TWINS 8, ROYALS 5
MINNEAPOLIS -- If this is Brian Dozier's last month with the Minnesota Twins, it's off to a strong start.
Whether he is helping boost the Twins back into the division race or merely increasing his trade value, Dozier has found his form at the plate.
Dozier hit a two-run home run, going deep for the second consecutive game to help the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Wednesday.
"About stats, talk to me in October. If they're not there, then we'll talk," Dozier said. "I keep telling these guys, 'Eight games: That's not that much.' "
Lance Lynn (7-7) recovered from a three-run home run by Salvador Perez in the first inning to win his second consecutive start for the Twins, who used the bottom third of their lineup to launch rallies in the second and the fourth against Burch Smith (0-1).
Max Kepler, Jake Cave and Bobby Wilson went 6 for 11 with five runs scored. Wilson, whose batting average fell to .114 last week, had 2 RBI and was one of 3 Twins with 3 hits, joining Dozier and Joe Mauer. Wilson, the backup catcher, is now hitting .169.
Dozier drove in a run with an infield single in the fourth. Then he sent his 15th home run of the season into the second deck above left field in the sixth inning against Enny Romero. Logan Morrison hit a solo shot one out later to pad the lead for Minnesota, which improved 6-1 on an 11-game homestand.
With the Twins trailing AL Central-leading Cleveland by 8 1/2 games when the day began, Dozier is among several prominent players on expiring contracts whose names are part of the annual July trade market speculation. Lynn is one of those, too.
"We don't pay attention to it, so whatever happens happens," said Lynn, who pitched to two batters in the sixth. "In this game I've learned that you go where you're told because they pay you. That's just the way it works, unless you've got a no-trade clause."
Only first baseman Joe Mauer has that.
"So everyone else can just wear it and do what they're told," Lynn said.
Mike Moustakas homered twice for the Royals, who took the Twins deep five times over the last two games of this series despite toting the fewest home runs in MLB. Kansas City has lost 23 of its past 27 games.
"Come in here and play hard," Perez said. "One of the things everybody should think: That's how we bring food to the table for our family. That's our job."
Dozier's production at the plate is lower than it has been in at least five years, but he has begun to warm up with a .375 batting average, 3 home runs and 8 RBI in his past 6 games. Only four of his home runs have come at home this season. He hit 127 home runs over the previous four years, with 63 of those at Target Field.
"You just ride the wave. Sometimes they find the green grass, sometimes they find the seats, sometimes you're walking back with your head down," he said.
After 24 relief appearances this year, Smith made his first major league start since 2013, when he was with San Diego. Forearm and elbow injuries kept him from pitching in 2015 and 2016, and he spent last season with the Tampa Bay organization.
"It was definitely special. Today had been a long time," said Smith, who gave up seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. "It meant a lot just getting the opportunity to do it again. I was feeling a lot of emotions going into that game."
RAYS 4, TIGERS 2 Even after his first three-hit game of the season and a home run, Kevin Kiermaier knew the focus deserved to be elsewhere Wednesday after the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 4-2 victory. C.J. Cron’s three-run home run in the seventh inning carried the Rays to their fifth straight win, and five pitchers held the opponent to two runs or fewer for the 12th time in the Rays’ past 15 home games, in which they are 14-1. Cron’s 18th homer came off Jordan Zimmermann after singles by Kiermaier and Matt Duffy.
RED SOX 4, RANGERS 2 Chris Sale struck out 12 in seven innings of shutout ball in his final start before the All-Star Game, and major league batting leader Mookie Betts had two more hits to lead the Boston Red Sox to their ninth straight victory as they beat the Texas Rangers. Sale (10-4) allowed six hits and walked one to win his fifth straight decision and move the Red Sox 36 games above .500 for the first time since Bucky Dent homered into the net above the Green Monster in a one-game playoff to settle the 1978 AL East title. Elvis Andrus had three hits for the Rangers, who struck out 18 times to lose for the fifth time in six games. Bartolo Colon (5-7) allowed four runs — three earned — on nine hits and two walks, striking out three in six innings. J.D. Martinez had a pair of RBIs to pad his major league-leading total of 79. The Red Sox took a 4-0 lead into the eighth before Texas scored one off Heath Hembree and loaded the bases; Craig Kimbrel walked in a second run but then struck out Joey Gallo to end the inning.
