JONES ONE SWING FROM PERFECTION IN DEBUT
Rockies 6, Dodgers 3: Antonio Senzatela (5-2) pitched efficiently into the seventh inning as host Colorado avoided a sweep and delayed Los Angeles from clinching its eighth straight NL West title. Tony Gonsolin (1-2) struck out a career-best 10, including the first six he faced, over five innings.
Cardinals 2, Pirates 1: Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer and Jack Flaherty (4-2) struck out 11 as St. Louis kept its hold on a postseason spot with a win at Pittsburgh. Flaherty allowed only one run and two hits in six innings while walking two.
Marlins 2-0, Nationals 1-15: Kurt Suzuki homered and doubled to bounce back from a game-ending strikeout in the opener, and visiting Washington routed playoff-contending Miami to split a doubleheader. In the opener, Marlins reliever Brandon Kintzler fanned Suzuki with the bases loaded to preserve the win. Braves 7, Mets 0: Kyle Wright (2-4) allowed one hit in the best start of his big league career, pitching into the seventh inning to lead visiting Atlanta past New York. Ronald Acuna Jr. homered off Rick Porcello (1-6) to break a scoreless tie in the sixth and finished with four RBIS.
(IL) Blue Jays 6, Phillies 3: Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer and Taijuan Walker (4-3) tossed six sharp innings to help Toronto snap a six-game losing streak with a win at Philadelphia. Walker allowed four hits and struck out eight. Anthony Bass earned his sixth save.
(IL) Reds 7, White Sox 3: Mike Moustakas hit a two-run single as host Cincinnati scored five times in the fourth inning on just one hit. The Reds broke away by turning six walks, a hit batter and Moustakas’ single into a big inning.
(IL) Brewers 5, Royals 3: Daniel Vogelbach hit two homers and drove in all five runs as Milwaukee swept the three-game series at home. Josh Hader retired the lone batter he faced to notch his 10th save in 12 tries as the Brewers won their fourth in a row.
(IL) Twins 4, Cubs 0: Max Kepler homered and Jose Berrios (5-3) threw six sharp innings to outduel Yu Darvish (7-3) as visiting Minnesota blanked Chicago.
A number of injuries slowed Jimmy Jones on his way to San Diego. He finally arrived on this date — Sept. 21 — in 1986 and threw the 11th one-hitter in franchise history.
Only one swing separated him from perfection: Pitcher Bob Knepper’s third-inning triple to rightcenter.
“I guess I’m on cloud nine,” the 22-year-old Jones told the San Diego Union after a 5-0 win in Houston in front of a crowd of 23,385 that included some two dozen family and friends in attendance from his native Dallas.
Jones struck out five and didn’t walk anyone in his debut. He also went 1-for-4 and scored a run.
Jones went 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA, 15 strikeouts and three walks in 18 innings to start his career.
He pitched two more years in San Diego (20-21, 4.04 ERA), two with the Yankees (3-3, 5.79) and two more years in Houston (16-14, 4.23).
Jones pitched his final season in Montreal in 1993.
He is currently the Double-a pitching coach at Amarillo.
Also on this date …
1978: RHP Gaylord Perry became the second Padres pitcher to win at least 20 games with seven shutout innings in a 5-1 win over the visiting Giants. Perry went on to win 21 games and the NL Cy Young. LHP Randy Jones is the only other Padres pitcher to win 20 games (twice).
2010: LHP Clayton Richard, acquired in the Jake Peavy trade, struck out six and scattered eight hits and two walks in his first career shutout in a 6-0 win at Dodger Stadium. Richard went 58-68 with a 4.37 ERA in eight years with the Padres, from 2009 to 2013 and 2016 to 2017.
2019: Manager Andy Green was fired with two years left on his contract. The Padres went 274-366 under Green for a .428 winning percentage.
jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com