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Category: Professional

Vargas earns 11th win as Royals top Blue Jays 3-2

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Vargas missed most of last season after having elbow surgery in 2015. This year he is a candidate to be the AL All-Star Game starter.

Vargas earned his major league-leading 11th victory, pitching seven efficient innings to lead the surging Kansas City Royals over the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Saturday.

The Royals won for the 11th time in 13 games and moved over .500 for the first time this season at 37-36.

“The pitching has been great, and we’ve got some timely hitting,” said Eric Hosmer, who homered in the fourth. “We’re definitely in synch as a team right now.”

Vargas (11-3) allowed two runs on eight hits, walked none and struck out two. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was set to try for his 11th win later Saturday against Colorado.

“It was a great day because we came out with a `W,” Vargas said. “I felt like in those middle innings we got into a nice rhythm and had some nice plays made for us and got us out of a couple of innings.”

Troy Tulowitzki and Kevin Pillar homered off Vargas.

“I know Jason really well,” Tulowitzki said. “I went to college with him. It’s funny because he used to be a power guy, throw real hard. Now he’s finesse. But he knows how to pitch, bottom line. He gets himself better each and every year. Other than today, I’ve been happy for him, honestly, just because he’s a good friend and someone that really loves the game.”

Pillar’s home run tied the game at 2.

“The fellows came back and picked me up after I gave up that home run in the seventh,” Vargas said.

Alcides Escobar had three hits and scored twice, including the go-ahead run in the seventh. He singled with one out and scored on Alex Gordon’s triple down the right-field line off Marco Estrada (4-6).

After Joakim Soria struck out two in the eighth, Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his 18th save in 20 chances.

Escobar tripled in the third when Blue Jays outfielders Jose Bautista and Pillar collided in right-center chasing the flyball. Escobar scored on Whit Merrifield’s sacrifice fly, which was not deep. He slid in ahead of left-fielder Steve Pearce’s throw.

“In that situation that’s a short fly ball to left field,” Escobar said. “Rusty (Kuntz, Royals base running coach) knows every outfielder and (said) if the ball is hit to left field, run. This guy is like a regular arm. He doesn’t throw too hard.”

The Blue Jays challenged the safe call at home, but it was upheld.

“I got my foot down before the tag,” Escobar said.

Estrada gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked four. He lost his fourth straight start but had failed to make it out of the fourth innings in two of those.

“I’ve had really rough outings lately,” Estrada said. “Sometimes it’s hard to get out of that. Put things in your head that you’re not supposed to. Today, I just let it all go, you know. `You’re better than this’ and make pitches and stop worrying about everything. Things went a lot better. It’s still frustrating, some of those hits they got.”

WALKING MAN

Royals rookie Jorge Bonifacio walked in his first three plate appearances.

GOOD JUNE

The Royals clinched their fifth straight series win. They are 6-0-1 in the past seven series. They are an American League best 15-6 in June.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (broken nail on middle finger) will throw a minor league rehab game Tuesday for Class A Dunedin. … Pearce returned to the lineup after missing two games with a bruised right knee. He went hitless in three at-bats, snapping his season-high eight-game hitting streak.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Francisco Liriano, who is 3-3 with a 5.76 ERA, will make his 12th start.

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel, who is 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA since May 20, will start the series finale.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals lose second straight to Pittsburgh

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — When it comes to taking one for the team, the Pirates can count on Josh Harrison.

Harrison was hit by a pitch to drive in a run. He also homered and scored a run after hitting a double in a 7-3 Pittsburgh victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.

Jordy Mercer also homered and starter Gerrit Cole pitched six innings for Pittsburgh.

After getting hit by a pitch in the sixth, Harrison has been hit by a pitch five times in his last six games. He leads all major league players with 16 hit by pitches this season.

Getting hit by a pitch is part of the job, Harrison said.

“There’s only been a few this year that haven’t hurt,” said Harrison, who has reached base safely in his last 20 road games. “What I like to say `It would probably kill common man.”

Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle likes what Harrison does for the Pirates.

“He creates a wake, a positive wake out there,” Hurdle said. “He’s swinging the bat well. He’s playing good defense. All the things combined, he’s playing really good baseball. He’s a fun player to watch.”

Cole (6-6) extended his winning streak to three games, allowing five hits and one run with five strikeouts and two walks.

In Cole’s four losing starts from May 22 through June 8, he surrendered 23 runs in 19 1/3 innings. Since then, he has reeled off three solid starts. Before Saturday, he allowed just three hits and one run in seven innings in each of his previous two starts.

