Arrieta helps Cubs fluster fast-fading Pirates
Saunders launches 3 HRs in Jays’ rout
CHICAGO — Jake Arrieta pitched two-hit ball over six innings, Matt Szczur homered and Albert Almora Jr. had three hits as the Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 on Friday.
Arrieta (11-1) struck out 11 and walked three as the Cubs started the weekend series on a strong note after dropping two of three at Washington.
The Pirates fell to 33-34 with their eighth loss in nine games. They were shut out for the first time this season. BLUE JAYS 13, ORIOLES 3: In Baltimore, Michael Saunders set career highs with three homers and eight RBIs as Toronto blew past Baltimore for its fourth straight victory.
Saunders connected with two on against Mike Wright (3-4) in the first inning, added another three-run drive off Wright in the fourth and went deep against Ubaldo Jimenez with a man on in the sixth.
GIANTS 5, RAYS 1: In St. Petersburg, Fla., Jeff Samardzija threw a four-hitter and San Francisco won its sixth consecutive game by beating Tampa Bay on Pride Night before the biggest regular-season crowd at Tropicana Field in a decade.
The announced attendance of 40,135 was the first regularseason turnout over 40,000 at the Rays’ ballpark since opening day in 2006 against Baltimore (40,199). Tampa Bay
entered averaging 16,037 in home attendance this season, second-lowest in the majors.
The Rays dedicated this year’s event to the victims of Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando. RANGERS 1, CARDINALS
0: In St. Louis, Rougned Odor homered and Cole Hamels pitched 7⅔ innings in Texas’ victory over St. Louis.
Hamels (7-1) allowed three hits while striking out six and walking three. He lowered his road ERA to 1.64 this season and turned in his fourth consecutive quality start. DIAMONDBACKS 10, PHILLIES 2: In Philadelphia, Peter O’Brien and Yasmany Tomas each hit two of Arizona’s team-record six home runs to lead the Diamondbacks past Philadelphia.
BRAVES 5, METS 1: In New York, John Gant, the rookie righty with the weird windup, earned his first big league win by beating the team that traded him away last summer, pitching Atlanta past New York. YANKEES 8, TWINS 2: In Minneapolis, Masahiro Tanaka pitched eight sparkling innings, Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer and New York beat Minnesota.
DODGERS 3, BREWERS 2
(10): In Los Angeles, Justin Turner hit two home runs and hit a single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to lead Los Angeles to a win over Milwaukee.
ROYALS 10, TIGERS 3: In Kansas City, Mo., Salvador Perez homered to end Michael Fulmer’s Tigers rookierecord 33⅓ scoreless innings streak and Kansas City routed Detroit. REDS 4, ASTROS 2 (11): In Houston, Eugenio Suarez hit a tie-breaking RBI double in the 11th inning, and Cincinnati held on for a victory over Houston.
MARINERS 8, RED SOX 4: In Boston, Franklin Gutierrez homered in his first two at-bats and drove in a careerhigh six runs in Seattle’s victory over Boston. MARLINS 5, ROCKIES 1: In Miami, Adam Conley and four relievers combined on a onehitter, and Miami snapped Colorado’s four-game winning streak. INDIANS 3, WHITE SOX 2: In Cleveland, Carlos Santana led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run to center field on an 0-2 pitch from reliever Nate Jones to lead Cleveland past Chicago. ATHLETICS 3, ANGELS 2: In Oakland, Calif., Billy Burns singled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lift Oakland to a victory over Los Angeles. Note
BLUE JAYS: Toronto slugger Jose Bautista was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday following a freakish injury that he attributed in part to bad luck.
Bautista sprained his big left toe Thursday night in Philadelphia when he got his foot caught in a fence latch while trying to make a catch against the Phillies.
STRAUB: Former La Cueva Bear Tyler Straub signed with the Kansas City Royals on Friday.
Straub, who played two seasons with University of Texas at San Antonio after transferring from North Central Texas College, wasn’t selected in the 2016 MLB Draft but signed a free agent deal with the Royals.