who held Cleveland scoreless over the first 6 1/3 innings. Cade Smith (1-0) struck out the only two batters he faced. Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth — he gave up one run and two hits with a wild pitch — for his fifth save. It was the struggling All-Star closer's first save since April 19. Brooks Lee homered for the Twins. PIRATES 4, CUBS 3 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning just seconds before a fan fell off the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh's win over Chicago. With the Pirates trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached on a fielding error by third baseman Jon Berti and took second on Bryan Reynolds' single. McCutchen then hit a grounder up the middle that deflected off the leg of sliding shortstop Dansby Swanson and into right-center field. Then the fan flipped over the railing from the first row of seats. Players frantically waved for medical attention and the fan was removed from the field on a cart. The Cubs scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull ahead 3-2. Ian Happ hit an RBI single, Kyle Tucker drove in a run with a groundout and the third scored on Ryan Borucki's wild pitch. Oneil Cruz doubled and scored on Ke'Bryan Hayes' single in the first inning and Joey Bart doubled and scored on Jared Triolo's sacrifice fly in the fourth as the Pirates, who snapped a three-game losing streak, built a 2-0 lead. Swanson had three hits for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who lost for the third time in four games. ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 4 BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías homered during Baltimore's four-run second inning, and the Orioles held on for a victory over New York despite three more hits by Aaron Judge. Judge hit a two-run homer in the first, then added two singles to finish April with a .427 batting average, but the last-place Orioles managed to take two of three in this series with the AL East leaders. Baltimore won the opener and finale by a run each while losing the middle game 15-3. Bryan Baker (2-0) won in relief, one of six bullen arms the Orioles used. Félix Bautista pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save, striking out Trent Grisham on a 99.2 mph pitch to leave Judge in the on-deck circle when the game ended. Carlos Carrasco (2-2) allowed four runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. PHILLIES 7, NATIONALS 2 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber homered in the first inning for the second consecutive game, Max Kepler and J.T. Realmuto also went deep, and Philadelphia beat Washington. Schwarber launched a three-run homer off Washington starter Jake Irvin. It was his ninth of the season, and it extended his league-leading on-base streak to 36 games, dating to last season. Kepler hit his third homer of the season in the sixth inning against Irvin and Realmuto added a homer off Eduardo Salazar in the eighth. Bryson Stott and Nick Castellanos each had RBI singles for Philadelphia, which has won four straight. Cristopher Sanchez (3-1) allowed two runs in five innings in his first appearance since leaving a start after just two innings last Tuesday at the New York Mets with forearm tightness. Nathaniel Lowe had an RBI double for the Nationals. Irvin (2-1) allowed six runs on eight hits in six innings. ROYALS 3, RAYS 0 TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Royals left-hander Noah Cameron took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his major league debut and Vinnie Pasquantino homered as Kansas City blanked Tampa Bay. Cameron, who grew up in the Kansas City area, shut out the Rays over 6 1/3 innings until Curtis Mead ended an 0-for-16 slump with a one-out single down the left-field line. Recalled from Triple-A Omaha prior to the start, Cameron (1-0) allowed one hit and five walks while striking out three. He threw 79 pitches with 46 strikes. Carlos Estévez stranded two in the ninth for his ninth save. BLUE JAYS 7, RED SOX 6, 10 INNINGS TORONTO (AP) — Alejandro Kirk hit a game-ending, bases-loaded single in the 10th inning and Toronto overcame a six-run deficit to beat Boston in Lucas Giolito's return, stopping a three-game losing streak. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. started the 10th as the automatic runner on second, Justin Slaten (0-1) intentionally walked Daulton Varsho and George Springer with one out and Kirk singled to left. Jeff Hoffman (3-0) struck out three in two hitless innings. Anthony Santander tied the score in the seventh with his fourth home run this season, a three-run drive off Garrett Whitlock. DIAMONDBACKS 4, METS 3 NEW YOR (AP) — Corbin Burnes earned his first win for Arizona and pinch-hitter Geraldo Perdomo delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning that sent the Diamondbacks past New York. New York scored twice in the ninth before Ryan Thompson retired Francisco Alvarez on a grounder with the bases loaded for his eighth major league save and first this season. Making his sixth start with his new team since signing a $210 million, six-year contract as a free agent last offseason, Burnes (1-1) pitched out of trouble for six innings. He allowed one run and four hits, overcoming five walks and a balk to help the Diamondbacks win for the second time in seven games. BREWERS 6, WHITE SOX 4 CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Bauers hit a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning and Milwaukee beat Chicago for their third straight victory. Tied at 3 going into the eighth, Milwaukee loaded the bases on two walks and an infield single before Bauers ripped a shot