Hamels throws complete game as Rangers beat Twins
MINNEAPOLIS » Cole Hamels threw the 16th complete game of his career — his first in nearly two years — and turned in his most efficient start of the season to lead the Texas Rangers past the Minnesota Twins 4-1 on Saturday night.
With Hamels dominating on the mound, Nomar Mazara’s first-inning, two-run homer off Kyle Gibson (6-9) was all the offense Texas needed to beat the Twins.
In his first complete game since Oct. 4, 2015, Hamels (6-1) scattered four hits and allowed only four batters to reach base. The Twins’ only run against him was unearned.
Hamels entered the game with a 6.35 career ERA against Minnesota, the highest of any opponent with at least six starts, but breezed through the lineup using 96 pitches to pick up his third career win against the Twins. BLUE JAYS 4, ASTROS 3 » Ryan Goins hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the 10th inning, and Toronto rallied for a win over Houston.
Goins hit the two-out single to left field off Francisco Liriano (6-7), and Rob Refsnyder touched home plate with his left hand just before Brian McCann tagged him. The Astros challenged the call, which stood after a nearly two-minute review. ORIOLES 5, TIGERS 2 » Welington Castillo hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, Adam Jones and Tim Beckham also hit solo shots, and Baltimore beat Detroit to end the Tigers’ four-game winning streak. YANKEES 2, INDIANS 1 » Brett Gardner and Ronald Torreyes made sensational defensive plays in the ninth inning to save Aroldis Chapman from another late-inning meltdown in Progressive Field, and New York hung on to beat Cleveland and stop a fourgame losing streak.
Chapman (4-2), making his first appearance in Cleveland since Game 7 of last year’s World Series for the Chicago Cubs, allowed a leadoff single in the ninth before Jose Ramirez hit a fly to deep left that Gardner grabbed with a jump on the warning track. Edwin Encarnacion then hit a blooper toward right that Torreyes ran down with a dive. RED SOX 4, WHITE SOX 1 » Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. hit two-run homers, and Drew Pomeranz won a career-best fifth straight decision to help Boston beat Chicago. CUBS 7, NATIONALS 4 » Willson Contreras homered and drove in three runs, Alex Avila homered for his first hit with the Cubs and Chicago beat Washington to even the series between division leaders. DODGERS 7, METS 4 » Yasiel Puig hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and thundering Los Angeles went deep five times, rallying past New York.
Chris Taylor, Justin Turner, Corey Seager and rookie Cody Bellinger also connected for the Dodgers, who are 43-7 since June 7. That’s the best 50-game run by a big league team since the 1912 New York Giants compiled the same mark from May 14 to July 3. CARDINALS 4, REDS 1 » Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer and Lance Lynn got past Joey Votto’s first-inning home run to win his fourth straight start as St. Louis eased past Cincinnati. BRFAVES 7, MARLINS 2 » Mike Foltzynewicz had a career-high 11 strikeouts, Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer and Atlanta beat Miami. PADRES 5, PIRATES 2 » Rookie Dinelson Lamet allowed just one hit in 5 2/3 innings, Wil Myers broke out of a slump with a home run and three RBIs and San Diego quieted Pittsburgh. BREWERS 3, RAYS 0 » Zach Davies gave up one hit in seven innings and Milwaukee beat Tampa Bay.
A’s outfielder Matt Joyce suspended 2 games for gay slur
Oakland outfielder Matt Joyce received a two-game suspension without pay for directing a gay slur toward a fan in Anaheim and he will take part in a public outreach initiative with PFLAG, a family and ally organization supporting the LGBTQ community.
Major League Baseball made the announcement, saying Joyce’s penalty was set to begin Saturday, when he also apologized.