Poncedeleon shines in debut, but Reds get past Cards
CINCINNATI » Cincinnati’s Phillip Ervin singled off St. Louis reliever Jordan Hicks with one out in the eighth inning, ending a no-hit bid started by Daniel Poncedeleon in his major league debut 14 months after he suffered a life-threatening head injury on the mound, and the Reds rallied for a 2-1 win.
Poncedeleon was hit on the right temple by a line drive while pitching for Triple-A Memphis on May 9 last year, fracturing his skull and causing bleeding in the brain. He had emergency surgery followed by months of slow recovery.
The 26-year-old was one of the top pitchers in the Pacific Coast League when St. Louis called him up to help its injury-depleted rotation.
Poncedeleon walked three and struck out three, using 116 pitches. He was hit for to begin the eighth inning.
Hicks, also a rookie, got Adam Duvall to pop out before Ervin singled up the middle. Billy Hamilton and Jose Peraza grounded out to end the inning.
Catcher Yadier Molina’s single in the sixth inning gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
BRAVES 12, MARLINS 1 » Freddie Freeman hit his 17th homer and also doubled for the Atlanta Braves, who totaled 16 hits to beat the Miami Marlins 12-1 on Monday night.
Freeman is batting .469 with five homers in eight games against Miami this year. The Braves improved to 6-2 versus the Marlins and have outscored them 56-29.
Charlie Culberson had a career-high four hits, including a pair of doubles, and drove in three runs. Dansby Swanson hit his eighth homer.
Sean Newcomb (9-5) overcame a wobbly start to allow one run in six innings and earn his first win since June 16. He improved to 3-0 in three outings against Miami this season with an ERA of 1.00.
Three relievers completed a five-hitter.
Jose Urena (2-10) permitted five runs in four innings. He fell to 0-8 at home.
Justin Bour homered for Miami.
Freeman hit a two-run homer in the first, and Swanson added a solo shot in the second.
A two-out intentional walk to Nick Markakis backfired on Miami in the third when he came around to score on Johan Camargo’s two-run single, making it 5-1.
Ender Inciarte contributed two singles and a tworun double.
PADRES 3, METS 2 » Jacob deGrom’s winless streak reached five games as the major league ERA leader was hurt by a pair of errors behind him, and the San Diego Padres beat the New York Mets 3-2 Monday night in a matchup of teams with the worst records in the National League.
Rookie left-hander Joey Lucchesi (5-5), brought back from the minor leagues, baffled the Mets for the much of the evening with his churve, a combination curveball-chanegup at about 80 mph.