Cubs’ Hammel continues success against Nationals
Jason Hammel extended his mastery over Washington in an 11th impressive start, and Dexter Fowler had two hits and scored twice, leading Chicago to a 4-2 win on Saturday. Hammel (5-2) improved to 9-0 with a 3.01 ERA in 11 starts against the Nationals. Anthony Rizzo and Jonathan Herrera each had two hits and drove in a run for Chicago. Hammel allowed two runs and five hits in eight-plus innings, striking out seven and walking two. He departed after Bryce Harper hit his 19th homer of the season to open the ninth. After Hector Rondon walked Anthony Rendon, Pedro Strop entered and finished for his second save. Wilson Ramos also homered for the Nationals. With starting pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fister on the disabled list, the Nationals called on 22-year-old prospect Joe Ross (0-1) to make his major league debut.
RED SOX 4, ATHLETICS 2 >> Joe Kelly pitched six solid innings to earn his first win since his initial start of the season, Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer and the Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics. The teams played a day after a fan at Fenway Park was struck in the head by a broken bat and suffered life-threatening injuries. Boston Police said Saturday she is expected to survive. Ramirez also singled twice, David Ortiz hit an RBI double and Mike Napoli had a run-scoring single for the Red Sox, who won for the fourth time in six games.
RANGERS 4, ROYALS 2 >> Wandy Rodriguez pitched seven strong innings and Texas defeated Kansas City for its seventh win in eight games. Texas has won six straight series for the first time since 2012. The AL champion Royals have lost nine of 11. Rodriguez (3-2), a 36-year-old lefty who signed with the Rangers in early April after Atlanta released him in spring training, gave up one run and six hits. He walked none and struck out four.
BLUE JAYS 7, ASTROS 2 >> Jose Reyes stole three bases and got two hits as Toronto won its season-high fourth in a row, handing Houston its third straight loss. The AL West-leading Astros matched their longest skid of the year. Reyes scored a run, drove in one and also walked. Drew Hutchison (5-1) allowed one run and six hits in 6 1-3 innings, improving to 4-1 with a 2.72 ERA at home. He’s 1-0 with a 7.80 ERA in six road starts. The Astros failed to score more than three runs for the fourth straight game and seventh time in their past nine. Brett Oberholtzer (0-1) allowed four runs, two earned, and six hits in 3 2-3 innings.
ROCKIES 10, MARLINS 5 >> Wilin Rosario homered twice and Carlos Gonzalez hit a three-run shot to back the solid pitching of Chris Rusin, and Colorado shrugged off another rain delay at Coors Field to beat Miami. Thunder showers delayed the game’s start for 71 minutes, the 13th time this season a game in Denver has been postponed or delayed by weather. Colorado has had a total of 15 hours, 40 minutes, of rain delays at home this season. Once the weather cleared, the Rockies came out swinging, putting together a four-run inning in the first and a five-run inning in the fourth, when Rosario and Gonzalez teamed up to hit the first back to back home runs by the Rockies this season. Rusin (2-0), claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs last September, allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings in winning for the first time in his last 10 starts dating to Aug. 14, 2013.
PADRES 9, REDS 7 >> Yonder Alonso’s second career grand slam pulled San Diego even in the seventh inning, and Matt Kemp singled with the bases loaded in the eighth, completing the Padres’ biggest comeback of the season in a victory over Cincinnati.