Arenado breaks out, hits two homers against Cubs
Utley hits home run again for Dodgers
DENVER >> Nolan Arenado broke out of a slump in a big way, hitting two homers and driving in six runs Sunday to boost the Colorado Rockies over the Chicago Cubs 11-4.
Arenado hit a three-run homer during a seven-run burst in the first inning that included three Cubs errors, then added another threerun drive in the fourth.
Arenado leads the majors with 104 RBIs — he had a big league-high 130 last year — and tops the NL with 32 home runs. The All-Star third baseman was 1 of 16 on the Rockies’ homestand before getting four hits. He passed Cubs slugger Kris Bryant for the NL homer lead.
Jorge De La Rosa (8-7) tossed eight innings, giving up a pair of home runs to Addison Russell.
De La Rosa delivered a two-run single in the first as the Rockies quickly ended Jason Hammel’s 22-inning scoreless streak. Hammel (13-6) had been 6-0 with an 0.95 ERA since the All-Star before getting roughed up. The Rockies scored 10 runs off him, six earned, in 3 1/3 innings.
DJ LeMahieu also homered for Colorado.
DODGERS 4, REDS 0 >> Chase Utley homered on the fourth pitch of the game, 20-yearold Julio Urias won his third straight decision and Los Angeles beat Cincinnati to end a three-game losing streak.
Los Angeles moved into a tie with San Francisco for the NL West lead.
Utley connected against Anthony DeSclafani (7-2) for his third home run of the trip and 11th this season, then had an RBI single in the third and scored on Cory Seager’s hit for a 3-0 lead. Utley homered twice Tuesday at Philadelphia, his former team.
Urias (4-2) allowed six hits, struck out six and walked none, throwing 62 of 97 pitches for strikes. He didn’t allow a runner past first base until the sixth inning despite giving up two hits in an inning three times. Urias picked off Jose Peraza at first and got Ivan De Jesus Jr. to ground into a double play.
Urias beat Philadelphia in his previous start on Aug. 8, then defeated Pittsburgh in relief five days later. Joe Blanton, Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen each followed with an inning of one-hit relief. ROYALS 2, TWINS 1 >> Danny Duffy won his 10th straight decision, Eric Hosmer doubled in the go-ahead run and Kansas City beat Minnesota for its eighth consecutive win.
The Royals swept a fourgame series from the Twins for the first time since 1999 and have their longest winning streak since an eightgame run Aug. 3-11, 2014.
Duffy (11-1), unbeaten since June 6, improved to 5-0 with a 1.18 ERA in August. He left after 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run and a seasonhigh eight hits while walking two and striking out four.
He outpitched Twins right-hander Ervin Santana (6-10), who allowed two runs and five hits while striking out 10 and walking one over seven innings.
Kelvin Herrera pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save. BRAVES 7, NATIONALS 6, 10
INNINGS >> Jace Peterson hit a tiebreaking homer in the 10th inning off Shawn Kelley to lift Atlanta past Washington in a game delayed 1 hour, 4 minutes in the bottom of the eighth.
Kelley (1-2) hung his head and walked toward the dugout as soon as Peterson made contact with his seventh homer. Kelley gave up one hit and one run in twothirds of an inning.
Joel Ramirez (1-0) faced four batters in the 10th to earn the win.
Four of Washington’s five errors led to runs for the Braves.
Matt Kemp homered for Atlanta, and Bryce Harper and Chris Heisey connected for Washington. MARLINS 3, PIRATES 2 >> Christian Yelich homered in the first inning, Miami added a pair of unearned runs and the Marlins rallied past Pittsburgh to complete a threegame sweep.
Jose Urena (2-4) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings to help the Marlins sweep a series for the sixth time this season.
Fernando Rodney completed the five-hitter, working around a two-out walk in the ninth. Rodney retired Francisco Cervelli on a game-ending groundout for his third save of the series and 24th this season.
Miami went 6-1 this year against the Pirates and moved ahead of Pittsburgh in the NL wild-card race. Wearing 1970s throwback uniforms and caps, the Pirates (62-59) dropped 1 ½ games back of Miami.
Ryan Vogelsong (2-3) gave up three runs and three hits in six innings. TIGERS 10, RED SOX 5 >> Justin Upton hit two three-run homers and struggling Detroit finished its homestand with victory over Boston and fill-in starter Henry Owen.
The Tigers won for just the fourth time in 14 games, and went 2-5 on their stay at Comerica Park. Boston has lost just two of its last 10.
Justin Verlander (13-7) allowed one run on three hits in six innings before being pulled with a nine-run lead. He’s 6-1 in his last 10 starts.
Owens (0-1) didn’t find out he was pitching until late Saturday night and didn’t arrive in Detroit from TripleA until the early morning hours. He gave up eight runs on six hits and five walks in five innings. Eduardo Rodriguez was scratched from the start late Saturday night. He was expected to return from a hamstring injury to pitch, but felt discomfort during the game. Owens was summoned from Pawtucket. INDIANS 3, BLUE JAYS 2 >> Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer off Brett Cecil in the eighth inning and Cleveland beat Toronto to win the series between teams that began the game as AL division leaders.
The Indians took two of three, with each game decided by one run.
Ahead 2-1, Toronto threatened to break open the game in the seventh. But Mike Clevinger (2-1) relieved Corey Kluber and struck out major league RBIs leader Edwin Encarnacion to leave the bases loaded.
Ramirez connected after Francisco Lindor’s twoout single, sending a drive onto the home run porch in left field. Cecil (1-7) replaced starter Marcus Stroman with one out in the eighth.
Cody Allen pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 27 chances. He struck out Ryan Goins and Devon Travis before walking Josh Donaldson and Encarnacion. Russell Martin lined out to right to end it.