Nationals bank on 7th inning burst to beat Phillies
WASHINGTON: In a showdown of aces with disappointing records, Stephen Strasburg and Cole Hamels matched each other until the Washington Nationals scored five runs in the seventh inning of a 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
Strasburg (3-5) allowed five hits in eight innings, walked none and struck out a season-high nine, giving up a run in the eighth on his first big league balk.
Making his latest no-support start, Hamels (1-8) struck out six and allowed only three hits through six innings. Ryan Zimmerman’s infield single started a rally that included a pair of errors and Steve Lombardozzi’s two-run double. Hamels has lost five straight starts, has had only 20 runs of support scored all season when he’s been in the game and hasn’t pitched with a lead since April 7.
In Cincinnati, Alfonso Soriano hit a tying two-run homer in the eighth inning and Welington Castillo had a go-ahead double in the 10th, helping the Cubs rally from a four-run deficit in a win over the Reds that stopped a season-high, sixgame losing streak.
Soriano singled in the seventh and scored Chicago’s first run off Johnny Cueto on Luis Valbuena’s two-out single.
Anthony Rizzo hit an RBI double against Logan Ondrusek in the eighth — his third double in two games — and Soriano followed with his fifth homer of the season and first since May 13, a 394foot drive to left-center.
J.J. Hoover (0-4) walked Scott Hairston with two outs in the 10th, and Castillo followed with his double into the leftfield corner.
In New York, Ike Davis busted out of his prolonged slump with a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Mets rallied past the Braves to end an eight-game losing streak at home.
Shaun Marcum struck out a careerhigh 12 and Lucas Duda homered for the Mets, who stopped Atlanta’s eight-game winning streak and avoided a threegame sweep. The Braves had won 15 of 18 against New York and five in a row at Citi Field.
Pinch-hitter Justin Turner led off the eighth with a single against Cory Gearrin (1-1). David Wright struck out but Duda punched a ground-rule double to left and John Buck’s run-scoring single tied it at 2.
Pinch-hitter Mike Baxter was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Davis, who pulled a two-run single through the right side for a 4-2 Mets lead.
In Milwaukee, Wandy Rodriguez won his fourth consecutive start, Pedro Alvarez had a two-run double and the Pirates built an early four-run lead before holding off the Brewers. The Pirates have won 13 of 15 and are a season high 12 games over .500.
Rodriguez (6-2) gave up three earned runs on seven hits in five innings to earn the victory. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter. Jason Grilli pitched a scoreless ninth for his major league-leading 20th save.
Pittsburgh got to Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo for a run in the second on Jordy Mercer’s two-out triple, which scored Michael McKenry, who walked. In Phoenix, Patrick Corbin worked six innings without his best stuff to become the first Arizona left-hander to start with eight straight wins, Martin Prado matched a career high with four hits and the Diamondbacks beat the Padres.
Corbin allowed more than two runs for the first time this season, but helped himself with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning off Tommy Layne (0-1) to become the third Arizona pitcher to start a season 8-0.