Professional – Page 113 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Royals snap losing streak with 4-1 win against Mariners

Posted on May 1, 2016

SEATTLE (AP) — Ian Kennedy felt like he only had one pitch working for him against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. He was still able to take a shutout into the sixth inning, and get a big boost from his bullpen when he finally ran into trouble.

Kennedy had a three-run lead when he loaded the bases in the sixth inning on two singles and a walk. Reliever Danny Duffy came on to bail out the Royals, who went on to win 4-1 to end a five-game losing streak.

“Danny coming in with the bases loaded right there and coming at them with great stuff was huge right there,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “We had a three-run lead and it was starting to get away from us.”

Eric Hosmer homered, Lorenzo Cain had an RBI single and scored a run, and Alex Escobar had three hits and also scored for the Royals, who had been shut out in the first two games of this series.

Kennedy (3-2) said his curveball and other off-speed pitches weren’t working against the Mariners, but he was still able to hold Seattle to four hits and struck out six in five-plus innings.

“At least I had a good fastball going,” Kennedy said. “Good location, good life on it. It was one of those days where I was trying to get by with the one good pitch I had.”

Kennedy loaded the bases in the sixth, Duffy struck out Dae-Ho Lee and Kyle Seager before Chris Iannetta hit a run-scoring single. However, Jarrod Dyson easily threw out Robinson Cano at home trying to score a second run.

“It was a big point in the game, would have been a big run with momentum and everything going in our favor, but they made a play,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.

The Royals, who came in with seven straight road losses, extended their scoreless streak to 27 innings before ending the drought in the second. Alex Gordon started it when he was hit by a pitch. He advanced to third on a short hit by Salvador Perez, then scored on Omar Infante’s single.

Kansas City added a run in the third on Cain’s RBI single up the middle.

The Mariners’ defense helped out the Royals in the fifth. With two outs and Cain on second base, Seattle shortstop Ketel Marte fielded Hosmer’s grounder moving toward third. Marte’s throw to first was wild, allowing Cain to score.

Wade Davis pitched the ninth for his eighth save in eight chances.

Taijuan Walker (2-1) pitched five innings, his shortest outing this season, and allowed a season-high three runs and seven hits for Seattle. Walker had opened the season with four starts of at least six innings while allowing two or fewer runs, which tied a team record.

Hosmer capped the scoring with his fourth home run in the eighth.

“We knew we were going to have to find ways to scratch runs across the board, and we did a good job of that,” Hosmer said. “We had some things going on the bases today, we had some big hits.”

LINEUP SHUFFLE

Nori Aoki, Seattle’s usual leadoff hitter, was on the bench to start Sunday’s game. Mariners manager Scott Servais wanted to give 2B Cano some rest by slotting him at DH. With both Nelson Cruz and Seth Smith, who have split time at DH this year, in the outfield, Aoki was left out. Servais said Aoki, who has struggled at the plate so far this season, would remain the team’s usual leadoff hitter.

Aoki pinch-hit for 2B Luis Sardinas in the seventh inning and stayed in the game as the left fielder. Cano then moved from DH to 2B, taking the DH spot away for the Mariners.

TRAINING ROOM

Yost said reliever Luke Hochevar was not available for the game with soreness in his elbow. “As a precaution, we wanted to give him the day and we’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Yost said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez (3-1, 3.64 ERA) opens the series against the Nationals on Monday, facing off against LHP Gio Gonzalez (1-1, 1.42 ERA).

Mariners: RHP Nate Karns (2-1, 3.63 ERA) goes in the series opener against Oakland on Monday. He will be opposed by RHP Kendall Graveman (1-2, 4.03).

— Associated Press —

Cardinals drop third straight to Washington Sunday 6-1

Posted on May 1, 2016May 1, 2016

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Max Scherzer always makes sure to eat some toasted ravioli when he comes back to Missouri.

After he pitched seven strong innings Sunday to beat his hometown team for the first time, maybe Scherzer should have the St. Louis specialty more often.

“That’s the best I’ve seen Max this year,” Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker said after his team completed a three-game sweep of the Cardinals with a 6-1 victory. “Sharp with the breaking ball, good velocity. . It was Max’s day. Max kept us in the game until our offense did something.”

Clint Robinson and Danny Espinosa hit back-to-back home runs, providing the power for Washington on a day when NL MVP Bryce Harper struck out all four times up.

