MLB: Dodgers destroy Giants 17-0 to increase West lead
Zack Greinke smiled wider each time he looked at the scoreboard at AT&T Park.
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Four runs of support in the first inning, four more in the second and another four-spot in the sixth — highlighted by Greinke’s first home run of the season.
Greinke (15-8) pitched six scoreless innings and hit his fourth career home run, and the Los Angeles Dodgers romped past the San Francisco Giants 17-0 on Saturday night to build on their lead in the NL West.
“Their lineup’s been about as good as it gets in the past couple of months,” Greinke said of the Giants. “Usually if I get four or five you get a little comfortable with it, but the way they’ve been playing, each extra run was appreciated.”
One day after being held to three hits in a 9-0 loss, the Dodgers doubled that output in the first inning against Giants starter Tim Hudson then coasted behind Greinke.
More important, the Dodgers extended their division lead to two games over the Giants and are guaranteed of leaving this series between the top two teams in the NL West in first place.
“That was a little different game, huh?” Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly said. “It was good to get those runs early. It’s one of those games where everything seemed to go our way and then Zack kind of slams the door.”
Greinke combined with three relievers on the shutout and improved to 4-0 in six career starts against the Giants. The right-hander gave up hits to two of the first three batters he faced then retired 16 of the next 18. He struck out five.
Jose Uribe and Scott Van Slyke homered, Hanley Ramirez went 4 for 5 and Matt Kemp had three hits and three RBIs for the Dodgers. Every position player had at least one hit by the second inning, and the team set a major league high for hits (24) this season.
Greinke doubled in the fourth then homered off reliever Mike Kickham in the sixth, a two-run drive that put Los Angeles up 13-0.
The Dodgers scored in six of the first seven innings and knocked Hudson out of the game in the second.
Hudson (9-11) allowed six runs and eight hits in the shortest outing of his 16-year career.
It was almost a complete reversal from a night earlier when San Francisco jumped on Los Angeles left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu for four runs in the first inning.
The loss ended the Giants’ 10-game winning streak at AT&T Park, their longest at home since 2003.
“They punched back,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. “We got knocked out early. We couldn’t get a ball hit at somebody in the first inning and I think that took something out of Huddy.”
LINCECUM NO-NO MEMORIALIZED
The Giants celebrated pitcher Tim Lincecum’s no-hitter on June 25 in a pregame ceremony Saturday and unveiled a plaque along the team’s history walk beyond the right field fence. The two-time Cy Young Award winner also has a plaque for his Game 1 win over Atlanta in the 2010 NLDS when he pitched a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts.
UMPIRE SHUFFLE
Crew chief Jim Joyce will miss the remainder of the series because of an illness. D.J. Reyburn replaced Joyce and worked second base, while Doug Eddings assumed the crew chief duties.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: Ryu will leave the team and fly to Los Angeles on Monday to have an MRI on his left shoulder. The 14-game winner will likely skip his next scheduled start. … LHP Paco Rodriguez was activated from the 15-day DL.
Giants: Michael Morse (left oblique strain) could take batting practice Monday. … 1B Brandon Belt (concussion) has been cleared to resume baseball activities and is likely to be activated off the disabled list next week.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (18-3) pitches the series finale and has a 1.40 career ERA in 23 starts against San Francisco.
Giants: RHP Yusmeiro Petit (5-3) is winless in four career starts against Los Angeles.
YANKEES 3, ORIOLES 2
BALTIMORE — Chris Young stole home in his latest surprising September performance, and the New York Yankees beat AL East-leading Baltimore 3-2 Saturday, ending the Orioles’ longest winning streak of the season at six.
The Yankees bounced back after being swept in a doubleheader Friday. New York stayed on the fringe of the wild-card race while Baltimore’s magic number for clinching the division remained at five.
Cut by the New York Mets earlier this year as an extended slump, Young has seemed to deliver for the Yankees on a daily basis this week.
Young added his to recent bunch of extra-base hits when he doubled during a three-run second off Miguel Gonzalez (9-8). Speedy Antoan Richardson followed with an RBI single and then took off for second, beating the throw while Young scampered home without a return toss.