“I just keep doing my job,” Cole said. “You’re going to make good pitches. You’re going to make bad pitches. You’re going to get hit and you’re going to get away with some. There’s always another pitch and another day.”

Pittsburgh has won four of its last six games.

Slumping St. Louis has dropped eight of its last 11. The 33-40 start for the Cardinals is their worst since 2007.

Lance Lynn (5-5) struggled for the second consecutive start. He gave up seven runs and six hits, including three homers in 5 2/3 innings. In his previous start at Baltimore, Lynn gave up nine hits, seven runs and a season-high four home runs in 4 2/3 innings.

In his first season back after Tommy John surgery, Lynn has given up 20 home runs.

“I know if you look at it from the last two starts, that’s two in a row that you’d like back,” Lynn said. “But I got to make sure I end it at that. You’re going to go through a rut or something like that and you don’t want to do that in the season and right now I’m in that.”

Before Saturday, Lynn had not allowed a run in his past 12 innings against the Pirates. He fired seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 win against Pittsburgh on April 17 at Busch Stadium.

“He made some mistakes and we got him,” Hurdle said about Lynn. “Good for us. He’s been tough on us here.”

Pittsburgh scored in the first on a two-out RBI single by Josh Bell that scored Harrison.

St. Louis quickly tied it at 1-all on Matt Carpenter’s first leadoff homer of the season. It was Carpenter’s 13th leadoff home run of his career.

The homer marked a season-high 13 straight games in which the Cardinals have hit a home run.

The Pirates regained the lead at 3-1 on a two-run, two-out homer by Mercer. Andrew McCutchen singled before Mercer lined a fastball over the wall just inside the left field foul pole.

“He’s steady Eddie,” Hurdle said about Mercer. “He’s raised his average 80 points and now he has seven homers and 28 RBI, which is impressive from where he was from a month ago.”

A two-out solo homer by Harrison in the fifth put Pittsburgh up 4-1.

“I think today was the case of a couple of sliders that got up on him,” manager Mike Matheny said. “I actually thought he was throwing the ball well. Just a couple of mistakes that really cost him.”

The Pirates sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth and scored three runs on just one hit to chase Lynn. David Freese led off with a walk and went to third on a single by McCutchen before scoring on Mercer’s groundout. After intentionally walking Chris Stewart, Lynn walked Cole.

Rookie John Brebbia relieved and promptly hit Adam Frazier and Harrison to give Pittsburgh a 7-1 lead.

The Cardinals added two runs in the ninth off reliever Wade LeBlanc.

SATURDAY IN THE PARK

With the victory, Pittsburgh improved to 10-2 in games played on Saturday this season.

BLACK AND BLUE

Since the start of the 2013 season, Pittsburgh batters have been hit a major league-leading 374 times.

“I don’t try to make anything more of than people maybe just trying to pitch inside,” Hurdle said.

TRAINING ROOM

Pirates: RHP Josh Lindblom (left side discomfort) was activated Saturday from the DL. He remains at Triple-A Indianapolis where he had been rehabbing.

Cardinals: C Yadier Molina missed his second consecutive game. He took a foul tip off his knee on Thursday in Philadelphia.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (2-6, 5.46 ERA) has not pitched more than five innings since tossing six April 8 against St. Louis, losing a 2-1 decision. Kuhl won his last outing Tuesday, a 7-3 win over Milwaukee to snap a six-game losing streak.

Cardinals: RHP Mike Leake (5-6, 3.03 ERA) has 10 wins against the Pirates, the most he has against any opponent. Leake has not won since May 24 when he pitched eight innings against Los Angeles in a 6-1 win.

— Associated Press —

Royals get walk-off win against Blue Jays, reach .500 for 1st time since April

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals had been 0-29 when trailing after eight innings. That changed Friday night.

Whit Merrifield hit a two-run, two-out double that capped a four-run rally in the ninth inning, and the Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Friday night to reach .500 for the first time since April.

“You always want to be up with the game on the line,” Merrifield said. “That’s why you play the game. It’s not always going to happen the way it did tonight, but it is fun when it does.”

With their 10th win in 12 games, the Royals improved to 36-36. They were 6-6 before play on April 20, then went on a nine-game losing streak that night and dropped as low as 10-20, seven games out of first place. They trail AL Central-leading Cleveland by three games.

Toronto took a 2-1 lead into the ninth and extended it when Josh Donaldson and Justin Smoak hit RBI singles off Joakim Soria (4-2).

Salvador Perez doubled with one out in the bottom half against Ryan Tepera, took third on a wild pitch, and Brandon Moss walked with two outs.

