WASHINGTON (AP) — Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg felt a pinch in the back of his elbow and was forced to make an early exit in his first start since returning from the disabled list, and NL East-leading Washington went on to defeat Atlanta 5-4 in 11 innings Wednesday night.
The Nationals said Strasburg would get an MRI and didn’t elaborate on the severity of his injury. Strasburg winced on the mound after throwing a pitch in the third inning, and manager Dusty Baker said Strasburg had felt a pinch.
Strasburg had been out since Aug. 17 because of soreness in his right elbow. He left after 2 1/3 innings, allowing a run on two hits.
With Braves pitcher Mike Foltynewicz attempting to bunt after Dansby Swanson’s leadoff double, Strasburg’s 0-2 pitch sailed high. Strasburg grimaced, walked around the mound and then threw another pitch, retiring Foltynewicz. Washington’s trainer came out and Strasburg departed, covering his mouth with his glove as he reached the dugout.
Strasburg was replaced by Sean Burnett, who gave up an RBI double to Adonis Garcia.
Jayson Werth walked leading off the 11th and Daniel Murphy followed with a double off Jed Bradley (1-1). After Bryce Harper was intentionally walked to load the bases, Wilson Ramos singled off Brandon Cunniff to win it. Mat Latos (1-0), the 10th Nationals pitcher, got one out for the win.
DODGERS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 1
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yasiel Puig homered and drove in another run, and Brock Stewart became the fourth consecutive rookie pitcher to win his start, helping the Dodgers beat Arizona to win their fifth straight and complete a three-game sweep.
The NL West leaders increased their lead to a season-high five games over San Francisco.
The Dodgers open a 10-game trip Friday in Miami, where ace Clayton Kershaw is set to start after missing the last two months because of a herniated disk.
Stewart (1-2) allowed one run and five hits in five innings.
Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 43rd save in 49 chances.
Robbie Ray (7-13) struck out 12 in six innings.
INDIANS 6, ASTROS 5
CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Carrasco overcame a home run and an apparent bug in his eye to pitch into the eighth inning, and Cleveland beat Houston.
The game-time temperature was 87 degrees, causing swarms of midges to journey from Lake Erie to the muggy ballpark.
Carrasco (11-7) allowed Colby Rasmus’ two-run homer in the fourth, one batter after the game was stopped briefly when one of the bugs appeared to get in his eye. The right-hander regrouped after the home run, allowing four runs in 7 1/3 innings.
Mike Napoli’s two-run homer off Doug Fister (12-11) gave Cleveland a 4-3 lead in the fifth. Pinch-hitter Brandon Guyer added a two-run double in the inning and the Indians extended their lead over Detroit to 5 1/2 games in the AL Central.
BREWERS 2, CUBS 1
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jonathan Villar hit two home runs and Keon Broxton robbed Anthony Rizzo of a homer in the ninth inning to help Milwaukee beat Chicago.
Milwaukee got its first hit when Villar homered leading off the fourth. Villar homered again off Joe Smith (1-1), the sixth Chicago pitcher, leading off the eighth.
Corey Knebel (1-2) pitched a scoreless inning, and Tyler Thornburg finished for his ninth save.
With one out in the ninth, Rizzo hit a drive to deep center. Broxton jumped above the wall to make the catch. Chicago starter Mike Montgomery faced the minimum number of batters through three innings. He lasted five innings, allowing one run and two hits with two walks and six strikeouts
Milwaukee starter Matt Garza gave up one run and three hits in six innings.
RED SOX 7, PADRES 2
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Boston Red Sox are leaving the country and taking something with them: sole possession of first place in the AL East.
Travis Shaw, Hanley Ramirez and Brock Holt homered and David Price threw seven solid innings to lead Boston past the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Wednesday night.
After securing the series win at San Diego, the Red Sox open a three-game series at Toronto on Friday.
“That’s what makes it fun to play this time the year,” Price said. “You are playing the teams right in front of you or right behind you. To be in this position is huge. It’s a testament to the work we have done all year.”
The Red Sox took a one-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays, who lost 2-0 to the New York Yankees. Boston, which completed interleague play with a 14-6 record, will play only AL East teams in the final 23 games.
Shaw, inserted into the lineup for a slumping Yoan Moncada, hit his 16th homer in the second inning, a two-run shot, and added an RBI single in the fourth.
