ST. LOUIS -- Having watched the Cubs bash their way to victories in the first two games of the series, the Cardinals joined in the home-run fun with two mighty swings from Matt Holliday in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader to secure a 13-2 victory.
The win gave the Cardinals a split after the Cubs jumped on Justin Masterson en route to a 5-1 victory in Game 1. A sellout crowd at Busch Stadium watched rookie Marco Gonzales collect his first Major League win in Game 2.
Summoned to be the Cardinals' 26th man on Saturday, Gonzales impressed during his one-day stay. He worked around a leadoff walk and two one-out hits in the first inning to limit the Cubs to one run. The two runners he stranded in that 21-pitch inning were the last two to advance into scoring position against him.
Gonzales allowed only one other hit -- a one-out single in the second -- while quieting a Cubs lineup that had blasted seven home runs and scored 12 runs in the first two games of the series. The six-inning start was a career-best for Gonzales, who hadn't pitched beyond the fifth during his three-start stint with the big league team earlier in the summer.
GIANTS 3, BREWERS 1 Jake Peavy took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and finished with a one-hitter over 7 2/3 innings and host San Francisco beat Milwaukee. The right-hander got the first out of the eighth on a nice backhand grab by third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Mark Reynolds fought off a 1-2 pitch and flared it just over the head of Joe Panik into right field for the first Brewers hit. Peavy (3-4) received a standing ovation from the crowd after the no-hitter was broken up. He struck out Jean Segura and was taken out of the game. He left to another standing ovation. Peavy walked three, hit a batter and struck out eight. Jeremy Affledt gave up a hit to pinch hitter Lyle Overbay before Sergio Romo came on to strike out Carlos Gomez on three pitches.
MARLINS 4, BRAVES 0 Jarred Cosart pitched seven effective innings, and visiting Miami beat Atlanta to stop a three-game losing streak. Cosart (3-1) allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked one. The right-hander, who was acquired in a July 31 trade with Houston, is 3-0 with a sparkling 0.65 ERA in his last four starts.
PADRES 2, DODGERS 1 Alexi Amarista singled in the winning run with one out in the 10th inning and host San Diego beat NL West-leading Los Angeles for the second consecutive time in extra innings. The third consecutive extra-inning game tied the Padres' record. Will Venable started the winning rally with a single to center off Jamey Wright (4-4) and stole second as pinch-hitter Rymer Liriano struck out. Amarista then lofted a single into center field and Venable slid in headfirst just ahead of the throw.
PHILLIES 7, METS 2 Ryan Howard drove in three runs, Marlon Byrd homered and visiting Philadelphia defeated New York.
ROCKIES 2, DIAMONDBACKS 0 Rookie Tyler Matzek gave up three hits in seven innings, Matt McBride and Charlie Blackmon homered, and visiting Colorado handed Arizona's Vidal Nuno a hard-luck loss. Maztek (4-9) struck out four and walked three. Nuno (2-9) allowed a run on two hits, fanned seven and walked none. After McBride's second-inning home run, Nuno retired the next 20 before leaving after eight innings, trailing 1-0.
PIRATES 3, REDS 2 Neil Walker hit a threerun home run in the first inning and host Pittsburgh made it hold up behind starter Vance Worley, beating Cincinnati. Walker’s 18th home run put the Pirates ahead 3-0 against Alfredo Simon four batters into the game. Pittsburgh’s winning streak matches its longest of the season.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ANGELS 2, ATHLETICS 0 Los Angeles used eight pitchers -- a franchise record for a nine-inning game -- in a 2-0 victory over Oakland that increased their AL West lead over the Athletics to four games. The deficit is the largest for the A's this season. They led the division by four games on Aug. 9 before going on their current 6-13 slide. Their only hits were infield singles by Josh Donaldson in the first and fourth, and a single by Sam Fuld in the ninth.
RAYS 7, RED SOX 0 Jake Odorizzi and two pitchers combined on a one-hitter as host Tampa Bay beat Boston. Coming off a start Monday night in which he gave up a career-high eight runs over four innings in a 9-1 loss at Baltimore, Odorizzi (10-11) allowed a fourth-inning single to Will Middlebrooks, three walks and struck out seven over seven innings.
WHITE SOX 6-4, TIGERS 3-8 Kyle Ryan pitched six scoreless innings in his major league debut, and visiting Detroit salvaged a split of a doubleheader against Chicago with a potentially costly victory. Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera pulled up lame while running out a grounder in the fourth inning, forcing him from the game. The All-Star has been dealing with a sore right ankle. In the opener, Chris Sale struck out a season-high 13, beating Max Scherzer in a matchup of All-Star aces and leading Chicago to a 6-3 win. Ezequiel Carrera, Don Kelly and Ian Kinsler each had three hits for Detroit in the nightcap. Ryan (1-0) allowed five hits and walked two.
BLUE JAYS 2, YANKEES 0 Drew Hutchison pitched seven shutout innings, Jose Bautista homered for the fourth consecutive game and host Toronto beat New York. Mark Teixeira’s fourth-inning double was the only hit allowed by Hutchison (9-11), who walked two and struck out nine. Bautista hit a two-out, two-run home run off Michael Pineda (3-3) in the first.
Sports on 08/31/2014