Scherzer (3-1), who grew up in suburban St. Louis, struck out nine and scattered four singles. He didn’t allow a runner past first base, earning his first win in five career starts against the Cardinals.

“I instantly could feel like I was on top of the ball and anytime I needed it the fastball was down at the knees,” Scherzer said. “That’s when I’m at my best. When I can throw the fastball early in the counts and throw strikes in and away, it just sets up all my stuff.”

By finishing the weekend sweep, the Nationals emphatically ended years of frustration at Busch Stadium. It was their first series win in St. Louis since May 2007. Washington improved to 17-7 overall, the best start in club history through 24 games.

The Cardinals have lost four straight and dropped to 5-7 at home this season. St. Louis went 55-26 at home in 2015.

Carlos Martinez (4-1) needed only 63 pitches to get through his first five innings but was charged with four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked none and struck out eight, including Harper three times.

Martinez left the Cardinals briefly late last week to address a personal matter. The 24-year-old right-hander is the subject of a civil lawsuit filed against him by a woman in West Palm Beach, Florida, near the team’s spring training site in Jupiter.

The lawsuit filed in Miami seeks more than $1.5 million and accuses the pitcher of a negligent transmission of a sexually transmitted disease. It seeks actual and special damages along with mental anguish and exemplary damages. It also seeks punitive damages because of outrageous actions.

Martinez’s attorney has said the claims are false. The pitcher mostly avoided the issue after the game.

“I’m pretty sure I am healthy and I’m pretty sure I’m feeling good and I’m pretty sure I know who I am and at the same time, this is not part of the job,” Martinez said through a translator. “That’s for my lawyer and agent to take care of.”

Matt den Dekker snapped Martinez’s 16-inning scoreless streak with a single in the sixth to score Jose Lobaton, breaking a scoreless tie.

The home runs by Robinson and Espinoza came on consecutive pitches in the seventh, quickly turning a one-run game into a 4-0 Nationals lead.

“He had one of his best fastballs he’s had yet,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Martinez. “Command of his off-speed stuff just one inning got him.”

Five of the Nationals’ runs came on first-pitch swings.

“The best pitch to hit, especially with runners in scoring position, is the first pitch because the pitcher’s going to try to get ahead of you and then he’s going to go to work on you,” Baker said. “So you’ve got to get to work on him before they go to work on you.”

Daniel Murphy added an RBI double in the eighth, and pinch-hitter Chris Heisey homered in the ninth.

Scherzer also had a pair of hits, the second of which chased Martinez. Scherzer’s bunt moved Lobaton into scoring position ahead of den Dekker’s single.

Brandon Moss’ opposite-field home run with two outs in the ninth kept the Cardinals from being shut out.

MOLINA KEPT OFF THE BASES

Yadier Molina went 0 for 3, snapping an 11-game hitting streak and an 18-game streak of reaching base safely. Ted Simmons was the last Cardinals catcher to reach base safely in 19 straight when he reached in 30 consecutive games in 1979.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: C Wilson Ramos was activated from the bereavement list, and C Pedro Severino was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Cardinals: SS Jhonny Peralta (thumb) took grounders and threw to first for the first time since his injury in spring training. He also took controlled swings, but there is no specific timetable yet for his return.

UP NEXT

Nationals: LHP Gio Gonzalez (1-1, 1.42 ERA) gets the start as Washington begins a three-game series at Kansas City on Monday night. Gonzalez is 3-3 with a 7.49 ERA in eight career starts against the Royals, who counter with RHP Edinson Volquez (3-1, 3.34).

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (1-3, 7.16 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series against the visiting Phillies on Monday night. Wainwright helped himself by hitting a three-run triple to earn the win in his last start. The Phillies will start RHP Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 3.81).

— Associated Press —

KC blanked again by Seattle for fifth straight loss

Posted on May 1, 2016

SEATTLE (AP) — Wade Miley scattered five hits for his first career shutout and Kyle Seager hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run first inning off an ineffective Yordano Venture and pace the Seattle Mariners to a 6-0 victory over Kansas City on Saturday night, the Royals’ fifth consecutive loss on their current road trip.

Miley (2-2) struck out four and walked none for his second complete game in 139 starts. His only other complete game was last September with Boston in a 9-2 victory over Philadelphia, when he allowed two runs and five hits.

Seth Smith, whose homer accounted for the Mariners’ only hit in a 1-0 victory Friday night, homered in the first inning, a one-out solo shot, his fourth.

The Mariners capitalized on two walks in the first off Ventura (2-1), who allowed five runs, three hits with six walks in four-plus innings.

