MLB ROUNDUP: ASTROS RIDE JOSE ALTUVE’S CYCLE TO WIN
Jose Altuve hit for the cycle and Yordan Alvarez added four hits and four RBIs as the visiting Houston Astros rolled to a 13-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday.
Altuve, who went 4-for-6 and scored four runs, homered in the eighth inning to complete the first cycle by an Astro since Brandon Barnes accomplished the feat in 2013. Alvarez and Jose Abreu also went deep for Houston, which put together a six-run sixth inning en route to its third straight win.
Kendall Graveman (4-6) earned the win in relief. Jose Urquidy was credited with a four-inning save.
Masataka Yoshida went 3-for-3 with three runs and Adam Duvall homered for the Red Sox, who have lost three of their past four games. Reliever Kyle Barraclough (1-1) allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss.
Braves 14, Rockies 4
Ronald Acuna Jr. homered among his four hits, stole two bases, drove in five runs and was involved in an unsavory incident involving fans on the field as Atlanta beat Colorado in Denver.
Ahead of the bottom of the seventh inning, a fan ran to Acuna in right field and put his arms around the Braves player. Security officials tried to pull the man off the four-time All-Star as another fan ran into the scrum, and Acuna was knocked to the ground. Both fans were taken away and Acuna stayed in the game.
Ryan McMahon homered among his two hits and Charlie Blackmon and Hunter Goodman also had two hits for Colorado. Karl Kauffmann (1-4) took the loss.
Orioles 9, Blue Jays 0
Grayson Rodriguez and three relievers combined on a two-hitter and Anthony Santander smacked a three-run home run among his two hits to lead Baltimore past visiting Chicago.
The Orioles have won eight of 10 overall, while the White Sox have lost eight of 12. Ryan O’Hearn and Gunnar Henderson had two hits each for the Orioles.
Chicago managed just one hit in six innings against Rodriguez (4-3), who walked one and fanned six. Luis Robert Jr. collected both of the hits for the White Sox. Michael Kopech (5-12) yielded four runs and seven hits in four innings.
Giants 4, Reds 1
Local product Kyle Harrison made his first major league home start a memorable one, striking out 11 in San Francisco’s victory over Cincinnati.
Harrison (1-0) struck out the first five batters he faced en route to 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball. He allowed three hits and two walks. Camilo Doval threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his 35th save.
Reds starter Andrew Abbott (8-4) was pulled after 3 1/3 innings, charged with three runs on five hits. Cincinnati’s run came on Elly De La Cruz’s RBI double.
Pirates 5, Royals 0
Johan Oviedo recorded his first career shutout and Ke’Bryan Hayes went 4-for-4 with a walk and an RBI as visiting Pittsburgh opened a three-game series against Kansas City with a win.
Oviedo (8-13) allowed two hits with two walks and five strikeouts while throwing a career-high 112 pitches for Pittsburgh, which snapped a two-game skid.
Royals starter Zack Greinke (1-13) gave up two runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. Kansas City’s only two hits came on MJ Melendez’s two-out single in the third and Drew Waters’ leadoff single in the fifth.
Dodgers 7, Diamondbacks 4
Jason Heyward and James Outman hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning as Los Angeles rallied past visiting Arizona.
Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy hit first-inning home runs as the Dodgers improved to 22-4 in August. Los Angeles rookie Bobby Miller (8-3) gave up four runs on seven hits over six innings. Caleb Ferguson pitched the ninth for his third save.
Gabriel Moreno hit a home run and drove in three runs for the Diamondbacks. Zac Gallen (14-6) was tagged for six runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Yankees 4, Tigers 1
Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres hit back-to-back homers, Luis Severino pitched seven shutout innings and New York won at Detroit.
Severino (4-8) gave up five hits and didn’t issue a walk while striking out a season-high eight. Torres had two RBIs in the opener of a four-game series. New York is 0-8-2 in its past 10 series.
Akil Baddoo homered in the ninth inning for Detroit’s lone run. Reese Olson (2-6) recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
Brewers 6, Cubs 2
Christian Yelich and Mark Canha homered during a four-run first inning as visiting Milwaukee beat Chicago to extend its season-best winning streak to nine games.
