Hellickson to start tonight vs. Mets
WASHINGTON — When the Washington Nationals begin a crucial-for-mid-April three-game series at the New York Mets tonight, they’ll do so with an unfamiliar face on the mound. Former Oriole Jeremy Hellickson, who signed a minor league deal during spring training, will make the start, manager Dave Martinez announced Sunday.
Martinez said the team hadn’t made a corresponding roster move but that Hellickson will replace A.J. Cole in the rotation. The Nationals could option a
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw struck out 12 in a 7-2 win over the Diamondbacks in Los Angeles. The win snapped the Dodgers’ 11-game losing streak against the D’backs in the regular season. The Dodgers hadn’t beaten the D’backs in the regular season since Aug. 10.
Phillies: Aaron Altherr hit a three-run homer, rookie Scott Kingery had a three-run double and the Phillies won their sixth in a row, topping the host Rays 10-4.
Cardinals: Carlos Martinez struck out 11 in seven shutout innings and Harrison Bader’s two-run home run helped the Cardinals complete their first four-game sweep in Cincinnati since 1949 with a 3-2 win. reliever and move Cole to the bullpen to serve as the long man, or they could risk losing Cole by designating him for assignment since he doesn’t have any options remaining.
Hellickson, 31, has been in West Palm Beach, Fla., pitching in live extended spring training games and throwing side sessions at the Nationals’ facility. The veteran right-hander made 30 starts for the Philadelphia Phillies and Orioles last season, with a 5.43 ERA across 164 innings. The Nationals won’t ask for much from him; they simply need a fifth starter who can consistently eat innings and avoid overtaxing the
Athletics: Sean Manaea pitched seven innings and Jed Lowrie hit an early two-run homer off Felix Hernandez in a 2-1 win over the Mariners in Seattle. The A’s avoided a series sweep as Manaea (2-2) gave up just two hits and struck out four.
Pirates: Starling Marte hiked his average 64 points to .305, punctuating a 5-for-5 afternoon with a ninth-inning homer in a 7-3 win over the Marlins in Miami. Both teams kept their tempers in check even as two Pirates and one Marlins batter were hit by pitches. Pirates 2B Josh Harrison left in the third inning complaining of pain in his left hand after being hit by a 96 mph fastball from Jose Urena. bullpen.
Cole had two attempts to win the job outright — if it ever really was a competition. He flopped in the first, allowing 10 runs in 32⁄ innings against the Atlanta Braves on April 3. Washington skipped his next turn in the rotation, but he rebounded Wednesday by attacking the strike zone more. The results were encouraging: two runs on three hits and two walks against the same Braves team that crushed him eight days earlier.
The outing, however, wasn’t enough for Cole to keep his spot in the rotation.
Postponements: April showers — and snow, sleet and wind — are wreaking havoc on MLB. Six more games were wiped out Sunday, running the total number of postponements to 21 just 21⁄ weeks into the season. Sunday’s postponed games: Angels at Royals, Blue Jays at Indians, White Sox at Twins, Braves at Cubs, Blue Jays at Indians, and a doubleheader between the Yankees and Tigers in Detroit.
Robinson Day: Baseball marked the 71st anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking MLB’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Players from every team in action wore Robinson’s No. 42 to commemorate the April 15, 1947, event.