Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Ozuna helps power Cards past Brewers
MILWAUKEE — Marcell Ozuna’s bases-loaded double keyed a six-run second inning and surging St. Louis pounded out a 12-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.
The Cardinals, who have won five straight, jumped on starter Gio Gonzalez (22) for eight runs in the first two innings en route to their 14th victory in 17 games.
Yadier Molina and Paul DeJong each homered and drove in three runs for St. Louis, which moved to a season-high 14 games above .500. The Cardinals extended their lead in the NL Central to three games over idle Chicago. The third-place Brewers dropped 5½ back.
Despite being staked to a 9-1 lead, starter Adam Wainwright lasted just 32/3 innings, throwing 90 pitches. He allowed two runs on six hits with three walks.
John Gant (9-0) relieved Wainwright and struck out three in 21/3 hitless innings for the victory.
Molina’s bases-loaded single with two outs in the first put the Cardinals up 2-0.
Molina’s fifth homer, a solo shot in the fourth, made it 9-1. DeJong added a tworun homer, his 24th, in the sixth and a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
The Cardinals manufactured a run to open the decisive second when Harrison Bader reached on an infield single, advanced on a sacrifice and took third on an errant pickoff throw by Gonzalez.
Dexter Fowler singled in Bader to make it 3-0. Tommy Edman singled and Paul Goldschmidt walked. Ozuna cleared the bases with a double down the right-field line.
Cardinals outfielder Jose Martinez, on the 10-day injured list (right shoulder AC joint sprain) was scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Monday with Double-A Springfield.
“He’s going to work defensively before the game and he’ll DH in the game,” manager Mike Shildt said.
Cardinals infielder Kolten Wong, who left Saturday’s game after fouling a ball off his right big toe, was not in in the lineup but is improving.
“I talked to him a little bit, and it looks like he’s going to be a bit of a warrior,” Shildt said. “I know he’s in some pain. We’ll evaluate him and take it day-by-day.”
Brewers third baseman Mike Moustakas left the game in the third inning with pain in his left palm and wrist after being struck by hard-hit bouncer by Harrison Bader the previous inning.
ROCKIES 3, BRAVES 1
DENVER — Ryan McMahon hit a two-run homer in the ninth to lift the Colorado Rockies to a win over the Atlanta Braves.
McMahon hit a 1-1 fastball from Jerry Blevins just over the scoreboard in right field for the second game-ending homer of his career. Nolan Arenado started the inning with a walk off Anthony Swarzak (1-2).
Jairo Diaz (5-3) blew the save in the ninth but got the win.
Monday was a makeup from the
April 10th game postponed due to inclement weather and forced Atlanta to crisscross the country.
The Braves traveled to Denver on Sunday night after playing in New York, and right after the game boarded a plane for Toronto to take on the Blue Jays.
Colorado starter Tim Melville pitched five scoreless innings and now has allowed just one run over 12 innings since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque last week. The 29-year-old journeyman was pitching in the Atlantic League this spring before signing a minor league deal with Colorado.
He escaped a run in the fourth when Freddie Freeman was thrown out at home trying to score from second, and in the fifth Freeman grounded out with the bases loaded to end another threat.
Atlanta starter Julio Teheran didn’t allow a run over six innings and has a 13-inning scoreless streak.
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the eighth on Charlie Blackmon’s sacrifice fly but Atlanta tied it in the ninth when pinch-hitter Adeiny Hechavarria drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
REDS 6, MARLINS 3
MIAMI — Sonny Gray pitched into the seventh inning, Freddy Galvis drove in four runs and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Miami Marlins.
Gray (10-6) walked five, but limited Miami to two runs and four hits. The right-hander improved to 4-0 in August, allowing three runs in five starts.
Galvis had three hits and Eugenio Suárez hit his 36th homer for the Reds, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Gray retired 12 consecutive batters after he allowed Neil Walker’s two-run homer in the third. He was pulled after he walked Isan Díaz and allowed Jorge Alfaro’s broken-bat single in the seventh.
Michael Lorenzen came in and retired Lewis Brinson on a sacrifice bunt, struck out pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson and got Jon Berti to bounce to shortstop.
Lorenzen also pitched a scoreless eighth before Raisel Iglesias worked the ninth. Alfaro hit his 13th homer and Brinson tripled before Iglesias struck out Martín Prado and Berti to end the game.
Galvis’ three-run homer off Pablo Lopez erased a 2-1 deficit in the fifth. Galvis’ drive sailed over the wall in left-center for his 22nd of the season and fourth since joining the Reds on Aug. 13.
Suarez’s solo shot off Kyle Keller in the eighth made it 5-2. Keller also allowed a solo homer by Phillip Ervin in the ninth.
Lopez (5-6) made his first start since June 15 after being sidelined by a shoulder strain. The right-hander allowed four runs in five innings.
The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the third when Galvis’ fielder’s choice drove in Josh VanMeter after he reached on a one-out triple.
PHILLIES 6, PIRATES 5, 11 INNINGS
PHILADELPHIA — Sean Rodriguez lined a home run leading off the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Josh Bell hit a solo homer off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris to tie it at 5 in the ninth after Corey Dickerson hit a two-run shot against his former team in the eighth to give the Phillies a one-run lead.
But after stranding five runners in the ninth and 10th, the Phillies won it when Rodriguez went deep against Michael Feliz (2-4) for his fourth career walk-off homer. Rodriguez was in a 1-for-21 slump before he connected.
Bryce Harper launched a solo homer to right field with two outs in the eighth in his first game back from paternity leave to cut it to 4-3. After J.T. Realmuto’s infield single, Dickerson ripped one out to right to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead.
Dickerson, acquired from the Pirates before the July 31 trade deadline, has 21 RBIs in 19 games for the Phillies.
Bell has been slumping and wasn’t in the starting lineup but he crushed a 432-foot homer off Neris for his 33rd this season. Neris has five blown saves in 28 chances this season.
Rhys Hoskins fouled out with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth and heard a chorus of boos as he walked to the dugout. Harper struck out swinging at a 3-2 pitch to send it to extra innings.