With two outs in the first, Ventura walked Nelson Cruz and Adam Lind, and Seager followed with his fifth homer to make it 4-0.

Miley benefited from a successful challenge in the third. Paulo Orlando was safe at second when shortstop Ketel Marte bobbled Alcides Escobar’s one-out infield chopper while trying for the force out. The call was overturned after review and Mike Moustakas followed with a ground-rule double to left-center, holding Escobar at third. Miley escaped by retiring Lorenzo Cain on a pop out to short.

Seattle took a page out of the Royals’ offensive play book and manufactured a run in the fourth. Seager walked to open the inning, Chris Iannetta singled and both runners advanced on Marte’s sacrifice bunt. Second baseman Omar Infante then attempted a difficult throw home on Leonys Martin’s chopper, but Seager slid in ahead of the tag.

The Mariners made it 6-0 in the sixth when Dillon Gee hit Cruz with a pitch with the bases loaded. Cruz was also hit by a pitch in the second inning and walked twice.

UP NEXT:

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (2-2, 2.77 ERA) allowed five runs and seven hits in a 6-1 loss to the Angels in his last start to open the current winless road trip. He was 0-2 with a 5.59 ERA in two starts last season against the Mariners when he was with San Diego.

Mariners: Seattle wraps up a six-game homestand before heading out for seven games on the road. RHP Taijuan Walker (2-0, 1.44 ERA) has allowed two or fewer runs and pitched at least six innings in each of his first four starts.

TRAINING ROOM:

Mariners: With relievers Joaquin Benoit (right shoulder inflammation) and Charlie Furbush (left shoulder tendinitis) both on the 15-day DL, RHP Nick Vincent has taken advantage of the opportunity. Vincent, acquired from San Diego right before the start of the season, retired Cain with the tying run on third in the eighth inning of Seattle’s 1-0 victory on Friday night. “Last night he did a great job. Coming in there, that was going to be his hitter. He attacked,” manager Scott Servais said. “He’s attacked every time he comes in. He goes right after them. He knows who he is and he executes.”

— Associated Press —

St. Louis drops second straight to Washington

Posted on May 1, 2016

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jayson Werth is finding his stroke for a team that wrapped up a big first month.

Werth’s three-run home run capped a four-run first inning and Joe Ross had another stingy outing for the Washington Nationals in a 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

“The way things have been going, I feel like I can’t just catch a break,” Werth said. “I think it got us going, it got me going. Hopefully I can build on that and we can get this thing rolling.”

Ross (3-0) allowed one run on six hits in six innings, raising his ERA to 0.79. He has given up only two runs in 22 2/3 innings and bounced back nicely after skipping a turn because of a blister on his middle finger.

“I felt good, I felt pretty strong,” Ross said. “There wasn’t really like an inning or two of trying to settle in, so I think the time off, I guess, paid off for me.”

Manager Dusty Baker said he just kept an eye on the right-hander.

“He got out of trouble a couple times and made some pitches when he had to,” Baker said. “He wasn’t on a pitch limit, he was kind of on a performance limit.”

Werth added an RBI single in the eighth, his fifth in the first two games of a weekend series and 10th of the year, and raised his batting average to .211. With the victory, Washington clinched its first series win in St. Louis since May 25-27, 2007. It goes for a sweep Sunday after raising its record to 8-24 at 11-year-old Busch Stadium.

The NL East leaders are 16-7, their best start since moving from Montreal in 2005.

“You can’t win anything in April, but you can lose it,” Werth said. “We’ve got great chemistry.”

Opponents had been 2 for 13 with no runs in the first against Jaime Garcia (1-2) before the Nationals jumped on the lefty for four runs on three hits. Daniel Murphy had an RBI single before Werth hit his fourth over the left-field wall on a 2-1 changeup.

“I thought it stayed too much in the middle of the plate,” Garcia said. “I’ve just got to make a better pitch there.”

The Cardinals had two hits, a sacrifice bunt and Matt Carpenter’s sacrifice fly for a run in the fifth.

Garcia gave up only one more hit before leaving after 6 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking three. He entered the game 4-1 against Washington.

“My job is to keep us in the ballgame and give us a chance to win,” Garcia said. “I didn’t get the job done.”

Yadier Molina singled and doubled for an 11-game hitting streak and has reached safely in a career-best 18 straight games.

