Professional – Page 96 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Garcia shuts down Braves, has RBI single in Cards’ 1-0 win

Posted on August 5, 2016

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jaime Garcia turned back the clock to his childhood Friday night.

Garcia pitched eight scoreless innings and had an RBI single to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

“I think I did it a bunch of times in Little League,” Garcia said of the dual production. “I think the only thing that would have made it better would be to hit a home run for the only run.”

Garcia (8-8) became the first Cardinals pitcher with the lone RBI in a 1-0 win since Harvey Haddix did it against Pittsburgh on July 17, 1955. Garcia struck out 11 as he topped the 100-strikeout mark for the third time in his career.

Garcia entered the game with a .167 average and he wasn’t about to puff out his chest about his production.

“I’m not a good hitter, but I try my best to get a good swing at the ball,” Garcia said.

He pitched out of a two-on, no out jam in the fourth, striking out Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp before getting Adonis Garcia to ground out. Freeman and Kemp, the Braves’ Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, were a combined 0 for 6 against Jaime Garcia with five strikeouts.

Garcia’s two-out single in the second drove in Matt Holiday for the pitcher’s fourth RBI this season. Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur thought he had a play on Holiday at the plate.

“It was just a bad throw, kind of straight in the ground, which I don’t usually do,” Francoeur said. “So that was a frustrating one.”

Garcia needed just 89 pitches to get through eight innings, facing three batters over the minimum.

“You could tell the breaking ball and change-up were falling off the table, but he went to his sinker whenever he needed to and he wasn’t even in a lot of deep counts,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “That’s why he only threw 89 pitches through eight innings.”

Seung Hwan Oh got the last three outs for his ninth save.

Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-4) gave up the run and two hits with five walks in 5 1/3 innings.

Garcia’s effort aided a taxed Cardinals bullpen. Prior to his start, five of the last six St. Louis starters failed to pitch into the sixth inning.

“It was huge, trying to get our bullpen another full day,” Matheny said. “But we would have had Oh up and hot again so it wasn’t like he was going to sit around.”

The Cardinals have won six of their last eight games at home to improve to 26-30 at Busch Stadium. St. Louis has won all four games this season against the Braves.

Atlanta’s Ender Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 16 games by leading the game off with a single.

Atlanta has lost eight of its last 11 games at St. Louis.

HEAD OVER HEELS

Braves 3B Adonis Garcia tumbled into the camera well next to the Atlanta dugout to make an acrobatic catch on Brandon Moss’ pop foul in bottom of the third inning.

“It was awesome,” Francoeur said. “I actually saw him from right field disappear and the next thing I saw was a baseball coming over the thing. It was a great play.”

WELCOME BACK

Cardinals All-Star INF Matt Carpenter returned from the disabled list after missing 24 games with a right oblique strain. LHP Dean Kiekhefer was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.

TRAINERS ROOM

Braves: RHP Julio Teheran (right lat strain) will play catch on Saturday, but there is no timetable for his return.

Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons (knee) will miss at least a month, general manager John Mozeliak said.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Roberto Hernandez will make his Braves debut after being called up from Triple-A Gwinett Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona, has pitched for Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston.

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (10-6, 2.99 ERA) leads all N.L. pitchers with a career-high 24 double plays induced. He is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 career innings against the Braves.

— Associated Press —

Newest Chiefs’ QB Nick Foles practices for the first time Friday

Posted on August 5, 2016August 5, 2016

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Fans will have to wait at least a day to see the Kansas City Chiefs’ new presumptive backup quarterback.

Rain forced the team into the indoor facility on the campus of Missouri Western State University for practice Friday, which took place hours after Nick Foles signed a one-year contract with an option for a second year. The move reunites him with coach Andy Reid, who drafted him out of Arizona in 2012 while with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Foles adds experience behind starter Alex Smith and brings a familiarity with Reid’s system. After the Los Angeles Rams granted his release, Foles said, he contacted Reid and indicated he was the only coach he wanted to play for this season.

Reid said after practice that the team remains Smith’s, and Foles said he didn’t receive any guarantee of being the No. 2 behind the 12-year veteran.

“I don’t need any guarantees,” Foles said. “He knows that I’m coming here to work and just be a part of the team. I’m not coming here to try and do anything except be a great teammate to these guys, help Alex in any way and obviously, you always have to be ready to play because we’re here to play.”

