Hellickson helps Orioles beat Royals for sweep
BALTIMORE » The two newest members of the Baltimore Orioles did exactly what they were brought in to do: help the team win.
Baltimore fans can only hope Jeremy Hellickson and Tim Beckham do that consistently enough to carry the Orioles into the postseason.
Hellickson threw seven outstanding innings in his Baltimore debut, Beckham had two extra-base hits and two RBIs and the Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 6-0 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep.
The Orioles’ five-game winning streak is their longest since early May, and they now stand just 2½ games behind Kansas City for the second AL wild-card slot.
Hellickson (1-0) was obtained Saturday from the Phillies. The right-hander paid immediate returns, limiting Kansas City to five hits, issuing one walk and allowing only one runner to reach third base.
“I’ve been traded before, just not in season to a team that is playing as well as we are, that has a chance to make the playoffs,” Hellickson said. “It’s always good to throw a good one your first time out with a new team.”
After going 6-5 with the Phillies, Hellickson turned in his best performance of the season to earn his second win in 12 starts since May 19. TIGERS 2, YANKEES 0 » Jordan Zimmermann pitched his first scoreless outing for Detroit in 1½ seasons, Justin Upton hit an early RBI double on the 10th anniversary of his major league debut, and the Tigers beat New York in a soggy matinee that included 4 hours, 37 minutes of rain delays and ended well after dark. BLUE JAYS 5, WHITE SOX 1 » J.A. Happ had a seasonhigh 10 strikeouts in seven innings, matching his longest start of the season, as Toronto beat Chicago. MARLINS 7, NATIONALS 0 » Vance Worley pitched seven innings and faced the minimum number of batters to earn his first victory since May 2016, helping Miami beat Washington. BRAVES 5, DODGERS 3 » Tyler Flowers had a tiebreaking pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift Atlanta over Los Angeles, ending the Dodgers’ nine-game winning streak. REDS 5, PIRATES 2 » Rookie Jesse Winker homered for the second straight game, hitting a tiebreaking drive in the seventh off newly acquired reliever Joaquin Benoit that lifted Cincinnati. DIAMONDBACKS 3, CUBS 0» Zack Godley pitched threehit ball over six innings, Jake Lamb drove in all the runs, and Arizona beat surging Chicago. The loss was just the fourth in 18 games for the NL Central-leading Cubs. CARDINALS 5, BREWERS 4 » Yadier Molina hit two solo homers, Kolten Wong added a two-run double, and St. Louis beat Milwaukee. TWINS 5, PADRES 2 » Ervin Santana threw a four-hitter for his major leaguebest fifth complete game and hit a two-run single to lead Minnesota.