Alcides Escobar greeted Aaron Loup (2-1) with an RBI single, and Alex Gordon hit a run-scoring single on the first pitch from Jason Grilli. Ahead 3-1 in the count, Merrifield doubled on a hop to the left-field wall, and Gordon scored easily from first, crossing the plate with a headfirst slide.

“It’s frustrating,” Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin said. “It hasn’t happened too often in my career, but every time it happens it stings. You’re almost like standing there saying ‘I can’t believe that just happened.’ But, they earned it.”

The Royals have 21 comeback victories this season.

“We’ve said all year we have a team that is definitely capable of making a run,” Moss said. “I don’t think we pay attention to come-from-behind or whether we get out to a lead earlier or whatever. We’re just trying to win a ball game.”

Royals rookie Jake Junis gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings.

“This game can rip your heart out and tonight was one of those nights,” Happ said.

Toronto opened a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Troy Tulowitzki hit an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch. Perez singled in a run in the seventh.

ROYALS MOVES

RHP Chris Young, an integral part of the Royals’ 2015 World Series championship team, was designated for assignment with a 7.50 ERA in 14 appearances. The Royals signed RHP Neftali Feliz, who was released Monday by Milwaukee. He was 1-5 with a 6.00 ERA for the Brewers and eight for nine in save chances.

BLUE JAYS MOVES

Toronto selected the contract of OF Ian Parmley from Triple-A Buffalo, where he was hitting .289 with 11 stolen bases, and started him in right field. He went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice bunt in his debut. They optioned RHP Cesar Valdez to the Bisons. … 2B Devon Travis (right knee damaged cartilage) was transferred to the 60-day DL.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: Donaldson, scratched Thursday with a sore left knee, was back at third base and went 1 for 5 with three strikeouts. … LF Steve Pearce, who bruised his right knee banging into the wall Wednesday, did not play for the second consecutive game.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (right oblique strain) is to begin a minor league rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Omaha.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays RHP Marco Estrada and Royals LHP Jason Vargas, both Long Beach State alums, are scheduled to start Saturday.

— Associated Press —

St. Louis loses opener to Pittsburgh 4-3

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates super-utilityman John Jaso usually has one chance to make an impression in a game. On Friday night, he made the most of a rare second chance.

Josh Bell and Jaso homered as the Pittsburgh Pirates broke their Busch Stadium hex with a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jaso, who entered as part of a double switch in the eighth inning, drove a 3-2 pitch from Seung Hwan Oh (1-4) over the wall in right-center to break a 3-3 tie in the ninth as the Pirates broke a seven-game losing streak in St. Louis.

The eventual game-winning homer came one pitch after Jaso checked his swing on a possible strike three, but third base umpire Alan Porter ruled Jaso’s bat did not break the plane of the plate.

“I definitely held up on that swing,” Jaso said. “I think it was just an intense situation so everybody was jumping around, including the crowd and everything, but, no, I didn’t go.”

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny thought the pitch itself was strike three.

“As I saw it with the naked eye it didn’t necessarily look like it, but what I’m hearing that the strikes called showed it for a strike, but it’s a strike when they call it a strike,” Matheny said.

Four of Jaso’s five home runs have come in the seventh inning or later and four broke ties.

“I try and keep everything exactly the same that way there’s no ups and downs,” Jaso said.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said that consistency has made Jaso into one of baseball’s best pinch-hitters.

“A lot of people get caught up in the hair,” Hurdle said referring to Jaso’s hair style. “There’s a baseball player in there. He’s a free spirit but he’s a very controlled free spirit as far as working well with the team.”

Jameson Taillon threw 104 pitches in six innings, both highs since coming back from testicular cancer surgery on June 12. Only one of the four hits the Pirates righty allowed left the infield.

“I can be a little better about pounding the zone early in counts,” Taillon said. “When I’m efficient that’s where I have success just going middle down, power sink.”

Felipe Rivero (3-1) pitched the Pirates out of a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth. Rivero worked around a ninth-inning walk to secure the win.

Bell’s homer gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Bell’s 14 home runs are the second-most by a Pirates rookie before the All-Star break since Ralph Kiner’s 15 in 1946.

David Freese walked and scored to tie it 2-2 in the fourth. Freese advanced to third on a throwing error by second baseman Paul DeJong, the seventh by the Cardinals in their last three games which have led to seven unearned runs.

Freese’s two-out RBI single off Trevor Rosenthal in the eighth tied the game 3-3. Freese has hit safely in 13 of 14 games against his former team.

