PHILLIES 6, METS 0
NEW YORK -- Cole Hamels pitched eight shutout innings and finally got some run support when Chase Utley hit a grand slam as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 6-0 on Tuesday night.
Hamels (6-5) has won three consecutive starts for the first time in almost two years. He retired the final 13 batters to lower his ERA to 2.55. In his last three outings, he has 27 strikeouts and one walk.
For a while, it looked as though this one might end like his last two, 2-1 victories over the Braves and Giants. But with the Phillies up 2-0 and two outs in the seventh, Mets starter Dillon Gee (4-4) suddenly lost his control.
Gee left with the bases loaded and Josh Edgin came on for a lefty-lefty matchup. Utley drilled a 2-2 pitch into the upper deck in right field for his fifth career grand slam and first since 2010.
Gee hit Ben Revere with a man on, then uncorked a wild pitch that put runners at second and third. After Gee walked Jimmy Rollins to load the bases, Josh Edgin came on for the lefty-lefty matchup against Utley.
The All-Star second baseman drilled a 2-2 pitch into the upper deck in right field for his fifth career grand slam and first since 2010.
A day after managing just one run off 13 hits, the Phillies scored six runs on seven hits thanks to three two-out home runs. Rollins hit a solo home run in the third, then Grady Sizemore added another in the fourth.
Sizemore's drive off the right-field foul pole was his first home run with the Phillies. The veteran outfielder was released by Boston on June 18 and signed a minor league contract with Philadelphia a week later.
Since being called up July 11, Sizemore is hitting .314 in 14 games.
Gee allowed 5 runs on 5 hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking three.
REDS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 0 Mike Leake pitched into the eighth inning and singled home a run leading Cincinnati to a victory over visiting Arizona. The Reds won for only the second time in 11 games since the All-Star break. The offense has been the biggest problem, scoring only 20 runs -- by far the fewest in the majors over that span.
MARLINS 3, NATIONALS 0 Henderson Alvarez outdueled Stephen Stasburg and host Miami beat Washington for its sixth consecutive victory. Giancarlo Stanton drove in two runs as the Marlins won for the ninth time in 10 games and evened their record at 53-53.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
TWINS 2, ROYALS 1 Kyle Gibson bounced back for a rocky start to shut down Kansas City, and visiting Minnesota held on through a shaky ninth to beat James Shields and the Royals. Gibson (9-8) allowed only a single by Alcides Escobar in the third inning and another by Nori Aoki in the sixth over seven dazzling innings.
YANKEES 12, RANGERS 11 Brett Gardner had four hits to go with a tremendous sliding catch and New York held on for a victory at host Texas in spite of J.P. Arencibia's seven RBI. Gardner had a leadoff home run and two doubles, and he reached base twice in a seven-run sixth that put the Yankees ahead to stay.
BLUE JAYS 4, RED SOX 2 Marcus Stroman had his second solid start against Boston in five days, Colby Rasmus hit a solo home run and visiting Toronto beat Boston. Stroman (7-2) held Boston to one run and six hits in seven innings, striking out eight and walking two.
MARINERS 5, INDIANS 2 Hisashi Iwakuma kept his road record spotless since last July, pitching seven strong innings to lead Seattle to a victory over host Cleveland. Iwakuma (9-5) improved to 9-0 in his last 14 road starts, the second-longest such streak in club history.
WHITE SOX 11, TIGERS 4 Jose Abreu and Adam Dunn hit consecutive home runs, part of a seven-run seventh inning that sent visiting Chicago to a victory over Detroit. Chicago sent 12 hitters to the plate in the seventh and broke the game open against Anibal Sanchez (7-5) and Joakim Soria.
ORIOLES 7, ANGELS 6 (12) Manny Machado homered off Cory Rasmus leading off the 12th inning to give host Baltimore a victory over Los Angeles. A potential pitching duel between Jered Weaver and Chris Tillman turned into a slugfest, as both former All-Stars left after the fifth inning with Baltimore leading 6-5.
ATHLETICS 7, ASTROS 4 Slumping Brandon Moss hit a go-ahead single during a six-run rally in the ninth inning that sent visiting Oakland over Houston. Josh Reddick homered for the AL West-leading A's and Yoenis Cespedes had three hits, including two doubles.
INTERLEAGUE
RAYS 5, BREWERS 1 Alex Cobb struck out 12 in eight innings and Ben Zobrist drove in two runs, leading Tampa Bay to a victory over visiting Milwaukee. It was the Rays' 11th victory in 12 games. Cobb (7-6) gave up three hits and two walks in winning his third consecutive start.
Sports on 07/30/2014