Matz makes astonishing debut as NY Mets hammer Reds 7-2
Dodgers, Tigers, Jays beat rivals
NEW YORK, June 29, (AP): In an astonishing debut, Steven Matz became the only major league pitcher to drive in four runs in his first career game while leading the New York Mets to a 7-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
Pitching about 50 miles from home with a huge cheering section on hand, Matz (1-0) got three hits in rejuvenating an anemic offense and helping the Mets to a three-game sweep. He was awfully impressive on the mound, too, working into the eighth inning after giving up a home run to his first batter.
Matz became the first player — any position — in franchise history to drive in four runs in his first big league game, including a two-run double off Josh Smith (0-1).
The team’s latest prized pitching prospect, Matz had to wait 3-1/2 extra hours to make his much-anticipated debut because the teams needed 13 innings to first complete Saturday’s game that was suspended by rain.
Dodgers 2, Marlins 0 In Miami, Zack Greinke pitched 72/3 innings for his first victory since May 5 as the Los Angeles Dodgers took the deciding game of their series against the Miami Marlins.
Greinke (6-2) allowed four hits and held the opposition without a run for his third start in a row, extending his scoreless streak to 20-2/3 innings.
Adrian Gonzalez had three hits, including an RBI double. Howie Kendrick had two hits and drove in a run.
Two relievers completed a five-hitter for the Dodgers’ 11th shutout. Kenley Jansen pitched around a leadoff double in the ninth for his 11th save in 12 chances. The Dodgers have allowed 13 runs in their past eight games, and the bullpen has thrown 12-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the past five games.
Jose Urena (1-4) pitched five innings, and a defensive misplay resulted in the only run he allowed.
Tigers 5, White Sox 4 In Detroit, James McCann hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to complete a dramatic Detroit comeback as the Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox.
Detroit trailed 4-0 before scoring four runs in the eighth off Chicago starter Jeff Samardzija. Victor Martinez tied it with a three-run double.
Joakim Soria (3-0) pitched a perfect top of the ninth, and McCann’s oneout drive off Zach Putnam (1-3) cleared the fence in left field to end the game.
It was McCann’s third homer of the year and his first since May 21, when the rookie catcher went deep in the 11th inning to beat Houston.
Blue Jays 3, Rangers 2 In Toronto, Josh Donaldson hit his 18th home run and Drew Hutchison won his fifth straight decision as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers.
Donaldson got two hits as the Blue Jays sent Texas to its eighth loss in 10 games.
Hutchison (8-1) allowed one unearned run and four hits in 5-2/3 innings. He improved to 6-1 with a 2.12 ERA in eight home starts. Roberto Osuna got four outs for his second save as the Blue Jays beat the Rangers for the 12th time in 16 meetings.
Rougned Odor doubled to start the ninth, but Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre flied out before Osuna struck out Mitch Moreland on three pitches.
Red Sox 5, Rays 3 In St Petersburg, Florida, David Ortiz, Pablo Sandoval and Alejandro De Aza homered to back the pitching of Justin Masterson and lead the Boston Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Rays.
The victory clinched a series win for the last-place Red Sox and stopped Chris Archer’s career-best six-game winning streak. Ortiz hit a two-run shot off Archer (9-5) in the fourth inning, the slugger’s 31st career homer at Tropicana Field — more than any visiting player.
Sandoval and De Aza, who homered for the third time in four days, went deep in the second inning for a 2-0 lead. Sandoval also drove in a sixth-inning run with a sacrifice fly that made it 5-1.
Masterson (3-2) allowed an unearned run and five hits over five innings to win for the first time since beating Baltimore at Fenway Park on April 20.
Braves 2, Pirates 1 In Pittsburgh, Alex Wood pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning to win for the first time in five starts as the Atlanta Braves edged the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Jace Peterson hit his third homer for the Braves as they ended a season-high, five-game losing streak. Wood (5-5) scattered five hits and struck out eight without a walk in 7-1/3 innings. Jason Grilli gave up a run in the ninth, but earned his 21st save.
Atlanta didn’t do much against Pittsburgh starter Jeff Locke (4-4), managing only an RBI single by Markakis in the fifth. Peterson homered off reliever Vance Worley in the seventh to give the Braves a little breathing room.
Astros 3, Yankees 1 In Houston, rookie Carlos Correa doubled twice and scored the tiebreaking run on a triple by Evan Gattis in the seventh inning to help the Houston Astros top the New York Yankees.
Collin McHugh (9-3) allowed a season-low two hits — both singles — and one run and eight strikeouts in eight innings for his third straight win. Luke Gregerson pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save.
The game was tied 1-1 when Correa doubled with no outs in the seventh and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jose Altuve. The triple by Gattis, which sailed just out of reach of center fielder Brett Gardner, scored Correa and put Houston on top 2-1.
Brewers 5, Twins 3 In Milwaukee, Ryan Braun and Adam Lind hit two-run homers in the eighth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins.
Down 5-1, the Twins rallied in the ninth. Torii Hunter, who homered twice Saturday, hit a two-run homer off Francisco Rodriguez. Two outs later, the Twins got a pair of singles before Brian Dozier looked at strike three for the final out.