Adam Wainwright got through seven innings for the third time this season and the first time since May 27. Only one of the two runs Wainwright allowed was earned after he had allowed 18 runs in his previous 5 1/3 innings.

Jose Martinez’s two-run homer, his second in three games, gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second.

DeJong’s solo home run gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead in the seventh. It was DeJong’s fourth homer in his last seven games.

WEB GEMS

Matt Carpenter made a diving stop in the first and Tommy Pham made a diving catch in the second for the Cardinals, each saving would-be singles.

Gregory Polanco made a diving catch to start a 9-3 double play for the Pirates in the sixth.

TRAINING ROOM

Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli is on the seven-day concussion DL for the second time this month.

Cardinals: OF Dexter Fowler (quadriceps) missed his second straight game. … C Yadier Molina was a late scratch after taking a foul tip off his knee on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Gerrit Cole (5-6, 4.28 ERA) has pitched at least six innings while allowing two earned runs or less in seven straight starts. He is 5-4 with a 2.84 ERA in 11 career starts against St. Louis.

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (5-4, 3.33 ERA) has not allowed a run to Pittsburgh in his last 12 innings, including seven shutout innings on April 17. He is 4-0 with a 1.59 ERA in seven starts against NL Central opponents this season.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs sign Andy Reid to extension, part with GM John Dorsey

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid and John Dorsey arrived with the Kansas City Chiefs within weeks of each other, the coach and general manager given the massive undertaking of turning around a 2-14 franchise.

Reid will head into Year 5 by himself.

The Chiefs announced Thursday they had signed their coach to a contract extension, and then revealed less than an hour later that they parted ways with their GM. Those were massive decisions handed down by chairman Clark Hunt in a pair of statements on what is typically a quiet week in the offseason.

“My family and I have been very pleased by the success the franchise has sustained over the last four seasons under Coach Reid,” Hunt said. “He has already established himself as one of the best coaches in the league, and he is well on his way to solidifying a place among the all-time greats.”

It wasn’t just Reid that got the Chiefs on the winning track, though.

Dorsey arrived from Green Bay with a reputation for being a savvy scout, his track record working in the front office of the Packers seemingly impeccable. And over the past four seasons, he managed to turn a roster with a few big names but little depth into one of the strongest in the league.

It still wasn’t enough to keep his job with the Chiefs.

Just like Reid, Dorsey was entering the final year of a five-year contract. But unlike his close friend, he was informed by Hunt that his contract would not be extended. So the two agreed to part ways now rather than wait until next offseason, leaving a significant void in the front office.

Hunt did not say who will handle the GM duties on an interim basis, though Reid juggled coaching and personnel decisions in Philadelphia with varying levels of success.

“This decision, while a difficult one, allows John to pursue other opportunities as we continue our preparations for the upcoming season and the seasons to come,” Hunt said.

Hunt did not say why he thought the organization needed to move in a different direction, nor was he made available to answer questions. But he said in a letter to season ticketholders later Thursday he will conduct a search for a new GM in the coming weeks that includes internal and external candidates.

“I believe that we have a strong foundation in place,” Hunt wrote, “and we will continue to work tirelessly to build on the success we’ve sustained over the last four seasons.”

Dorsey made many wise decisions in revamping the once-downtrodden franchise, particularly when it came to the waiver wire, but he also made numerous moves that left him open to criticism.

The large contract given to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was a failure. The move to sign linebacker Tamba Hali to a $21 million deal was made worse by an administrative error that resulted in $4 million in additional dead money. Then there was the signing of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, during which the Chiefs were found guilty of tampering, docked draft picks and levied a substantial fine.

Maclin was given a $55 million, five-year deal, but injuries, productivity and salary cap woes forced Dorsey to release Maclin this offseason — in a voicemail, no less.

That situation also demonstrated a problem that has plagued Reid and Dorsey since their arrival: management of the salary cap. The Chiefs have been consistently strapped for cash, and that led to the ouster of salary cap guru Trip MacCracken from the front office.

Still, Dorsey uncovered plenty of gems during his tenure. He also swung the deal for quarterback Alex Smith to stabilize the most important spot on the field, and boldly moved up in this year’s draft to take Patrick Mahomes II and give Kansas City its quarterback of the future.

“I want to thank Clark, the Hunt family and the Chiefs fans for the opportunity to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom over the last four seasons,” he said in a statement. “I believe this team is well positioned for the future and I wish Coach Reid, the players and the entire organization all the best.”