into the gap in right-center field. Caleb Durbin drove in his eighth run of the season on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3 in the eighth. The Brewers have gone 12-1 in their last 13 games against the White Sox, including eight straight wins. Milwaukee is also 8-1 in its last nine games at Rate Field, including seven straight victories. William Contreras went 2 for 3 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Contreras singled to right in the first for a 1-0 lead and scored when Gage Workman, making his first start for the White Sox, let a soft grounder go under his glove. ATHLETICS 7, RANGERS 1 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brent Rooker hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning and Lawrence Butler followed with his first career grand slam as the Athletics beat Texas. Rooker was the first batter to face Luke Jackson after Tyler Soderstrom led off the inning with a single off Robert Garcia (1-1). Rooker launched a 1-1 fastball to left field, his eighth of the season. After the A's loaded the bases with a single and two walks by Jackson, Butler took Shawn Armstrong deep to center for his fifth homer. Grant Holman (3-0) pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth. The Athletics have won six of eight, while the Rangers have lost eight of 12. The Associated Press
Hamilton Spectator
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Rockies end 8-game losing streak, beat Sale and Braves
The Colorado Rockies ended an eight-game losing streak as Brenton Doyle hit a tiebreaking home run off reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale in the third inning of a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Colorado had lost 16 of its previous 17 games and had been outscored by 78 runs. At 5-25, the Rockies avoided joining the 1988 Baltimore Orioles as the only teams since 1901 to lose at least 26 of their first 30 games. Doyle homered on an inside fastball, ending an 0-for-20 skid with a 421-foot drive to left-center. He later doubled. Rookie Chase Dollander (2-3), the Rockies' No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft, allowed one run, two hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Making his fifth big league start, he got his second win. Dollander came out after trying to pitch with a cracked fingernail. Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Zach Agnos finished a three-hitter, with Agnos getting three outs for his first major league save. Bird struck out two in 1 1/3 innings and has 24 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings. CARDINALS 6, REDS 0, 1ST GAME CARDINALS 9, REDS 1, 2ND GAME CINCINNATI (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the second game, Pedro Pagés added a solo shot and St. Louis swept a day-night doubleheader from Cincinnati. Contreras and Pagés homered off 22-year-old left-hander Chase Petty, 22, who allowed nine runs, seven hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings in his major league debut. Pagés homered on the 11th pitch of his at-bat and Jordan Walker added a two-run double in the third. St. Louis entered 2-12 on the road and matched its season wins total away from home. Petty was selected 26th overall by Minnesota in the 2021 amateur draft and was acquired in the March 2022 trade that sent pitcher Sonny Gray to the Twins. Cardinals starter Steven Matz allowed five hits with no walks and six strikeouts in four scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 1.50. Gordon Graceffo (1-0) got his first major league win, giving up one run and two hits in five innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball. St. Louis hit three consecutive homers in the ninth inning and beat the Reds 6-0 in the first game, a makeup of Tuesday's rainout. Cincinnati was 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position on the day. TIGERS 7, ASTROS 4 HOUSTON (AP) — Javy Báez capped a five-run third inning with his ninth career grand slam and Detroit avoided a series sweep by beating Houston. Baez's two-out homer off AJ Blubaugh (0-1), a 24-year-old right-hander making his major league debut, put the Tigers ahead 7-1. All five runs were unearned due to shortstop Jeremy Peña throwing error on Kerry Carpenter's grounder. Riley Greene tied his career high with four hits. Brenan Hanifee (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Jackson Jobe, who allowed three runs, four hits and four walks in three innings. Detroit has won five of seven and nine of 13. Blubaugh (0-1) struck out two in a 1-2-3 first and gave up seven runs — two earned — and five hits in four innings with six strikeouts and a walk. Peña hit the first career leadoff home run, the first of his three hits, but Colt Keith hit a two-run homer in the second to put Detroit ahead for good. Jose Altuve hit a two-run double in the fifth and Victor Caratini homered in the seventh against Tyler Holton. Holton struck out Yainer Diaz to strand two runners in the seventh and Tommy Kahnle struck out Christian Walker to leave two runners on in the eighth. Houston went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners. DODGERS 12, MARLINS 7 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Gonsolin threw six strong innings in his return from Tommy John surgery, Mookie Betts drove in four runs and Los Angeles extended their win streak to five with a victory over Miami. Gonsolin, making his first start since Aug. 18, 2023, gave up three runs and six hits, struck out nine and walked none in a 77-pitch effort. The Dodgers, who banged out 17 hits, pushed a 4-3 lead to 8-3 in a span of four pitches in the sixth. Betts drove a two-run triple off the