“He obviously made an impact,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “He squared some balls up.”
Ramirez’s homer came in the eighth off Jake Smith’s first major league pitch.
Holt added a pinch-hit homer in the ninth
Price (15-8) won his season-high sixth straight start, allowing two runs and six hits. Price, who has won four of his last five road starts, struck out eight.
“I definitely felt good tonight to keep the ball away from the middle of the plate and execute pitches,” said Price, who threw 76 strikes in 98 pitches.
“(He) was extremely efficient with the number of pitches he threw,” Farrell said
Three relievers finished off the Padres, with Craig Kimbrel getting the final out.
Jarred Cosart (0-3) left after 3 1/3 innings after hurting his right leg while covering first base on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s grounder. Cosart landed awkwardly after reaching for Wil Myers’ erratic throw which drew an error and led to the Red Sox rally. Cosart strained his right hamstring and groin.
“Not really sure which one is worse right now,” Padres manager Andy Green said.
Boston’s three-run fourth inning was the difference. After Shaw’s RBI, Dustin Pedroia drove in Shaw and Chris Young with a double down the left-field line. Pedroia has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games.
“It’s pretty cool to go out there and face those guys, it’s a playoff team,” Cosart said. “I was holding my own against one of the best pitchers in baseball and was finally getting in a good rhythm and I just hit a bump in the road.”
Myers’ sacrifice fly tied the game 2-2 in the third. Cosart came around after opening the inning with a single.
The Red Sox went ahead 2-1 when Shaw crushed Cosart’s 93 mph fastball 425 feet for a two-run homer. Shaw replaced Moncada, a prized Cuban prospect, at third base after Moncada struck out seven straight times.
Yangervis Solarte’s RBI double in the first scored Myers for a 1-0 lead. Myers had reached on a single.
It’s no stretch to state the Red Sox starting pitching has been stellar. The starters have pitched to a 3.31 ERA in the last 54 games.
“Our rotation, with Clay (Buchholz) being put back in, it just seems like it’s one guy passing it off to the next guy,” Farrell said.
Price has done his part, going 11-7 in his last 23 starts.
“I knew this was going to happen,” Price said.
YANKEES 2, BLUE JAYS 0
NEW YORK (AP) — Bryan Mitchell earned his first major league win, combining with Luis Severino and Tyler Clippard to shut down Toronto in New York’s victory.
Starlin Castro homered and Brian McCann had an RBI single for the Yankees, They have won four straight and 10 of 14, and closed within 2 1/2 games of Baltimore for the second AL wild card.
Marcus Stroman (9-7) struck out eight in five innings but the Blue Jays lost for the fifth time in six games. They were swept for the third time this season, first since May 16-18 by Tampa Bay.
RAYS 7, ORIOLES 6
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Corey Dickerson had a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning and Tampa Bay beat Baltimore to avoid a three-game sweep.
Dickerson, in a 2-for-28 slide, tied the score 6-all with an RBI single in the fifth and got the decisive hit during the seventh off Mychal Givens (8-2).
J.J. Hardy drove in two on a second-inning double and Michael Bourn hit a solo homer during a three-run third that put Baltimore ahead 5-3.
Baltimore’s Dylan Bundy and Tampa Bay’s Drew Smyly each allowed five runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Kevin Kiermaier and Nick Franklin homered for the Rays. Brad Boxberger (3-0) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win and Alex Colome got three outs for his 31st save in 33 chances.
METS 6, REDS 3
CINCINNATI (AP) — Jose Reyes homered on the first pitch of the game, Noah Syndergaard lasted five shaky shutout innings and New York won its fifth in a row, beating Cincinnati.
Reyes and Curtis Granderson each homered for the second straight day and the Mets beat Cincinnati for the 14th straight time. Wilmer Flores added a pinch-hit, two-run drive.
The Mets finished off a three-game sweep and have won eight of 10. They pulled within a percentage point of St. Louis for the second NL wild card, both a half-game behind San Francisco.
Syndergaard (13-8) gave up six hits and four walks. But the Reds went 0 for 3 in trying to steal against him — opposing runners had been previously been 45 for 51 this season.
Jeurys Familia closed for his 47th save, extending his franchise record.
Anthony DeSclafani (8-3) was the loser.
ROCKIES 6, GIANTS 5
DENVER (AP) — Cristian Adames hit a two-run double in the ninth inning off Joe Nathan in Colorado’s comeback victory over San Francisco.