While Dorsey mulls his future, Reid heads into a season filled with expectations.

Most of the team that went 12-4 and won its first division title since 2010 returns intact, and there is reason to believe the Chiefs could be even better. Top linebacker Justin Houston will be healthy after dealing with knee trouble last season; the secondary has been solidified after safety Eric Berry signed a long-term extension; and rookie running back Kareem Hunt gives the offense another weapon.

Smith is also entering what could be a make-or-break season. His contract next year makes it pricey to keep him and cheap to let him go, so the veteran quarterback has even more incentive for a career year.

“”We’ve made quite a bit of progress over the last four seasons, but we are not done yet,” Reid said in a statement. “We are going to continue to work toward our ultimate goal of winning championships. I’ve been blessed by the support of the community, our fans, the Hunt family and the entire Chiefs staff. I’m looking forward to the years ahead as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.”

— Associated Press —

Cardinals drop series finale at Philadelphia 5-1

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Aaron Nola felt like himself again.

Nola pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning, Freddy Galvis and Tommy Joseph homered, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 Thursday to stop a five-game losing streak.

Nola (4-5) allowed one run, four hits and two walks in 7 1/3 innings and struck out eight.

“I know what I’m capable of and know what I can do,” Nola said. “Today was me. I felt confident in all of my pitches.”

The 24-year-old right-hander had a promising start to his career, but he did not pitch after July 20 last season because of right elbow trouble. He has been inconsistent this season.

“That looked like the old Nola, and that was great to see,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. “That’s the Nola we have come to love. He was outstanding, hitting paint on both sides.”

Joseph drove in three runs as Philadelphia, a major league-worst 23-48, won for just the second time in 15 games.

“Positive vibes, right?” Joseph said. “You have to keep your heads up. It’s a long season. It’s easy to get lost in the record, but we have the opportunity to make a personal difference and team difference every day.”

Paul DeJong homered on a hanging curveball leading off the eighth, pulling the Cardinals to 3-1, and Matt Carpenter walked with one out. Pat Neshek relieved and got Tommy Pham to ground into an inning-ending double play, and Luis Garcia followed with a perfect ninth.

Carlos Martinez (6-6) gave up three runs — two earned — and six hits with four strikeouts in six innings. The Cardinals, who made three errors, had won their previous five games against the Phillies.

“He was making pitches on the corners, getting a little help early and a lot of early outs so that kept hit pitch count down,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Nola. “His breaking ball was good.”

Galvis homered in the first and Joseph leading off the fifth. With two on and two outs, Andres Blanco scored from second on an errant flip to second by shortstop Aledmys Diaz after his fine grab of Galvis’ liner up the middle.

Left fielder Jose Martinez dropped Odubel Herrera’s fly ball in the eighth for a two-base error, and Joseph followed with a two-run, two-out single.

BASERUNNING GAFFE II

Herrera was picked off third base in the fourth inning. In Wednesday’s 7-6 loss, Herrera ran through third-base coach Juan Samuel’s stop sign in the ninth and was out by 10 feet.

“I can’t say I was happy,” Mackanin said. “You have to be aware. He didn’t take that hard step back. I’m not pleased about it.”

GOING DEEP

St. Louis has homered in 11 straight games and has 20 home runs since June 16. The Cardinals had scored four or more runs in their previous 11 games.

STREAKING I

Cardinals’ Yadier Molina extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a seventh-inning single. He is batting .293 over the stretch.

STREAKING II

Neshek extended his scoreless innings streak to 15 innings while making it 18 straight innings at home without allowing a run.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Dexter Fowler did not play, a day after experiencing left quadriceps tightness.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (7-5, 5.75) is to start for St. Louis as the Cardinals open a three-game home series against the Pirates. Wainwright set career highs for earned runs (nine) and home runs allowed (three) over 1 2/3 innings in a 15-7 loss Saturday at Baltimore, the shortest start of his big league career.

Phillies: Philadelphia opens a nine-game trip at Arizona on Friday night. Mark Leiter (0-0) was in the clubhouse Thursday and is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make his first big league start. The 26-year-old right-hander, who made 12 relief appearances for the Phillies earlier this season, is a son of former big league pitcher Mark Leiter and the nephew of former pitcher Al Leiter.

— Associated Press —

Perez grand slam in 8th rallies Royals past Red Sox 6-4

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez borrowed a Miguel Cabrera bat from Kansas City Royals teammate Drew Butera for the first time Wednesday.

“It’s a magic stick,” Butera said.

It was magic for Perez, who hit his first career grand slam, connecting in the eighth inning to rally the Royals over the Boston Red Sox 6-4.