Foles eschewed other potential offers that could have given him a better chance to compete for a starting job right away.

After a sub-par season in 2015 with the Rams, Foles sees Kansas City as a place where he can re-evaluate where he is in his career. The Eagles were 15-9 in his 24 starts spread across three years, while the Rams were 4-7 last season after he went to St. Louis in a quarterback swap that offered him and former No. 1 pick Sam Bradford a change of scenery.

Foles ended up seeking another change of scenery after just one year with the Rams, who chose quarterback Jared Goff with the first pick in the NFL draft. Some were not surprised he landed with the Chiefs and Reid.

“You know why it didn’t? I think it goes to show the type of respect that people who play for coach Reid have for him and the kind of faith they have in him,” said Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who caught 78 passes and 10 touchdowns from Foles with the Eagles in 2012 and 2014. “Any time ‘Big Red’ wants you to be a part of what he has going on, that’s an honor, so it didn’t really surprise me this would be the spot he picked.”

Foles started six games in 2012 with the Eagles with limited results in what turned out to be Reid’s final season in Philadelphia.

In 2013, Foles flourished after taking over the starting job from Michael Vick and threw 27 touchdowns and two interceptions in 10 starts under Chip Kelly and his innovative pass offense, which included an NFL record-tying seven-touchdown performance against the Raiders. That season ended with a trip to the Pro Bowl and seemingly cemented Foles as a star.

Instead, the Eagles went 6-2 in his eight starts in 2014 despite limited success (13 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) before a season-ending injury ultimately spelled the end of Foles’ tenure with Philadelphia. He started 11 games last year with the Rams — his worst season as a pro.

“I think he got out of me more than I ever thought possible,” Foles said of Reid. “He pushed me — every throw, everything I did — to just be aggressive and really, really helped me to be the player the next year (in 2013) and just continued to grow. It hasn’t always been smooth; it hasn’t always been like those first two years.”

At practice, Foles split repetitions with Tyler Bray, who signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted rookie in 2013 and has worked as Smith’s backup throughout the start of camp. Bray has never thrown a pass in a regular-season game, and neither have 2014 fifth-round draft pick Aaron Murray and 2016 fifth-round draft pick Kevin Hogan.

Reid cited Foles’ experience as a reason to bring him into an already crowded situation behind Smith. The Chiefs cut defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu to make room on the roster for the new quarterback.

“Nick’s familiar, obviously, with the system,” Reid said. “He’s a good football player. He was good for me as a rookie and Chip that first year there. I think he’s a good fit, and you can’t have enough of those guys. It’s a tough position, and you want to make sure that you’re fully loaded there. I think we’re fully loaded.”

Foles hit tight end James O’Shaughnessy on his first pass during a drill at the indoor practice. He received limited opportunities to throw in his first workout with Kansas City and did not participate in the Chiefs’ first live-tackling segment of training camp.

Reid said the Chiefs would continue to work on ways to split up repetitions and didn’t have an answer for how long they would hold on to all five guys.

“We’ll see. Maybe I’ll start my own hamburger stand,” the veteran coach joked.

— Associated Press —

Soria gives up three-run HR in 8th as Royals lose to Tampa Bay 3-2

Posted on August 4, 2016

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brad Miller took a punch to the gut on Monday when told he was losing his starting shortstop role and being moved primarily to first base.

On Thursday, he delivered the knockout blow in a victory.

Miller hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2.

“I just go out there and play,” Miller said. “It’s all I can really do. Try and get after it. I think I’ve shown them all year how valuable I am, but at the end of the day, I have to go out and play. That’s all that matters.”

Tampa Bay acquired Matt Duffy on Monday in a four-player deal that sent left-hander Matt Moore to San Francisco. Duffy will take over at short when he returns next week from a strained left Achilles tendon.

Miller connected on his 19th homer off Joakim Soria (4-5), who gave up three of the Rays’ overall four hits during his one inning.

“We’re lucky to have him, and it doesn’t matter where plays,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “We know his bat plays.”

Kansas City dropped to 40-2 when ahead after seven innings.

“In my view, it was a good pitch . it was down in the zone,” Soria said. “He hit it out, so it wasn’t a good pitch.”

Brad Boxberger (1-0) worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth before Alex Colome got his 26th save despite giving up two hits during the ninth. Drew Smyly allowed two runs, five hits, one walk and struck out 10 in seven innings.

