D’backs dump Dodgers for 11th straight time
Paul Goldschmidt had three hits, including a two-run home run, and A.J. Pollock added two homers on Saturday night as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks rolled to a 9-1 victory, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 11th consecutive regular-season meeting.
The Diamondbacks also clinched their fifth consecutive series victory in five tries on a night when they lost a home run because of a base-running snafu. Arizona’s previous best for consecutive series victories at the start of a season was two.
The Diamondbacks’ Deven Marrero appeared to hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning off Dodgers starter Rich Hill, but it was determined via replay that Marrero inadvertently passed Alex Avila near first base. Avila was retreating on Marrero’s towering drive and seemed unsure if the ball was caught by Los Angeles left fielder Joc Pederson.
Marrero was officially credited with a single on the play, while also being called out, but still received two RBIs as the runners on base came home.
The Diamondbacks’ regular-season win streak over the Dodgers, which dates back to last season, is Arizona’s second longest in franchise history behind a 16-game streak over the Cincinnati Reds between 2001-03.
Cubs 14, Braves 10
Javier Baez hit a three-run double to highlight a big eighth inning as Chicago erased an eight-run deficit to beat Atlanta on a cold, wet and windy day at Wrigley Field.
Atlanta led 10-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning before the bullpen unraveled. The Cubs scored a run in the sixth and two in the seventh, then exploded for nine in the eighth inning to complete the comeback.
Baez found the gap in left-center field to clear the bases and tie the game 10-10, and Braves reliever Sam Freeman walked in two runs to give Chicago the lead in the eighth. The Cubs scored twice more on a wild pitch and an error. Chicago scored nine runs on just three hits in the eighth.
Brewers 5, Mets 1
Chase Anderson became the first Milwaukee starting pitcher this season to last into the seventh inning, allowing just two hits over 61/3 frames as the Brewers beat host New York.
The win by the Brewers (8-7) snapped a nine-game winning streak by the Mets (112), who are still off to the best 13-game start in franchise history.
The loss cost New York manager Mickey Callaway a chance to tie Joe Morgan (12-1 with the 1988 Boston Red Sox) for the best 13-game start ever for a rookie manager.
Nationals 6, Rockies 2
Michael A. Taylor drove in the go-ahead run on a squeeze bunt, Moises Sierra added a two-run double in a four-run sixth and Max Scherzer gave Washington seven strong innings in a win over visiting Colorado.
The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Washington. The Nationals scored three runs in the first 23 innings of the teams’ four-game series – Colorado won the first two games and three straight overall – until the four-run sixth.
Scherzer (3-1) gave up just one hit, striking out 11 and walking one. The right-hander threw 103 pitches, 70 of which were strikes, in another dominating performance. The lone hit he allowed was a two-run homer by Charlie Blackmon in the first.
Red Sox 10, Orioles 3
Hanley Ramirez launched a two-run homer and finished with three RBIs in his return to the lineup as host Boston spoiled Alex Cobb’s debut with Baltimore.
Ramirez missed the series-opening 7-3 win with a bruised right wrist after being hit by a pitch in Thursday’s game against the New York Yankees. He returned and hit third, going 2-for-5 with a strikeout. Boston’s Andrew Benintendi also had three RBIs.
Cobb (0-1), a Massachusetts native who spent his first six major league seasons with Tampa Bay before signing with Baltimore, struggled mightily in a park in which he has fared well historically. He allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits – including two homers – and a walk in 32/3 innings.
Pirates 1, Marlins 0
Pittsburgh bunted its way past host Miami in the ninth inning. With Starling Marte on third and Josh Bell on first, Corey Dickerson popped up a bunt that went over the head of Miami reliever Brad Ziegler to score Marte with the winning run. Marte had reached based with a one-out bunt earlier in the inning.
The second game of the series was a pitchers’ duel from the start between Pittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon and Miami’s Trevor Richards.
George Kontos (1-1) earned the win as four Pittsburgh pitchers held Miami to six hits. Felipe Vazquez retired the side in the ninth for his fifth save in five attempts. (Reuters)