ON LEAVE

Carlos Martinez was given permission to leave the Cardinals on Friday to attend to a personal matter. Manager Mike Matheny said Martinez would start Sunday’s series finale.

SIGNIFICANT

Aledmys Diaz singled in the ninth for his 30th hit in April. Albert Pujols is the only other Cardinals rookie to do it, with 34 hits in 2001.

SLUMPING

St. Louis CF Jeremy Hazelbaker had two errors, one fielding and one throwing, and the second miscue resulted in an unearned run in the eighth. Randal Grichuk struck out pinch hitting in the seventh and is hitless in his last 16 at-bats.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals C Wilson Ramos remained on the bereavement list while in Venezuela following the death of his grandfather.

UP NEXT

Washington RHP Max Scherzer (2-1, 4.35) is 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts in his hometown. Martinez (4-0, 1.93) is among six pitchers in the majors to win the first four starts of the season.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs trade first-round pick to San Francisco

Posted on April 28, 2016April 29, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Several hours before the start of the NFL draft, Chiefs general manager John Dorsey decided to take an afternoon walk around Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium in an attempt to clear his head.

He mulled over different options, the players that might be available when the Chiefs were finally on the clock at No. 28. But he also considered the possibility that another team would want to trade up for the late-round pick, allowing Kansas City to gain valuable choices later on.

It turned out to be exactly what happened.

The Chiefs sent their lone pick Thursday night to the 49ers for their second-round pick along with choices in the fourth and sixth rounds. San Francisco wound up using the first-round selection on Joshua Garnett, a mammoth offensive guard out of Stanford.

“I had three or four scenarios I had looked on over the course of the week leading into this,” Dorsey said. “Trading down was a possibility — a real possibility — if A, B and C weren’t there. And at the end of the day, I’m very happy with the way things worked out for us.”

Kansas City will have the No. 37 overall pick when the draft resumes with the second and third rounds Friday night. They will also have their original second-round choice at No. 59.

“We’re still going to get really good players here. That’s the beauty of this whole thing,” Dorsey said. “We have two picks in the second round and there’s really good players to be had.”

The Chiefs had their third-round pick stripped as part of the penalties handed down for a tampering case last offseason. So when runs on cornerback and wide receiver took several top players off the board at their biggest positions of the need Thursday night, trading down became the logical move.

It’s the sixth time that Kansas City has traded out of the first round and the first time the club hasn’t made a first-round selection since 2004. That year, they traded from No. 30 into the second round and grabbed forgettable defensive tackle Junior Siavii with the 36th overall selection.

Dorsey has been reluctant to move around in the draft since arriving in Kansas City, but he was part of some wise moves while working in the front office in Green Bay. The Packers traded out of the first round in 2008, for example, and got wide receiver Jordy Nelson with their new second-round pick.

There were still players available that the Chiefs ultimately passed on.

Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, a massive talent with a series of character concerns, was picked by Arizona moments later. Louisiana Tech run-stuffer Vernon Butler, who had also been linked to the Chiefs, was taken with the No. 31 overall pick by Seattle.

There are still plenty of talented players available on Friday, though.

UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, considered a top-10 talent before a serious knee injury, was not chosen on the draft’s first day. Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland and his teammate, defensive tackle Jarran Reed, could be fits for Kansas City. If the Chiefs want to shore up their secondary, Ohio State safety Vonn Bell slid from the first round, as did Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller.

When asked about first-round surprises, it was Jack’s slide that Dorsey brought up.

“He’s a good football player and I’m sure he’ll go early tomorrow,” Dorsey said, dancing around the possibility of taking Jack in the second round. “I’m not going to talk about medicals, but what I will say is by moving down, I think we strategically did the best we possibly could moving forward.

“What I want to do is sit down (Friday) with personnel guys and talk through things — talk to the medical staff — and I’ll be able to better assess those things.”

— Associated Press —

St. Louis gets shutout in series finale at Arizona

Posted on April 28, 2016April 29, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) — Rubby De La Rosa struck out a career-high 10 and pitched two-hit ball through seven innings, Chris Herrmann and Brandon Drury homered and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Thursday night.

The Diamondbacks forced a split in the four-game series. De La Rosa (3-3) had been shaky this year and was demoted to the bullpen for a time but turned in his second straight strong start.

Herrmann’s two-run home run — after Drury’s blooper fell between center fielder Stephen Piscotty and shortstop Aledmys Diaz for a double — gave the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead in the second. Drury lined a 2-1 pitch from Michael Wacha (2-1) into the left field seats for a solo shot in the fourth.

