Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Bote homers as Cubs beat Reds
CUBS 3, REDS 2 (10 INNINGS)
CHICAGO — While David Bote is learning about the major leagues, baseball is learning about the rookie, too.
Like be really, really careful when he steps to the plate in a big spot.
Bote struck again on Friday, connecting in the 10th inning for another game-ending home run that sent the Chicago Cubs over the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 for their third straight victory.
The 25-year-old Bote, an 18th-round pick in the 2012 draft, got behind 0-2 before driving Raisel Iglesias’ next pitch deep to left field with one out. He flipped his batting helmet off as he approached his smiling teammates and tried unsuccessfully to sidestep a water-cooler shower before stepping on home plate.
“I don’t know what was in that Gatorade bath. It smelled horrible,” a laughing Bote said. “But I mean it feels great, so it’s fun.”
Bote created quite a splash earlier this month, hitting a bottom-of-the-ninth, two-out grand slam on a Sunday night that beat Washington 4-3 on Aug. 12. Each of his five career homers has either tied the game or put the Cubs in front.
“Just hunting spots on pitches and I was able to get a barrel on it,” he said.
Iglesias (2-2) had made seven straight scoreless appearances. Jesse Chavez (42), the sixth Cubs reliever, pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
“That was an extremely well-played game, wellpitched game,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.
Daniel Murphy homered in the eighth for NL Centralleading Chicago, and Javier Baez had a run-scoring single in the sixth. Alec Mills pitched 52/ innings of one-run ball in his first major league start.
Last- place Cincinnati wasted a solid performance by Matt Harvey in its fourth loss in five games. Harvey struck out six in 51/ innings after he was reportedly claimed off waivers by the contending Brewers, only remaining with the Reds when they couldn’t work out a deal.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Harvey said. “There were some nerves, I guess, some different feelings coming through this morning. ... I’m glad I’m still staying here the rest of the season.”
Harvey is 6-5 with a 4.14 ERA in 18 starts after he was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets, salvaging his season after a rough start. But he is eligible for free agency this winter and isn’t expected to stay with the Reds.
“He’s really good. If you want something good, you have to give up something, you know?” Riggleman said. “Obviously, nobody wanted to give up enough. In their eyes, they probably felt it was enough. We certainly didn’t think it was enough.”
Bote and Albert Almora Jr. struck out swinging before Murphy drove the next pitch from Jared Hughes over the wall in right for his first homer since he was acquired in a trade with Washington on Tuesday.
The crowd of 37,760 roared as Murphy rounded the bases, and the veteran second baseman acknowledged the cheers by popping out of the dugout for a curtain call.
But Cincinnati responded with Eugenio Suarez’s leadoff drive on a 2-2 pitch from Pedro Strop in the ninth, tying it at 2. It was Suarez’s 29th homer, extending his career high, and just the second blown save for Strop since closer Brandon Morrow was placed on the disabled list last month.
METS 3, NATIONALS 0 Jay Bruce hit a tworun homer in his return from a long stint on the disabled list, Jason Vargas tossed six stellar innings and the New York Mets beat Washington to hand the Nationals their second consecutive shutout. Wilmer Flores had an early RBI single and the Mets got spotless relief work from Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman to finish the four-hitter. The stingy pitching finally helped New York get the best of a familiar nemesis in Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez (7-11). The left-hander allowed only one run in seven innings but dropped to 11-2 at Citi Field and 15-6 against the Mets. He has lost 10 of his last 11 decisions overall. Bruce was activated before the game after missing more than two months with a sore right hip, and the Mets plan to audition the veteran outfielder at first base down the stretch. But the three-time All-Star started at his regular spot in right field during his first big league game since June 17 and connected against lefty reliever Tim Collins in the eighth. The drive to right-center was only the fourth home run this season for Bruce, who batted just .212 with 17 RBIs in 62 games before landing on the DL. Featuring a deceptive changeup, Vargas (4-8) permitted three hits and struck out a season-high eight without issuing a walk. The resurgent lefty, who entered with a 7.67 ERA, has put together two straight wins and three solid starts in a row late in his previously dismal season. Lugo threw two perfect innings, striking out three, and Gsellman closed for his eighth save. After a one-out double by Anthony Rendon in the ninth, Gsellman struck out slugger Bryce Harper and retired cleanup hitter Ryan Zimmerman on a game-ending grounder. Washington (64-65) was blanked 2-0 on Thursday by All-Star ace Aaron Nola and the Phillies.
