Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 Nationals end losing run with 4-3 win at Cardinals

ST LOUIS: Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman homered twice and doubled home the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning to lift the Nationals to a 4-3 win at St. Louis on Wednesday, ending an alarming nine-game losing sequence. The Nationals had loomed as one of the main competitors to the Cardinals for the National League title until the sudden slide, which left them 6-1/2 games off the pace in the NL East division and eight games off the wild card berth, with only 30 games left to play.

Dodgers 2, Giants 1 Chase Utley homered, and Clayton Kershaw threw a complete game and tied his career high with 15 strikeouts, guiding the to a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. The National League West- leading Dodgers earned their eighth win in nine games and completed a home sweep of the Giants for the first time since 2013.They increased their margin over second-place San Francisco in the division to 6 1/2 games. The Giants dropped their fifth game in a row.

Mets 9, Phillies 4 Ruben Tejada collected two hits, includ- ing an inside-the-park , and four RBIs as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-4 at Citi Field on Wednesday. Tejada a two-run homer to cap a three-run second inning, had an RBI grounder in the fifth and laced a run-scoring single in the seventh to complete the Mets’ scoring. He finished one RBI shy of his career high set Sept. 5, 2010.

Blue Jays 5, Indians 1 ST LOUIS: Ryan Zimmerman #11 of the Washington Nationals hits the game-wing double against the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth Dickey pitched a complete game, Josh inning at Busch Stadium yesterday in St. Louis, Missouri. — AFP Donaldson had three RBIs and Toronto defeated Cleveland. the second inning off Sonny Gray. Pujols has eight-run second inning for the Yankees. Twins 3, White Sox 0 Dickey allowed four hits, no walks and hit at least 35 homers 10 times in his first 15 Stephen Drew and shortstop Didi Gregorius Tommy Milone pitched seven strong one run to win his seventh straight decision major-league seasons, one of just four play- also homered in support of Masahiro Tanaka. innings and Miguel Sano continued his torrid in the rubber match of a three-game series. ers in major league history to accomplish the pace at the plate as Minnesota defeated He struck out six in his second complete feat. Marlins 7, Braves 3 Chicago. Milone’s seven shutout innings game of the season. Christian Yelich had four hits, including were his best since he threw 7 2/3 scoreless Yankees 13, Red Sox 8 two doubles, and Marcell Ozuna homered as innings against the White Sox in his first start Orioles 7, Rays 6 (11 innings) New York hammered five home runs in Miami handed Atlanta its eighth straight of the season on April 10. Chris Davis hit two home runs, including the first five innings and built a 12-1 lead loss. The Braves, who were 42-42 on July 8, the winner in the 11th inning, and Baltimore before holding off Boston. Greg Bird and have lost 15 of 16 games and 30 of the past Brewers 9, Pirates 4 snapped a six-game losing streak. Davis led John Ryan Murphy hit back-to-back homers 49. It is the first time they have been 25 Jonathan Lucroy drove in three runs and off the 11th with a towering shot to center and Carlos Beltran connected during an games below .500 since 1990. Adam Lind hit his 18th home run of the sea- off Matt Andriese for his 38th homer of the son as Milwaukee downed Pittsburgh season. Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run MLB results/standings Starling Marte and Aramis Ramirez had two homer off Brad Boxberger in the ninth to hits each, including Ramirez’s second home force extra innings. Miami 7, Atlanta 3; Cincinnati 7, Chicago Cubs 4; LA Angels 9, Oakland 4; NY Yankees 13, run in as many days, but Pittsburgh man- aged just two hits off Milwaukee’s bullpen. Reds 7, Cubs 4 Boston 8; Baltimore 7, Tampa Bay 6 (11 innings); Toronto 5, Cleveland 1; NY Mets 9, Joey Votto went 2-for-5 with a three-run, Philadelphia 4; Milwaukee 9, Pittsburgh 4; Minnesota 3, 0; Kansas City 12, Detroit 1; Seattle 8, Houston 3; Washington 4, St. Louis 3; Colorado 9, Arizona 4; LA Dodgers Mariners 8, Astros 3 ninth-inning homer and Cincinnati beat Logan Morrison sparked a late-inning rally Chicago. Votto’s 27th home run of the sea- 2, San Francisco 1; Texas 4, San Diego 3 (10 innings). for a second consecutive game and Seattle son drove in Jason Bourgeois and Jay Bruce American League National League beat Houston. as the Reds took the series from the Cubs. Eastern Division Eastern Division Morrison hit a three-run homer, his 15th Hector Rondon gave up the two-out shot W L PCT GB NY Mets 74 59 .556 - this season, off Josh Fields to end the drama and suffered the loss, the Cubs’ sixth in their Toronto 76 57 .571 - Washington 67 65 .508 6.5 in the top of the ninth. last eight games. NY Yankees 74 58 .561 1.5 Miami 55 79 .410 19.5 Tampa Bay 66 67 .496 10 Royals 12, Tigers 1 Atlanta 54 79 .406 20 Rockies 9, Diamondbacks 4 Baltimore 64 69 .481 12 Philadelphia 53 81 .396 21.5 Carlos Gonzalez hit two homers, including Yordano Ventura won his fourth straight Boston 61 72 .459 15 decision and Cheslor Cuthbert hit his first big Central Division a go-ahead grand slam and drove in a Central Division St. Louis 86 47 .647 - career-high seven runs as Colorado beat league home run and drove in four runs as Kansas City 81 51 .614 - Pittsburgh 79 52 .603 6 Arizona. The victory gave the Rockies a split Kansas City crushed Detroit. Ventura struck Minnesota 69 63 .523 12 Chicago Cubs 75 57 .568 10.5 of the four-game series and sent the out 11, matching his career high set in his Cleveland 64 68 .485 17 previous start, and allowed one run and five Milwaukee 57 75 .432 28.5 Diamondbacks to their eighth loss in the Chicago White Sox 61 70 .466 19.5 past 11 games. hits in seven innings. He is 4-0 with a 1.13 Detroit 61 71 .462 20 Cincinnati 55 77 .417 30.5 ERA in his past five starts. Western Division Western Division LA Dodgers 75 57 .568 - Rangers 4, Padres 3 (10 innings) Houston 73 61 .545 - Mitch Moreland’s 10th-inning double Angels 9, A’s 4 San Francisco 69 64 .519 6.5 Texas 70 62 .530 2 lifted Texas over San Diego. Elvis Andrus Albert Pujols hit his 35th home run of the Arizona 65 69 .485 11 LA Angels 67 66 .504 5.5 hit a one-out single and Moreland fol- year and Andrew Heaney allowed three runs San Diego 64 69 .481 11.5 Seattle 63 71 .470 10 lowed with the winning hit to right off in seven innings to lead Los Angeles over Oakland 58 76 .433 15 Colorado 54 78 .409 21 Oakland. Pujols lined a two-run homer in Bud Norris (1-1). — Reuters