MLB roundup: Kolten Wong slaps four singles, Cardinals beat Orioles
The Associated Press
| Monday, August 11, 2014, 11 a.m.
BALTIMORE — Rookie Kolten Wong had four hits and scored twice, Peter Bourjos homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
After allowing nine home runs in losing the first two games of the series by a collective 22-5 score, the Cardinals amassed a season-high 17 hits — 14 of them singles.
Bourjos capped the barrage with a three-run drive in the ninth off Zach Britton, ending the left-hander’s run of 27 straight scoreless appearances at home.
Wong’s four hits, all of them singles, matched a career high and lifted the Hilo native’s batting average 11 points to .253.
St. Louis right-hander Lance Lynn (12-8) gave up three runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings, only the second time in his last 12 starts that he allowed more than two runs.
Nick Markakis had four hits for the Orioles, who went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position. Caleb Joseph’s streak of consecutive games with a home run ended at five, one short of the club record.
BLUE JAYS 6, TIGERS 5
TORONTO — Jose Bautista’s single in the 19th inning drove home the winning run as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied from a five-run deficit to win the longest game in franchise history in beating the Detroit Tigers.
Munenori Kawasaki singled off starter Rick Porcello (13-7) to begin the 19th and advanced to third when second baseman Ian Kinsler couldn’t field an errant throw from Porcello on Jose Reyes’ sacrifice bunt. Melky Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases for Bautista, who ended it with a single to right over the drawn-in outfield, sending his teammates streaming out of the dugout in celebration.
At 6 hours, 37 minutes, it was the longest game by time in Blue Jays history, easily surpassing a 5:57 game against the Yankees on April 19, 2001.
DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE — Clayton Kershaw won his 14th game to tie for the National League lead, and the Dodgers beat the Brewers to avoid a three-game sweep in a matchup of divisional leaders.
Kershaw (14-2) allowed a run and six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in eight innings.
Nevertheless, the left-handed ace lowered his league-leading ERA to 1.78. Adrian Gonzalez drove in two runs, and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth off Jimmy Nelson (2-3).
RED SOX 3, ANGELS 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, Rubby De La Rosa pitched five-hit ball into the eighth and the Red Sox bounced back from a 19-inning loss with a victory over the Angels.
The teams returned just 12 hours after the longest game in the majors this season, a 6 1/2-hour epic won 5-4 by the Angels on Albert Pujols’ homer well after midnight.
Mike Trout homered in the eighth for the Angels (68-49), who still have the majors’ second-best record despite losing five of six.
MARINERS 4, WHITE SOX 2
SEATTLE — Austin Jackson matched a career-high with four RBIs to lead the Mariners to a victory over the White Sox.
Logan Morrison began a two-out rally for the Mariners in the second inning off Chicago’s John Danks (9-8) with a hard line drive single off the wall in right field. Infield singles by Chris Taylor and Jesus Sucre loaded the bases for Jackson.
A career .400 hitter against Danks, Jackson doubled down the left field line to give the Mariners a 3-0 lead. He finished 3 for 4.
PHILLIES 7, METS 6
PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Howard had a game-ending single with two outs in the ninth inning after pinch-hitter Marlon Byrd had a tying hit and the Phillies pulled out a victory over the Mets.
Chase Utley singled, tripled, homered and drove in three runs for the Phillies, who snapped a five-game skid against the Mets.
Lucas Duda and Travis d’Arnaud homered for New York.
REDS 7, MARLINS 2
CINCINNATI — Devin Mesoraco hit his third grand slam of the season and drove in six runs, and the Reds salvaged the finale of a three-game series against the Marlins.
Brad Hand walked Todd Frazier with the bases loaded in the fifth to break a 2-all tie. Mesoraco followed with his second homer of the game and 20th of the season.
The fifth-inning outburst gave Johnny Cueto (14-6) some breathing room. In eight innings, he allowed five hits — two homers — with two walks and nine strikeouts.
Hand (2-4) allowed five hits and seven runs with three walks — all of them in the fifth — and two strikeouts.
INDIANS 4, YANKEES 1
NEW YORK — Carlos Carrasco rejoined the Cleveland rotation in fine fashion by pitching five dominant innings and the Indians nearly tossed another shutout at Yankee Stadium, beating New York.
Jacoby Ellsbury homered with two outs in the ninth off Indians closer Cody Allen, ending New York’s season-worst scoreless streak at 19 innings.
Jason Kipnis got three hits and scored three runs as the Indians finished 4-3 against New York — only twice in the last 22 years has Cleveland taken the season matchup.
TWINS 6, ATHLETICS 1
OAKLAND, Calif. — Maui native Kurt Suzuki hit a tiebreaking double and Josh Willingham added two-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Twins snapped a 12-game losing streak to Oakland by beating the Athletics.
Brian Dozier connected for his 20th homer in the first before Suzuki and Willingham each had a big hit against Luke Gregerson (2-2) in the eighth.
CUBS 3, RAYS 2, 12 INNINGS
CHICAGO — Anthony Rizzo hit a game-ending RBI single in the 12th inning, and the Cubs beat the Rays to avoid a three-game sweep.
The last-place Cubs struck out 17 times, running their total to 44 for the weekend series, but Rizzo and touted rookie Javier Baez had two hits apiece to key a 13-hit attack. Carlos Villanueva (5-6) pitched a scoreless inning to earn the victory.
ROYALS 7, GIANTS 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez each homered and Danny Duffy pitched into the seventh inning as the Royals beat the Giants to extend their winning streak to seven games.
Gordon hit a two-run shot off Tim Lincecum (9-8) in a four-run first. The inning also included Billy Butler’s run-producing double and Perez scoring on a wild pitch.
Duffy (7-10) limited the Giants to three hits, over 6 2-3 innings but permitted four runs.
ROCKIES 5, DIAMONDBACKS 3, 10 INNINGS
PHOENIX — Corey Dickerson hit a tiebreaking homer with two outs in the top of the 10th inning, and the Rockies avoided a seventh straight loss to the Diamondbacks.
Dickerson, hitless in four previous at-bats, sent an 0-1 pitch from Oliver Perez (2-2) into the pool deck in right field for his 14th home run of the season.
The Rockies snapped a three-game skid overall and won for just the second time in 10 games.
PADRES 8, PIRATES 2
PITTSBURGH — Tyson Ross recovered from a two-run first to pitch six strong innings and Seth Smith hit a bases-loaded triple, leading the Padres to a victory over the Pirates.
Ross (11-10) allowed Gregory Polanco’s two-run shot in the first then shut down the Pirates. He yielded six hits and walked two.
Charlie Morton retired the first 10 batters he faced before Yangervis Solarte walked with one out in the fourth and scored Yonder Alonso’s single.
RANGERS 6, ASTROS 2
HOUSTON — Nick Martinez got his first win since May 24 and Adrian Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo both homered to lead the Rangers to a victory over the Astros, snapping a seven-game skid against their in-state rivals.
Martinez (2-8), who was pitching on five extra days’ rest, allowed five hits and two runs over five innings to end a seven-game losing streak.
BRAVES 3, NATIONALS 1
ATLANTA — Alex Wood set a career high with 12 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings as Atlanta continued its recent success against Washington.
By winning two of three in the weekend series, Atlanta cut Washington’s lead to 3½ games in the NL East. The Braves are 9-4 against the Nationals this season and 22-10 over the last two years.
Justin Upton homered for the Braves, who had lost nine of their last 10.
Ian Desmond’s fourth-inning homer was the only run allowed by Wood.