Pirates 4, Cardinals 2 – Jung Ho Kang hit a pair of solo homers in the sixth and eighth innings – his first two of the season – to propel visiting Pittsburgh to the victory. Perhaps just as important though: they have experience and versatility, which are two big attributes provided by 34-year-old Ben Zobrist.
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The Padres remain the only team in the major leagues without a no-hitter, failing to achieve the milestone in 7,519 games since 1969. The Nationals fell to 19-10 and 5-3 on this trip. Rookie Socrates Brito and middle infielder Chris Owings did not have success in center field, so manager Chip Hale shifted David Peralta from right field to center, opening some playing time for Drury.
Fernando Rodney got the final two outs for seventh save.
Anthony Ranaudo (1-0) got the win. The Nationals have a 3-7 record when opponents outhit them.
The teams combined to strand 21 runners and draw 16 walks.
Pedroia had three hits, starting with a solo homer in the first. 281 with two home runs in 24 games. Giancarlo Stanton went 2 for 3 with a double and scored a run. Tommy La Stella and Anthony Rizzo also homered for the Cubs, who drove Scherzer’s season home run total to nine in seven starts – a third of what he allowed all of last season. Hector Rondon pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save in as many chances. Lackey contributed to that growing number by tossing seven solid innings of two-run, 11-strikout ball (including the 2,000th K of his career), but early on he wasn’t hitting his spots. Following Sunday’s series finale, the Nationals return home to open a three-game series on Monday against Detroit….
Garcia (2-2) gave up two hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out five.
Moss launched a drive estimated at 462 feet to right field in the first off Jerad Eickhoff (1-4).
A day after getting shut out by the Yankees, the Orioles managed only five hits in eight innings against Masahiro Tanaka. He noted that it all worked out in the end, with Daniel Murphy off to a good start for Washington and Neil Walker in a similar groove for NY.
Hyun Soo Kim began the Baltimore 10th with an infield hit off Johnny Barbato (1-2).
Zack Cozart returned to the lineup and hit a two-run home run – one of four homers hit by Cincinnati – and Dan Straily earned his first victory as a Red in a victory over San Francisco in the finale of a three-game series.
BLUE JAYS 12, RANGERS 2: Edwin Encarnacion homered, doubled twice and drove in six runs, powering Toronto past Texas.
When manager Dusty Baker’s challenge failed, Rizzo became the quickest Cub to 10 home runs since Alfonso Soriano in 2011.
Brantley came into the game batting.167.
Chicago quickly replied as Tim Federowicz singled to left with one out, was sacrificed to second and came home as Fowler lined a triple to left-center – his second of the season – to even the score.
Murphy led off the second with a double, his 11th in 28 games, and scored on a two-out single by Scherzer.
Pitching for the Nationals on Saturday is left-hander Gio Gonzalez. Seven of the nine did both.
Matt Cain (0-4) lost his first four decisions in a season for the first time in his career. Gonzalez is 3-2 with a 2.47 ERA in seven starts against the Cubs. Zobrist, the second home run he hit was a changeup that got up.
The bullpen couldn’t close it out smoothly.
Heyward, who signed a $184 million, eight-year contract with Chicago during free agency, went 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
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Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer, and Derek Dietrich and Chris Johnson had two-out RBI hits. “It just seems like a lot of these pitches, they’ve been over the plate”.