center-field wall and Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run homer. Betts also keyed a three-run third with a two-run single. Cal Quantrill (2-3) gave up four runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings to fall to 1-7 with an 8.22 ERA in nine appearances against Los Angeles. Kyle Stowers homered twice for Miami. MARINERS 9, ANGELS 3 SEATTLE (AP) — J.P. Crawford hit a tie-breaking two-run single in a six-run seventh inning and Seattle won their seventh straight series with a victory over Los Angeles and Mike Trout, who left the game with a sore left knee. The outfielder was lifted for Jo Adell in the fourth after running out a groundout in his previous at-bat. Trout has started all 29 games this season and is batting .179 with nine home runs. In four of the previous five seasons he has played fewer than 100 games, including just 29 last year. Trout, who was 1 for 2 on Wednesday, said he hoped to play Thursday. While the Angels have lost five straight, the Mariners have won four in a row and are 15-3 in their last 18 games. Emerson Hancock pitched six innings, giving up nine hits and three runs. Casey Legumina (2-0) got the win with a scoreless seventh. Leo Rivas had three hits and three RBIs and Randy Arozarena hit his fifth homer for Seattle. PADRES 5, GIANTS 3 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Elias Díaz homered and scored twice, and Fernando Tatis Jr. had three hits for San Diego, who beat San Francisco for a two-game sweep. The Padres leapfrogged the Giants into second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ultra-competitive NL West. Díaz homered on a line shot to left off Landen Roupp (2-2) leading off the third for a 2-0 lead. A fan in the front row wearing a Giants T-shirt reached his glove over the fence but the ball caromed off his wrist. After a lengthy crew chief review, it was determined it wasn't fan interference. It was the catcher's second homer. Tatis had three singles and scored on Manny Machado's single to right in the two-run fifth. Jose Iglesias beat out a dribbler for a two-out infield hit that scored Luis Arraez. Arraez, a three-time batting champion who returned from the seven-day concussion injured list on Tuesday night, had his first triple of the season to bring in Díaz with two outs in the sixth. Michael King (4-1) held the Giants to one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one. Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his major league-leading 12th save. GUARDIANS 4, TWINS 2 CLEVELAND (AP) — Bo Naylor hit a three-run homer and Luis Ortiz kept Minnesota's hitters off balance and off the scoreboard for 6 1/3 innings, leading Cleveland to a win over Minnesota. Naylor connected in the seventh inning off reliever Brock Stewart after the Guardians finally scratched out a run against Minnesota starter Pablo López (2-2), who held Cleveland scoreless over the first 6 1/3 innings. Cade Smith (1-0) struck out the only two batters he faced. Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth — he gave up one run and two hits with a wild pitch — for his fifth save. It was the struggling All-Star closer's first save since April 19. Brooks Lee homered for the Twins. PIRATES 4, CUBS 3 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning just seconds before a fan fell off the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh's win over Chicago. With the Pirates trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached on a fielding error by third baseman Jon Berti and took second on Bryan Reynolds' single. McCutchen then hit a grounder up the middle that deflected off the leg of sliding shortstop Dansby Swanson and into right-center field. Then the fan flipped over the railing from the first row of seats. Players frantically waved for medical attention and the fan was removed from the field on a cart. The Cubs scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull ahead 3-2. Ian Happ hit an RBI single, Kyle Tucker drove in a run with a groundout and the third scored on Ryan Borucki's wild pitch. Oneil Cruz doubled and scored on Ke'Bryan Hayes' single in the first inning and Joey Bart doubled and scored on Jared Triolo's sacrifice fly in the fourth as the Pirates, who snapped a three-game losing streak, built a 2-0 lead. Swanson had three hits for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who lost for the third time in four games. ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 4 BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías homered during Baltimore's four-run second inning, and the Orioles held on for a victory over New York despite three more hits by Aaron Judge. Judge hit a two-run homer in the first, then added two singles to finish April with a .427 batting average, but the last-place Orioles managed to take two of three in this series with the AL East leaders. Baltimore won the opener and finale by a run each while losing the middle game 15-3. Bryan Baker (2-0) won in relief, one of six bullen arms the Orioles used. Félix Bautista pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save, striking out Trent Grisham on a 99.2 mph pitch to leave Judge in the on-deck circle when the game ended. Carlos Carrasco (2-2) allowed four runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rockies end 8-game losing streak, beat Sale and Braves
Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings, left, hugs relief pitcher Zach Agnos after he closed out the Atlanta Braves to end a baseball game, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) The Colorado Rockies ended an eight-game losing streak as Brenton Doyle hit a tiebreaking home run off reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale in the third inning of a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Colorado had lost 16 of its previous 17 games and had been outscored by 78 runs. At 5-25, the Rockies avoided joining the 1988 Baltimore Orioles as the only teams since 1901 to lose at least 26 of their first 30 games. Advertisement Doyle homered on an inside fastball, ending an 0-for-20 skid with a 421-foot drive to left-center. He later doubled. Rookie Chase Dollander (2-3), the Rockies' No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft, allowed one run, two hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Making his fifth big league start, he got his second win. Dollander came out after trying to pitch with a cracked fingernail. Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Zach Agnos finished a three-hitter, with Agnos getting three outs for his first major league save. Bird struck out two in 1 1/3 innings and has 24 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings. CARDINALS 6, REDS 0, 1ST GAME Advertisement CARDINALS 9, REDS 1, 2ND GAME CINCINNATI (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the second game, Pedro Pagés added a solo shot and St. Louis swept a day-night doubleheader from Cincinnati. Contreras and Pagés homered off 22-year-old left-hander Chase Petty, 22, who allowed nine runs, seven hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings in his major league debut. Pagés homered on the 11th pitch of his at-bat and Jordan Walker added a two-run double in the third. St. Louis entered 2-12 on the road and matched its season wins total away from home. Petty was selected 26th overall by Minnesota in the 2021 amateur draft and was acquired in the March 2022 trade that sent pitcher Sonny Gray to the Twins. Advertisement Cardinals starter Steven Matz allowed five hits with no walks and six strikeouts in four scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 1.50. Gordon Graceffo (1-0) got his first major league win, giving up one run and two hits in five innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball. St. Louis hit three consecutive homers in the ninth inning and beat the Reds 6-0 in the first game, a makeup of Tuesday's rainout. Cincinnati was 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position on the day. TIGERS 7, ASTROS 4 HOUSTON (AP) — Javy Báez capped a five-run third inning with his ninth career grand slam and Detroit avoided a series sweep by beating Houston. Advertisement Baez's two-out homer off AJ Blubaugh (0-1), a 24-year-old right-hander making his major league debut, put the Tigers ahead 7-1. All five runs were unearned due to shortstop Jeremy Peña throwing error on Kerry Carpenter's grounder. Riley Greene tied his career high with four hits. Brenan Hanifee (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Jackson Jobe, who allowed three runs, four hits and four walks in three innings. Detroit has won five of seven and nine of 13. Blubaugh (0-1) struck out two in a 1-2-3 first and gave up seven runs — two earned — and five hits in four innings with six strikeouts and a walk. Advertisement Peña hit the first career leadoff home run, the first of his three hits, but Colt Keith hit a two-run homer in the second to put Detroit ahead for good. Jose Altuve hit a two-run double in the fifth and Victor Caratini homered in the seventh against Tyler Holton. Holton struck out Yainer Diaz to strand two runners in the seventh and Tommy Kahnle struck out Christian Walker to leave two runners on in the eighth. Houston went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners. DODGERS 12, MARLINS 7 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Gonsolin threw six strong innings in his return from Tommy John surgery, Mookie Betts drove in four runs and Los Angeles extended their win streak to five with a victory over Miami. Advertisement Gonsolin, making his first start since Aug. 18, 2023, gave up three runs and six hits, struck out nine and walked none in a 77-pitch effort. The Dodgers, who banged out 17 hits, pushed a 4-3 lead to 8-3 in a span of four pitches in the sixth. Betts drove a two-run triple off the center-field wall and Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run homer. Betts also keyed a three-run third with a two-run single. Cal Quantrill (2-3) gave up four runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings to fall to 1-7 with an 8.22 ERA in nine appearances against Los Angeles. Kyle Stowers homered twice for Miami. MARINERS 9, ANGELS 3 Advertisement SEATTLE (AP) — J.P. Crawford hit a tie-breaking two-run single in a six-run seventh inning and Seattle won their seventh straight series with a victory over Los Angeles and Mike Trout, who left the game with a sore left knee. The outfielder was lifted for Jo Adell in the fourth after running out a groundout in his previous at-bat. Trout has started all 29 games this season and is batting .179 with nine home runs. In four of the previous five seasons he has played fewer than 100 games, including just 29 last year. Trout, who was 1 for 2 on Wednesday, said he hoped to play Thursday. While the Angels have lost five straight, the Mariners have won four in a row and are 15-3 in their last 18 games. Advertisement Emerson Hancock pitched six innings, giving up nine hits and three runs. Casey Legumina (2-0) got the win with a scoreless seventh. Leo Rivas had three hits and three RBIs and Randy Arozarena hit his fifth homer for Seattle. PADRES 5, GIANTS 3 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Elias Díaz homered and scored twice, and Fernando Tatis Jr. had three hits for San Diego, who beat San Francisco for a