MARLINS 1, BRAVES 0 Dan Straily combined with three relievers on a three-hitter, and the Miami Marlins snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Atlanta Braves with a victory. Straily (5-6) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out four in six innings for his first win since June 20. He retired the final nine batters he faced after Freddie Freeman’s leadoff single in the third. That was Atlanta’s final hit of the game. Dayron Guerrero and Drew Steckenrider worked the seventh and eighth, and Adam Conley pitched a perfect ninth for his first save in his second opportunity. The win was Miami’s
AMERICAN LEAGUE
WHITE SOX 6, TIGERS 3 Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson each hit a two-run double in the eighth, and the Chicago White Sox scored six runs in the inning, rallying for a victory over the Detroit Tigers on in manager Rick Renteria’s return to the dugout. Renteria had missed four games after experiencing lightheadedness Monday in Minnesota. He was back at the helm for the White Sox, but his team did almost nothing offensively until the eighth. Then Chicago broke through against All-Star reliever Joe Jimenez (4-3) and closer Shane Greene. With one out, Moncada hit a bases-loaded double that made it 3-2 and chased Jimenez. Greene came on and allowed an RBI single by Avisail Garcia, an RBI double by Daniel Palka and Anderson’s double that made it 6-3. Thyago Vieira (1-0) got his first career victory. He retired the only batter he faced in the seventh. The White Sox improved to 4-10 this season against Detroit. Michael Fulmer allowed two hits in 4 2/3 innings for the Tigers in his return from a left oblique strain. Manager Ron Gardenhire had hoped to limit the right-hander to around 70 pitches. He ended up pulling him after 77. Victor Alcantara and Daniel Stumpf combined to retire all seven of their hitters, but in the eighth, Detroit’s more acclaimed relievers let the game slip away. Nicholas Castellanos had two RBIs and also brought in the Tigers’ other run with a double-play grounder. Chicago starter Reynaldo Lopez allowed two runs and four hits in 52/ innings. He struck out seven and walked three. Jose Iglesias singled past first baseman Nicky Delmonico in the first, giving the Tigers runners at the corners with nobody out. Castellanos hit into a double play, and Detroit took a 1-0 lead. Castellanos added RBI singles with two outs in the third and seventh.
RAYS 10, RED SOX 3 Willy Adames homered, Michael Perez drove in four runs and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox for their sixth straight win. Perez had a two-run double in the second, and a two-run single in Tampa Bay’s five-run third. His four RBIs matched his total in his first 20 games. The Rays had six consecutive singles in the third against Hector Velazquez (7-2), who gave up eight runs and nine hits in 22/ innings to raise his earned run average from 2.74 to 3.69. Ji-Man Choi and Adames scored in three straight innings for the Rays. Adames’ eighth home run off reliever Drew Pomeranz put the Rays up 10-2 in the fourth. Xander Bogaerts had three hits for the Red Sox, including an RBI single in the third that gave him 15 RBIs against Tampa Bay this season. The Boston shortstop his hitting .421 in his last 15 games. J.D. Martinez drove in his major league-leading 110th run of the season with a single in the fifth for the Red Sox, who went into the game with a 91/ game lead in the AL East before losing for the fourth time in six games. Rookie Jalen Beeks, Boston’s minor league pitcher of the year last season before his trade to Tampa Bay for Nathan Eovaldi on July 25, won for the second time six days against his former team. Beeks (3-1) gave up three runs and seven hits in 51/ innings. Rays starter Diego Castillo struck out four in 12/ innings before being relieved by Beeks. YANKEES 7, ORIOLES 5, 10 INNINGS
