His face immediately swelled up, seam marks were visible where he was struck and he had a purple shiner by the middle innings.
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It was the fourth straight win for the Nationals, who came in with a seven-game lead over Miami in the NL East.
In the key American League clash, Texas edged state and division rival Houston thanks to contributions from their two recent big-name signings.
Nationals relievers Blake Treinen and Oliver Perez gave up a pair of insurance runs late, and Jonathan Papelbon (making his first appearance in five days) served up a towering homer to Brandon Belt in the top of the ninth on a 94 miles per hour fastball.
Strasburg was trying to become the first pitcher in the majors with 16 wins this season.
Strasburg was roughed up during his shortest start of the season (4 2/3 innings) and suffered only his second loss in 21 outings.
The Dodgers kept the heat on the Giants by defeating Boston 3-0. Turner then walked with one out in the third inning.
OUR PICK: The under has cashed in 13 of the last 16 meetings between these two teams and is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Washington. He finished 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. Martinez charged the ball, and his one-hop throw home was in time to get Bruce.
Rodriguez connected off Ross Ohlendorf (5-7), a 413-foot drive to the left-field bleachers that gave the Pirates just their second win in seven games in the midst of 12 straight games against teams who are at least 10 games under.500. “We have to find a way to get this offense going”, Bochy said Friday. Samardzija is 0-3 with a 6.85 ERA in his last four starts. “Yeah, I retired nine of the first 10, but I didn’t really feel like I was executing and it just kind of caught up to me”. Beltran left after the inning with a left quad contusion.
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Eddie Rosario had a pinch-hit two-run homer and Miguel Sano added three hits for Minnesota.
Kluber struck out eight in eight innings, beating C.C. Sabathia in a matchup of pitchers who won the AL Cy Young Award with Cleveland. After getting a warm welcome from Yankees fans upon his return, he gave up a leadoff single in the ninth before two strikeouts. They have lost four straight.
The Cubs crosstown rivals, the White Sox, also won, defeating Baltimore 4-2 in a game that turned on a replay challenge. One of their best opportunities came in the fourth when Espinosa’s 18th hit-by-pitch of the season loaded the bases with one out. Base-runner J.B. Shuck was awarded home and Navarez got a single.
Jayson Werth gave the Nationals their first hit with one out a half inning later. He held Toronto to two runs over 6 2-3 innings. He gave up eight hits, a lot of them bunched together in the fourth and fifth innings.
Nez missed hitting for the cycle by the length of a Louisville Slugger, but his night included another special accomplishment: He joined Will Clark as the only Giants players in the club’s San Francisco-era to hit two triples and a double in the same game.
Seattle’s Shawn O’Malley capped a comeback with a three-run home run in the seventh inning as the Mariners defeated the Los Angeles Angels 8-6.
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PITTSBURGH (AP) – Sean Rodriguez homered leading off the ninth inning to lift Pittsburgh past Cincinnati. They’re also 7-19 in Cain’s last 26 starts when their opponent allows two runs or less in their previous game and are 5-14 in his last 19 outings after allowing five runs or more in their previous game.
