This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Shota Imanaga threw six shutout innings and the Chicago Cubs prevailed in a showdown featuring All-Star pitchers, defeating the host Baltimore Orioles 4-0 on Wednesday night.
Imanaga, who was pitching for the first time in a week, outdueled Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes. Both were picked for the All-Star Game, which will be held Tuesday night.
Imanaga (8-2) gave up six hits, walked one and struck out six in picking up his first victory since June 15. Burnes (9-4) went six innings, giving up three runs on nine hits while striking out five.
Christopher Morel’s home run gave the Cubs the only run they would need. Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch all produced two hits for the Cubs, who have won five of their last six games. Bellinger left the game after he was hit on the left hand by a pitch in the seventh inning by Orioles reliever Cionel Perez.
Ryan Mountcastle posted three hits for Baltimore, which lost for the second night in a row to Chicago as part of a rough start to a six-game homestand leading to the All-Star break.
Phillies 4, Dodgers 3
Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run, Cristopher Sanchez threw six solid innings and host Philadelphia defeated Los Angeles.
Trea Turner and Bryson Stott each added two hits and an RBI for the Phillies, who have won the first two games in a three-game series. Sanchez (7-4) gave up five hits and two runs. Jeff Hoffman threw a perfect ninth for his ninth save.
Shohei Ohtani had two hits and an RBI and Miguel Rojas added a single and two RBIs for the Dodgers. Los Angeles starter Gavin Stone (9-3) lasted 4 2/3 innings and yielded nine hits and four runs.
Mariners 2, Padres 0
Bryce Miller fired six innings of shutout ball and Seattle earned its first series win in nearly a month by blanking host San Diego.
Miller (7-7) allowed five hits and walked none, striking out one in an 80-pitch outing. Three relievers got the final nine outs, with closer Andres Munoz pitching 1 1/3 innings for his 15th save in 17 chances.
Michael King (7-6) was the tough-luck loser, permitting only three hits and two runs (one earned) over six innings. He issued one walk and fanned nine, but it wasn’t enough to keep San Diego from dropping its fourth straight game.
Brewers 9, Pirates 0
Rookie Tobias Myers allowed four hits over eight scoreless innings to pace Milwaukee to a victory over visiting Pittsburgh.
Myers (6-3) struck out six and walked one for his sixth win in his past seven decisions. Willy Adames hit a three-run homer among his three hits and drove in four for the Brewers. Rhys Hoskins also went deep, and Sal Frelick had three hits.
Pirates starter Martin Perez (1-5) allowed five runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Yankees 2, Rays 1
Trent Grisham drove in two runs to lift New York past Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Grisham had an RBI double in the second inning, hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth and chased down a line drive to right-center field to end the eighth. Juan Soto had two of the six hits for the Yankees, who posted just their fifth win in their last 19 games.
Tim Hill (3-0) relieved starter Marcus Stroman in the fifth inning and worked out of a bases-loaded jam after striking out Josh Lowe and inducing Randy Arozarena to fly out to right field. He picked up the win after allowing two hits and striking out two batters in one inning of work.
Royals 6, Cardinals 4 (Game 1)
Salvador Perez homered and added an RBI single as visiting Kansas City rallied past St. Louis in the first half of a split doubleheader. Garrett Hampson added a two-run double as the Royals erased a 3-0 deficit to earn their second straight victory.
Royals starting pitcher Alec Marsh (7-6) allowed three runs on three hits in six innings. He struck out eight batters and walked one. James McArthur worked the ninth inning to earn his 16th save.
Alec Burleson hit a two-run homer, and Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt each hit solo shots for the Cardinals, who lost for just the third time in nine games.
Royals 8, Cardinals 5 (Game 2)
Salvador Perez homered and drove in two runs as visiting Kansas City beat St. Louis to complete a day-night doubleheader sweep.
Kyle Isbel hit a home run and scored three times and MJ Melendez also homered for the Royals, who won their third straight game. Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (6-6) allowed four runs — three earned — on seven hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked one.
Lars Nootbaar paced the St. Louis offense with a homer, a double and two runs. Cardinals pitcher Gordon Graceffo (0-1) allowed three runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings in his first start and second appearance in the big leagues. He fanned two without issuing a walk.
White Sox 3, Twins 1 (Game 1)
Luis Robert Jr. smacked a two-run home run and Erick Fedde pitched five shutout innings to lift Chicago to a win against visiting Minnesota in the opener of a doubleheader.
Fedde (7-3) allowed four hits and two walks while striking out five. Michael Kopech struck out the side on nine pitches in the ninth — an immaculate inning — for his ninth save.
Matt Wallner homered for the Twins. Bailey Ober (8-5) surrendered three runs and four hits in six innings.
Twins 3, White Sox 2 (Game 2)
Brooks Lee and Carlos Correa hit back-to-back solo homers in the sixth inning and Ryan Jeffers drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh as Minnesota edged host Chicago to split a doubleheader.
Four Twins relievers each pitched a shutout inning after Pablo Lopez surrendered two runs over five innings. Steven Okert (3-0) got the win, and Jhoan Duran picked up his 14th save.