“Miggy gave the bat to Butera when Detroit was playing here,” Perez said. “Drew doesn’t use it. It’s too heavy for him. Today, coming into the clubhouse, I put it in my locker. I like the bat.

“Today was the first day I used it and I’ll use it Friday, too, before you ask me. I don’t want to break that one. I’ve got to call Miggy and say, `You’ve got to send me some more bats.”

The Royals have won nine of 11 and moved within a game of .500.

Perez homered over the Kansas City bullpen in left field on the ninth pitch from Robby Scott (0-1). With Boston leading 4-2, reliever Matt Barnes started the inning by walking Jorge Bonifacio and Lorenzo Cain on 12 pitches.

“We uncharacteristically lost the strike zone,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “For a group that has been so good at not issuing too many walks over the course of the year, we had an inning that got away from us. Matt was up in the zone. He couldn’t get the ball down.

“This one stings because that group has been so good, so consistent for the better part of the whole season.”

Scott was summoned to face Eric Hosmer, but walked him on four pitches to load the bases for Perez. The All-Star catcher fouled off three full-count deliveries before hitting his 15th home run of the season.

“I was happy with where the pitch was, but it was too good,” Scott said. “There’s not much else to say about it.”

According to ESPN Stats and Information, Perez was the first Kansas City player to hit a grand slam in the eighth inning or later with the Royals trailing since Frank White in 1986. Perez went 3 for 3 in the win.

Jorge Soria (3-2) worked a spotless eighth. Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 19 chances.

Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts hit successive home runs in the Boston fourth off Ian Kennedy.

Benintendi’s drive was estimated at 454 feet and landed in the right-center waterfall. The leadoff homer was Boston’s first hit, and the 100th of Benintendi’s career.

Five pitches later, Bogaerts went deep to left, tying the score at 2. It was the fourth time this season the Red Sox have hit back-to-back home runs.

“I tried to go inside and the ball just ran back over,” Kennedy said of the homers.

Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits.

Kennedy was removed after 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs, two earned, three hits and three walks. He has just one victory in his past 17 starts.

Errors by Kennedy and first baseman Cheslor Cuthbert helped Boston score twice in the fifth.

ORTIZ’S CEREMONY

The Red Sox will retire David Ortiz’s No. 34 in a pregame ceremony Friday at Fenway Park. “When you consider the careers that are on that fa�ade, the numbers that are up there and the fact that his being done so soon after retiring, I think speaks volumes,” Farrell said. “What he’s meant to the city, what he’s meant to the organization. To see him at the ballpark, see the smile, to hear the booming voice, it will be a good day for us.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia missed his third straight game with rib soreness after being hit by a pitch Sunday. “When he went down to swing in the cage, there’s still some restriction,” Farrell said. “Hopefully he’ll be back in the lineup Friday.” … LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (right knee subluxation) will throw a 30-pitch two-inning simulated game Saturday.

Royals: RHP Nathan Karns (forearm strain) threw off a flat surface, his first time tossing since having a setback 11 days ago. … LHP Danny Duffy (oblique strain) will throw a bullpen session Friday and could begin a minor league rehab stint next week.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: After a day off Thursday, RHP Rick Porcello will start Friday against the Angels.

Royals: RHP Jakob Junis will start Friday against the Blue Jays.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals rally from 5-0 deficit, beat Phillies in 10 innings

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Cardinals used the long ball to rally and small ball to win.

Tommy Pham’s second solo homer off Hector Neris in the ninth inning tied it and the St. Louis Cardinals came back from a 5-0 deficit to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 in 10 innings Wednesday night.

Jedd Gyorko hit a two-run homer and pinch-hitter Jose Martinez also connected for St. Louis.

“Any time you come back like that, it feels real good, shows we have a lot of character,” Pham said.

The game went to extra innings after Freddy Galvis lined a double down the left-field line with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Odubel Herrera ran through a stop sign, around third-base coach Juan Samuel and was thrown out by 10 feet. He didn’t even attempt to slide and was pulled from the game in a double switch.

“I was playing aggressive, I wanted to win the game, I put my head down and kept running,” Herrera said through a translator. “I saw (the stop sign) late. It’s my mistake.”

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Herrera let his “emotions get the best of him.”

Martinez led off the 10th with a double to right off Edubray Ramos (0-6). He advanced to third on a balk and scored when Ramos made a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at first base after Dexter Fowler was intentionally walked. Yadier Molina added an RBI single.

