Quick Hitters
Strasburg K’s career-high 15, Nats down Padres 3-0
WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg dominated San Diego with a career-high 15 strikeouts while allowing three hits over seven innings as the Washington Nationals beat the Padres 3-0 on Saturday.
Strasburg (6-1) singled and scored Washington’s first run on Bryce Harper’s RBI grounder in the third inning. Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run homer for the second consecutive game.
San Diego’s lineup offered little resistance against Strasburg the day after Max Scherzer dominated the Padres with 13 strikeouts in Washington’s 5-1 win.
Strasburg struck out the side in the third and sixth and had at least two in the first six innings.
The right-hander previously struck out 14 batters twice including his Major League debut on June 8, 2010. He set a personal best by setting down Franchy Cordero in the seventh.
Utley, McCarthy lead Dodgers over Cubs 5-0 for 8th win in 10
LOS ANGELES — Chase Utley drove in three runs with a pair of two-out singles, and Brandon McCarthy and Ross Stripling combined on a three-hitter that led the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Chicago Cubs 5-0 Saturday for their eighth win in 10 games.
Chicago has been shut out in three consecutive road games and held scoreless in four of its last six games away from Wrigley Field, scoring five runs in that span. The Cubs have not scored in 29 consecutive road innings, including a 3-0 defeat to St. Louis on May 14, and a 4-0 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night.
McCarthy (5-1) allowed two-out singles to Ian Happ in the fourth and Addison Russell in the fifth. He struck out six and walked one, winning his second straight start and lowering his ERA to 3.28.
Arsenal beats Chelsea to win 3rd FA Cup in 4 seasons
LONDON — Arsene Wenger’s turbulent year ended with a third FA Cup success in four seasons after Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 to deny the English Premier League champion a double on Saturday.
Aaron Ramsey was the matchwinner, just like in the 2014 final, restoring Arsenal’s lead in the 79th minute shortly after Diego Costa leveled for 10-man Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
Just as the season reached its climax, Arsenal turned in the type of tenacious display lacking so often, and against a side so commanding in the Premier League in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge. And it might just be enough to stem the tide of protests against Wenger, as the record 13-time FA Cup winners are yet to announce a new contract for the 67-year-old Frenchman for next season.
“There’s a board meeting on Tuesday,” Wenger said on the pitch before collecting the trophy. “Wednesday or Thursday will be clearer.”
Wenger became the competition’s most successful manager with a seventh title in his 21-year reign, triumphs that have papered over some of the cracks as Arsenal has repeatedly come up short in the Premier League and Champions League.
“I’m happy for the manager,” Ramsey said. “Hopefully he will be here next season.”