Ian Kennedy gave up one hit, walked four and had nine strikeouts in six-plus innings for the Royals. Alex Gordon hit his eighth home.

Tampa Bay won the final two games to split the four-game series. The Rays are 8-25 against Kansas City since the start of the 2012 season.

Gordon had not homered or driven in a run in his previous 72 at-bats against left-handers this season before hitting a two-run drive off Smyly that put Kansas City ahead 2-0 in the fourth.

Smyly has given up 23 homers, including six to left-handed hitters. He didn’t allow a homer to a lefty last season.

Kennedy entered tied with teammate Chris Young and Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey with a major league-high 26 homers allowed but hasn’t given up a long ball in three consecutive starts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: RHP Chase Whitley (Tommy John surgery) will make his fourth rehab start Friday night with Double-A Montgomery.

MLB SANCTIONS

Royals DH Kendrys Morales received a one-game suspension and a fine for his actions following a ninth inning ejection, which included returning to the field, in Tuesday night’s game. Morales appealed the ruling and started.

FUTURE IN BLUE?

Major League Baseball will hold a one-day free umpiring clinic for all ages at Tropicana Field on Aug. 20. Baseball officials, including MLB umpire supervisor Charlie Reliford, will also be looking for scholarship candidates to attend a one-day pro mini-camp in December. Umpire Carlos Torres, who worked the Royals-Rays series, is a one-time camp participant that received an umpiring school scholarship.

MOVING DAY

Tampa Bay claimed C Bobby Wilson off waivers from Texas and optioned C Curt Casali to Triple-A Durham.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Dillon Gee (3-5) will face recently acquired Toronto LHP Francisco Liriano, who went 6-11 with Pittsburgh.

Rays: Rookie LHP Blake Snell (3-4) will go against Minnesota RHP Ervin Santana (4-9) in the opener of a three-game series Friday between the AL’s two worst teams.

— Associated Press —

St. Louis drops series finale at Cincinnati 7-0

Posted on August 4, 2016

CINCINNATI (AP) — Since the All-Star break, the last-place Reds have traded away another star and turned into a formidable team.

Brandon Phillips had three hits and left-hander Brandon Finnegan allowed two singles in six innings on Thursday, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-0 victory and a rare series win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Reds took two of three, giving them only their fifth series win in the last 23 between the NL Central rivals. And it goes beyond the one series.

For the first time since 1999, the Reds have won six straight series after the All-Star break. They traded RBI leader Jay Bruce to the Mets during the current surge.

“This is the time when some teams might phone it in,” manager Bryan Price said. “This group hasn’t.”

Phillips had a single and a pair of doubles, scored three times and drove in a run against former teammate Mike Leake (8-9). Ramon Cabrera drove in three runs, and Eugenio Suarez knocked in a pair.

Finnegan (7-8) allowed only a pair of singles, and then left after throwing 79 pitches on a humid, 88-degree afternoon. The bullpen gave up three more singles while closing out Cincinnati’s fourth shutout, which is tied with Milwaukee and Pittsburgh for the fewest in the NL.

“I didn’t have my best command,” Finnegan said. “They hit some balls hard, but we had some guys catch it. I had a lot of movement on the ball. (It) was a confidence boost, definitely.”

Reds first baseman Joey Votto went 0 for 4, ending a 17-game hitting streak that was the longest of his career.

It was the second time that the Reds faced Leake since they traded him in the middle of last season as part of their rebuilding. On July 7 at Great American Ball Park, Leake allowed only one earned run in 7 1/3 innings of a 7-6 Reds victory that ended with Votto’s homer in the bottom of the ninth.

This time, he left the game after failing to retire a batter in the sixth, giving up eight hits and seven runs. After spending his first 5 1/2 seasons in Cincinnati, Leake suspects the Reds have an advantage because they know how he pitches.

“I’m sure it plays a part,” Leake said.

Leake extended his streak without walking a batter to 35 innings, the longest in the majors this season. It ended when Adam Duvall walked on a full-count pitch to open the sixth. The club record is held by Bob Tewksbury, who went 44 innings without walking a batter in 1993. Duvall later scored on Phillips’ double, his third hit of the game.

