Sports FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015 42 Astros overpower 6-1

HOUSTON: Evan Gattis hit a two- homer to help Dallas Keuchel runs in 12 1-3 innings for a 15.33 ERA. Wada drew a leadoff walk and scored on Dexter Fowler’s triple to earn his eighth straight win, and the Houston Astros kept rolling right, just beating the relay throw by Jedd Gyorko. Fowler came with a 6-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. The PHILLIES 4, ROCKIES 2 in on Bryant’s sac fly to left. Astros improved to an American League-best 27-14, giving them Rookie Severino Gonzalez pitched five solid innings, Ryan the best start through 41 games in franchise history. Sitting atop Howard homered and Philadelphia Phillies beat Colorado for its ANGELS 4, BLUE JAYS 3 the AL West, this is the latest the Astros have led their division since seventh win in eight games. Gonzalez (2-1), recalled prior to the Marc Krauss hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh May 22, 2004. Keuchel (6-0) allowed six hits and no earned runs in game from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, allowed a run on five hits in his inning and Los Angeles rallied to beat Toronto for its seventh win seven innings to lower his ERA to 1.67. He’s won eight straight deci- third big league start. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth in nine games. Mike Trout hit a solo homer and Jered Weaver sions dating back to last year, which is the longest streak by a for his 11th save in 11 chances. The Phillies took a 2-0 lead at the pitched seven innings to win his third straight start. The Angels starter in the majors. And his 6-0 mark this year is the best by an outset against Eddie Butler (2-5), who labored to get through a 43- have rallied to win in five of their past six victories. Krauss’s key Astro since opened the 2004 season at 9-0. pitch first inning. He had a chance to escape unscathed but with hit came one inning after he replaced Albert Pujols, who left after two on and two outs, he short-hopped a throw to first on Maikel being hit on the left hand by a pitch from Toronto’s Drew NATIONALS 3, YANKEES 2 Franco’s comebacker for an error, allowing Howard to score from Hutchison. The Angels said Pujols suffered a contusion. Weaver Cleanup hitter Bryce Harper and manager Matt Williams were third. Jeff Francouer followed with an RBI single. (3-4) allowed three runs and four hits. Joe Smith worked the both ejected in the third inning, but Washington came back to beat eighth and Huston Street finished for his 14th save. Toronto lost New York on Denard Span’s tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh. RANGERS 2, RED SOX 1 for the ninth time in 11 games. Harper, the NL Player of the Week twice in a row, entered with 10 Phil Klein allowed one run in his first major league start, homers in his previous 12 games. In his second at-bat, he got into BRAVES 2, RAYS 1 an argument with plate umpire Marvin Hudson after a first-pitch Williams Perez gave up one run over five innings in his first strike call and was tossed. Williams then came out of the dugout to major league start and fellow rookie Todd Cunningham drove in move Harper out of the way and get in Hudson’s face, leading to the tiebreaking run with a groundout as Atlanta beat Tampa Bay. the second ejection. After getting kicked out, Williams went over The Braves bullpen threw four scoreless innings to close out the and kicked dirt on home plate - with one swipe by each foot. Span win for Brandon Cunniff (2-0). Jason Grilli picked up his 12th save drove in an unearned, go-ahead run with a bases-loaded single off to ensure a split of the two-game series. Freddie Freeman scored reliever Justin Wilson. the go-ahead run after reaching on a ground-rule double in the sixth inning. He advanced to third on Nick Markakis’ single and GIANTS 4, DODGERS 0 scored on Cunningham’s grounder. Rays right-hander Jake Buster Posey hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning through Odorizzi (3-4) allowed two runs and four hits over six innings. It a thick mist hovering above the field, Tim Lincecum won his third was the eighth time this season the Rays have scored two runs or straight decision and San Francisco beat Los Angeles for its fifth less in one of his starts. straight victory. had an RBI single among his three hits and Angel Pagan backed Lincecum with his glove by TWINS 4, PIRATES 3, 13 INNINGS stealing an extra-base hit from Yasmani Grandal with a great catch Joe Mauer hit his first of the season, a solo shot off at the wall in center field in the seventh. San Francisco matched its Antonio Bastardo in the 13th inning to help Minnesota to a victo- season-high winning streak and pulled within 21/2 games of NL ry over Pittsburgh. Mauer’s fly ball to right reached the first row West-leading Los Angeles. Lincecum (4-2) won a fourth straight of seats, his first home run since Aug. 17, 2014. Torii Hunter went home start for the first time since July 4-Aug. 1, 2009. He struck out 3 for 5 with three RBIs for the Twins, who improved to an AL-best four over seven innings to pass Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell for 13-5 in May. Brian Duensing (2-0) picked up the win. Glen Perkins fourth place on the franchise all-time list with 1,680 Ks. worked the last inning for his major league-leading 15th save. Josh Harrison went 3 for 6 for the Pirates. Andrew McCutchen had INDIANS 4, WHITE SOX 3 three hits, including a solo home run off Blaine Boyer in the Shaun Marcum won his first start in almost two years, Michael eighth but the Pirates fell to 0-6 in extra-inning games when Brantley had a two-run double in the seventh inning, and Bastardo (0-1) let Mauer go deep. Pittsburgh has lost six of seven Cleveland beat Chicago. Recalled earlier Wednesday from Triple-A and moved a season-worst four games under .500. Columbus, Marcum went 6 2-3 innings and gave up two runs and four hits and struck out six for the Indians, who have won four of DIAMONDBACKS 6, MARLINS 