Starter Wade Miley (7-3) allowed solo homers to Ian Happ and Patrick Wisdom, plus two other hits, over six strong innings for the Brewers. Yelich was one of four players with two hits for Milwaukee, which has averaged 7.1 runs per game during its longest winning streak since an 11-game run in 2021.
Chicago starter Jameson Taillon (7-9) lasted six innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits.
Phillies 6, Angels 4
Trea Turner hit two home runs and drove in three runs to lift host Philadelphia past Los Angeles.
Bryce Harper homered and knocked in two runs for the Phillies, who have won four straight games. Philadelphia starter Taijuan Walker (14-5) tossed 5 2/3 innings and allowed eight hits and three runs.
Brandon Drury led the Angels with three singles and two RBIs. Los Angeles starter Lucas Giolito (7-11) gave up four hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Rangers 4, Mets 3
Nathaniel Lowe delivered a go-ahead, two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning for visiting Texas, which came back to edge New York in the opener of a three-game series.
The rally made a winner of Martin Perez (9-4), who whiffed two in two scoreless innings. Jose Leclerc threw a hitless ninth to record his second save. Corey Seager recorded three hits for the Rangers.
Brandon Nimmo hit a two-run homer in the third and DJ Stewart hit a solo shot in the fifth for the Mets. Trevor Gott (0-4) took the loss.
Blue Jays 6, Nationals 3
Danny Jansen hit a solo home run, walked twice and scored three runs as Toronto defeated visiting Washington.
CJ Abrams had three hits and three stolen bases for the Nationals, while Joey Meneses had two hits and three RBIs. Washington starter Josiah Gray (7-11) allowed four runs in two innings. The Nationals are 4-3 on their nine-game road trip.
Toronto starter Kevin Gausman (10-8) allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings.
Twins 10, Guardians 6
Royce Lewis belted a grand slam for the second game in a row, and Minnesota pulled away for a win over Cleveland in Minneapolis.
The 24-year-old Lewis became the first player in Twins history to hit grand slams in back-to-back games. He has three grand slams among his first 10 career home runs. Jorge Polanco and Matt Wallner also homered for Minnesota, which has won four of its past five games.
Twins reliever Kody Funderburk (1-0) earned the victory in his major league debut. Bo Naylor homered for Cleveland, which has lost four of its past six games. The Guardians took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second, but they let it slip away.
Padres 4, Cardinals 1
Blake Snell threw seven scoreless innings and Garrett Cooper drove in three runs as visiting San Diego defeated St. Louis.
Snell (11-9) held the Cardinals to two hits and five walks while striking out nine batters. Josh Hader sealed the victory for his 28th save.
Paul Goldschmidt hit a homer for the Cardinals, who lost their fourth straight game and their 10th in 12 games. They fell 20 games under .500 for the first time since the 1995 season. St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright (3-10) allowed one run on eight hits in six innings.
Mariners 7, Athletics 0
J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodriguez hit home runs and rookie Bryan Woo pitched six scoreless innings as Seattle defeated visiting Oakland.
Rodriguez finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs. Woo (2-3) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out five.
A’s starter Kyle Muller (1-5) gave up six runs on nine hits over four innings. Oakland finished with just four hits.
BRAVES’ RONALD ACUNA JR. FALLS AFTER FANS RUN ON FIELD
Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was involved in an on-field incident with two fans during the Braves’ 14-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday in Denver.
With Atlanta taking the field before the Rockies batted in the bottom of the seventh inning, a fan ran to Acuna in right field and put his arms around the Braves star. Security officials tried to pull the man off the four-time All-Star as another fan ran into the scrum, and Acuna was knocked to the ground.
Both fans were taken away and Acuna stayed in the game. He had two more hits later in the game, making him 4-for-5 with a two-run homer, a double, five RBIs, two stolen bases, four runs and a walk.
Acuna, 25, is one of the National League MVP front-runners with a .335 average, a .418 on-base percentage, a .572 slugging percentage, 29 homers, 79 RBIs and major-league-leading totals in steals (61) and runs (119).
ALL 30 MANAGERS WHO STARTED THE MLB SEASON ARE STILL EMPLOYED, BUT THE AX COULD BE COMING SOON
It’s five months into the regular season and all 30 Major League Baseball managers who started the year with their respective teams are all still employed. That’s fairly rare but not totally uncommon.
