MLB: Kazmir pitches well in Astros debut, beating Royals 4-0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Scott Kazmir pitched seven strong innings in his Houston debut, leading the Astros to a 4-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

The 31-year-old left-hander limited the Royals to three singles and only runner — Mike Moustakas in the fourth — past first base. Kazmir (6-5), who lowered his ERA to 2.24, retired the final nine batters he faced.

Kazmir, acquired by the Astros from Oakland on Thursday for two minor leaguers, hasn’t lost a July start since July 10, 2010, going 7-0 in his past 14 starts.

Preston Tucker had three of the Astros’ hits, including his fourth home run in five games. Tucker hit a base-loaded homer in the second.

Colby Rasmus singled home Carlos Correa with the other run in the third.

Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie (7-6) gave up four runs on 11 hits, matching his season high, and two walks in seven innings.

CARDINALS 4, BRAVES 2

ST. LOUIS — Randal Grichuk homered and rookie Tim Cooney threw seven solid innings to earn his first major league win, leading St. Louis to a victory over Atlanta.

St. Louis improved to 6-1 since the All-Star break and pushed its home record to an MLB-best 35-12. Meanwhile, the Braves have lost their last six road games.

Grichuk hit a two-run homer in the second inning for the second night in row. His 11th of the season came off rookie Manny Banuelos (1-2), who gave up six hits and four earned runs in five-plus innings.

Cooney (1-0) gave up five hits and two earned runs in an efficient 74-pitch stint. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Kevin Siegrist retired the Braves in the ninth for his fifth save. He struck out Jonny Gomes with two on to end the game.

RANGERS 4, ANGELS 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Josh Hamilton doubled, singled and scored two runs in his return to Angel Stadium, and Texas got 7-plus outstanding innings of four-hit ball from Colby Lewis in a victory over Los Angeles.

Hamilton was booed whenever he stepped to the plate or touched the ball at the stadium where he played the previous two seasons after signing a five-year, $125 million free-agent deal with the Angels. The former AL MVP was traded back to Texas three months ago following two dismal years in Orange County.

Hamilton’s double off the right-field wall started the Rangers’ three-run rally in the fourth.

Mike Trout hit his 29th home run, pulling even with Albert Pujols atop the AL homers race.

Lewis (10-4) shook off his dismal career history against the Angels to dominate their surging lineup, striking out nine while yielding only three infield singles and Trout’s solo homer in the fourth.

Tropeano (1-1) pitched seven-hit ball into the seventh inning of his second start for the Angels.

Shawn Tolleson pitched the ninth for his 16th save.

GIANTS 9, ATHLETICS 3

SAN FRANCISCO — Hunter Pence had four hits and drove in two runs, Brandon Belt had three RBIs and San Francisco won its third straight, beating Oakland.

Jake Peavy (2-4) pitched six strong innings to earn his second straight victory. Buster Posey extended his hitting streak to 10 games with three hits and drove in a run, and Joe Panik and Angel Pagan each also drove in runs for the Giants, who won their ninth in 10 games.

Ben Zobrist hit a home run for the A’s, who lost their third in four games. Eric Sogard and Billy Burns, who left the game early with an injury, also drove in runs.

Peavy allowed three runs on five hits in just his sixth start of the year. Jesse Chavez (5-10) went a season-low three innings, giving up four runs and eight hits.

DODGERS 7, METS 2

NEW YORK — Justin Turner homered and drove in three runs against his former club, emergency starter Ian Thomas hurled five effective innings, and Los Angeles beat New York.

The Dodgers spoiled the major league debut of outfielder Michael Conforto, the Mets’ first-round draft pick last year who was promoted from Double-A Binghamton earlier in the day. Conforto drove in the Mets’ first run with an RBI groundout in the fifth inning.

Thomas (1-1) allowed one run and three hits over five innings in his first major league start. The rookie left-hander pitched in place of All-Star Zack Greinke— who left the team Thursday morning for the birth of his first child.

The Dodgers scored early and often off Mets starter Jonathan Niese (5-9), who allowed six runs and eight hits — including home runs by Turner and Yasiel Puig — in three innings.

PIRATES 7, NATIONALS 5

PITTSBURGH — Gregory Polanco homered and drove in three runs as Pittsburgh exacted some measure revenge against Max Scherzer and Washington.

Just over a month after Scherzer no-hit the Pirates, Pittsburgh touched Washington’s ace for five runs in five innings before putting it away against reliever Sammy Solis (1-1). Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez also homered off Scherzer, the most home runs Scherzer has given up in a game in nearly four years.

Vance Worley (4-5) picked up the win in relief. Mark Melancon worked around two hits in the ninth for his major-league leading 31st save.

Tyler Moore drove in two for the Nationals and Ian Desmond homered for the second straight night, but Washington couldn’t rally on a rare off night by Scherzer.

TWINS 10, YANKEES 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Phil Hughes pitched seven shutout innings against his former team and Miguel Sano hit one of Minnesota’s four home runs in a victory over New York.

Hughes (9-6) gave up seven hits, struck out three and wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. Trevor Plouffe went 3 for 4 with a homer and a double and Torii Hunter and Brian Dozier also went deep for the Twins.

Michael Pineda (9-7) gave up five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Yankees, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Mark Teixeira had three hits for New York (53-42), which fell to 23-25 on the road.

MARINERS 5, BLUE JAYS 2

SEATTLE — Felix Hernandez pitched seven strong innings to pick up his 12th win of the season, Mark Trumbo gave Seattle the lead with a two-run homer and the Mariners beat Toronto.

Seattle opened a key six-game homestand by getting production throughout its batting order and another solid performance from its staff ace.

