Cardinals’ Wacha loses bid for no- hitter in 9th
Michael Wacha lost his no- hit bid when pinch hitter Colin Moran led off the ninth inning with a single, leaving to a huge ovation after leading the Cardinals to a 5- 0 victory Sunday against the visiting Pirates.
It was the second time in his career Wacha had a no- hit try broken up in the ninth. As a rookie in 2013, he was one out away from a no- hitter when the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman reached on an infield single.
‘‘ It’s just a slight disappointment because Iwanted it,’’ Wacha said. ‘‘ I’ve flirted with it a couple of times. It just didn’t happen. Maybe next time.’’
Wacha ( 7- 1) struck out eight and walked two. The Pirates hadn’t really come close to a hit untilMoran lined a single to right. That was it for Wacha, who was pulled to huge applause from the crowd of more than 44,000.
Marcell Ozuna gave Wacha all the support he needed with a grand slam in the first.
Arrieta no fan of defensive shifts
Former Cubs right- hander Jake Arrieta criticized the Phillies’ defensive shifting in the wake of allowing five runs and eight hits in six innings in a 6- 1 loss to the host Giants.
All five of the Giants’ runs came in the sixth, and two of the hits Arrieta ( 5- 3) yielded in the inning were the result of a shifted infield.
‘‘ We’re the worst in the league with shifts, so we need to change that,’’ Arrieta said.
Arrieta’s postgame criticism overshadowed the first major- league victory for Dereck Rodriguez — the son of Hall of Famer catcher Ivan Rodriguez — who allowed one run and five hits in six innings. The run he yielded came on a homer by Arrieta.
Three HRs for Twins’ Rosario
Eddie Rosario hit his third home run of the game, a two- run shot in the ninth inning, to lift the Twins to a 7- 5 victory against the visiting Indians.
Rosario hit solo homers in the first and seventh before ending the game with his blast against Indians closer Cody Allen ( 2- 2).
Edwin Encarnacion homered twice for the Indians, who lost their third in a row after a six- game winning streak.
Rays’ Snell fans first 7, ties AL mark
Rays left- hander Blake Snell tied an American League record by striking out the first seven batters and finished with 12 strikeouts in six scoreless innings, but the host Mariners scored twice in the eighth for a 2- 1 victory. The Sox’ Joe Cowley ( 1986) and Carlos Rodon ( 2016) also accomplished the feat.