The ax could be coming soon.
Here’s a look at some of the managers who are in a tenuous position as the season winds down.
— Aaron Boone, New York Yankees: This is Boone’s sixth season and the previous five were all very good. But the Yankees have fallen to last place in the AL East with a 62-68 record, GM Brian Cashman called the season a “disaster” and it’s fair to say that patience isn’t always the best virtue for teams in the Big Apple. The Yankees haven’t had a losing season since 1992.
— Buck Showalter, New York Mets: The 67-year-old had the Midas touch in 2022, leading the Mets to 101 wins before a disappointing wild-card round exit against the San Diego Padres. Another big season was expected after owner Steve Cohen spent huge on the team’s payroll, but the Mets have plunged to the bottom of the NL East with a 60-71 record.
— Bob Melvin, San Diego Padres: The 61-year-old is well respected and took over the Padres in 2022, leading them to an 89-win season and a spot in the NLCS before losing to the Phillies in five games. But the high-priced roster — with stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Yu Darvish and Xander Bogaerts — is just 61-70 this season and almost certainly will miss the playoffs.
— Oliver Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals: The 37-year-old was surprise choice in 2022 to lead the storied franchise, but the front office looked like geniuses after Marmol guided the team to a 93-win season. He hasn’t been able to keep the momentum, with the Cardinals falling to 56-75 and a last-place spot in the NL Central. They’re on pace to lose at least 90 games for the first time since 1990.
— Pedro Grifol, Chicago White Sox: The first-year manager has been in charge during a hugely disappointing season on the South Side, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf just fired executive vice president Ken Williams and GM Rick Hahn. On top of that, pitcher Keynan Middleton didn’t have a lot of great things to say about the clubhouse culture following his trade to the Yankees.
— Bud Black, Colorado Rockies: The 66-year-old manager is well liked but is now presiding over his fifth straight losing season. It’s not all Black’s fault — the team’s roster construction is a mess and the team’s best players can’t seem to stay healthy — but it seems like the Rockies might need a new voice in the dugout.
— Phil Nevin, Los Angeles Angels: Nevin took over from the fired Joe Maddon midway through last season but hasn’t had much more success. The Angels are one of the most confounding teams in baseball, failing to make the playoffs despite having two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani and one of this generation’s best players in Mike Trout. Nevin is far from that team’s only problem, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see the franchise make a change.
TRIVIA QUESTION
The Yankees have finished last in their division just twice over the past century. What were those seasons?
ALL OR NOTHING
Square-shaped slugger Kyle Schwarber continues one of the most unusual seasons in MLB history and could become the first player in the sport’s history to hit 40 homers despite a sub-.200 batting average.
Schwarber smacked his 36th homer of the season on Sunday, helping the Phillies beat the Cardinals 3-0. The 30-year-old is hitting just .189 this season and more than a third of his hits — 36 of 89 — have been long balls. He’s also on pace to strike out 200 times for a second straight season.
One reason Schwarber remains a useful player is that he’s not afraid to walk. He’s already taken 100 free passes this season, meaning his .335 on-base percentage is above the MLB average despite such a low batting average.
RISING
The Seattle Mariners continue to play inspired baseball, jumping to the top of the AL West with a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
They’re 24-6 over their past 30 games, rocketing past the defending World Series champion Houston Astros and scuffling Texas Rangers.
FALLING
Speaking of the Rangers, they looked like they were going to waltz into the playoffs just a few weeks ago.
Now, it’s not so clear.
Texas has lost nine of its last 10, no longer leads the AL West and is just 2 1/2 games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final AL wild-card spot.
TRIVIA ANSWER
1966 and 1990.
REPORT: FORMER MLB MANAGER PAT CORRALES DIES AT 82
Former major league catcher, coach and manager Pat Corrales has died at 82, USA Today reported Monday.
He played nine seasons with four teams from 1964-73. He later managed parts of nine years with three teams.
Corrales was the first base coach for the 1995 World Series champion Atlanta Braves.
Corrales batted .216 with four homers in 300 games with the Philadelphia Phillies (1964-65), St. Louis Cardinals (1966), Cincinnati Reds (1968-72) and San Diego Padres (1972-73).
