Braves edge Phillies behind knuckleballer
ATLANTA — R.A. Dickey allowed only three hits in seven innings to earn his first win in five weeks and lead the Atlanta Braves over Ben Lively and the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 on Thursday night.
The 42-year-old Dickey (4-4) set a season high with eight strikeouts. The knuckleballer gave up no walks for the first time this season. He allowed one run in his first victory since May 2 against the Mets.
Dickey yielded a leadoff single to Tommy Joseph in the second and didn’t allow another hit until Odubel Herrera’s leadoff double in the seventh. Herrera scored from second on Maikel Franco’s single to right field with two outs.
Matt Kemp had a run-scoring double in Atlanta’s two-run first inning.
Jim Johnson pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save.
Giants 9, Brewers 5
MILWAUKEE — A big 10th inning for the San Francisco Giants got off to a running start by distracting Milwaukee Brewers slickfielding shortstop Orlando Arcia.
Gorkys Hernandez took off from first at right about the same time that pinch-hitter Kelby Tomlinson lined a bouncer to short. It probably would have turned into a double play if Arcia wasn’t covering the bag at second.
Instead, Tomlinson had an infield single, and Hunter Pence followed with an RBI single that opened the scoring in a four-run inning that gave the Giants a 9-5 victory Thursday.
The Giants overcame a rough outing by closer Mark Melancon, who blew a two-run lead in the ninth.
The San Francisco offense roughed up Brewers reliever Jacob Barnes (1-1) for five hits and four runs. Barnes didn’t record an out in the 10th.
The Brewers could have had two easy outs on a double play if Arcia wasn’t moving to cover Hernandez at second.
Until that point, the Brewers had the momentum after getting to Melancon.
Eric Sogard led off the ninth with a homer, and Travis Shaw’s RBI single three batters later tied the game at 5 with no outs before Melancon got the next three hitters.
Melancon (1-1) ended up with the win in spite of giving up three runs and two hits.
Diamondbacks 15, Padres 3
PHOENIX — Chris Iannetta wasn’t sure what to make of the lineup card when he looked at it before Thursday’s game and saw he was batting second. Then he realized he was hitting in front of All-Star Paul Goldschmidt and knew he would see some pitches to hit.
Iannetta hit them and then some.
The veteran catcher drove in a career-high seven runs with a home run and two doubles, and the Arizona Diamondbacks routed the San Diego Padres to finish a three-game sweep.
Iannetta hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Clayton Richard (4-7) for a 4-3 lead in the fifth, a three-run double against Kevin Quackenbush in the sixth and a two-run double off Brandon Maurer in the eighth. Six of Iannetta’s eight home runs this season have tied the score or put the Diamondbacks ahead.
Arizona scored 10 runs with two outs, won its ninth straight at Chase Field and improved the best home record in the major leagues to 24-8. The Diamondbacks outscored the Padres 32-9 in the sweep, which extended San Diego’s losing streak to five.
Padres infielder Erick Aybar relieved after Maurer allowed four runs in the eighth. He walked Daniel Descalso, then retired Brandon Drury on a flyout and got Jake Lamb to ground into a double play. Aybar made his big league mound debut April 18 when he retired Chris Herrmann on a groundout to end the top of the ninth in an 11-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Patrick Corbin (5-6) improved to 5-0 in six home starts, allowing three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks.
Richard gave up four runs and six hits in five innings.
San Diego’s first five hitters reached base, and Austin Hedges’ two-run single put the Padres ahead. Chris Owings hit an RBI double in the bottom half and scored on Descalso’s bloop single, but former Mississippi State player Hunter Renfroe’s RBI double gave the Padres a 3-2 lead in the third.
Marlins 7, Pirates 1
PITTSBURGH — Edinson Volquez followed his no-hitter by pitching seven scoreless innings and the Miami Marlins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Volquez (3-7) allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked two while winning his third straight start. He helped the Marlins win for the ninth time in 12 games and raised his career record to 4-0 against the Pirates, a team he pitched for in 2013.
Volquez has allowed only one run in 22 innings during his streak, including a no-hitter last Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the first of his 13-year career. He was winless in his first nine starts after being signed to a twoyear, $22-million contract in the offseason to help fill the void left by the death of ace Jose Fernandez in a boating accident last September.
Interleague Nationals 6, Orioles 1
WASHINGTON — Joe Ross had a careerhigh 12 strikeouts in a sparkling performance, and the weary Washington Nationals breezed past the Baltimore Orioles.
Stephen Drew homered into the second deck in right field and Trea Turner had three hits and a career-best three stolen bases for the Nationals, who took control with a four-run first inning against Alec Asher (2-4).
Ross (3-2) gave up one run and four hits over 7 1/3 innings. The right-hander fanned six straight at one point, twice struck out the side, walked none and carried a two-hit shutout into the seventh.
His outing was a bit of a surprise, given that Ross entered with a 7.34 ERA after giving up a combined 12 runs and 19 hits in his previous two starts.