Phillies starter Nick Pivetta had a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed three runs and four hits in six innings. The rookie right-hander fanned nine in seven scoreless innings in his previous outing against Boston — also a no-decision. The Cardinals won their second straight extra-inning game after losing five of six.

The Phillies have lost 13 of 14 and 39 of 50. They have the worst record in the majors (22-48).

Cardinals starter Michael Wacha gave up five runs — two earned — and nine hits in four innings. Brett Cecil (1-2) got two outs to earn the win. Seung Hwan Oh allowed a run but finished for his 16th save in 18 tries.

The Phillies jumped ahead 3-0 in the first inning. The runs were unearned because of a fielding error by second baseman Greg Garcia.

After Garcia booted a double-play grounder, Maikel Franco drove in the first run with a fielder’s choice grounder and Herrera ripped a two-run double to right-center.

Garcia made a throwing error in the fourth that allowed another run as the Phillies took a 5-0 lead.

Pham hit his eighth homer in the fifth. Gyorko went deep in the sixth for his 11th homer. Martinez hit one off Joaquin Benoit in the eighth to cut it to 5-4. Pham drove one out to straightaway center to tie it in the ninth.

“He’s a dangerous hitter to any part of the field,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Pham. “An exciting player.”

GOING DEEP

The Cardinals have hit three or more homers in five consecutive games. They have 19 homers since June 16.

FREE BASEBALL

The Phillies have played three straight extra-inning games and 11 this season, going 4-7.

SIGNED AND READY

Outfielder Adam Haseley, selected eighth overall in last week’s amateur draft, agreed to a minor league contract with the Phillies that includes a $5.1 million signing bonus.

The 21-year-old, a left-handed hitter, batted .390 with 14 homers and 56 RBI in 58 games at Virginia this year. Haseley could begin his pro career at Single-A Clearwater.

“Wherever they want me to go,” Haseley said. “I’m just looking forward to getting going.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: CF Fowler left the game with left quad tightness after scoring from second base on a single for the seventh run.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (6-5, 2.86 ERA) starts the series finale Thursday afternoon. He’s 3-0 with 20 strikeouts in 23 innings in three starts vs. the Philadelphia.

Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (3-5, 4.76) goes against the Cardinals. He’s 1-1 against them.

— Associated Press —

Royals struggle against Sale, lose to Red Sox 8-3

Posted on

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris Sale had just shut down one of the hottest teams in baseball, helping the banged-up Boston Red Sox take over sole possession of first place in the AL East for the first time all season.

And he looked as if he wanted to punch a wall.

Sale was two outs shy of his second consecutive complete game when Boston manager John Farrell trundled to the mound Tuesday night. But the left-hander’s pitch count had already reached 110 on the way to an 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals, so Farrell’s decision to summon a reliever was relatively easy.

If a bit hard to swallow for his competitive ace.

“A little frustrating,” Sale said, “but at the end of the day we got the win. We’re good.”

Sale (9-3) gave up a homer to Mike Moustakas in the second inning and a two-run shot to Jorge Bonifacio in the ninth before leaving the game. The five-time All-Star allowed two other hits and a walk while pushing his major league-leading strikeout total to 146.

More importantly, he got a win after going the distance in a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia last week.

“We scored a bunch of runs today. That takes a lot of pressure off a pitcher,” Sale said. “You can make mistakes and not have to worry about it. You can just pound the strike zone.”

Xander Bogaerts and Sandy Leon each drove in a pair of runs for Boston, which got plenty of production from a lineup missing Pablo Sandoval, Dustin Pedroia and Mitch Moreland to various injuries.

First baseman Sam Travis and third baseman Deven Marrero, recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket earlier in the day, drove in early runs to get the Red Sox off and running. Mookie Betts and Chris Young also had RBI as the new division leaders kept piling on.

Boston jumped a half-game ahead of the rival New York Yankees, who have lost seven in a row for their longest slide in a single season since April 2007.

“It’s good to see the way guys have responded when guys have been down,” Farrell said. “To do it on the road, to continue to win, that’s a sign this team is becoming special.”

Most of Boston’s damage came against Royals youngster Matt Strahm (2-4), who struggled to follow up his dazzling first career start. The left-hander with a delivery eerily similar to Sale’s was hammered for five runs on seven hits and a walk before exiting with nobody out in the fourth.

Strahm allowed one unearned run in five innings last week against the Angels.

“Just mistakes. I’ve just got to do better with more quality pitches,” he said. “Just making quality two-strike pitches was my nemesis today.”