Shane Greene (5-3) improved to 4-0 in seven road starts this season, including a victory at Camden Yards in July. David Robertson earned his 36th save.
ANGELS 5, ASTROS 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jered Weaver earned his AL-leading 17th win, Mike Trout homered twice and the Angels reduced their magic number for clinching the AL West to four with a victory over the Astros.
The Angels extended their winning streak to 10 games — one off the franchise record set in 1964 — improving to a major league-best 93-55.
Weaver (17-8) allowed a run and four hits through seven innings with a season-high 12 strikeouts.
Huston Street pitched for the first time since Sept. 6, working a scoreless ninth for his 14th save after missing five games with a hamstring problem.
Scott Feldman (8-11) allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings.
RANGERS 3, BRAVES 2
ARLINGTON, Texas — Rougned Odor’s go-ahead double gave fellow rookie Lisalverto Bonilla a win in his first major league start, and the last-place Rangers handed the Braves another setback in their push for an NL wild-card spot.
Atlanta’s Julio Teheran (13-12) was working on a no-hitter before a one-out single by Luis Sardinas in the sixth inning.
An error by left fielder Justin Upton kept the inning alive, and Elvis Andrus had an RBI single before Odor doubled to the warning track in left-center field, scoring Leonys Martin and Andrus.
Bonilla (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings. Neal Cotts pitched the ninth for his first save this season.
The Braves, who started the day three games behind Pittsburgh for the second NL wild-card spot, dropped to 2-6 on their nine-game road trip.
BLUE JAYS 6, RAYS 3
TORONTO — Adam Lind hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning for Toronto, and Edwin Encarnacion also went deep.
Lind connected off Brad Boxberger (5-2) for his first homer since June 23 against the New York Yankees. He finished 2 for 3 with a walk and three RBIs.
Encarnacion then drove the first pitch he saw from Steve Geltz into the second deck in left for the eighth time this season the Blue Jays have hit back-to-back home runs.
R.A. Dickey (13-12) allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings to win his fourth straight decision. Casey Janssen got three outs for his 23rd save.
The Blue Jays improved to 8-3 in September.
Evan Longoria hit his 21st homer for Tampa Bay.
WHITE SOX 5, TWINS 1, GAME 1
CHICAGO — Jose Quintana struck out a career-high 13 in seven-plus innings and Alexei Ramirez homered for the White Sox in the opener of a doubleheader.
Quintana (8-10) allowed a run and three hits with two walks.
Minnesota’s Phil Hughes had a career-high 11 strikeouts in seven-plus innings. He became the first Twins pitcher to have double-digit strikeouts in an outing since Francisco Liriano on July 18, 2012, against Baltimore.
Hughes (15-10) allowed five runs, three earned, and six hits.
The teams are playing a doubleheader after rain postponed Friday’s series opener.
The Twins have lost 12 of 16.
WHITE SOX 5, TWINS 1, FIRST GAME; WHITE SOX 7, TWINS 6, SECOND GAME
CHICAGO — Dayan Viciedo hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to lift the White Sox to a win over the Twins and a sweep of their doubleheader.
Jose Abreu started the winning rally with a leadoff walk against Glen Perkins (3-3).
Trevor Plouffe and Oswaldo Arcia homered for Minnesota. Pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki had a tiebreaking RBI double in the top of the ninth against Jake Petricka (1-4).
In the first game, Jose Quintana struck out a career-high 13 and Alexei Ramirez homered to lead the White Sox.
Quintana (8-10) allowed a run and two walks in seven innings.
Phil Hughes (15-10) had a career-high 11 strikeouts for Minnesota. He allowed five runs — three earned — in seven innings.
CUBS 6, PIRATES 4
PITTSBURGH — Rookies Javier Baez and Matt Szczur homered, and the Cubs snapped a seven-game losing streak with a victory over the Pirates.
Felix Doubront (2-1) pitched six scoreless innings for the Cubs in his third start since he was acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox.
Russell Martin hit a three-run double in the eighth for Pittsburgh, which had won seven of eight.
Pittsburgh’s Jeff Locke (7-5) allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings.
TIGERS 5, INDIANS 4
DETROIT — Alex Avila hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Tigers kept their slim AL Central lead, beating the Indians.