The Reds got a pair of runs in the second inning, all on hits to right field. Phillips singled, Scott Schebler doubled and Cabrera pulled a ball down the line for a two-run single. Phillips doubled again to right field in the fourth and scored on Suarez’s sacrifice fly.

STATS

The Reds won nine straight series after the All-Star break in 1999, when they lost a one-game playoff to the Mets for the NL wild card. … The Cardinals got Brandon Moss and Jhonny Peralta back from the DL at the start of the series. Moss went 6 for 13 with two doubles and a homer in the series. Peralta was 2 for 10.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter is expected to come off the DL over the weekend. He’s missed 29 games with a strained right oblique. He went 4 for 12 during a rehab assignment with a homer and a double.

Reds: SS Zack Cozart was out of the lineup for the third consecutive game with a bruised finger on his throwing hand. … Schebler was hit on the right side of the knee in the sixth but stayed in the game. He left after the inning as part of a double switch.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: St. Louis returns home and starts a three-game series against Atlanta. LHP Jaime Garcia (7-8) is 2-1 in seven career starts against the Braves with a 4.32 ERA.

Reds: Anthony DeSclafani (6-0) opens a series in Pittsburgh. He’s 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts at PNC Park.

— Associated Press —

Kansas City gets blanked by Odorizzi, Rays 12-0

Posted on August 3, 2016

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jake Odorizzi had his third consecutive scoreless start, Steven Souza Jr. homered for the first time in two months and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 12-0 on Wednesday night.

Brad Miller and Kevin Kiermaier also homered for the Rays, who are 7-25 against the Royals since the start of the 2012 season.

Odorizzi (6-5) allowed two singles, walked two and had six strikeouts in six innings. The right-hander has not given up a run in 20 2/3 innings over the three-start stretch.

Enny Romero and Ryan Garton completed a two-hitter.

After Evan Longoria had a sacrifice fly, Souza put the Rays up 4-0 on his three-run shot off Edinson Volquez (8-10) in the first. Souza had gone 109 at-bats without a homer after going deep June 4 against Minnesota’s Ervin Santana.

Miller made it 5-0 during the third on his 18th homer.

Volquez gave up eight runs and 11 hits in five-plus innings.

Kiermaier, who entered hitting .163 with two RBI in 16 games since coming back from a fractured left hand, hit a three-run drive off Chien-Ming Wang in a five-run sixth to put the Rays ahead 11-0.

MOVING DAY

Royals: OF Billy Burns, acquired from Oakland Friday, was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and RHP Brooks Pounders was optioned to the Pacific Coast League club.

Rays: INF-OF Richie Shaffer was recalled from Triple-A Durham and UTL Taylor Motter was optioned the International League club.

DUFFY’S DAY

SS Matt Duffy, acquired Monday in a four-player deal that sent LHP Matt Moore to San Francisco, could be a week away from returning from a strained left Achilles’ tendon. “Just getting back up to speed and making sure that I’m 100 percent confident in this thing going forward,” Duffy said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Burns will probably start Thursday because manager Ned Yost does not want Lorenzo Cain to play a fourth straight game on the artificial turf at Tropicana Field. Cain returned from a left hamstring strain Friday.

Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to go three innings in a rehab start Thursday night with Class A Charlotte.

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Ian Kennedy (6-9) will face Rays LHP Drew Smyly (3-11) Thursday. Kennedy (26) and Smyly (22) are among the major-league leaders in home runs allowed.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals ride big first inning to 5-4 win over Reds

Posted on August 3, 2016

CINCINNATI (AP) — Brandon Moss singled home a pair of runs during St. Louis’ four-run first inning, extending his season-long streak against the Reds, and the Cardinals held on for a 5-4 victory over Cincinnati on Wednesday night to even their series.

St. Louis sent nine batters to the plate against Cody Reed (0-6) in the first inning, with Moss and Greg Garcia each driving in a pair of runs with singles. Stephen Piscotty added a solo homer, the Cardinals’ fifth in two games.

Moss and Jhonny Peralta returned from the disabled list at the start of the series and have contributed as the teams split the first two games. Moss is 5 for 9 with three doubles and a homer.

For the season, he’s 12 of 28 (.429) against the Reds with three doubles and five homers.

Michael Wacha (7-7) gave up a pair of runs in five innings as he won his fifth straight decision. Seung Hwan Ho gave up a hit in the ninth while earning his eighth save in 10 tries.

