Wacha takes no-hit bid into 9th, Cardinals beat Pirates 5-0
ST. LOUIS (AP) Michael Wacha lost a no-hit bid in the ninth inning when pinch-hitter Colin Moran led off with a single, leaving to a huge ovation and pitching the St. Louis Cardinals past the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0 Sunday.
This was the second time Wacha had a no-hit try broken up in the ninth. As a rookie in 2013, he was one out away from a no-hitter when Washington's Ryan Zimmerman got an infield single.
Wacha (7-1) came close to pitching the fourth no-hitter in the major leagues this season. He struck out eight and walked two.
Moran fouled off the first three pitches before the Pirates rookie lined a clean single well over the head of second baseman Kolten Wong into right field.
That was all for Wacha, and the 26-year-old righty was pulled after 111 pitches.
Marcell Ozuna hit a grand slam on the eighth pitch of the game from Nick Kingham (2-2).
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Dereck Rodriguez earned his first big league win, giving up a home run to Jake Arrieta but outpitching the Phillies ace to lead San Francisco to a three-game sweep.
Rodriguez (1-0), the 25-year-old son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez, had pitched just once before in the majors, going 3 1/3 innings in relief last Tuesday at Colorado.
Making his first start, Rodriguez gave up one run - on Arrieta's sixth career homer - and five hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out six.
Arrieta (5-3) allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings. The 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner had given up just three earned runs over his last 35 innings when they Giants broke through in the sixth to score five times, highlighted by Andrew McCutchen's homer.
HOUSTON (AP) - Rick Porcello pitched well into the seventh, Mitch Moreland and Andrew Benintendi each homered and Boston beat Houston.
Boston slugger J.D. Martinez left in the ninth inning with back spasms. Cameras showed him talking to a team trainer in the dugout and pointing to his lower back after being pinch hit for by Sam Travis. Boston manager Alex Cora said Martinez was OK, and he pulled him mostly because he believed the game was in-hand.
Porcello (8-2) allowed three runs - two earned - on five hits with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Porcello has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his 13 starts this season.
Brock Holt knocked a two-run triple to center in the sixth, and Blake Swihart followed with an RBI single to chase Houston starter Charlie Morton (7-1).
ATLANTA (AP) - Pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson hit a game-ending, two-run homer to lift Atlanta over Washington.
It was the second time this week that Culberson homered to win a game - of his eight career home runs, four have ended a game.
Tanner Roark (2-6) pitched the ninth in his first relief appearance this season, giving up Dansby Swanson's double and Culberson's second long ball.
Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino (2-2) allowed his first two batters to reach in the ninth, but Mark Reynolds lined out and Vizcaino struck out Brian Goodwin and Michael Taylor.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Eddie Rosario hit his third homer of the game, launching a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Minnesota.
Rosario became the first Twins player to have a pair of three-homer games. He also hit three home runs last June 13 at home against the Mariners. Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva are among the Twins who did it once.
Minnesota beat AL Central-leading Cleveland for the third straight day.
Cleveland closer Cody Allen (2-2) walked Brian Dozier to lead off the ninth and Rosario homered.
Edwin Encarnacion hit two long home runs for Cleveland, and Michael Brantley's solo shot off Addison Reed in the eighth tied it at 5. Fernando Rodney (2-2) pitched a scoreless ninth.
CUBS 2, METS 0
NEW YORK (AP) - Jon Lester dominated for seven innings and Javier Baez stole home to break a scoreless tie as the Chicago Cubs blanked the Mets, completing a four-game sweep and winning for the seventh time in eight games.
New York has lost four in a row and nine of 11, scoring six runs in this series.
Baez and Willson Contreras led off the seventh with back-to-back singles, putting runners at the corners. Steven Matz (2-4) was unaware that Baez was breaking for the plate, stepping off and throwing to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez in an attempt to pick off Contreras. Gonzalez threw home but it was too late to get Baez.
Lester (6-2) allowed two hits. Brian Duensing got his first save.
DENVER (AP) - Max Muncy homered twice, Yasmani Grandal also went deep in a three-run ninth inning, and Los Angeles beat Colorado.
The Dodgers rallied from five down to sweep the three-game series at Coors Field.
Tony Cingrani (1-2) got the win with an inning of relief and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 14th save. Wade Davis (0-1) took the loss.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, MARLINS 1
PHOENIX (AP) - Matt Koch allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings and Arizona completed a three-game sweep, sending Miami to its season-worst sixth straight loss.
David Peralta homered for the third consecutive game. The Diamondbacks outscored the Marlins 21-4 in the series.
After losing 15 of its 17 previous games, Arizona completed a 5-1 homestand to move back into first place in the NL West.
Koch (4-3), brought up from Triple-A Reno early in the season when Taijuan Walker underwent Tommy John surgery, struck out six with no walks.
Dan Straily (2-2) allowed a run on just two hits, but walked five in 4 1-3 innings.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Tyler Skaggs pitched six scoreless innings of four-hit ball and Justin Upton homered for Los Angeles.
Luis Valbuena had an early two-run double as the Angels managed only four hits, but took two of three from their AL West rivals in the weekend series with three consecutive strong starts from their rotation.
Skaggs (4-4) ended his six-start winless skid despite laboring for long stretches of his six innings. Justin Anderson got his second save.
Nomar Mazara homered in the eighth inning and Shin-Soo Choo had two doubles for Texas. Doug Fister (1-6) gave up three runs in six innings.
SEATTLE (AP) - Felix Hernandez was in vintage form, allowing one run in eight innings, and RBI singles from Denard Span and Dee Gordon lifted Seattle.
The Mariners completed a three-game sweep despite a great start from Tampa Bay lefty Blake Snell, who struck out 12 - including the first seven batters he faced to tie an American League record - in six scoreless innings.
Hernandez (6-4) pitched into the eighth for the first time this season. He gave up five hits. Edwin Diaz pitched the ninth for his major league-leading 21st save.
Jose Alvarado (0-2) took the loss.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning for Oakland.
Olson went 5 for 11 with three home runs, eight RBIs and scored five times in the three-game series.
The A's are 9-2 in their past 11 road games. The Royals have lost 21 of 31 home games.
Rookie Lou Trivino (3-0) pitched two hitless innings. He has a 0.82 ERA, allowing two runs and 15 hits over 22 innings, while striking out 23.
Jakob Junis (5-5) struck out a career-high nine in 7 1/3 innings.
DETROIT (AP) - Justin Smoak's sixth-inning homer broke a scoreless tie and Toronto ended its five-game losing streak.
Aaron Sanchez (3-5) pitched six innings and ended a five-start winless streak, giving up one run and two hits.
Michael Fulmer (2-5) allowed four runs on five hits and three walks in six-plus innings.
CHICAGO (AP) - Daniel Palka and Adam Engel hit back-to-back homers in a three-run sixth inning, and Chicago beat Milwaukee.
The NL Central-leading Brewers dropped two of three against the team with the second-worst record in the majors. They are also 4-14 in their past 18 games against Chicago.
Chris Volstad (1-3) got the win. Brent Suter (5-4) took the loss.
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Hunter Renfroe's pinch-hit, go-ahead grand slam in the in the fifth inning lifted Tyson Ross and the Padres to a victory against the Reds.
The Padres took two of three in the matchup of last-place teams. This series victory came after the Padres took three of four from the NL's other last-place team, the Miami Marlins.
Batting for Ross, Renfroe drove a 1-2 pitch from Luis Castillo (4-6) off the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner to give the Padres a 4-2 lead
Ross (5-3) gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings, struck out three and walked two.