1 six. Jose Ramirez had two hits and two runs and reached base four Chase Anderson allowed four hits in a career-high eight times in a game that began after a 31-minute rain delay. Marcum innings and Arizona dealt Miami its sixth straight loss. David (1-0) hadn’t started a game in the major leagues since July 6, 2013, Peralta drove in three runs and AJ Pollock had three of the for the . He was later diagnosed with thoracic outlet Diamondbacks’ six stolen bases. He had three hits and scored syndrome, which involves nerves near the neck and caused tingling four times. Anderson (1-1) picked up his first win of the season in and numbness in Marcum’s right hand, eventually leading to shoul- eight starts. He walked one while striking out two. Anderson der surgery. He’s made one appearance in relief this season, throw- pitched into the ninth and left the bases loaded with nobody ing five innings and allowing one run against Detroit on April 12. DENVER: Center fielder Odubel Herrera #37 of the out, but Brad Ziegler was able to finish off the Marlins allowing Philadelphia Phillies makes a leaping catch for the first just one run to score. The Marlins have lost nine of 10 overall CARDINALS 9, METS 0 out of the fifth inning and went on the throw to first base and all three games under new manager Dan Jennings. David Matt Adams hit a long three-run homer, Jason Heyward also to double up Ben Paulsen of the Colorado Rockies for the Phelps (2-1) allowed four runs, five hits, and three walks in five connected and St Louis enjoyed a second consecutive offensive second out at Coors Field on May 20, 2015 in Denver, innings. outburst, roughing up Bartolo Colon in a rout of New York. Matt Colorado.—AFP Holliday and Kolten Wong both had three hits to back Carlos MARINERS 4, ORIOLES 2 Martinez (4-2), who pitched 6 1-3 innings of four-hit ball in ending Roenis Elias took a four-hitter into the eighth inning, Justin his two-game skid. Following a 10-2 victory Tuesday night, the Robinson Chirinos hit a solo homer and Texas beat Boston. The Ruggiano homered and Seattle beat Wei-Yin Chen and Baltimore. Cardinals improved the best record in the majors to 27-13. Pitching Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Elias (1-1) allowed one run, six hits and no walks in 7 2-3 innings. four days before his 42nd birthday, Colon (6-3) finally began to Elvis Andrus after singles by Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland. The left-hander did not permit a runner past first base until the show his age. Trying again to become baseball’s first seven-game They made it 2-0 in the third when Chirinos hit his fourth homer of seventh inning and at one point retired 10 in a row. Although winner, he was hit hard all game and even walked two batters - one the season. Klein, called up Wednesday from Triple-A Round Rock, Elias didn’t give up more than three runs in any of his previous more than he had all season. And coupled with Washington’s vic- allowed four hits through four scoreless innings before giving up a four starts this season, the Mariners scored only six runs while he tory over the New York Yankees, the Mets’ loss dropped them out leadoff homer to Xander Bogaerts, his second of the year, in the was in the game. Ruggiano turned things around this time, scor- of first place in the NL East for the first time since April 14. fifth. Texas won for only the second time in six games and split the ing twice and driving in two runs. He came in batting .213 with first two games of the three-game series. Klein (1-0), who has 23 one homer and one RBI in 26 games. Carson Smith got the last ROYALS 7, REDS 1 relief appearances in his career, left with runners at first and second out in the eighth and Fernando Rodney got his 10th save. Jeremy Guthrie pitched six shutout innings and Kansas City beat and one out in the sixth. Cincinnati. The Royals tied a club record with 24 consecutive score- TIGERS 5, BREWERS 2 less innings, which was set June 9-12, 1976. That streak ended in CUBS 3, PADRES 2 Nick Castellanos hit a bases-loaded triple with two out in the the seventh when Brandon Phillips’ two-out double off reliever Left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada struck out nine in 4 2-3 innings in eighth inning to lift Detroit to a victory. The Tigers avoided a Ryan Madson scored Zack Cozart. The Royals, who won for the fifth his season debut and Kris Bryant drove in the go-ahead run with sweep in the three-game series thanks to a rally in their final at- time in six games, improved to 26-14, the franchise’s best record a sacrifice fly in the fifth to lead Chicago to a victory against San bat. With two out, nobody on and the score tied at 2, Jonathan after 40 games. Guthrie (4-2) pitched out of a bases-loaded, one- Diego. Wada opened the season on the disabled list with a left Broxton (1-1) allowed consecutive singles by JD Martinez and out predicament in the first inning and won his third straight start. groin strain and made six rehab starts. He struck out seven of the Yoenis Cespedes and a walk to Tyler Collins. Castellanos’ line He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out three. Guthrie first nine Padres batters. His only mistake was allowing a two-run drive down the line dropped in, then skipped past right fielder retired 13 on fly balls and two on grounders. Reds right-hander homer to Justin Upton to straightaway center field to give the Gerardo Parra to clear the bases. Blaine Hardy (2-0) struck out the Jason Marquis (3-4) was pulled after 3 2-3 innings, yielding four Padres a 2-1 lead with two outs in the fourth. It was his team- only batter he faced for the win, and Joakim Soria pitched the runs, four hits, two sacrifice flies, two walks and a wild pitch. In los- leading 11th, and Derek Norris was aboard on a one-out single. ninth for his 13th save in 13 chances. Ryan Braun homered for ing his past three starts, Marquis has surrendered 21 hits and 15 The Cubs retook the lead in the fifth against Tyson Ross (2-4). the Brewers.—AP