two-game sweep. The Padres leapfrogged the Giants into second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ultra-competitive NL West. Díaz homered on a line shot to left off Landen Roupp (2-2) leading off the third for a 2-0 lead. A fan in the front row wearing a Giants T-shirt reached his glove over the fence but the ball caromed off his wrist. After a lengthy crew chief review, it was determined it wasn't fan interference. It was the catcher's second homer. Advertisement Tatis had three singles and scored on Manny Machado's single to right in the two-run fifth. Jose Iglesias beat out a dribbler for a two-out infield hit that scored Luis Arraez. Arraez, a three-time batting champion who returned from the seven-day concussion injured list on Tuesday night, had his first triple of the season to bring in Díaz with two outs in the sixth. Michael King (4-1) held the Giants to one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one. Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his major league-leading 12th save. GUARDIANS 4, TWINS 2 CLEVELAND (AP) — Bo Naylor hit a three-run homer and Luis Ortiz kept Minnesota's hitters off balance and off the scoreboard for 6 1/3 innings, leading Cleveland to a win over Minnesota. Advertisement Naylor connected in the seventh inning off reliever Brock Stewart after the Guardians finally scratched out a run against Minnesota starter Pablo López (2-2), who held Cleveland scoreless over the first 6 1/3 innings. Cade Smith (1-0) struck out the only two batters he faced. Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth — he gave up one run and two hits with a wild pitch — for his fifth save. It was the struggling All-Star closer's first save since April 19. Brooks Lee homered for the Twins. PIRATES 4, CUBS 3 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning just seconds before a fan fell off the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh's win over Chicago. Advertisement With the Pirates trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached on a fielding error by third baseman Jon Berti and took second on Bryan Reynolds' single. McCutchen then hit a grounder up the middle that deflected off the leg of sliding shortstop Dansby Swanson and into right-center field. Then the fan flipped over the railing from the first row of seats. Players frantically waved for medical attention and the fan was removed from the field on a cart. The Cubs scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull ahead 3-2. Ian Happ hit an RBI single, Kyle Tucker drove in a run with a groundout and the third scored on Ryan Borucki's wild pitch. Advertisement Oneil Cruz doubled and scored on Ke'Bryan Hayes' single in the first inning and Joey Bart doubled and scored on Jared Triolo's sacrifice fly in the fourth as the Pirates, who snapped a three-game losing streak, built a 2-0 lead. Swanson had three hits for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who lost for the third time in four games. ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 4 BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías homered during Baltimore's four-run second inning, and the Orioles held on for a victory over New York despite three more hits by Aaron Judge. Judge hit a two-run homer in the first, then added two singles to finish April with a .427 batting average, but the last-place Orioles managed to take two of three in this series with the AL East leaders. Baltimore won the opener and finale by a run each while losing the middle game 15-3. Advertisement Bryan Baker (2-0) won in relief, one of six bullen arms the Orioles used. Félix Bautista pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save, striking out Trent Grisham on a 99.2 mph pitch to leave Judge in the on-deck circle when the game ended. Carlos Carrasco (2-2) allowed four runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Winnipeg Free Press
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rockies end 8-game losing streak, beat Sale and Braves
The Colorado Rockies ended an eight-game losing streak as Brenton Doyle hit a tiebreaking home run off reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale in the third inning of a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Colorado had lost 16 of its previous 17 games and had been outscored by 78 runs. At 5-25, the Rockies avoided joining the 1988 Baltimore Orioles as the only teams since 1901 to lose at least 26 of their first 30 games. Doyle homered on an inside fastball, ending an 0-for-20 skid with a 421-foot drive to left-center. He later doubled. Rookie Chase Dollander (2-3), the Rockies' No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft, allowed one run, two hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Making his fifth big league start, he got his second win. Dollander came out after trying to pitch with a cracked fingernail. Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Zach Agnos finished a three-hitter, with Agnos getting three outs for his first major league save. Bird struck out two in 1 1/3 innings and has 24 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings. CARDINALS 6, REDS 0, 1ST GAME CARDINALS 9, REDS 1, 2ND GAME CINCINNATI (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the second game, Pedro Pagés added a solo shot and St. Louis swept a day-night doubleheader from Cincinnati. Contreras and Pagés homered off 22-year-old left-hander Chase Petty, 22, who allowed nine runs, seven hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings in his major league debut. Pagés homered on the 11th pitch of his at-bat and Jordan Walker added a two-run double in the third. St. Louis entered 2-12 on the road and matched its season wins total away from home. Petty was selected 26th overall by Minnesota in the 2021 amateur draft and was acquired in the March 2022 trade that sent pitcher Sonny Gray to the Twins. Cardinals starter Steven Matz allowed five hits with no walks and six strikeouts in four scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 1.50. Gordon Graceffo (1-0) got his first major league win, giving up one run and two hits in five innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball. St. Louis hit three consecutive homers in the ninth inning and beat the Reds 6-0 in the first game, a makeup of Tuesday's rainout. Cincinnati was 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position on the day. TIGERS 7, ASTROS 4 HOUSTON (AP) — Javy Báez capped a five-run third inning with his ninth career grand slam and Detroit avoided a series sweep by beating Houston. Baez's two-out homer off AJ Blubaugh (0-1), a 24-year-old right-hander making his major league debut, put the Tigers ahead 7-1. All five runs were unearned due to shortstop Jeremy Peña throwing error on Kerry Carpenter's grounder. Riley Greene tied his career high with four hits. Brenan Hanifee (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Jackson Jobe, who allowed three runs, four hits and four walks in three innings. Detroit has won five of seven and nine of 13. Blubaugh (0-1) struck out two in a 1-2-3 first and gave up seven runs — two earned — and five hits in four innings with six strikeouts and a walk. Peña hit the first career leadoff home run, the first of his three hits, but Colt Keith hit a two-run homer in the second to put Detroit ahead for good. Jose Altuve hit a two-run double in the fifth and Victor Caratini homered in the seventh against Tyler Holton. Holton struck out Yainer Diaz to strand two runners in the seventh and Tommy Kahnle struck out Christian Walker to leave two runners on in the eighth. Houston went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners. DODGERS 12, MARLINS 7 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Gonsolin threw six strong innings in his return from Tommy John surgery, Mookie Betts drove in four runs and Los Angeles extended their win streak to five with a victory over Miami. Gonsolin, making his first start since Aug. 18, 2023, gave up three runs and six hits, struck out nine and walked none in a 77-pitch effort. The Dodgers, who banged out 17 hits, pushed a 4-3 lead to 8-3 in a span of four pitches in the sixth. Betts drove a two-run triple off the center-field wall and Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run homer. Betts also keyed a three-run third with a two-run single. Cal Quantrill (2-3) gave up four runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings to fall to 1-7 with an 8.22 ERA in nine appearances against Los Angeles. Kyle Stowers homered twice for Miami. MARINERS 9, ANGELS 3 SEATTLE (AP) — J.P. Crawford hit a tie-breaking two-run single in a six-run seventh inning and Seattle won their seventh straight series with a victory over Los Angeles and Mike Trout, who left the game with a sore left knee. The outfielder was lifted for Jo Adell in the fourth after running out a groundout in his previous at-bat. Trout has started all 29 games this season and is batting .179 with nine home runs. In four of the previous five seasons he has played fewer than 100 games, including just 29 last year. Trout, who was 1 for 2 on Wednesday, said he hoped to play Thursday. While the Angels have lost five straight, the Mariners have won four in a row and are 15-3 in their last 18 games. Emerson Hancock pitched six innings, giving up nine hits and three runs. Casey Legumina (2-0) got the win with a scoreless seventh. Leo Rivas had three hits and three RBIs and Randy Arozarena hit his fifth homer for Seattle. PADRES 5, GIANTS 3 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Elias Díaz homered and scored twice, and Fernando Tatis Jr. had three hits for San Diego, who beat San Francisco for a two-game sweep. The Padres leapfrogged the Giants into second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ultra-competitive NL West. Díaz homered on a line shot to left off Landen Roupp (2-2) leading off the third for a 2-0 lead. A fan in the front row wearing a Giants T-shirt reached his glove over the fence but the ball caromed off his wrist. After a lengthy crew chief review, it was determined it wasn't fan interference. It was the catcher's second homer. Tatis had three singles and scored on Manny Machado's single to right in the two-run fifth. Jose Iglesias beat out a dribbler for a two-out infield hit that scored Luis Arraez. Arraez, a three-time batting champion who returned from the seven-day concussion injured list on Tuesday night, had his first triple of the season to bring in Díaz with two outs in the sixth. Michael King (4-1) held the Giants to one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one. Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his major league-leading 12th save. GUARDIANS 4, TWINS 2 CLEVELAND (AP) — Bo Naylor hit a three-run homer and Luis Ortiz kept Minnesota's hitters off balance and off the scoreboard for 6 1/3 innings, leading Cleveland to a win over Minnesota. Naylor connected in the seventh inning off reliever Brock Stewart after the Guardians finally scratched out a run against Minnesota starter Pablo López (2-2), who held Cleveland scoreless over the first 6 1/3 innings. Cade Smith (1-0) struck out the only two batters he faced. Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth — he gave up one run and two hits with a wild pitch — for his fifth save. It was the struggling All-Star closer's first save since April 19. Brooks Lee homered for the Twins. PIRATES 4, CUBS 3 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning just seconds before a fan fell off the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh's win over Chicago. With the Pirates trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached on a fielding error by third baseman Jon Berti and took second on Bryan Reynolds' single. McCutchen then hit a grounder up the middle that deflected off the leg of sliding shortstop Dansby Swanson and into right-center field. Then the fan flipped over the railing from the first row of seats. Players frantically waved for medical attention and the fan was removed from the field on a cart. The Cubs scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull ahead 3-2. Ian Happ hit an RBI single, Kyle Tucker drove in a run with a groundout and the third scored on Ryan Borucki's wild pitch. Oneil Cruz doubled and scored on Ke'Bryan Hayes' single in the first inning and Joey Bart doubled and scored on Jared Triolo's sacrifice fly in the fourth as the Pirates, who snapped a three-game losing streak, built a 2-0 lead. Swanson had three hits for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who lost for the third time in four games. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 4 BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías homered during Baltimore's four-run second inning, and the Orioles held on for a victory over New York despite three more hits by Aaron Judge. Judge hit a two-run homer in the first, then added two singles to finish April with a .427 batting average, but the last-place Orioles managed to take two of three in this series with the AL East leaders. Baltimore won the opener and finale by a run each while losing the middle game 15-3. Bryan Baker (2-0) won in relief, one of six bullen arms the Orioles used. Félix Bautista pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save, striking out Trent Grisham on a 99.2 mph pitch to leave Judge in the on-deck circle when the game ended. Carlos Carrasco (2-2) allowed four runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
New York Times
04-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Oli Marmol is managing playing time between catchers Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés
ST. LOUIS — Throughout this transition season for the St. Louis Cardinals, the question that will circulate the most is how the organization can develop players and win ballgames at the same time. The question has put manager Oli Marmol in a tough place. The Cardinals (4-2) had a strong opening week, scoring 42 runs in six games and posting an MLB-best +17 run differential. Aiming to build upon that early success, Marmol must also extend playing time and growth opportunities to players, weighing their strengths with their shortcomings and projecting how each could affect a game scenario in real time. Advertisement How he's managing his two catchers, Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés, is a perfect example. The Cardinals knew all offseason they would carry Herrera and Pagés as their two catchers on their active roster. They also knew they would not need to designate one as the primary backstop over the other. Using both players in a tandem was their preferred plan, but that doesn't mean that plan doesn't have drawbacks. Herrera and Pagés are very different catchers. Herrera, 24, is one of the team's best hitters. He has a career. 292 average and .771 OPS and is off to a great start this year with seven hits and two walks in 17 plate appearances — including a historic three-homer performance Wednesday. He rose through the Cardinals farm system as a bat-first player, but he's become a better framer and blocker over the last few years, so his receiving is no longer a forefront concern. Iván Herrera becomes the first catcher in Cardinals history with three home runs in one game! 💣 — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 2, 2025 What is a concern is his arm. Herrera has struggled to control the run game since arriving in the major leagues. It reached a peak last season, when Herrera threw out just four runners out of 59 stolen-base attempts. So far this season, he is 0-for-5. Pagés, 26, is the safer defensive option. His caught-stealing percentage last season (18.7 percent) was still below league average, but his arm at least gives opposing runners pause. His bat is not as consistent as Herrera's, however, and though he has shown flashes of pop, such as belting a three-run homer Sunday in his first start of the season, Herrera remains the offensive favorite. Because of this, the tandem of catcher usage has varied not just by game but also by inning. Take Monday's game, which the Cardinals lost to the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 in 10 innings. Advertisement Herrera started the game against Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson, going 0-for-3 before he was pulled after the sixth inning for Pagés. Though Marmol had used Pagés as a defensive replacement in two games already, those substitutions came in the ninth and with the Cardinals leading. In this situation, St. Louis had a one-run lead after six innings, and Herrera had served as the final out of the frame. Still, if the Angels scored, Herrera's spot in the order would likely come up again in a pivotal scoring moment, one when the Cardinals would prefer to have him take the at-bat instead of Pagés. That scenario weighed on Marmol's mind, but not as much as where the Angels were in their batting order at the time of the substitution. The bottom half of Los Angeles' lineup was due up, with multiple players — including Kyren Paris and Luis Rengifo — who can run. Marmol elected to better control the run game and swapped Pagés into the lineup for Herrera, hitting fifth. The Angels scored in the seventh, tying the score at 3, where it remained in the bottom of the ninth. As predicted, the spot in the lineup previously set for Herrera came up critical. With runners on the corners and two outs, it was Pagés who took the at-bat instead. He flew out to right, sending the game to extras. 