Stripling, LA defeat Nats, who worry about Kendrick
WASHINGTON — Ross Stripling only got to pitch the sixth inning against the Nationals because Logan Forsythe grounded out into a double play ahead of him, preventing manager Dave Roberts from pinch-hitting for the former reliever.
It worked out perfectly for Stripling and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Stripling struck out the side in the sixth to end his day by fanning five straight, Max Muncy drove in two runs and the Dodgers cruised to a 4-1 victory over Washington in the opener of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday.
In the nightcap, Matt Kemp’s two-run, ninth-inning double gave the Dodgers a 5-4 victory and a sweep.
“He went out there and executed the third time through (the lineup), which was great,” Roberts said of Stripling. “He’s shown a lot. He has a lot of confidence in himself, as he should. He’s taking advantage of this and it absolutely has not gone unnoticed. It’s innings that we’ve needed from him.”
The Nationals were less concerned with having lost the game — their first loss since May 9, thanks in part to a weird, waterlogged week in which two games were postponed and one suspended — than about a potentially significant injury to Howie Kendrick.
The veteran left fielder went to the ground after catching a sacrifice fly by Muncy in the eighth. Kendrick, who’s hitting a team-leading .303, put no weight on his right leg and was taken off the field on a cart. Manager Dave Martinez called it a lower right leg injury and said Kendrick would have an MRI.
INDIANS 5, ASTROS 4: In Houston, Corey Kluber struck out 10, Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes hit home runs and Cleveland defeated the Astros.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner made his 22nd straight start of allowing no more than three earned runs, breaking the team record set by Sonny Siebert in 1965.
Kluber (7-2) gave up two runs — on Carlos Correa’s eighth homer in the sixth — and six hits in seven innings. He dominated the World Series champions in the first four innings, striking out eight in that stretch.
Albuquerque Academy graduate Alex Bregman cut the lead to 5-3 with a solo home run in the Houston eighth.Marwin Gonzalez hit a solo home run in the ninth off Cody Allen, pulling the Astros within one. Allen was able to get the final two outs for his first save since April 25 and sixth of the season.
PHILLIES 7, CARDINALS 6: In St. Louis, Odubel Herrera homered and pinch-hitter Jorge Alfaro hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, sending Philadelphia over the Cardinals.
Alfaro was scratched with right knee soreness after originally being in the lineup. He was removed from Friday night’s game.
REDS 5-4, CUBS 4-10: In Cincinnati, Billy Hamilton drew a bases-loaded walk with no outs in the 11th inning and Cincinnati won the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
In the nightcap, Ian Happ hit his second home run of the doubleheader, Jason Heyward tied his career high with four RBIs and Jose Quintana allowed one hit in seven shutdown innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the Reds for a split.
GIANTS 9, ROCKIES 4: In San Francisco, Brandon Crawford got three more hits and drove in four runs as San Francisco ended a three-game skid. He is 31 for 69 (.449) in May.
ATHLETICS 5, BLUE JAYS 4: In Toronto, Chad Pinder hit his first career grand slam as Oakland rallied with five runs in the eighth inning.
BRAVES 8, MARLINS 1: In Atlanta, Sean Newcomb pitched six strong innings to win his fourth straight start, Johan Camargo and Ozzie Albies each drove in two runs, and the Braves topped Miami.
RAYS 5, ANGELS 3: In Anaheim, Calif., Daniel Robertson hit his first career grand slam and Tampa Bay held on after Mike Trout’s ninth-inning homer for its sixth straight victory.
YANKEES 8, ROYALS 3: In Kansas City, Mo., Gary Sanchez hit two of the Yankees’ five home runs, Gleyber Torres had a threerun shot and New York rebounded from a series-opening loss.
WHITE SOX 5, RANGERS 3: In Chicago, Jose Abreu homered and had three hits, Lucas Giolito tossed six effective innings and the White Sox rallied from an
early deficit to beat Texas.
BREWERS 5, TWINS 4: In Minneapolis, Christian Yelich broke a tie with a solo home run in the top of the eighth, Milwaukee’s bullpen pitched five scoreless innings, and the Brewers beat the Minnesota.
PADRES 6, PIRATES 2: In Pittsburgh, Clayton Richard allowed two runs in 7⅓ innings, Christian Villanueva homered and drove in two runs, and San Diego beat the Pirates.
MARINERS 7, TIGERS 2: In Seattle, James Paxton threw a three-hitter in his second complete game in three starts, leading the Mariners past Detroit.
RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 3: In Boston, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi hit consecutive home runs in the fifth inning, and the Red Sox beat Baltimore.
METS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4: In New York, Devin Mesoraco hit a tying, two-run homer through Citi Field’s murky fog in the eighth inning, Wilmer Flores hit a game-ending sacrifice fly in the ninth and the Mets beat Arizona to win consecutive games for the first time in a month.