The NL Central rivals conclude the series on Thursday. The Cardinals have won 18 of their past 22 series, including eight of 11 at Great American Ball Park.

St. Louis had chances to pull out to an even bigger lead, but had a pair of runners thrown out at the plate as they tried to score from third base on grounders. Another was caught in a rundown between third and home.

Joey Votto extended his career-high hitting streak to 17 games with an RBI single in the first inning. It’s the longest streak by a Reds player since Brandon Phillips hit in 22 in a row in 2007. Votto is 29 for 58 (.500) during the streak.

The Cardinals’ Yadier Molina went 0 for 2, walked and was hit by a pitch, ending his 16-game hitting streak.

Piscotty’s 15th homer made it 5-2 in the fifth. He was involved in helping the Reds cut the deficit in the sixth.

Adam Duvall hit a fly ball down the right field line, and the ball deflected off Piscotty’s glove as he tried to make a sliding catch, resulting in a triple. Phillips singled for a run, and then was called out at second base as the Cardinals tried to turn a double play. Phillips was ruled safe at second after a review, and he scored on Ivan De Jesus Jr.’s single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Reliever Tyler Lyons went on the 15-day DL with a sore right knee. Den Kiekhefer was recalled from Triple-A.

Reds: Shortstop Zack Cozart was out of the lineup for a second straight day with a sore finger on his throwing hand.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Mike Leake (8-8) hasn’t walked a batter in his past 30 innings spanning five starts, a career best. It’s the longest active streak in the majors and the second-longest this season behind Matt Schoemaker’s 30 1/3 innings without a walk for the Angels.

Reds: Brandon Finnegan (6-8) is 1-1 against the Cardinals in five starts with a 3.66 ERA. In two starts this season, he’s gone 1-0 and allowed two earned runs in 12 innings.

— Associated Press —

Perez homer lifts Royals to 3-2 win over Rays

Posted on August 2, 2016August 2, 2016

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning that carried the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

Perez’s 16th homer came off Xavier Cedeno (3-3) after a single by Eric Hosmer. It lifted the Royals to their 12th win in their last 13 games against Tampa Bay.

Chris Young (3-8) got the win in relief, and Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his third save.

The Rays scored twice in the fifth off starter Yordano Ventura without hitting the ball to the outfield. Logan Forsythe walked and later scored on Kevin Kiermaier’s bunt single. After Brad Miller’s infield single, Desmond Jennings scored Kiermaier with a groundout to shortstop.

Forsythe had three hits for the Rays, who left 11 on base and went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

Ventura pitched five innings, giving up two runs, six hits and four walks.

Rays starter Matt Andriese pitched four innings in his first start since June 25, giving up one run on three hits while striking out three. Andriese returned to the rotation following Monday’s trade of Matt Moore to the San Francisco Giants.

Perez has 20 RBI in his last 20 games and a 14-game hitting streak against Tampa Bay.

DISAPPOINTED LONGO

Tampa Bay slugger Evan Longoria said it was disappointing to see Moore, INF Steve Pearce and OF Brandon Guyer traded in separate deals Monday that netted SS Matt Duffy from San Francisco and five prospects.

“You see three guys like those three guys leave sometimes it’s a little tough to stomach,” Longoria said. “We’ll move forward and hopefully the guys we got in return will be the players that we expect.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Luke Hochevar had season-ending surgery to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome. The Royals expect him to be recovered by spring training. … LHP Mike Minor, coming back from left shoulder surgery, struck out five and allowed two hits over 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his second rehab start for Triple-A Omaha.

Rays: OF Mikie Mahtook (fractured left hand) went 1 for 3 with a walk in his first rehab game with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Rays. … Touted shortstop prospect Daniel Robertson has been placed on the disabled list with Triple-A Durham.

UP NEXT

Edinson Volquez (8-9) will make his team-leading 23rd start for the Royals on Wednesday night against Jake Odorizzi (5-5), who is working on a steak of 14 2/3 scoreless innings for the Rays.

— Associated Press —

Cards lose at Cincinnati on Schebler’s three-run walk-off HR

Posted on August 2, 2016August 2, 2016

CINCINNATI (AP) — Scott Schebler’s three-run homer in the ninth inning rallied the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Brandon Moss and Tommy Pham hit solo homers in the eighth for a 5-4 lead, but the Cardinals couldn’t hold on.