Sale dominated a Royals lineup that had slugged its way to eight wins in nine games, striking out the side in the fifth for good measure. The long, lean lefty was finally lifted after Bonifacio’s homer and a base hit by Brandon Moss.

The dominant performance came after Sale twirled a complete game in his last start at Kansas City, allowing two earned runs while striking out 10 in a 7-4 victory last Sept. 16 for the White Sox.

“He locates all his pitches, throws hard and has great stuff,” Moustakas said. “You just try to put the ball in play, try not to get to two strikes. I was able to do that in that first at-bat.”

PAINFUL PANDA

Sandoval went on the disabled list before the game with an inner ear infection. The pain began for the Red Sox third baseman a few days ago, but Farrell said Sandoval’s temperature kept climbing. The DL stint also gives Sandoval a mental break after a rough start to the season.

ROSTER MOVES

Along with putting Sandoval on the DL, the Red Sox optioned RHP Austin Maddox to Triple-A Pawtucket.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Pedroia (ribs) still felt discomfort while swinging in the cage before the game, though Farrell said it’s possible the second baseman could play Wednesday. … LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (right knee) went through fielding practice before the game. He plans to throw to hitters on Saturday.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (right oblique) threw about 40 pitches off the mound to hitters before the game and reported no problems. He plans to throw a side session Friday and could begin a rehab assignment next week. “Felt great, looked great,” manager Ned Yost said.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz tries to build on a solid start at Houston in the series finale Wednesday afternoon. Pomeranz allowed one run while pitching into the seventh inning against the Astros.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy will be coming off his first win since Sept. 11 when he starts for Kansas City. Kennedy retired the first 17 hitters he faced in a 3-1 victory over the Angels.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals score seven runs in 11th to beat Philadelphia

Posted on

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tommy Pham wasn’t going to let another cutter get by him.

Pham hit a two-run homer as part of a seven-run 11th inning to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-1 on Tuesday night.

Stephen Piscotty had a two-run double off Casey Fien after Edubray Ramos (0-5) started the inning with two walks. Yadier Molina and Pham followed with homers as the Cardinals had their biggest output of the season in an inning.

“(Fien) threw me a cutter first pitch and I said if he throws me another one I’m going to crush it,” Pham said. “He threw it again and that normally never works, but it worked there. I wish I could predict stuff like that but I can’t. I’m not that good.”

Fien gave up both homers and then a single to Chad Huffman and double to Carpenter before the pitcher was removed. Philadelphia has now lost 12 of its last 13 games.

“Ramos didn’t record an out and he didn’t throw strikes,” said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. “Then we threw balls that were hit. It’s a tough way to lose a game after we had good pitching for 10 innings.”

Mike Leake started the game for St. Louis and allowed one run and three hits in six innings.

Jeremy Hellickson gave up six hits and a run in seven innings. His only blemish was a solo homer for Jedd Gyorko in the second inning.

Both bullpens pitched well until the Phillies’ imploded in the 11th inning. Kevin Siegrist (1-1) pitched one inning in relief for St. Louis to earn the win. The Cardinals relievers pitched five shutout innings allowing just four singles.

Philadelphia scored its lone run of the game on a Maikel Franco RBI single after Leake walked the first two batters in the fourth inning.

“(Leake) was good,” said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. “He trusted his sinker and kept it down and got the outs when we needed it. It’s really hard to complain about anything when he only gives up three hits.”

The Cardinals improved to 4-0 against the Phillies this month. St. Louis is 3-12 against everyone else in June.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Alex Reyes, the top pitching prospect for the Cardinals, is making good progress in his recovery from a UCL tear in his right elbow and could begin a throwing program in about four weeks. Reyes had Tommy John surgery in February and is hoping to be back competing for a rotation spot at the beginning of the 2018 season.

Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday with an upper back strain. Eickhoff has struggled this season and is the only pitcher in the majors with at least 10 starts and no wins. However, he is coming off his best start of the season in which he allowed just one run on six hits against Arizona. 1B Brock Stassi was recalled from Double A Reading to take his spot on the roster.

END OF THE LINE

Phillies 1B Tommy Joseph had his 14-game hitting streak come to an end Tuesday. He was 0-for-5. He entered the game tied with Los Angeles Dodgers 3B Justin Turner for the longest active streak in the majors.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (3-3, 4.78) had six quality starts in his first seven outings, but has had only one in his last five starts — it came against the Phillies.

Phillies: RHP Nick Pivetta (1-3, 4.46) is coming off the best start of his young career. He threw seven shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox and struck out nine in what was a no decision.

— Associated Press —

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