Will Smith (4-0) retired the Twins in order in the eighth, helping the Brewers win the series.
It was tied at 1 when Jonathan Lucroy opened the Milwaukee eighth with a walk from reliever Casey Fien (2-3). Braun followed with his 15th home run.
Angels 3, Mariners 2, 10 innings In Anaheim, California, Kole Calhoun scored the winning run off a wild pitch by Tom Wilhelmsen in the 10th inning after Albert Pujols grounded into a bases-loaded double play against a five-man infield, as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners.
Trevor Gott (1-0) earned his first major league victory with a perfect 10th.
Johnny Giavotella led off the Angels’ half of the 10th with a line-drive single off the glove of Wilhelmsen (1-2). Calhoun followed with a hit-and-run single, and Mike Trout was intentionally walked for the second straight time.
Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon then motioned left fielder Dustin Ackley in for a five-man infield, and Pujols grounded into a 6-2-3 double play started by shortstop Brad Miller. Nationals 3, Phillies 2, 1st game Phillies 8, Nationals 5, 2nd game In Philadelphia, Cesar Hernandez had four hits, and the Philadelphia Phillies stopped Washington’s eightgame winning streak with a victory over the Nationals in the second half of a doubleheader.
Maikel Franco drove in three runs for Philadelphia, which had dropped three in a row. Severino Gonzalez (3-2) allowed four runs and six hits in 5-1/3 innings. Odubel Herrera had three hits and drove in a run.
Ian Desmond and Jose Lobaton homered for Washington, but Tanner Roark (3-3) was knocked out in the fourth inning.
In the opener, Stephen Strasburg (55) struck out a season-high nine in seven strong innings to lead the Nationals to a victory. Jeff Francoeur homered for the Phillies, and Kevin Correia (0-2) took the loss. Orioles 4, Indians 0, 1st game Orioles 8, Indians 0, 2nd game In Baltimore, Chris Tillman pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to win his fourth straight decision as the Baltimore Orioles breezed past the Cleveland Indians to complete a doubleheader sweep.
In the afternoon game, Ubaldo Jimenez (7-3) tossed eight crisp innings and Baltimore got home runs from Jimmy Paredes and Manny Machado.
The sweep boosted the Orioles to the top of the AL East by percentage points over Tampa Bay. Baltimore (41-34) has won 15 of 19 to move a season-high seven games above .500. It was the first time since Sept. 6, 1974, that the Orioles registered shutouts in both games of a doubleheader, according to STATS. The opposition that day was also Cleveland.
Tillman (6-7) struck out six and walked none, and hasn’t lost since May 31. After Baltimore scored two unearned runs in the second inning, Chris Davis, Travis Snider and Chris Parmelee homered in a six-run fourth that made it 8-0.
Giants 6, Rockies 3 In San Francisco, Madison Bumgarner pitched into the eighth inning and hit his eighth career homer, helping the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies.
Buster Posey drove in three runs for San Francisco, and Matt Duffy was a single short of the cycle. Brandon Crawford connected for his 10th homer, matching his career-best total from last season.
Bumgarner (8-4) allowed two runs on Nolan Arenado’s 23rd homer in the first and five hits in 7-2/3 innings. He also belted a solo shot in the seventh and recorded his 1,000th career strikeout.
Arenado added another homer in the ninth against Sergio Romo. Javier Lopez then retired Carlos Gonzalez, and Santiago Casilla got the final two outs for his 21st save.
Royals 5, Athletics 3 In Oakland, California, Jeremy Guthrie struck out a season-high seven batters in six innings and Salvador Perez homered to help the Kansas City Royals complete a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics.
Omar Infante hit a tiebreaking single in a three-run sixth inning for the Royals, who have won five of six to open a nine-game road trip. After winning two of three in Seattle, Kansas City swept the A’s for the first time since 2008.
Guthrie (6-5) allowed two runs and topped 1,000 career strikeouts. Wade Davis pitched the ninth for his ninth save in as many chances.
Jesse Chavez (4-7) was hurt by an error by third baseman Max Muncy in Kansas City’s three-run sixth inning as Oakland lost its third straight.
Diamondbacks 6, Padres 4 In San Diego, Welington Castillo, Jake Lamb and David Peralta homered, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks over the San Diego Padres.
Chase Anderson (4-2) pitched seven innings to help Arizona snap a threegame losing streak. Brad Ziegler worked the ninth for his 12th save.
Derek Norris homered twice for San Diego, and Matt Kemp had a solo shot. The Padres were trying for their first three-game win streak in more than three weeks.
Cardinals 4, Cubs 1 In St Louis, Carlos Martinez was stingy before and after a lengthy rain delay as the St Louis Cardinals hit a season-high six doubles to sweep the Chicago Cubs with a victory that extended their winning streak to six games.
Jason Heyward, Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter had run-scoring doubles for St Louis, which is a major leaguebest 51-24. The Cardinals’ 29-7 home record also is tops in the majors and is the second-best start in franchise history, trailing only a 31-4 start by the 1885 Browns, according to STATS.
Martinez (9-3) allowed one run and two hits in six innings with six strikeouts for the Cardinals, whose home start is the best in the divisional era since 1969, topping the Expos’ 28-7 record in 1979.