Sports FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 45 Kluber strikes out 18 as Indians top Cardinals 2-0

CLEVELAND: Corey Kluber struck out 18 and allowed his only hit in the seventh inning, getting his first win this season in style, and the beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Wednesday night. The reigning AL winner didn’t yield a hit until Jhonny Peralta grounded a clean single to center with two outs in the seventh. A small crowd of 12,313 on a crisp night at Progressive Field gave Kluber (1-5) a warm ovation and he finished the inning by striking out . Kluber’s 18 tied the club record for a nine-inning game held by Hall of Famer (1938.) It’s also the most strikeouts by an AL since in 1998. Kluber didn’t walk a batter and had a chance to break the major league mark of 20 strikeouts shared by Clemens and . But he was pulled before the ninth after 113 pitches for closer Cody Allen, who got his fifth save.

Marlins 5, Dodgers 4 Dee Gordon had four hits against his former team, had a decisive two-run single in the seventh and the maligned Miami bullpen finished the win over Los Angeles. Gordon, who was traded from the Dodgers to the Marlins in December, had two doubles and scored twice for his first hits and runs against the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 2008. The Marlins (16- 19) rallied from a two-run deficit by stringing together five consecu- tive singles in the seventh, capped by Stanton’s hit that made it 5-4. CLEVELAND: Cleveland Indians Jose Ramirez hits a sacrifice bunt off St. Louis Cardinals in Relievers Sam Dyson, , Mike Dunn and A.J. Ramos the sixth inning of a game, Wednesday, in Cleveland. Ramirez was out at first base.— AP combined for 3 2-3 shutout innings after starter Jarred Cosart departed with a tight right hamstring. Ramos pitched a perfect Astros 4, Giants 3 solo homer, his seventh of the season and fifth in his last 10 games. ninth for his first career save since Steve Cishek lost his closer job. hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the eighth and The Reds won the rubber match of the three-game series and sev- Houston rallied past San Francisco. Springer had come off the sev- en-game season series between the teams. Rangers 5, Royals 2 en-day concussion disabled list prior to the game. He sent Jeremy Prince Fielder homered and had three hits, Shin-Soo Choo hit a Affeldt’s (0-2) pitch over the yellow line in left-center. It was his lone The Braves have lost five of their last six. leadoff for the second straight game and Texas beat hit and broke a 0 for 10 slump. Chad Qualls (1-2) threw a perfect Iglesias (1-0), a Cuba native, was recalled from Triple-A Louisville Kansas City. Choo pulled a 98 mph fastball from Yordano Ventura eighth for the win and Luke Gregerson pitched the ninth for his before the game. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Pinch-hit- into the right-field seats, and Fielder gave the Rangers a 4-0 lead eighth save. ter Eric Young Jr. broke it up with a leadoff bloop single to shallow with a two-run homer in the second inning. center field. Texas rookie Delino DeShields had three hits, including his first had three RBIs for the Giants. triple, and scored twice. Yovani Gallardo (3-5) took a shutout into Giants starter allowed three runs on six hits in 5 1-3 Orioles 6, Blue Jays 1 the seventh inning before allowing run-scoring doubles by Kendrys innings. Brett Oberholtzer lasted three innings in his first start of the Miguel Gonzalez scattered three singles and allowed just one Morales and Salvador Perez. Gallardo snapped a four-start losing year, allowing one run on five hits with three strikeouts before leav- unearned run while pitching into the eighth inning, and Baltimore streak that matched a career worst. ing with a blister on his left hand. beat Toronto. Alejandro De Aza reached base four times for the The first five Texas hitters reached against Ventura (2-3), who Orioles on a single, double, hit by pitch and a walk. Rookie Rey gave up at least four runs for the fourth time in five starts. Nationals 9, Diamondbacks 6 Navarro got his first career home run with a solo shot to lead off the Michael Taylor hit his first career grand slam in the ninth after eighth. Gonzalez (4-2) struck out five and walked two in 7 2-3 Rays 3, Yankees 2 was ejected two innings earlier, lifting Washington to innings to improve to 7-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 12 career starts against Asdrubal Cabrera got his 1,000th hit during a two-run second the win. Taylor entered the game in the seventh after Harper and Toronto. The Blue Jays’ only run came on a passed ball in the eighth. inning and Tampa Bay rebounded again from an early deficit to beat Nationals manager Matt Williams were ejected for arguing a check The Orioles, who won for just the third time in nine games, held New York. Tampa Bay went up 3-2 in the second when Cabrera swing call. Arizona took a 6-5 lead on pinch hitter Yasmany Tomas’ Toronto without an extra-base hit for the first time this season. drove in a run on a double off Adam Warren (2-2) and scored on run-scoring single in the eighth off Aaron Barrett (2-2), but the Joey Butler’s single. The Yankees took a 2-0 lead for the second Nationals loaded the bases in the ninth against Addison Reed (0-2). Twins 6, Tigers 2 straight game in the first inning on RBI singles by Mark Teixeira and In his first career at-bat with the bases loaded, Taylor sent the ball Torii Hunter homered and Joe Mauer hit a bases-loaded triple, Brian McCann. The Rays scored twice in both the seventh and eighth over the yellow line in center for his first slam. leading Minnesota past Detroit. Ricky Nolasco (3-1) allowed two Tuesday night to beat New York 4-2. Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer and Tyler Moore added a unearned runs in 5 1-3 innings for the win. Nolasco came in with a Nathan Karns (2-2) gave up two runs and seven hits in five two-run shot for the Nationals, who have won five straight series. 9.00 ERA, but gave up only four hits and three walks while striking innings. Brad Boxberger, the fourth Tampa Bay reliever, pitched the Drew Storen worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save. out seven. Kyle Lobstein (3-3) allowed six runs and seven hits and a ninth for his 10th save. walk while only recording seven outs. The Tigers lost J.D. Red Sox 2, Athletics 0 Martinez to a back injury. He singled in his first two at-bats, but Rajai Angels 2, Rockies 1, 11 Innings Wade Miley dueled with Oakland ace Sonny Gray and worked Davis hit for him in the sixth. The team announced he had lower Mike Trout made two spectacular defensive plays in extra out of jams all game to end a three-start skid and Boston took two of back tightness and is day-to-day. Hunter got things started for the innings, hit a game-ending sacrifice fly in the 11th, and three in the series. Facing the A’s for the first time in his five-year Twins in the first, homering against his former teammates. Los Angeles sent Colorado Rockies to its 11th consecutive loss. career, Miley (2-4) allowed the leadoff batter to reach in four of his Minnesota blew it open in the third, highlighted by Mauer’s three- Pujols’ bases-loaded fly to left easily scored pinch-runner Taylor first six innings. The left-hander won for the first time since April 21 run triple. Featherston for the Angels, who climbed back to .500 (17-17) with at Tampa Bay, allowing four walks and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. Gray their sixth win in eight games to close a nine-game homestand. (4-1) struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter for the first time all sea- Padres 4, Mariners 2 Trout leaped at the wall in the 10th to take a homer away from Troy son. But the A’s dropped to 1-11 in the daytime with their seventh James Shields became the first San Diego pitcher since 2007 to Tulowitzki, making a potentially difficult catch look routine. In the loss in eight games. start the season 5-0, Will Middlebrooks homered for the first time in 11th, the AL MVP made a running catch on Daniel Descalso’s fly and nearly a month, and the Padres ended Seattle’s four-game win uncorked a perfect throw to get Carlos Gonzalez at the plate. Phillies 3, Pirates 2 streak. Middlebrooks’ solo homer leading off the third inning was his Umpire Phil Cuzzi initially called Gonzalez safe, but it was over- Cole Hamels struck out nine over seven strong innings, Jeff fourth of the season and first since April 19. Cory Spangenberg turned by video review. Francoeur threw out the potential tying run at the plate to end the added a sacrifice fly in the third and Abraham Almonte had an RBI game and Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh. single in the seventh as the Padres split the brief two-game series. Cubs 2, Mets 1 Helped by Francoeur’s throw, Jonathan Papelbon surpassed Jose Shields (5-0) struggled to get through six innings, but became Chris Coghlan drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the Mesa to become the Phillies’ all-time saves leader with 113 after fin- just the sixth pitcher in Padres’ history to win his first five decisions ninth inning to give Chicago a victory over New York. ishing for his seventh save in as many tries. Papelbon also is Boston’s and first since Justin Germano in 2007. The Cubs, who have won three straight, scored twice in the final franchise leader with 219 saves. Hamels (3-3) allowed two runs and two innings after being shut out for seven innings by Mets ace Matt five hits to snap Philadelphia’s four-game losing streak. He out- White Sox 4, Brewers 2 Harvey. Harvey allowed only three hits and struck out nine. Harvey pitched Matt Harvey in the Phillies’ previous win last Friday night. Jose Quintana struck out 10 in seven solid innings, and Avisail blended a blistering fastball with a heavy dose of off-speed pitches. Pirates lefty Francisco Liriano (1-3) was a hard-luck loser again. He Garcia and Adam LaRoche hit back-to-back home runs in the first Mets reliever Carlos Torres (1-2), however, couldn’t close the deal. gave up three runs and six hits, striking out six in seven innings. inning to lead Chicago past Milwaukee. Torres gave up back-to-back hits to and Starlin Castro Liriano has a 2.96 ERA, but only one win. Chicago, which had a major-league worst three road wins enter- to start the ninth inning before intentionally walking Miguel ing the game, won their first road series of the season after taking Montero. After Mets manager brought in Jeurys Familia with the Reds 5, Braves 1 two of three from last-place Milwaukee. The Brewers made things bases loaded and no one out, Coghlan drew a walk to give the Cubs Rookie Raisel Iglesias pitched eight innings of two-hit baseball in interesting in the ninth after Carlos Gomez hit a solo homer off the win. Hector Rondon (2-0) earned the win for the Cubs after his second career start and Todd Frazier connected for his 12th David Robertson. Adam Lind then walked to put the tying run at the pitching a scoreless ninth. home run of the season, leading Cincinnati. Marlon Byrd added a plate with one out. —AP