Phillies’ Nola shuts down Dodgers
Zobrist lifts Cubs to win over Mets
LOS ANGELES — Jorge Alfaro drove in two runs, Aaron Nola pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 Thursday, spoiling Clayton Kershaw’s first start in almost a month.
Hitting out of the No. 8 spot in the Phillies’ lineup, Alfaro delivered an RBI single in the second inning against Kershaw and had an RBI double off reliever Josh Fields in the seventh.
Nola (7-2) struck out seven, including five of the last seven batters he faced. He walked one and allowed just two runners to reach as far as second base.
Kershaw pitched in his first game since May 1, spending time on the disabled list with left biceps tendinitis. He gave up one run and four hits over five innings, throwing 62 pitches. He had five strikeouts and a walk.
In New York, Jose Quintana pitched six shutout innings,
CUBS 5, METS 1:
Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer and Chicago beat New York in the opener of a four-game series.
Zobrist also doubled and singled in the leadoff spot as the Cubs won for the fourth time in five games. Chicago improved to 2-8 at Citi Field since the 2015 NL Championship Series.
CARDINALS 10, PIRATES 8:
In St. Louis, Yairo Muñoz hit a three-run, game-ending homer to cap St. Louis’ five-run ninth inning and rally the Cardinals to a win over Pittsburgh.
Muñoz ripped the first pitch from closer Felipe Vazquez (2-2) over the wall in center field to give St. Louis its sixth walk-off win of the season.
BRAVES 4, NATIONALS 2:
In Atlanta, Sean Newcomb pitched seven strong innings for his sixth straight win, leading Atlanta back into first place with a victory over Washington.
In the start of a fourgame series between the top teams in the NL East, the Braves snapped Washington’s six-game winning streak and reclaimed first place by a half-game over the Nationals.
In Minneapolis, Francisco Lindor’s second home run of the game for Cleveland snapped an eighth-inning tie after Minnesota erased an eight-run deficit, and the Indians held on to top the Twins.
Lindor also hit two doubles and drove in four runs for the Indians, who stretched their winning streak to a season-best six straight games.
INDIANS 9, TWINS 8: ASTROS 4, RED SOX 2:
In Houston, Carlos Correa snapped an 0 for 10 slump with a two-run homer in the first and Tony Kemp and Jake Marisnick had an RBI each to help Houston to a win over Boston.
Houston starter Lance McCullers (7-3) allowed four hits and two runs in six innings to help the Astros to the victory in this rematch of last year’s ALDS.
Albuquerque native Ken Giles gave up a single to Sandy Leon with two outs in the ninth before walking Jackie Bradley Jr., but Marisnick grabbed a fly ball hit by Cleveland High School alumnus Blake Swihart to end it and give Giles his 10th save.
ATHLETICS 7, RAYS 3:
In Oakland, Calif., Daniel Mengden allowed three runs over eight innings and Oakland beat Tampa Bay to avoid a four-game sweep.
Matt Olson, Matt Chapman and Matt Joyce all homered.
PADRES 8, MARLINS 3:
In San Diego, Christian Villanueva hit his 15th home run, Jordan Lyles pitched seven solid innings and San Diego beat Miami.
Villanueva’s homer total before June 1 is the most by a National League rookie since St. Louis’ Albert Pujols hit 16 in 2001.
In Detroit, Ronny Rodriguez had a memorable major league debut, hitting singles, scoring a run and making plays at second and third base to help Detroit beat Los Angeles.
Victor Reyes hit a threerun triple in the five-run first, and the Rule 5 draft pick from Arizona had his first multihit game.
TIGERS 6, ANGELS 2: YANKEES-ORIOLES PPD.:
In Baltimore, the opener of a scheduled fourgame series between New York and Baltimore was postponed by rain.