Trumbo’s opposite-field shot in the fourth off Toronto starter Marco Estrada (7-6) was his third homer since joining Seattle and gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead. Robinson Cano continued his hot month with a two-run triple in the fifth and later scored on a wild pitch with two outs to make it 5-1.

Jose Bautista hit a solo homer in the sixth inning for Toronto, and the Blue Jays threatened in the seventh with runners on the corners and two outs, but Hernandez (12-5) struck out Jose Reyes on three pitches.

PADRES 3, MARLINS 1

SAN DIEGO — Matt Kemp, Yonder Alonso and Brett Wallace all homered to back seven strong innings from Andrew Cashner and lead San Diego to a victory over Miami.

Wallace hit his first homer with San Diego leading off the fourth to tie the game at 1-all. Alonso and Kemp hit back-to-back homers in the fifth to make it 3-1.

Cashner (4-10) allowed a first-inning RBI double by Justin Bour, then clamped down on the Marlins as he ended their season-best three-game road win streak.

Joaquin Benoit pitched the eighth and Craig Kimbrel got the final three outs, including retiring Ichiro Suzuki on a grounder for the final out with runners on first and second. It was Kimbrel’s 27th save in 28 chances.

RED SOX 2, TIGERS 1, 11 INNINGS

BOSTON — Xander Bogaerts’ single up the middle off Blaine Hardy in the 11th inning drove home the winning run, and Boston snapped an eight-game losing streak with a victory over Detroit.

Hardy (3-2) gave up a leadoff walk to Mookie Betts, who moved to second on Brock Holt’s sacrifice bunt. Bogaerts then sent a changeup into center field and Betts beat the throw home in a play that withstood a video review as the Red Sox celebrated their first victory in nearly two weeks.

Justin Masterson (4-2) worked around Ian Kinsler’s third hit and a walk in the 11th to earn the victory on a night Justin Verlander and former Detroit teammate Rick Porcello dueled to a draw.

ROCKIES 6, REDS 5

DENVER — Carlos Gonzalez homered twice, tying the game each time, and Charlie Blackmon scored on a wild pitch in the ninth inning to lift Colorado past Cincinnati.

Joey Votto homered in the top of the ninth off closer John Axford (3-3) to tie the game at 5.

In the bottom of the inning, Blackmon laid down a one-out bunt single. He initially was called out trying to steal second. But a replay review showed second baseman Brandon Phillips didn’t quite get the tag down before Blackmon slid into the bag.

Blackmon moved to third on D.J. LeMahieu’s groundout, and with Troy Tulowitzki at the plate, reliever Ryan Mattheus (1-2) bounced a wild pitch that catcher Tucker Barnhart couldn’t corral. Blackmon bolted home.

BREWERS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1

PHOENIX — Ryan Braun homered, Jimmy Nelson threw seven innings in one of his best starts of the season to win a pitching duel with Patrick Corbin, and Milwaukee beat Arizona.

Nelson (8-9) allowed five hits and escaped a couple of early jams to improve his record to 5-1 over his last six starts. He struck out five and walked three, one intentionally.

Corbin (1-3) went seven innings in his fifth and longest outing since his return in early June from Tommy John surgery. The left-hander allowed one run, matched his career high with 10 strikeouts, walked one and hit a batter. He blanked the Brewers on three hits before Braun homered on the first pitch of the sixth inning.

Milwaukee’s second run scored on Brad Ziegler’s two-out wild pitch in the ninth.

RAYS 3, ORIOLES 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tim Beckham snapped an eighth-inning tie with a two-out, bases-loaded single that gave Tampa Bay a victory over Baltimore.

The sputtering Rays rallied after being limited to two hits over seven innings by Orioles starter Chris Tillman, who came within six outs of winning his sixth straight decision before walking Kevin Kiermaier leading off the eighth.

Kiermaier stole second and raced home on John Jaso’s two-out single off reliever Darren O’Day (5-1) to make it 1-1. Evan Longoria followed with a bloop single and James Loney was walked intentionally before Beckham singled up the middle.

Alex Colome (4-4) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Jake McGee worked the ninth for his fifth save.

The Orioles lost for the first time this season when leading after seven innings.

PHILLIES 5, CUBS 3, 10 INNINGS

CHICAGO — Jeff Francoeur hit a two-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and Philadelphia beat the Chicago Cubs.

Francoeur drove his game-winner deep into the bleachers in left field off Cubs reliever Rafael Soriano, who came in for James Russell (0-2), who gave up a leadoff single to Cesar Hernandez in the 10th.

Jonathan Papelbon pitched the 10th for Philadelphia and earned his 17th save in as many opportunities after Ken Giles (5-2) worked the ninth inning.

The Phillies, who won for the sixth time in seven games since the All-Star break, tied the game in the ninth when Cody Asche delivered his second RBI double of the game off closer Jason Motte.

Motte, who blew his first save in seven chances, stranded the go-ahead run at second by getting pinch-hitters Odubel Herrera and Carlos Ruiz to fly out.

WHITE SOX 6, INDIANS 0

CLEVELAND — Jose Quintana pitched a seven-hitter for his first career shutout and complete game and Jose Abreu homered off Corey Kluber, sending Chicago to a victory over Cleveland.

Quintana (5-9) got his first win since July 1, and the left-hander did it with customary control and efficiency. He did not allow a walk and hasn’t yielded a base on balls in five of his past six starts. The Indians only got two runners as far as second base against Quintana, who was making his 107th major league start. He struck out eight and improved to 5-4 in night starts.

Abreu homered in the sixth off Kluber (5-11) and Melky Cabrera, batting .474 in his career against the defending Cy Young Award winner, hit a two-run double in the eighth to make it 4-0.