Rays defeat Red Sox, 3-2, as Boston protests lineup
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Charlie Morton struck out 11 over seven innings and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep by beating David Price and Boston 3-2 in a game that the Red Sox protested on Wednesday.
Confusion reigned in the top of the eighth when a series of defensive changes involving reliever Adam Kolarek prompted Boston manager Alex Cora to protest the game due to the placement of subs into the Rays lineup after the designated hitter was removed.
Kolarek replaced Morton and retired pinch-hitter Sam Travis on a pop fly. The left-hander then shifted to first base when Rays manager Kevin Cash brought in reliever Chaz Roe, who got a fly ball from Mookie Betts.
After Kolarek then returned to the mound and Nate Lowe entered to play first base, Cora met with the umpires, which prompted around a 15-minute stoppage as the umpires discussed the matter.
After the protest was made and the game resumed, Kolarek got a firstpitch grounder from Rafael Devers.
An unhappy Cora again talked with the umpires after the third out, which delayed the start of the bottom on the eighth.
Morton (12-3) allowed two runs and five hits in lowering his AL-best ERA from 2.61 to 2.60. Emilio Pagán pitched the ninth for his seventh save.
Price (7-4) went six innings, giving up three runs, four hits and two walks while striking out eight.
Cubs 4, Giants 1
SAN FRANCISCO—Javier Báez homered in the first inning, Kris Bryant and Albert Almora Jr. also went deep, and Chicago beat San Francisco after starter Jon Lester was scratched with an illness.
Báez hit his 25th homer and Bryant his 21st to help Chicago avoid a threegame sweep. The Cubs bounced back from a 5-4, 13-inning loss Tuesday night to give manager Joe Maddon his 442nd win with Chicago, tying Joe McCarthy for fifth in franchise history.
Bryant left in the fifth inning because of soreness in his right knee.
Kyle Ryan (3-1), the second of six pitchers used by the Cubs in place of Lester, retired five batters. Craig Kimbrel allowed two singles in the ninth but got Brandon Belt to fly out for his seventh save.
The Cubs lead in the NL Central was down to a half-game before tagging San Francisco starter Tyler Beede (3-4) for three home runs in the first four innings.
Brewers 5, Reds 4
MILWAUKEE—Ryan Braun and Keston Hiura homered, Yasmani Grandal hit a go-ahead single and Josh Hader made a lights-out relief appearance to lift Milwaukee over Cincinnati to avoid a three-game sweep and end a five-game skid against Cincinnati.
Josh VanMeter hit his second homer and Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett had RBI hits to help Cincinnati build a 4-2 lead against starter Jhoulys Chacin. Braun kept Milwaukee close with a two-run shot in the first, his 15th homer of the season, and the Brewers rallied with Grandal’s tworun hit in the fifth.
Matt Albers (5-3) got one out for the win, and Freddy Peralta got his first save. Reds right-hander Lucas Sims (1-1) gave up five runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings, including the homers by Braun and Hiura.
Nationals 3, Rockies 2
WASHINGTON—Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon homered, and Washington beat Colorado in the first game of a doubleheader.
Washington has won 22 of 31 home games and improved to 35-15 overall since May 24, the best record in the majors in that span. Colorado has dropped eight of nine and 15 of 18 to slide seven games under .500 for the first time since April 15.
Rendon smacked the first pitch from reliever Carlos Estevez (1-1) just over the wall in left-center for his 21st home run to open the seventh, a shot that was reviewed and upheld.
Wander Suero (3-5) worked a scoreless seventh, Fernando Rodney escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth and Sean Doolittle closed it out for his 22nd save in 26 tries.