Luke Voit connected in the 10th inning for his second home run of the game, and Zach Britton marked his return to Camden Yards by working the bottom half to preserve the New York Yankees’ victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees made up two-run deficits in the fourth and eighth innings before Neil Walker homered off rookie Cody Carroll (0-2) in the 10th to give New York its first lead. Voit added a two-run shot, capping his first career multihomer game. Britton spent his entire career in Baltimore before being traded by rebuilding Orioles on July 24. Working as the closer for the injured Aroldis Chapman, the left-hander gave up a home run to longtime teammate Chris Davis before securing his first save with New York. Chad Green (7-2) pitched the ninth to help New York win for the 12th time in 17 games. Britton wasn’t the only newcomer to make a difference. Voit drove in four runs with his first two homers since being obtained in a July 28 swap with St. Louis. After Jonathan Villar hit a two-run homer to put Baltimore ahead 4-2 in the seventh, New York immediately answered in the eighth against three Baltimore relievers, loading the bases before Gleyber Torres delivered a tworun single. Wearing neon-orange jerseys and hats for Players Weekend, the Orioles looked like a completely different team than the one that compiled the worst record in the majors. Until the 10th inning, anyway. Baltimore struck for two early runs against CC Sabathia, made several sharp plays on defense and got a strong pitching performance from starter Alex Cobb, who brought a 4-15 record to the mound. Cobb allowed two runs and three hits over six innings, striking out six and walking three. It was his fifth straight start allowing two runs or fewer. Sabathia allowed singles to the first two batters he faced, and both scored on a single by Davis. Over his final five innings, the big left-hander gave up just two singles and a walk. Sabathia is winless in his last 10 starts against Baltimore. After he left, the Yankees got two on and two outs in the seventh before Davis made a diving stop of a grounder hit by Brett Gardner down the first base line. He flipped the ball to pitcher Mike Wright to get the out. Davis, who began the day batting .163, had a season-high three hits.
INTERLEAGUE
BLUE JAYS 4, PHILLIES 2 Kendrys Morales homered for the fifth straight game, Billy McKinney hit a two-run shot and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Philadelphia, handing the slumping Phillies their fifth loss in six games. Ryan Borucki (3-3) allowed two runs and seven hits in 61/ innings as Toronto won its fourth straight. Scott Kingery hit a solo home run for the Phillies but was also thrown out at home plate trying to score from second on Roman Quinn’s one-out single in the second. Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar got his seventh outfield assist. Borucki gave up a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by catcher Wilson Ramos, then held the Phillies scoreless until Kingery’s solo homer in the seventh. He left to a standing ovation and was replaced by Ryan Tepera, who got two outs. Tyler Clippard pitched the eighth and former Phillies closer Ken Giles finished for his 17th save in 17 opportunities, striking out Rhys Hoskins looking to strand runners at first and second. Morales connected off Jake Arrieta (9-9) in the second, matching Jose Bautista (2014) for the Blue Jays’ second-longest streak of games with a home run. Jose Cruz Jr. connected in a team-record six straight in 2001. McKinney homered for the second time in three games with a two-run drive to left in the third. A boy in the front row of the outfield seats caught the ball, then lifted his arms in celebration and exchanged a high five with a nearby fan. Blue Jays infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was activated off the disabled list after missing 23 games because of a sprained left ankle. Gurriel entered with an 11-game streak of multihit games, the longest in the majors since Tony Perez did it in 1973. Manager John Gibbons started Gurriel in the leadoff spot to maximize his number of at bats. Gurriel grounded out in the first and struck out in the third before grounding an RBI single through the left side in the fifth. In his final shot at adding to his streak, Gurriel struck out against reliever Hector Neris in the seventh. Arrieta allowed four runs and six hits in six-plus innings, his third straight losing decision.