Nolan Arenado homered to start the three-run rally, and Tom Murphy and David Dahl also went deep for the Rockies.
With Colorado down 5-3, Arenado led off the ninth with his NL-leading 37th home run off Santiago Casilla. After Murphy’s one-out single, Jake Osich (1-1) came on and hit pinch-hitter Charlie Blackmon. Nick Hundley’s bloop single off Nathan loaded the bases, and Adames lined a double off the wall.
Jordan Lyles (4-4) pitched the top of the ninth to get the win.
The Giants are 17-32 since the All-Star break.
PIRATES 4, CARDINALS 3
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jung Ho Kang led off the eighth inning with a home run, and Pittsburgh beat St. Louis to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Kang hit a drive deep into the bullpens in left-center off rookie Alex Reyes (1-1) for his 17th homer and third in two games. It helped snap the Pirates’ longest skid since dropping 10 straight in 2011.
The Cardinals are percentage points ahead of the New York Mets for the second NL wild card, and the Pirates drew within 4 1/2 games of St. Louis.
Trevor Williams (1-0) allowed one unearned run in three innings in his major league debut. Tony Watson worked a perfect ninth inning for his 11th save.
WHITE SOX 7, TIGERS 4
CHICAGO (AP) — Avisail Garcia hit a go-ahead single against his former team in a four-run eighth inning and Chicago beat Detroit to keep the Tigers a game out of the final AL wild-card spot.
The Tigers wasted a chance to move into a tie with Baltimore for the second wild card. The teams begin a three-game series Friday in Detroit.
Jose Abreu led off the eighth with a single for his third hit and scored on Justin Morneau’s double off Shane Greene (3-4). After Todd Frazier grounded out, Garcia singled to right-center. Tyler Saladino and Adam Eaton added RBI singles.
Chris Beck (2-1) got four outs, and David Robertson worked the ninth for his 35th save.
TWINS 6, ROYALS 5
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Miguel Sano’s hustle led Minnesota to a pair of early runs and his RBI double tied it in the decisive seventh inning, helping the Twins beat Kansas City.
Brian Dozier didn’t hit a home run for Minnesota, ending his club-tying record at five straight games, but he singled and stole second before scoring on Sano’s double off Joakim Soria (4-8). Dozier also started a dazzling double play to to finish the fifth inning, with a diving stop of Eric Hosmer’s grounder and a glove flick to second base to get the ball out while he was flat on the dirt.
Alex Wimmers (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of Kyle Gibson for his first major league victory. Brandon Kintzler gave up Jarrod Dyson’s two-out RBI single before finishing the ninth inning for his 14th save.
ATHLETICS 4, ANGELS 1
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jharel Cotton won in his major league debut, leading Oakland past Los Angeles.
The 24-year-old Cotton became the fourth pitcher in big league history born in the Virgin Islands. He allowed one run on two hits, struck out three and walked two in 6 1-3 innings. Cotton came to the A’s from the Dodgers at the trade deadline in a deal that sent Josh Reddick to Los Angeles.
Oakland front office a preview of his potential at the next level.
Ryan Madson finished for his 29th save. Alex Meyer (0-2) was the loser.
Ryon Healy homed for Oakland, and C.J. Cron connected for Los Angeles.
MARINERS 8, RANGERS 3
SEATTLE (AP) — Adam Lind hit the fourth grand slam of his career as part of Seattle’s five-run first inning, added a solo home run in his next at-bat and led the Mariners past Texas.
Lind’s 19th and 20th homers helped Seattle jump to an 8-0 lead and kept the Mariners on the fringe of the AL wild-card race, five games behind Baltimore.
Ariel Miranda (3-1) was the winner, and A.J. Griffin (7-4) took the loss.
Texas’ Carlos Beltran hot a three-run homer in the sixth.
MARLINS 6, PHILLIES 0
MIAMI (AP) — Andrew Cashner matched his season high for strikeouts with nine over 5 1/3 innings and earned his first win for Miami in the victory over Philadelphia.
Martin Prado drove in three runs for the Marlins. They faded from playoff contention by losing their previous five games and 10 of 11.
Acquired from San Diego on July 29, Cashner (5-11) allowed four hits and walked two. He was 0-4 in his first six starts following the trade. Jeremy Hellickson (10-9) was the loser.