He compiled a 572-634-5 record as manager of the Texas Rangers (1978-80), Phillies (1982-83) and then-Cleveland Indians (1983-87).
Corrales also worked as a coach with the Rangers (1976-78), New York Yankees (1989), Braves (1990-2006) and the Washington Nationals (2007-08, 2009, 2011).
In 2012, he joined his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers as a special assistant to the general manager.
SHOOTING THAT WOUNDED 2 AT WHITE SOX GAME LIKELY INVOLVED GUN FIRED INSIDE STADIUM, POLICE SAY
CHICAGO (AP) A shooting that wounded two women at Friday night’s Chicago White Sox-Oakland Athletics game most likely involved a gun that went off inside Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago’s interim police superintendent said Monday.
Officials have said little about where the bullets came from, or if someone brought a gun into the stadium, but Fred Waller, interim superintendent of Chicago Police Department, said Monday that investigators have nearly ruled out the possibility that the shots came from outside the ballpark, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“We’re dispelling a lot of things,” Waller said during a brief media availability. “(A shot) coming from outside is something we’ve almost completely dispelled. We’re still looking at every avenue. It’s still under investigation. Something from inside, it could’ve happened that way. We’re looking at every avenue, exploring every lead and everything that we can get.”
A spokesperson for Major League Baseball declined comment Monday.
Both wounded women, ages 42 and 26, were expected to recover from the shooting that occurred during the fourth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field during Oakland’s 12-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Police said the 42-year-old sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and the 26-year-old had a graze wound to her abdomen.
Waller said the police department initially requested that the game be halted after the shooting was discovered.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was made aware of the shooting shortly after it occurred Friday, but he declined to say whether he was part of the decision to allow the game to continue or whether in hindsight that was the right choice.
“Obviously, this is an ongoing investigation and the Chicago Police Department has done a remarkable job of gathering all the evidence and as more information becomes available, that information will be reported,” Johnson said.
The White Sox said Saturday that they were not aware at first that a woman injured during the game was shot, and that the Chicago Police Department would have stopped play if officers thought it was unsafe to continue.
DODGERS’ RIGHT-HANDER TONY GONSOLIN WILL UNDERGO SEASON-ENDING TOMMY JOHN SURGERY ON FRIDAY
LOS ANGELES (AP) Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Friday, the latest in a season-long run of injuries to Los Angeles’ rotation.
Gonsolin will have his right torn ulnar collateral ligament repaired on Friday by head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, the Dodgers said before Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The 29-year-old right-hander was 8-5 with a 4.98 ERA in 20 starts this season. He was placed on the injured list on Aug. 19 after allowing a career-high 10 earned runs and five home runs in 3 1/3 innings against Miami the night before.
Manager Dave Roberts said Gonsolin has been dealing with an elbow issue for most of the season.
“It is something he was dealing with, but there was a point where he felt he could get hitters out until he couldn’t,” Roberts said. “He was asymptomatic. To be honest, he could pitch right now but it isn’t productive.”
Gonsolin had a $3.25 million salary this year and triggered escalators that boosted his 2024 pay to $5.4 million. He earned $500,000 for his 14th start and $500,000 for each additional two.
“I think that was motivation to pitch, and I can sympathize and understand from a player’s perspective. If we would have stopped this process a month ago he would be in the same position,” Roberts said. “We were running through some guys and he felt he wanted to keep pitching and help his team.”
Los Angeles led the NL West by 12 games and is on track to avoid playing in the wild card round despite each member of their season-opening rotation having a stint on the IL.
Going into Monday’s game, Dodgers’ starters had thrown the third-fewest innings in the National League. Their starters’ 4.48 ERA is ninth among the 15 NL teams.
Gonsolin will miss his second straight postseason. A right forearm strain sidelined him for the final five weeks last year.
Gonsolin is the third Dodgers starter since the start of last season needing Tommy John surgery. Right-hander Dustin May had his right flexor tendon repaired on July 18.
Walker Buehler has not pitched this year after reconstructive elbow surgery last August. The right-hander had hoped to return late in the season, but has yet to throw more than an inning in the Arizona Complex League.