PHILADELPHIA — Jimmy Rollins singled in the fifth to pass Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt to become the Phillies’ hits leader and Domonic Brown capped the inning with a three-run homer, leading Philadelphia to a 7-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
PHILADELPHIA — Jimmy Rollins singled in the fifth to pass Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt to become the Phillies’ hits leader and Domonic Brown capped the inning with a three-run homer, leading Philadelphia to a 7-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
Rollins got hit No. 2,235 off Edwin Jackson, sending a 3-1 pitch into right field to open the fifth. The game was then delayed for an on-field celebration.
Chase Utley also homered for Philadelphia, which has won four of five following a dismal 1-8 stretch.
David Buchanan (2-3), in his fifth start for injured lefty Cliff Lee (elbow), allowed three runs and six hits in five innings.
Schmidt, a Phillies TV analyst for Sunday games, retrieved Rollins’ bat and greeted the 2007 NL MVP with a high-five and hug at first base. The entire Phillies team then came out from the dugout to offer congratulatory hugs and handshakes.
After the Phillies went back to their dugout, Schmidt took Rollins’ hand and held it in the air. Fans cheered and gave the duo a standing ovation as fireworks erupted from the large video board in left field.
“I told him, ‘Congrats, it couldn’t happen to a better guy,” Schmidt said later in the game. “I’m glad I was here. My heart is pounding.”
Schmidt had doubts that any player would break his hits record in notoriously tough Philadelphia and in the era of free agency. But Rollins’ mentality on and off the field, Schmidt says, allowed him to do it.
“He’s very comfortable in his own skin,” Schmidt said. “He’s got a nice, short stride and stays relaxed (at the plate). He’s a great clutch hitter, tremendous.much better than me. One of the great compliments you can pay a hitter is (to) say I want him up when the game is on the line.”
Upon leaving the field, Schmidt was stopped in the dugout by the slumping Brown, who asked for a hitting lesson. Schmidt said he told Brown to drive through the ball with his left hand.
Minutes later, Brown broke the game open with a three-run homer to right, his fourth of the season after hitting 27 last year, that put Philadelphia ahead 7-3 and chased Jackson (4-7).
Rollins received strong ovations when he came to the plate his first two at-bats, but he grounded out to first base in the first inning and lined out sharply to first in the second. He finished 1 for 4.
ROCKIES 5, GIANTS 4
SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Barnes hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the ninth inning and the Colorado Rockies rallied for the second straight day to stun the San Francisco Giants 5-4.
Charlie Blackmon singled with two outs off Giants closer Sergio Romo (3-3) before Barnes lined a hit to center field. San Francisco’s Angel Pagan misplayed the ball and it skipped to the fence as Blackmon and Barnes raced around the bases.
Barnes, who had a walkoff triple to beat the Dodgers on June 7, had flown out to center in three consecutive at-bats before helping Colorado extend its winning streak to four games.
It’s the second consecutive blown save and fourth this season for Romo, who gave up five runs in the ninth inning of Friday’s 7-4 loss to Colorado.
INDIANS 3, RED SOX 2
BOSTON — Jason Kipnis had three hits and Cleveland rallied for two runs in the seventh inning to snap a four-game losing streak.
Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Brantley each had a pair of hits for the Indians, who had lost eight of their past nine games at Fenway Park. John Axford (2-3) earned the win with one scoreless inning in relief of T.J. House.
Cody Allen pitched the ninth for his seventh save.
Craig Breslow (2-2) took the loss, allowing two unearned runs and two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.
ROYALS 9, WHITE SOX 1
CHICAGO — Danny Duffy matched a career high with nine strikeouts and Kansas City extended its winning streak to six games.
Duffy (4-5) scattered five hits over seven-plus shutout innings for Kansas City.
Mike Moustakas homered among his three hits as the Royals won their second straight in this weekend series.
The Royals scored five times in the fourth — four with none out — to chase Chicago starter Hector Noesi (2-5).
TIGERS 12, TWINS 9
DETROIT — Rookie Eugenio Suarez hit a leadoff homer and a run-scoring double in a seven-run third inning to lead slumping Detroit to victory.
The Tigers led 11-1 after six innings, but their struggling bullpen had trouble finishing off the game.
Detroit came into the game having lost 17 of 24 after a fast start to the season, but it was helped by another strong pitching performance. Anibal Sanchez (3-2) was charged with three runs and four hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Sanchez was in complete control before he walked the leadoff hitter in the seventh and allowed a one-out RBI triple to Eduardo Nunez. Evan Reed then came in, and Nunez scored on a passed ball.
Samuel Deduno (2-5) lasted just 2 2-3 innings for Minnesota, which had won three in a row. The right-hander allowed seven runs and seven hits, struck out three and walked two.
ORIOLES 3, BLUE JAYS 2
BALTIMORE — Chris Davis homered to back Bud Norris’ effective pitching for Baltimore.
Davis hit a two-run shot off knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (6-5) to put Baltimore up 3-1 in the fifth inning. It was the 11th homer of the year for Davis, who led the majors last year with 53.
Norris (6-5) gave up one run and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings to win his third straight start. The right-hander extended an impressive run by Orioles starters, who have allowed two runs or fewer in 13 of the last 16 games.
After Toronto closed to 3-2 in the eighth, Zach Britton got three outs for his seventh save.
ASTROS 7, RAYS 3
HOUSTON — Matt Dominguez broke out of a slump with two hits that included a three-run double in Houston’s big third inning.
Dominguez was 1 for 12 in the first three games of this homestand before singling in the second inning. The Astros led by one when he cleared the bases with his double in a five-run third inning that made it 5-1.
Jarred Cosart (6-5) allowed nine hits and three runs in seven innings in his longest outing since May 5.
Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer (3-4) was done in by an error and a lack of control in his shortest start this season. He allowed three hits and six runs — one earned — with three walks in three innings.
PIRATES 8, MARLINS 6
MIAMI — Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer and Jody Mercer also went deep for Pittsburgh.
Josh Harrison and Chris Stewart had three hits apiece, and the Pirates finished with 18 overall in their sixth consecutive game in double digits. Touted rookie Gregory Polanco had two hits and two RBIs.
Marcell Ozuna and Jeff Baker each hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Miami. Randy Wolf (1-3) allowed five runs and nine hits in four innings.
The Pirates (34-34) have won four straight and five of six to get back to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8 following a victory over Milwaukee on April 17.
Pittsburgh right-hander Charlie Morton pitched seven effective innings for his third consecutive win. He allowed two runs and five hits to improve to 4-1 with a 2.40 ERA in his last five starts.
PADRES 5, METS 0
NEW YORK — Jesse Hahn earned his first big league victory, pitching one-hit ball for six innings and contributing an RBI single to help San Diego end a five-game losing streak.
Hahn and San Diego’s bullpen limited the Mets to two hits: Ruben Tejada’s infield hit leading off the first and Lucas Duda’s bloop single down the left field line in the ninth.
Hahn (1-1) worked six innings and relievers Dale Thayer, Joaquin Benoit and Huston Street each went an inning.
Called up from Double-A to make his second appearance in the majors, Hahn struck out seven and walked three. The 24-year-old righty escaped his biggest jam by fanning Matt den Dekker with the bases loaded to end the fourth.