Seung Hwan Oh (2-2) escaped a bases-loaded threat in the eighth, but gave up a pair of singles to start the ninth. Schebler connected for his second homer of the season and first game-ending shot.

Jumbo Diaz (1-1) fanned Oh with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to keep it 5-4.

The second-place Cardinals are hoping to make a run in the NL Central now that their lineup is closer to full strength. Moss and Jhonny Peralta returned from injuries on Tuesday, and the Cardinals expect to get leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter back later in the week.

Moss and Peralta had doubles that accounted for a run in the sixth. Moss tied it with a leadoff homer against Blake Wood in the eighth, part of his three-hit game. Pham followed with his first career pinch-hit homer, the fourth by St. Louis.

Adam Wainwright and Jedd Gyorko also had solo shots for St. Louis.

Cincinnati played its first game without right fielder Jay Bruce. Bruce and Adam Duvall were tied for the team lead with 25 homers when the right fielder was dealt to the Mets on Monday. Duvall moved from left field to Bruce’s old spot and hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Kevin Siegrist for a 4-3 lead.

Cincinnati’s Joey Votto had an RBI double among his four hits and extended his hitting streak to a career-best 16 games. Yadier Molina doubled and extended his hitting streak to 16 games as well, the longest by a Cardinal since David Freese hit in 20 in a row in 2013.

Wainwright hit his second homer of the season off Dan Straily, but couldn’t beat the Reds. Wainwright went 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA in July, but lasted only five innings on Tuesday. He’s only 8-10 career against the Reds in 21 starts.

UNHAPPY VOTTO

Votto wasn’t happy with a fan in a Reds jersey who reached for a foul ball in the seventh, preventing him from making the play. Votto glared and tugged on the Reds’ logo on the fan’s jersey before heading back to his position. He later signed a baseball for the fan and stopped to pose for photos with him.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Even as they get some stalwarts back, the Cardinals lost another. SS Aledmys Diaz went on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right thumb, hit by a pitch on Sunday.

Reds: SS Zack Cozart was a late scratch from the starting lineup with a bruised right ring finger, injured by a ground ball during batting/infield practice. Ivan De Jesus Jr. started in his place. … RH Caleb Cotham had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RH Michael Wacha (6-7) has won his last four decisions covering seven starts. He’s 3-1 in six career starts at Great American Ball Park.

Reds: LH Cody Reed (0-5) gave up six runs in five innings of a 9-7 loss in San Francisco on Tuesday. He’s never faced the Cardinals.

— Associated Press —

Duffy K’s Royals-record 16, limits Rays to 1 hit in 8 innings as KC wins 3-0

Posted on August 1, 2016August 1, 2016

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Danny Duffy pitched eight innings of one-hit ball and had a franchise-record 16 strikeouts to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 3-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

Duffy flirted with the Royals’ first no-hitter in nearly 25 years before giving up a line-drive double to Desmond Jennings leading off the Tampa Bay eighth.

Jennings came off the disabled list Monday after missing all of July with a strained hamstring.

Kendrys Morales’ 18th home run, a towering shot over the center field wall off Rays starter Chris Archer (5-15), got the Royals on the scoreboard in the seventh.

Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his second save.

Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain drove in runs in the eighth for the Royals, who won for only the second time in 10 games.

Duffy, a 27-year-old left-hander who spent the first six weeks of the season in the bullpen, walked one. He struck out seven in his first trip through the Rays’ lineup, and did not allow a baserunner until walking Logan Forsythe to lead off the fourth.

Zach Greinke had set the Royals’ single-game strikeout record at 15 on Aug. 25, 2009.

Archer gave up three runs on six hits in 7 1/3 innings, striking out six to raise his AL-leading total to 161. Tampa Bay snapped a four-game win streak.

RAYS AT THE TRADE DEADLINE

The last-place Rays traded LHP Matt Moore, OF Brandon Guyer and INF/OF Steve Pearce — all to teams that were in first place — on Monday. “We wish we were in that position,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Wish we didn’t have to do that but we’ve got to do what’s right for the organization today and moving forward.”

