Bieber spins one-hitter to keep Indians rolling
Shane Bieber pitched a onehitter, allowing only a double by Eric Sogard in the seventh inning, and the visiting Cleveland Indians kept up their surge by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 on Wednesday night.
The Indians topped prime trade target Marcus Stroman and improved to 14-4 in July. They are 30-12 since June 4, the best record in the majors over that span.
Bieber (10-3) struck out 10 and walked one in his second career complete game. The MVP of the All-Star Game blanked Baltimore on May 19 when he fanned 15.
Sogard spoiled Bieber’s bid when he opened the seventh with a drive that bounced over the right-field wall. One out later, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was hit by a pitch, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. flied out and Justin Smoak struck out to end the inning. BIG NIGHT FOR DEJONG, CARDS >> Paul DeJong hit a career-high three home runs, including one during a nine-run second inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals walloped the host Pittsburgh Pirates 14-8.
DeJong, Andrew Knizner and Paul Goldschmidt each hit two-run homers in the second while the Cardinals batted around against starter Jordan Lyles (5-7). St. Louis also had five doubles for a total of eight extra-base hits in the inning, tying a major league record.
Goldschmidt started the second by reaching on an error and came around on DeJong’s homer to left-center. After back-to-back doubles, Knizner hit his first career home run. A walk and a double scored another before Goldschmidt smashed an estimated 437-foot home run to the second deck in left to chase Lyles. YANKEES CLOBBER TWINS >> Didi Gregorius drove in three more runs with two of New York’s nine extra-base hits, and the visiting Yankees clobbered Minnesota’s pitching once again in a 10-7 victory over the Twins.