'If we were at a different part of their lineup, I probably let Iván ride. But when four or five guys can take a bag, and you have a one-run lead, it makes the decision for you,' Marmol said after the game, acknowledging later that had the Cardinals been trailing, Herrera would have remained in the game. When asked what needed to change in his catching equation to help make in-game decisions easier, Marmol was candid. 'I'm not sure just yet,' Marmol said. 'I'm going to be as honest as possible. It's a tough decision.' #STLCards catcher Pedro Pagés shows why he is in the lineup tonight by making a perfect throw to second base to nail #LAAngels speedster Luis Rengifo, who was trying to swipe the bag. — John Denton (@JohnDenton555) April 2, 2025 Herrera's throwing woes stem from his arm in general. To his credit, Marmol said, Herrera has worked tirelessly to improve. He spent weeks over the offseason in Tampa, Fla., working with Driveline to improve his arm strength. The club has also changed Herrera's throwing motion from standing up to on his knees and expects to see that transfer into games soon. Advertisement 'We're seeing if this gives him a better shot of controlling the running game,' Marmol said. 'It seems quicker. His body moves a little better, and his arm slots better from his knees. So we'll see if that gives him an opportunity to control the running game better than he has.' 'He's been working on trying to position his lower half better and have quicker feet from the regular position,' Marmol said. 'We'd like to see what it looks like from the knees.' Herrera is not oblivious that his throwing arm will cost him playing time. He's encouraged by the strides he's made behind the plate, but knows there will continue to be questions about his long-term career at catcher if he continues to struggle controlling the run game. 'I'm trying to give everything I can,' Herrera said. 'I try to take good at-bats — I'm not going to get a hit every single time, but I can at least grind through an at-bat, make the pitcher tired for the next guy. That's what I've been trying to do. I'm not trying to be selfish, I'm trying to play for the team. I'll be out there whenever they need me, and if they need to take me out for what's best for the team, I understand it. 'There's always room to improve, but my receiving and blocking has been good. The only struggle I have so far is throwing. I'm working on it, it's not working right now, but it's going to click. I do see better signs from last year.' What helps Marmol's decision-making is knowing how much he can trust Pagés, who is consistently praised by pitchers and staff alike for his preparation and game planning. Though his bat doesn't play as well as Herrera's — Pagés hit .238/.281/.376 in 68 games last year — he could be another player who benefits from new hitting coach Brant Brown. Marmol believes so, at least, saying Pagés can develop into a better hitter. 'At the end of the day, I know my place, and I just have to be ready every day,' Pagés said. 'The biggest thing is having a plan. Even when I'm not playing, I'm looking at what the pitcher is doing that day, how Iván is calling the game, so when I get in there it's not fresh off the bat. It's more, I know what they did, so now go execute. I think I'm handling it pretty well.' Advertisement Pagés stays ready behind the scenes by taking note of the same things Marmol and bench coach Daniel Descalso do. On top of his standard prep work, he's monitoring who's due up for the opposing team, where the Cardinals are in their batting order, and what each team's bullpen could do. It's here where his preparedness comes through — and helps Marmol feel more comfortable using him in a pinch. 'Everything has been pretty much put on the table,' Pagés said. 'They told me what the deal was after game No. 1. They told me be ready and pay attention, and be ready to go when we call on you.' PEDRO POWER! ⚡️ — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 30, 2025 As with other areas of the roster, the Cardinals' catching dynamic is not perfect. There will be times, such as Monday, when Marmol's substitution plan backfires. There will also be times, as in Thursday's home opener, when it works seamlessly. And there will be risks: If one catcher is subbed out for another, what will happen if that catcher gets hurt or an emergency arises? St. Louis will begrudgingly use Willson Contreras behind the plate — though that is truly regarded as a 'break glass in case of emergency' scenario. This is the balance Marmol, Herrera and Pagés must strike, at least until either player develops further. Throwing improvement from Herrera could make this moot. Increased offensive production from Pagés could tip the scales in his favor. Either way, the Cardinals are committed to giving Herrera as much opportunity as possible to grow in this transition year. 'His framing has been good, blocking has been good,' Marmol said. 'His ability to prep for the opposition is better, he has a better process for that. A lot of things are headed in the right direction. He's definitely determined to improve. That's all you can ask for.' (Photo of Iván Herrera: Joe Puetz / Getty Images)
