ST. LOUIS — Matt Adams homered in a four-run first inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 Saturday to send All-Star Zack Greinke to losses in consecutive regular-season starts for the first time in nearly
ST. LOUIS — Matt Adams homered in a four-run first inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 Saturday to send All-Star Zack Greinke to losses in consecutive regular-season starts for the first time in nearly four years.
Joe Kelly (2-1) gave up four hits, struck out four and walked one in his second outing since a three-month stint on the disabled list caused by a strained left hamstring. He retired his last 13 batters as the Cardinals won for the eighth time in 10 games.
Kelly didn’t get a decision on July 11, when he gave up six runs over three innings during the Cardinal’s 7-6 win at Milwaukee.
Trevor Rosenthal, the Cardinals’ third reliever, got his 30th save in 34 chances when Andre Either grounded into a game-ending double play.
Coming off a July 9 defeat at Detroit, Greinke (11-6) walked a season-high five and gave up four runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings. He had not lost back-to-back starts in the regular season since Sept. 20 and 25, 2010, for Kansas City at Detroit and Cleveland, according to STATS.
Greinke did lose his regular-season finale against Colorado last year and was beaten by Atlanta in his first postseason start.
St. Louis is 21-10 at home against the Dodgers in the regular season since the start of the 2006. The Cardinals also beat Los Angeles in six games in last year’s NL championship series.
Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday left the game in the fifth, four innings after he was shaken up while diving back into second base on a pickoff attempt. Dodgers All-Star outfielder Yasiel Puig left in the eighth, five innings after he was hit on the left hand by a Kelly pitch.
Matt Carpenter opened the Cardinals’ first with a walk, and Kolten Wong reached on a slow roller when second baseman Dee Gordon threw wide of first, a play ruled a hit and an error that put runners on second and third,
Holliday followed with a two-run single and Adams hit his 12th homer on Greinke’s 16th pitch of the game.
Los Angeles, which has lost five of eight, scored on Hanley Ramirez’s RBI infield single in the third and Carl Crawford’s sacrifice fly against Sam Freeman in the eighth.
PIRATES 3
ROCKIES 2, 11 innings.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jordy Mercer doubled home Neil Walker with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift Pittsburgh over Colorado.
Walker led off the inning with a single against Chad Bettis (0-2), moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored one batter later when Mercer hit a drive deep into the gap in left-center.
Jared Hughes (5-2) earned the win after escaping a two-on, one-out jam in the 11th by snagging a line drive from Charlie Blackmon and turning it into a double play.
Walker went 3 for 5 with two runs scored.
Carlos Gonzalez hit a two-run homer for the Rockies, who lost All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in the fourth inning to a left thigh cramp.
NATIONALS 8
BREWERS 3
WASHINGTON — Matt Garza was knocked out in the first inning of his shortest major league start, and Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos drove in three runs apiece to lead Washington past Milwaukee.
Garza (6-7) faced eight batters and got just one out, allowing four singles, a double and two walks in the shortest of his 211 big league starts dating to 2006.
Garza had been 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA in his previous eight outings, but his ERA rose from 3.69 to 4.04. He dropped to 0-3 with a 7.33 ERA in six career starts against the Nationals.
Tanner Roark (9-6) gave up one run and six hits in seven innings with five strikeouts. In his first full season as a starter, he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 13 of 19 outings.
Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Brewers, tied with St. Louis atop the NL Central.
PHILLIES 2, BRAVES 1
ATLANTA — Cole Hamels held the Braves to four hits through seven innings, Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer, and Philadelphia edged Atlanta.
Hamels (4-5) won for the second time in three starts, giving up one run, striking out nine and walking none. He threw 71 of 95 pitches for strikes.
Rollins’ 12th homer, coming off reliever Shae Simmons (1-1), made it 2-0 in the seventh.
Atlanta, which had a three-game winning streak snapped, cut its deficit to 2-1 in the seventh inning on Chris Johnson’s RBI double.
Jonathan Papelbon earned his 21st save in 23 chances, needing only five pitches.