ROYALS AT THE TRADE DEADLINE

The World Series champions, coming off their worst month (7-19) in four years, did nothing at the deadline. “It’s good that we kept the group together. Everybody’s happy about that,” manager Ned Yost said. “(General manager) Dayton (Moore) looked at some things, but at the end of the day there wasn’t anything that’s going to make us better. He wanted to stick with this group. He believes in this group.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Wade Davis rejoined the team to rehab his flexor strain. Davis and the Royals are hopeful he will be able to come off the disabled list when he becomes eligible Aug. 12.

Rays: Jennings was 4 for 15 in four games with Class-A Charlotte, where he was rehabbing a strained left hamstring. … RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) threw another bullpen session.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura will follow his first career complete game, a 3-2 loss at Texas on Thursday, in his 21st start of the season Tuesday night. He has lost five straight decisions.

Rays: RHP Matt Andriese, back in the rotation with the trade of Matt Moore, will make his first start since June 10.

— Associated Press —

Royals lose Sunday as Texas completes four-game sweep

Posted on July 31, 2016

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mitch Moreland and Lucas Harrell helped the Texas Rangers get another big win as they pull away again in the American League West.

Moreland homered for the fifth time in his last five starts and Harrell won in his Texas debut as the Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 to finish a sweep of the four-game series.

After having their 10-game division lead shrink to 2 1/2 games last Wednesday, the Rangers have pushed the advantage back up to six games.

Harrell (3-2) gave up three runs and four hits — including solo home runs to Eric Hosmer and Drew Butera — in six innings. The 31-year-old right-hander was acquired from Atlanta last Wednesday to help the Rangers’ injury-riddled starting rotation. Sam Dyson earned his 22nd save.

“More than anything else, what we saw this weekend is when we get quality starts . we have an opportunity to utilize our bullpen the way we need to,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said.

The Rangers received quality starts in three of the four series games. They received quality starts in only three of their previous 21 games in July.

Harrell was the eighth Rangers pitcher to make a start in July. Colby Lewis and Derek Holland missed the entire month on the disabled list, and Yu Darvish returned from the DL on July 16.

“This team’s already on a roll,” Harrell said. “My job is to come in and get people out and keep us in the game.”

Kansas City hit just 2 for 25 with runners in scoring position during the series. The defending World Series champions went 7-19 in July, their worst month since recording the same record in July 2012.

“We take probably the last couple of weeks and try to forget that,” Eric Hosmer said. “Times are just rough.”

Moreland’s two-run homer was his 18th this season, the last five coming within 16 at-bats. Nomar Mazara also homered against the Royals, who have allowed an AL-high 141 homers this season.

Since Prince Fielder was lost for the balance of the season to another neck injury, Moreland has hit .366 with six homers. In the series, Moreland hit .615 with four homers.

“I’m trying to go up there and have good at-bats,” Moreland said. “It definitely worked out well for me this series.”

Dillon Gee (3-5) gave up four runs and seven hits over six innings in his longest and most effective start of the season. He had a 6.43 ERA in six previous starts.

GALLO SITS

Banister sat young power-hitter Joey Gallo, a left-handed hitter, against the right-handed Gee. Gallo is 1-for-14 with nine strikeouts since being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock last week.

“This guy has minor league power pedigree that we’re willing to be patient with,” Banister said.

“We’re still winning, and that’s the best part about it,” Gallo said. “It just takes time.”

SHORT HOPS

The temperature was 96 degrees at first pitch and reached 99. … Gee played collegiately at Texas-Arlington and makes his off-season home in nearby Fort Worth. … Banister also sat CF Ian Desmond and SS Elvis Andrus ahead of Monday’s travel day. . Adrian Beltre got his 2,873rd career hit, tying him with Babe Ruth for 43rd place all time.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Kansas City placed closer Wade Davis on the DL (flexor strain). LHP Matt Strahm was brought up from Double-A Northwest Arkansas and made his major league debut. He faced three batters and allowed one earned run. … Rangers RF Shin-Soo Choo (back) did rehab work Sunday for the second straight day and reported no discomfort. He hopes to be ready when eligible for re-activation on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (6-1) will start the series opener at Tampa Bay on Monday. Duffy has five wins and four no-decisions in his last nine starts, most recently losing on June 6.

Rangers: RHP Yu Darvish (2-2) will make his seventh start since starting his season in late May following Tommy John surgery when the Rangers open a series at Baltimore on Tuesday. Both losses have come since returning from the disabled list on July 16 following shoulder discomfort. He could reach 100 pitches for the first time this season.

— Associated Press —