It was Drury’s second home run in two days.

— Associated Press —

Royals lose to Angels 4-2, suffer first sweep of the season

Posted on April 28, 2016

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout hit a tying two-run homer, Yunel Escobar put the Angels ahead with a solo shot in the sixth inning and Andrelton Simmons also went deep to power Los Angeles to a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Escobar, the Angels’ leadoff hitter, drove Chris Young’s 3-1 pitch to center field for his third homer of the season leading off the sixth to put the Angels ahead 3-2. He had four hits in Tuesday night’s 9-4 victory.

Simmons ended the scoring in the seventh with his first homer as an Angel. His other 31 came with the Atlanta Braves, who sent the two-time Gold Glove shortstop to the Angels in a trade for Erick Aybar in November.

Fernando Salas (1-1) got the victory in relief and Joe Smith got three outs for his second save in as many chances as the Angels swept the three-game series.

Nick Tropeano pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Angels, allowing two runs and eight hits with six strikeouts.

Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer off the 25-year-old right-hander in the first, extending his hitting streak to a career-best 17 games. Tropeano departed after giving up his third walk of the game with the score tied 2-all.

Salas came in and Paulo Orlando greeted him with a single. Jarrod Dyson followed with a fielder’s choice grounder that put runners at the corners, and Dyson got into scoring position by stealing second. But Alcides Escobar grounded out to third.

Young (1-4) allowed three runs and three hits over 5 2/3 innings. The 35-year-old right-hander has allowed at least one home run in each of his first five starts.

Tropeano, who came in having allowed two home runs in his first 75 1/3 innings in the big leagues, saw his first pitch to Hosmer end up in the rock pile in left-center following a one-out single by Mike Moustakas.

But Trout erased that deficit in the fourth with his fifth homer, driving an 0-2 pitch over the trees in center field after a leadoff single by Rafael Ortega. The 2014 AL MVP is hitting .353 over his last 14 games after starting the season 5 for 27.

SPIKE MARKS

Angels: Nine of Trout’s 37 career hits against Kansas City have been home runs. … The Angels have produced no more than four runs in 17 of the team’s first 21 games. . Tropeano picked off Dyson at first base with runners at the corners to end the fourth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney, whose flexor muscle strain during his first start of the season is the reason Tropeano was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on April 7, will look at other opinions on the slow-healing injury. . LF Daniel Nava will work out in Arizona during the team’s six-game road trip.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Kris Medlen (1-1, 6.00 ERA) gets the assignment for the opener of a three-game series at Seattle. It will be his first appearance against the Mariners, one of four teams the seven-year veteran has yet to face along with the Angels, Rangers and Braves, the club that drafted him in 2006.

Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (2-0) opposes Colby Lewis in the opener of a three-game set at Arlington, Texas. The Angels have won each of Santiago’s last 10 starts including his no-decision on April 7 at the “Big A,” when they pulled out a 4-3 win on Albert Pujols’ bases-loaded walkoff single in the ninth.

— Associated Press —

Wainwright earns first win as Cards rolls past Arizona 11-4

Posted on April 28, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) — Adam Wainwright pitched into the sixth inning for his first win and hit a three-run triple in St. Louis’ fifth straight offensive outburst, lifting the Cardinals to an 11-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

St. Louis scored 18 combined runs in two games to close out a sweep over San Diego and had 15 in splitting the first two against Arizona.

The Cardinals kept bashing, knocking around Patrick Corbin (1-3) and finishing with 14 hits, four by Stephen Piscotty.

Aledmys Diaz homered, scored three runs and had two RBI for the Cardinals, who have won four of five. Piscotty, Matt Carpenter and Matt Holiday also drove in two runs each.

Wainwright (1-3) gave up homers to Brandon Drury and Paul Goldschmidt but ended his worst start since 2012 behind the Cardinals’ big run support. He allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out five in 5 1/3 innings.

Wainwright has struggled since missing most of last season with an Achilles tendon injury, in part because of an inability to miss bats.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award runner up failed to strike out more than three batters in four straight starts for the first time since 2007. Wainwright, who has never had an ERA over 4.00 in a full season, has allowed at least three runs in every start this season and entered Wednesday’s game with a 7.25 ERA.

Drury certainly didn’t miss a hanging curveball by Wainwright in the second inning, lining it over the left field wall for a two-run homer.

Goldschmidt hit a ball even harder in the fourth inning, sending a towering solo homer to the deepest part of the park to put Arizona up 3-1.

