Cubs open wider gap in Central

Jose Quintana pitched a three-hitter for his second big-league shutout, and the Chicago Cubs beat Milwaukee 5-0 Sunday to close in on a second consecutive NL Central title.
Jose Quintana pitched a three-hitter for his second big-league shutout, and the Chicago Cubs beat Milwaukee 5-0 Sunday to close in on a second consecutive NL Central title.

MILWAUKEE — Jose Quintana was acquired by the Chicago Cubs for big games, and he came through big against the Brewers.

Quintana pitched a three-hitter for his second big league shutout, and the Cubs beat Milwaukee 5-0 on Sunday to close in on a second consecutive National League Central title and damage the Brewers’ playoff hopes.

Coming off its first World Series title since 1908, Chicago (87-68) won three of four in the weekend series and opened a 5½-game lead over the second-place Brewers (82-74) with seven games remaining.

Obtained from the White Sox on July 13, Quintana is pitching on a team headed for the playoffs for the first time in his big league career.

“We talked about it when he got over here,” Cubs manager Joe Mad-don said. “He was really jacked up about having a chance to play in the playoffs. He’s showing that right now. Games like that, to me, can be kind of career-altering for a pitcher. When you pitch a complete game shutout, on the road, under these circumstances, that definitely does something for your interior.”

Quintana (7-3 with Cubs, 11-11 overall) struck out 10 and walked one in his second complete game in 182 starts. He threw 116 pitches, his most since Sept. 7 last year.

He allowed singles to Ryan Braun in the first, Hernan Perez in the third and Keon Broxton in the fifth, and retired his final 11 batters after Domingo Santana walked in the sixth.

Only two runners reached second base, with both getting into scoring position on a stolen base. Quintana struck out pitcher Chase Anderson with Broxton on second in the fifth and got Travis Shaw to fly out to center with Santana on second in the sixth.

Quintana’s other shutout was a seven-hitter for the Chicago White Sox against Cleveland on July 24, 2015.

Milwaukee dropped two games behind Colorado for the NL’s second wild card with six games left.

“I know we are behind, but I feel like if we have a good week of baseball it is more dependent on us and not counting on something else to happen completely,” Manager Craig Counsell said.

Anderson (11-4) allowed 3 runs and 7 hits in 6 1/3 innings. He had been 4-0 in five starts since losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug.

25.

DODGERS 3, GIANTS 1 Clayton Kershaw (18-4) became the NL’s first 18-game winner for the host Dodgers, pitching shutout ball until Mac Williamson’s home run in the eighth, his final inning. Kershaw lowered his league-best ERA to 2.21 and struck out six to become the first Dodgers pitcher to reach 200 seven times. ROCKIES 8, PADRES 4 Gerardo Parra hit a tiebreaking single in a two-run third inning, Pat Valaika and Charlie Blackmon hit consecutive home runs in the ninth and visiting Colorado opened a two-game lead over Milwaukee for the second NL wild card. German Marquez (11-7) allowed two runs, five hits and three walks in five innings.

PIRATES 4, CARDINALS 1 Seung Hwan Oh (1-6) allowed a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fifth to Starling Marte and rookie Jordan Luplow also went deep as visiting St. Louis fell 2½ games behind the Rockies. Jameson Taillon (8-7) allowed 1 run and 4 hits in 5 innings.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

ATHLETICS 8, RANGERS 1 Khris Davis hit his 41st home run, a drive off Martin Perez (12-12) in a five-run fifth inning, as host Oakland extended its winning streak to a season-high seven.

TWINS 10, TIGERS 4 Jorge Polanco hit a solo homer in the first off Buck Farmer (4-5), Eduardo Escobar welcomed Victor Alcantara with a three-run drive in the sixth and visiting Minnesota completed a four-game sweep, outscoring Detroit 39-12.

INTERLEAGUE

NL wild-card glance

W L Pct GB

x-Arizona 90 66 .577 — Colorado 84 72 .538 — Milwaukee 82 74 .526 2 St. Louis 81 74 .523 2½

x-clinched wild-card berth

Note: Top 2 teams qualify for playoffs

RED SOX 5, REDS 4 Mookie Betts hit a tying three-run double in the eighth off Raisel Iglesias (3-3) and dashed home from second base on Rafael Devers’ infield single as visiting Boston won for the 14th time in 17 games.

Sports on 09/25/2017

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