CASTILLO, REDS COMPLETE THREE-GAME SWEEP OF BREWERS WITH 7-1 WIN
Rookie Luis Castillo struck out 10 in his final start of the season, Zack Cozart and Jose Peraza homered and the last-place Reds completed a three-game sweep of the Brewers with a 7-1 win on Wednesday.
The playoff-contending Brewers have lost four of five. Neil Walker’s homer in the first inning was all Milwaukee could muster.
Castillo (3-7) retired 11 straight batters in one stretch and 22 of the last 24 while pitching eight innings. He allowed four hits, didn’t walk anybody and wound up with a 3.12 ERA in 15 starts.
The Reds are shutting down Castillo to limit his innings. The 24-year-old righty threw 111 pitches, matching his second-highest pitch count of the season, in this start.
Matt Garza (6-9) gave up five runs in 2M innings.
WEDNESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
Gio Gonzalez and four relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Nationals beat the Marlins for the eighth consecutive time, winning 8-1. … Robert Gsellman pitched well in a winning return from the minors and Travis d’Arnaud homered to help the Mets beat the Phillies 6-3 in a game shortened to six innings because of rain. … Alex Avila knocked an RBI triple in the ninth inning, capping a duel between Jose Quintana and Gerrit Cole and lifting the Cubs over the Pirates 1-0. … Salvador Perez homered twice as the Royals broke open a close game to rout the Tigers 13-2. … Doug Fister gave up one run over seven innings, Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs and the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 6-1, a day after the teams played a 19-inning marathon. … Sean Manaea pitched six-plus innings of shutout ball and Khris Davis homered as the Athletics snapped a season-high eight-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Angels. … Eduardo Escobar had three hits and three RBIs, Brian Dozier and Ehire Adrianza both homered, and the Twins beat the Rays 10-6. … Elvis Andrus drove in three runs with four hits, including a homer, and the Rangers beat the Braves 12-8 to spoil the major-league debut of 21-year-old pitcher Luiz Gohara, a top prospect who is from Brazil who started the season in Single-A ball. … Freddie Freeman hit a two-run double during Atlanta’s five-run second inning against Cole Hamels and the Braves held off a rally to beat the Rangers 5-4 and split a doubleheader. Nomar Mazara had a tworun homer in the nightcap for Texas, which won the first game 12-8 behind four hits from Elvis Andrus. The Rangers are two games behind the Twins in the race for the second AL wild card. … Carlos Carrasco allowed three hits in a complete game, giving the Indians their 14th straight win in a 5-1 victory over the
FOOTNOTES
Red Sox star Pedroia speaks on signs.
Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia says he doesn’t think he did anything wrong when he tried to steal signs from the Yankees. The 34-year-old Pedroia said that he’s been doing that in baseball since junior high school. According to The New York Times, the Red Sox admitted to Major League Baseball that they used an Apple Watch to relay signals to Boston players . ... The Cardinals have acquired righthanded reliever Juan Nicasio from Philadelphia in exchange for minor-league infielder Eliezer Alvarez.