Arenado completes cycle with game-winning homer for Rockies
DENVER — Nolan Arenado completed the cycle with a threerun homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Colorado Rockies stunned the San Francisco Giants by rallying for a 7-5 victory Sunday.
Arenado hit the first pitch he saw from All-Star closer Mark Melancon (1-2) into the left-field seats to finish a four-game sweep. The slugger was mobbed at home plate by teammates, with a frenzied sellout crowd chanting “MVP! MVP!”
With the best record in the National League, the surprising Rockies have won five straight overall and nine in a row against the Giants.
Last-place San Francisco has dropped six consecutive games and nine of 11.
Melancon retired his first batter, but three singles produced a run and brought up Arenado, who tripled in the first, singled in the fourth and had an RBI double in the sixth. He hit a 91 mph fastball for his 15th homer and first career cycle.
Carlos Estevez (4-0), called up from the minors before the game, struck out one batter in the ninth for the win.
Indians 5, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS — Edwin Encarnacion homered twice, Trevor Bauer pitched seven strong innings and Jose Ramirez had his sixth straight multihit game as Cleveland completed a four-game sweep of Minnesota.
Cleveland came into the series trailing the Twins by two games in the AL Central. The sweep vaulted the Indians two games ahead and gave the defending AL champions sole possession of first place in the division for the first time since May 10.
Bauer (6-5) allowed two runs
and four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. He retired
15 straight before hitting Kennys Vargas with a pitch in the seventh. Eduardo Escobar and Eddie Rosario followed with RBI hits to put Minnesota on the board.
Kyle Gibson (4-5) retired nine straight before Encarnacion hit a
443-foot drive to the second deck in left field to put Cleveland on top 1-0 in the third.
Andrew Miller worked a hitless ninth for his first save of the season.
Dodgers 8, Reds 7
CINCINNATI — Logan Forsythe and Justin Turner homered, Kenta Maeda (5-3) pitched five strong innings and drove in two runs, and Kike Hernandez made a spectacular game-saving catch as Los Angeles held on to beat Cincinnati.
Cincinnati nearly rallied all the way back from an 8-1 deficit in the sixth inning. However, Hernandez went back to the left-field wall and made an awkward leaping grab of Joey Votto’s attempt at a go-ahead extra-base hit with runners on first and third in the eighth.
Kenley Jansen got the last three outs for his 15th save.
Bronson Arroyo (3-6), who was roughed up for nine runs and a career-high 13 hits in his last start at San Diego, lasted only three innings against the Dodgers, giving up five runs and seven hits.
Cubs 7, Pirates 1
PITTSBURGH — John Lackey and three relievers combined on a three-hitter, and Anthony Rizzo homered among his three hits to lead Chicago past Pittsburgh.
The defending World Series champions took two of three in Pittsburgh and improved to 34-34 this season.
Lackey (5-7) allowed two hits and struck out four over six innings. Carl Edwards Jr., Hector Rondon and Brian Duensing finished up for the Cubs.
The first four Chicago runs came against Jameson Taillon (3-2), who made his second start since returning from surgery to treat testicular cancer. Taillon gave up eight hits in five innings while striking out four.
Athletics 4, Yankees 3
OAKLAND, Calif. — Khris Davis hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the third that held up to back rookie Jharel Cotton’s first victory since May 4, and Oakland completed a four-game sweep of slumping New York.
New York welcomed back flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman but still lost its season-high sixth straight game following a six-game winning streak, finishing a disappointing 1-6 road trip with a weekend dud against the American League’s worst team.
Cotton (4-7) struck out six over 6 1/3 innings for his second-longest start of the season.
Luis Cessa (0-1) allowed four runs and five hits in four innings for New York.
Diamondbacks 5 Phillies 4, 10 innings
PHILADELPHIA — Rey Fuentes hit his first major league home run in the 10th inning, lifting Arizona over Philadelphia.
Fuentes entered in the eighth inning as a pinch runner and was caught stealing. However, the rookie redeemed himself with a homer off Jeanmar Gomez (3-2) with one out in the 10th.
Hector Neris entered with a 4-3 lead in the ninth and failed to pick up a save for the second time in eight chances.
Archie Bradley (3-1) pitched a scoreless ninth, stranding a pair of baserunners. Fernando Rodney earned his 20th save in 23 chances.
Brewers 2, Padres 1
MILWAUKEE — Jimmy Nelson struck out 10 in his first career complete game and Milwaukee got home runs from Hernan Perez and Manny Pina to edge San Diego on Sunday.
Nelson (5-3) allowed six hits and two walks while throwing 118 pitches in his 89th major league start. He gave up only an unearned run and lowered his ERA to 3.28.
Leading off the sixth inning, Perez hit his 10th home run into the Brewers’ bullpen off starter Luis Perdomo (1-4). One batter later, Pina connected on a 1-2 pitch to give Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.