The Tigers remained a half-game ahead of Kansas City, which topped Boston 7-1.
Avila sent a full-count pitch from reliever Bryan Shaw (5-4) into the right-field stands for his 11th home run.
Victor Martinez hit his career-best 31st home run for Detroit.
Joba Chamberlain (2-5) pitched an inning of scoreless relief. Joe Nathan worked the ninth for his 31st save.
NATIONALS 10, METS 3
NEW YORK — Bryce Harper homered, Ian Desmond drove in three runs and the Washington Nationals moved a step closer to their second NL East title in three years with a victory over the Mets.
Anthony Rendon added to his huge series with four hits as Washington reduced its magic number to six for clinching the division. Denard Span had a two-run homer in the ninth inning and scored three times.
Doug Fister (14-6) needed only 75 pitches to get through six. He gave up three runs — two earned — and five hits in his second consecutive win after losing three straight starts.
Zack Wheeler (10-10) Wheeler was charged with six runs and seven hits in four-plus innings. He was 7-1 with a 2.21 ERA in his previous 13 starts since June 29.
ROYALS 7, RED SOX 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeremy Guthrie retired the final 17 batters he faced, Omar Infante had three hits and drove in two runs, and the Royals beat the Red Sox.
Manager Ned Yost overhauled his batting order and got immediate results. The Royals scored seven runs for the first time since Aug. 19, a span of 22 games.
Nori Aoki, batting second for the first time this season, and Alex Gordon, who snapped an 0-for-22 skid, each had two hits, scored a run and drove in a run.
Guthrie (11-11), who was roughed up for eight runs on 10 hits in 2 2-3 innings in a loss Monday at Detroit, allowed three hits and one unearned run in eight innings.
Rubby De La Rosa (4-7) was pulled after four innings and 65 pitches, permitting five runs on six hits.
ATHLETICS 3, MARINERS 2, 10 INNINGS
SEATTLE — Jed Lowrie drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the 10th inning to force in the tiebreaking run and lift the Athletics to a victory over Seattle.
Mariners reliever Fernando Rodney (1-6) came on in the 10th and walked Coco Crisp to open the inning. After Crisp advanced to second on a sacrifice, Rodney intentionally walked Josh Donaldson and then Alberto Callaspo drew another walk to load the bases.
Rodney struck out Brandon Moss looking before walking Lowrie on four pitches to force in the go-ahead run.
Luke Gregerson (5-1) pitched a perfect ninth to earn the win.
DIAMONDBACKS 10, PADRES 4
PHOENIX — Mark Trumbo had three hits and three RBIs, leading the Diamondbacks to a win over the sloppy San Diego Padres.
The Diamondbacks took control early, scoring six runs off All-Star Tyson Ross in the first two innings.
Chase Anderson (9-6) pitched five innings, allowing two runs and four hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Ross (13-14) was charged with four earned runs and five hits. He struck out four and walked two in his shortest outing of the season.
CARDINALS 5, ROCKIES 4
ST. LOUIS — Matt Holliday homered in the first inning for the second straight night and Shelby Miller pitched six solid innings and had an RBI double, leading the Cardinals over the Rockies.
Matt Carpenter added a two-run homer in the second for the NL Central leaders, who have won 12 in a row at home in the final month of the season dating to last Sept. 14.
The Cardinals are 9-4 this month and took a 3 1-2 game lead over Pittsburgh.
Miller (10-9) has allowed one run his last 20 innings over three starts, with a career-best 17 2-3 inning scoreless streak ending on Ben Paulsen’s RBI single in the fourth.
Holliday hit his 18th homer to straightaway center off Franklin Morales (6-8).
REDS 5, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE — David Holmberg pitched six effective innings, Billy Hamilton hit a two-run triple and the Reds snapped the Brewers’ three-game winning streak.
Holmberg (1-1) allowed two hits in his first major league win, including Aramis Ramirez’s fourth-inning homer. The left-hander has yielded one earned run in 12 2-3 innings over three September appearances.
Cincinnati scratched out two runs in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk and sacrifice fly off Yovani Gallardo (8-10). The speedy Hamilton broke open a one-run game with his triple to the gap in right-center in the seventh.