But Corbin had his own struggles.

The left-hander limited the Cardinals to a run after scuffling in the first inning but couldn’t make it out of the sixth. St. Louis scored five runs in the inning — highlighted by Wainwright’s three-run triple over third base — to take a 7-3 lead.

Corbin allowed seven runs on seven hits and walked five in 5 2/3 innings.

Wainwright was pulled after David Peralta’s run-scoring single in the sixth cut the Cardinals’ lead to 7-4.

The Cardinals added to their lead in the seventh on Diaz’s run-scoring single and a two-run single by Carpenter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Josh Collmenter (shoulder) is scheduled to pitch in an extended spring training game on Thursday before going to Class A Visalia on a rehab assignment.

Cardinals: Holliday was back in the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s game with leg cramps.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last three starts headed into Thursday’s series finale.

Diamondbacks: RHP Rubby De La Rosa has allowed one hit by a right-hander in their last 19 at-bats against him headed into Thursday’s start against the Cardinals.

— Associated Press —

Kansas City drops second straight game against Angels

Posted on April 27, 2016

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Johnny Giavotella drove in three runs with his first homer of the season, Mike Trout and Carlos Perez had two-run singles, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 9-4 Tuesday night.

Jered Weaver (3-0) allowed four runs and nine hits over six innings and struck out four. The Angels scored one more run than they totaled in the right-hander’s first three starts this season.

Edinson Volquez (3-1) gave up eight runs and 12 hits in in five innings. The right-hander, facing the Angels for the first time since 2007, was coming off a 4-0 win over Detroit in which he allowed five hits through seven innings.

Mike Moustakas homered and Jarrod Dyson hit a pair of RBI doubles for the defending World Series champions, who had six two-base hits altogether — all against Weaver. The franchise record is 11, set on Aug. 11, 2003 against the Yankees.

— Associated Press —

Martinez wins fourth, Cardinals handle Diamondbacks 8-2

Posted on April 27, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) — Carlos Martinez gave up three hits in eight scoreless innings, Brandon Moss and Stephen Piscotty homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Tuesday night.

Martinez (4-0) won for the fourth time in four starts. The 24-year-old right-hander held the Diamondbacks without a hit until David Peralta’s one-out single in the fourth.

Moss had four hits, including a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Piscotty added a two-run shot in the seventh.

Former Cardinal Shelby Miller (0-2) threw four scoreless innings before St. Louis broke through for five runs in the fifth.

Still, it was a small step forward for Miller, who had battled control issues and hadn’t made it past the second inning in his previous two outings.

Jake Lamb and Yasmany Tomas homered for Arizona off reliever Tyler Lyons in the ninth.

Martinez struck out four, walked one and hit a batter. Besides Peralta’s single, the other hits off him were Jean Segura’s sixth-inning single and Tomas’ seventh-inning double.

Chris Owings, an infielder shifted to the outfield with A.J. Pollock’s injury, showed his inexperience in center in the Cardinals’ big fourth inning. With runners at first and second and one out, Owings broke the wrong way, then made a diving attempt to catch Piscotty’s fly ball. The ball bounced off of Owings’ glove and rolled away for an RBI double.

Randal Grichuk followed with an RBI sacrifice fly, then Moss hit Miller’s 1-0 pitch into the right-field seats, his fifth home run of the season, and it was 5-0.

Miller went five innings, allowing five runs and five hits. He struck out six and walked four.

POWER SURGE

St. Louis and Arizona entered the game tied with the most home runs in the majors at 30 apiece. Only they kept it up on Tuesday.

They each have 32 homers, the Cardinals through 20 games, the Diamondbacks through 22.

Nine St. Louis batters have homered this year, led by Moss and Jeremy Hazelbaker with five apiece. Ten Diamondbacks have homered, led by Paul Goldschmidt’s five.

Arizona has home runs in seven straight games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday was out of the lineup as a precaution after leaving Monday night’s game with a right leg cramp.

Diamondbacks: RHP Josh Collmenter (right shoulder tightness) threw one inning (11 pitches) in an extended spring training game on Monday, then pitched another inning in the bullpen. He is to pitch in another extended spring training game on Thursday before going to Class A Visalia on a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (0-3, 7.25 ERA) takes the mound for St. Louis still looking for his first win of the season.

Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (1-2, 3.51) makes his fifth start of the season, in the third game of the four-game series with the Cardinals.

— Associated Press —