Grady Sizemore reached base four times, going 3 for 4 and scoring on Rollins’ homer.
PADRES 6, METS 0
SAN DIEGO — All-Star Tyson Ross threw seven shutout innings, and light-hitting San Diego smacked three homers in a victory that snapped the New York Mets’ four-game winning streak.
Ross (8-10) allowed only four hits in his first start following his first All-Star appearance. He struck out six and issued three walks. Three relievers pitched the final two innings to seal the Padres’ seventh shutout.
Yasmani Grandal, Will Venable and Seth Smith homered as San Diego won for the third time in 11 games. The Mets had won nine of 11.
GIANTS 5, MARLINS 3
MIAMI — All-Star Tim Hudson pitched into the eighth inning and got the run support he needed as San Francisco beat Miami.
Hunter Pence drove in two runs, and Pablo Sandoval had three hits for the Giants, who have won four of five.
Giancarlo Stanton hit his National League-best 23rd home run for Miami, which has lost six straight.
Hudson (8-6) came into the game with just five runs of support in his last five starts, but the Giants jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning. Hudson allowed one run and eight hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.
Marlins All-Star starter Henderson Alvarez (6-5) departed with a bruised left shin after being hit by a grounder by Joe Panik in the third.
Santiago Casilla got the final out in the ninth, in relief of Sergio Romo, to earn his fifth save in eight opportunities.
DIAMONDBACKS 9
CUBS 3
PHOENIX — Miguel Montero hit a go-ahead, three-run double in the fifth, Paul Goldschmidt added a two-run homer, and Arizona routed the Chicago Cubs.
Goldschmidt went 3 for 3, scored three runs and walked twice, raising his batting average to .314.
The Cubs have lost four in a row and 10 of 12.
YANKEES 7, REDS 1
NEW YORK — Brandon McCarthy earned his first win for the Yankees with an impressive debut in pinstripes, and Brett Gardner drove in three runs from the leadoff spot to send New York past the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 on Saturday.
Carlos Beltran homered, Kelly Johnson hit a two-run single to back McCarthy (1-0), who allowed one run and six hits, struck out nine and walked none over six innings. McCarthy, acquired from Arizona on July 6, was making his first home start for New York.
INDIANS 6, TIGERS 2
INDIANS 5, TIGERS 2
DETROIT — Carlos Santana hit a tiebreaking, bases-clearing double off Joe Nathan (4-3) with two outs in the ninth to complete a doubleheader. Cleveland has won four straight to pull within 4 1-2 games of the AL Central-leading Tigers.
Carlos Carrasco (3-3) pitched a perfect eighth and Cody Allen closed the game for his 13th save.
In the opener, Corey Kluber (10-6) came within an out of a complete game, striking out 10. He allowed seven hits, including three by Miguel Cabrera.
BLUE JAYS 4, RANGERS 1
TORONTO — Marcus Stroman (5-2) gave up four hits in seven shutout innings to snap a three-start winless streak, and Dan Johnson had two RBIs.
Melky Cabrera had three hits as the Blue Jays won for the first time in four games. Aaron Loup got three outs for his third save.
RED SOX 2, ROYALS 1
BOSTON — Rubby De La Rosa (3-2) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, and the defending World Series champions won for the sixth time in seven games.
Mike Napoli hit a tiebreaking homer that cleared a billboard atop the Green Monster seats and completely left the park in the sixth.
RAYS 5, TWINS 1
MINNEAPOLIS — David Price (10-7) gave up four hits in eight scoreless innings to win five straight starts for the first time in his major league career. He walked none and struck out nine to increase his major league-leading total to 173.
Jake McGee got two outs for his eighth save in nine chances, completing a five-hitter for the Rays, who have won four straight.
WHITE SOX 4, ASTROS 3
CHICAGO — Tyler Flowers had three hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth.
George Springer hit his 20th home run, a solo shot, and Jose Altuve had a two-run double for the Astros.
Dallas Keuchel (9-6) allowed four runs and 12 hits in five innings.