YANKEES 9, ORIOLES 0 After spending three days at Camden Yards, Greg Bird and Sonny Gray left town feeling a whole lot better than when they arrived. Bird hit his first career grand slam to back a dominating pitching performance by Gray, and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-0 Wednesday night for a split of the four-game series. New York has 154 home runs this season, a major league record before the All-Star break. The Yankees have played 91 games; the 1999 Seattle Mariners hit 151 in 87 games.
ATHLETICS 8, ASTROS 3 Chad Pinder hit a three-run homer and Khris Davis added three RBIs as the Oakland Athletics jumped on Lance McCullers Jr. early and cruised to an 8-3 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night. Davis, who extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games, put the A’s up 2-0 with a double in a three-run first. Pinder made it 6-0 when he connected off McCullers (10-4) for his ninth homer in the fourth. Oakland starter Chris Bassitt (2-3) yielded five hits and three runs in five innings for his second straight win after losing his first three decisions.
INTERLEAGUE
INDIANS 19, REDS 4 Jose Ramirez homered twice and drove in five runs as the Cleveland Indians took out some frustrations following a brutal loss with a 19-4 thumping of the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Tyler Mah-le (7-7) and connected for a three-run shot in Cleveland’s nine-run third. With the Indians up 17-0, the All-Star was replaced in the fifth inning by manager Terry Francona before he could inflict further damage. Francisco Lindor added a three-run homer and Jason Kipnis homered as the Indians salvaged the interleague series finale by pounding their neighbors from southern Ohio and ending a four-game slide.
BRAVES 9, BLUE JAYS 5 Ozzie Albies snapped Atlanta’s power drought with two homers, and the Braves beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5 on Wednesday night to move back into a tie for the NL East lead. Mike Foltynewicz (7-5) and the Braves led 7-0 before Toronto scored five runs in the seventh on Justin Smoak’s leadoff homer and a grand slam by Devon Travis. But Albies hit a two-run shot in the eighth to help Atlanta hold on for just its second win in eight games. Coupled with Philadelphia’s loss to the New York Mets, the Braves moved into a tie with the Phillies for the division lead.
WHITE SOX 4, CARDINALS 0 Carlos Rodon pitched three-hit, shutout ball into the eighth inning to outduel Luke Weaver and lead the Chicago White Sox to a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. Tim Anderson tripled and had two RBIs. Charlie Tilson singled in a run off reliever Mike Mayers in Chicago’s two-run seventh and Jose Abreu added an RBI groundout as White Sox ended a six-game losing streak and won for just the third time in their last 13. Rodon (2-3) allowed only two singles and a double while walking two and striking out a season-high seven though 7 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old left-hander, who spent the first two months of 2018 on the disabled list rehabbing from shoulder surgery, sparkled in just his seventh start this season. Joakim Soria got the final four outs for his 13th save in 16 chances.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
GIANTS 5, CUBS 4 Buster Posey singled off the right-field wall in the 13th inning for his fifth career game-ending hit, sending the San Francisco Giants past the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Wednesday. Brandon Belt drew a two-out walk from James Norwood (0-1). Andrew McCutchen then singled to bring up Posey, who ended the 4-hour, 30-minute game with San Francisco’s first run since scoring four in the first. Dereck Rodriguez (4-1) pitched three scoreless innings for the win. He also had three of San Francisco’s 16 strikeouts. Norwood worked the 12th and 13th in his major league debut.
PIRATES 2, NATIONALS 0 Starling Marte did not start any of the first three games of July because Pirates manager Clint Hurdle felt his slumping center fielder needed a mental break. The strategy worked. Marte hit a two-run home run and Trevor Williams combined with four relievers on a five-hitter as Pittsburgh beat the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Wednesday.
Marte homered to deep center field, his 11th, with two outs in the third off Gio Gonzalez after Jordy Mercer led off the inning with the first of his two doubles. That was enough to give the Pirates just their third win in nine games.
MARLINS 5, BREWERS 4 Milwaukee slugger Jesus Aguilar was added to the NL All-Star team Wednesday night and then validated the selection with three hits and three RBIs, but the Brewers went 3 for 16 with runners in scoring position and lost 5-4 to the Miami Marlins in 12 innings. Starlin Castro singled home the winning run with one out in the 12th. Aguilar learned he won the online vote for the final NL roster spot, and he’ll also compete in the Home Run Derby next week in Washington. He doubled home a run in the first, singled in the fourth and hit a tying, two-run double in the eighth against Drew Steckenrider. Aguilar came into the game leading the NL in homers, slugging and OPS. He has 67 RBIs and is batting .307.
Sports on 07/12/2018