Cards hurler one pitch short of a no-no
Braves top Nats; win streak is 13
ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas fell one strike short of a no-hitter for St. Louis against Pittsburgh when Cal Mitchell doubled with two outs in the ninth inning of the Cardinals’ 9-1 win over the Pirates in game two of a doubleheader Tuesday night.
Mitchell drove a 2-2 curveball just over the head of Gold Glove center fielder Harrison Bader. The ball bounced on the warning track 383 feet from home plate and over the wall in straightaway center for a ground-rule double.
The hit came on the 129th pitch from Mikolas, a career high. He was lifted right after that for Packy Naughton, who closed out a 9-1 victory over the Pirates in the second game of a doubleheader.
Mikolas struck out six and walked one. Pittsburgh got an unearned run in the fourth to make it 7-1 when Bryan Reynolds scored on Daniel Vogelbach’s groundout.
Reynolds led off the inning and reached second base when left fielder Juan Yepez misplayed a fly ball for an error. Reynolds advanced to third on a groundout.
Paul Goldschmidt hit a tworun homer and drove in three runs, leading the Cardinals over Pittsburgh 3-1 in the opener.
Pittsburgh had four errors, three by shortstop Diego Castillo — including bad throws on groundouts on consecutive pitches.
BRAVES 10, NATIONALS 4:
In Washington, Michael Harris II and Travis d’Arnaud each had three hits and homered for the second straight game, and Atlanta connected five times in its 13th straight win.
Atlanta hit back-to-back homers for the third straight game, this time doing it twice. D’Arnaud and Marcell Ozuna went deep in the third inning, and Orlando Arcia and Harris II followed in the sixth.
Dansby Swanson also homered for the Braves, who have clubbed 32 home runs during the winning streak, the longest in the majors this season. It’s Atlanta’s best stretch since it won 14 consecutive games from July 26 to Aug. 9, 2013.
Braves starter Max Fried (7-2) struck out the first five Washington batters. He went 5 ⅔ innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out six and walking one.
Earlier in the day, Atlanta placed second baseman Ozzie Albies (fractured left foot) on the 60-day injured list and Washington placed right-hander Stephen Strasburg (stress reaction of the ribs) on the 15-day injured list.
Ehire Adrianza had two hits for the Nationals, who have lost three straight.
METS 4, BREWERS 0: In New York, Chris Bassitt pitched eight sharp innings of three-hit ball, Pete Alonso drove in two runs and the Mets beat struggling Milwaukee.
Bassitt (5-4), who entered with a 7.62 ERA in his last five starts, allowed just three singles and one walk with seven strikeouts. He got the Brewers to hit into double plays right after each of their hits, including in the sixth — when Milwaukee had runners at the corners before Willy Adames grounded into an inning-ending double play.
YANKEES 2, RAYS 0: In New York, Gerrit Cole put a careerworst pummeling behind him with six sharp innings, and the Yankees had just five hits but improved to 45-16, the best 61-game start across baseball since Seattle in 2001.
The Yankees were without third baseman Josh Donaldson, who served a one-game suspension from Major League Baseball for comments to White Sox star Tim Anderson regarding Jackie Robinson. Donaldson’s ban was upheld on appeal.
MARLINS 11, PHILLIES 9: In Philadelphia, Jesús Aguilar homered, drove in four runs and hit a go-ahead double in the ninth inning to lead Miami to a wild win over Philadelphia.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Avisaíl Garcia and Jacob Stallings also went deep for Miami, which has won six of eight.
ASTROS 4, RANGERS 3: In Arlington, Texas, Kyle Tucker extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games with a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning, and AL West-leading Houston rallied past Texas.
Bryan Abreu (4-0), the first of three Astros relievers, threw a scoreless seventh. Ryan Pressly worked the ninth for his 12th save in 14th chances.
RED SOX 6, ATHLETICS 1: In Boston, Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer, Nick Pivetta pitched eight strong innings and Boston beat slumping Oakland.
ORIOLES 6, BLUE JAYS 5: In Toronto, Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run home run, Austin Hays had a solo shot and Baltimore O held on to beat the Blue Jays.
Mountcastle went 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles and scored twice.
WHITE SOX 5, TIGERS 1: In Detroit, Chicago’s Dylan Cease allowed one run in five innings to remain unbeaten in 10 decisions against Detroit.
PADRES 13, CUBS 5: In Chicago, Luke Voit hit a two-run homer and a three-run double as San Diego rallied from a fiverun deficit to hand Chicago its eighth straight loss.
GUARDIANS 4, ROCKIES 3, 10 innings: In Denver, José Ramírez doubled home the goahead run in the 10th inning to lift Cleveland over Colorado.
MARINERS 5, TWINS 0: In Seattle, Eugenio Suárez and Ty France each clubbed a two-run homer, Logan Gilbert and three relievers combined on a fourhitter and the Mariners emerged from their offensive slump with a win over Minnesota.
Notes
METS: RHP Jacob deGrom (stress reaction on his right scapula) threw a 30-pitch bullpen and is slated for an “up-anddown” bullpen session Friday. … RHP Max Scherzer (left oblique) threw in the outfield and is expected to throw a simulated game Thursday.
DODGERS: Pitcher Walker Buehler had bone spurs removed from his right elbow in a procedure unrelated to the flexor strain that has sidelined him.
Buehler said Tuesday he had the arthroscopic surgery done a day earlier. He did it now because it doesn’t affect the rest and rehab timeline for the strain. The right-hander is expected to be out 10 to 12 weeks.