Martin Maldonado homered for the White Sox, and Drew Thorpe allowed two runs in six innings. Chicago reliever Michael Soroka fell to 0-10 with the loss.
Mets 6, Nationals 2
Luis Severino tossed 6 1/3 solid innings and combined with three relievers on a five-hitter for host New York, which beat Washington.
Jose Iglesias was 3-for-4 with the go-ahead two-RBI single in a four-run sixth inning for the Mets. Brandon Nimmo homered in the first and Mark Vientos tied the score with a run-scoring double in the sixth against Patrick Corbin (1-9). Vientos, Pete Alonso and Tyrone Taylor had two hits apiece. Severino (6-3) allowed two runs on four hits — all in the fourth inning — and three walks while striking out four.
Juan Yepez had a run-scoring single in the fourth inning for the Nationals, who fell to 3-7 in July. Lane Thomas singled, scored a run and stole a base.
Diamondbacks 7, Braves 5
Eugenio Suarez homered and had three RBIs, and Geraldo Perdomo added three hits, two runs and one RBI to lead Arizona to a victory over Atlanta in Phoenix.
Christian Walker forced in the tiebreaking run by walking with the bases loaded in the eighth and Paul Sewald ended a string of three straight blown saves by retiring the side in order in the ninth for his 12th save for Arizona. Ketel Marte also homered for the Diamondbacks, who beat Atlanta for the first time in six meetings this season. Marte and Suarez each had two hits and two runs.
Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run homer and Travis d’Arnaud had a two-run double for the Braves, who had a four-game winning streak halted. Austin Riley had three hits for Atlanta.
Angels 7, Rangers 2
Zach Neto had three hits, including a two-run homer, as Los Angeles beat Texas to salvage the finale of a three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.
Neto scored twice and drove in three runs for the Angels, who had lost three in a row and eight of nine. Mickey Moniak hit a three-run homer to highlight Los Angeles’ four-run second inning. Angels starter Griffin Canning couldn’t take advantage of a five-run cushion and was lifted after 4 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs and seven hits.
Leody Taveras hit a two-run homer and Marcus Semien and Jonah Heim each had two hits for the Rangers, who were trying for their sixth straight win. Texas starter Michael Lorenzen (5-5) allowed five runs and five hits in five innings.
Astros 9, Marlins 1
Framber Valdez tossed seven strong innings, striking out a season-high 10, and Yainer Diaz recorded a three-hit, three-RBI game to lead Houston past visiting Miami.
Joey Loperfido homered among his two hits as the Astros extended their home winning streak to eight games. Valdez (8-5) allowed one run on six hits and one walk.
Xavier Edwards paced the Marlins with two hits. Bryan Hoeing (0-2) allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits in three innings.
Athletics 5, Red Sox 2
Visiting Oakland scored three runs in the third inning and added on in the late innings to beat Boston.
Lawrence Butler and Max Schuemann each had two hits to lead Oakland, which had lost back-to-back games and three of four. Butler hit a two-run double in the key third inning, while Schuemann scored two runs in the game. JP Sears (6-7) worked 114 pitches deep for his second straight win, striking out eight across 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
After allowing just one baserunner through two innings on Butler’s one-out single in the second, Boston starter Nick Pivetta (4-6) struggled with command during a 27-pitch third as the A’s jumped out to a 3-0 lead that proved to be all the offense they needed. Jarren Duran (3-for-5) and Ceddanne Rafaela (2-for-4) each had multiple hits for the Red Sox. Rob Refsnyder homered.
Tigers 5, Guardians 4
Matt Vierling homered and drove in three runs and host Detroit held off Cleveland.
Andy Ibanez added a solo homer and Colt Keith tripled, scored two runs and drove in another as Detroit won for the fifth time in six games. Detroit starter Reese Olson (4-8) allowed three runs, six hits and one walk with three strikeouts in six innings. He has three wins and a no-decision in his last four starts. Jason Foley notched his 15th save.
Angel Martinez drove in two runs and Daniel Schneemann homered for the Guardians. Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (7-4) gave up four runs and five hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings.
Rockies 6, Reds 5
Sam Hilliard belted two homers and drove in three while Kyle Freeland allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings as visiting Colorado held on to edge Cincinnati.
Freeland (1-3) won for the first time in eight starts, limiting the Reds to two runs on eight hits, striking out a season-high nine and walking one. After Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson homered to open the ninth, Jonathan India drove a sacrifice fly to slice the lead to 6-5. But Rockies closer Jalen Beeks retired Elly De La Cruz on a grounder to short to register his ninth save in 15 chances.
Cincinnati starter Frankie Montas (4-7) was charged with five runs on eight hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking two.
Blue Jays 10, Giants 6
Ernie Clement homered for the second straight night and drove in a career-high four runs as Toronto bombed All-Star Logan Webb en route to a victory over host San Francisco.
Clement’s homer, his sixth of the season, was a three-run shot in the fifth inning that gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead. George Springer doubled twice and drove in three runs for Toronto, which won for the third time in four games.
Toronto knocked out Webb (7-7) and blew the game open with a six-run sixth. Toronto starter Chris Bassitt (8-7) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out six.
–Field Level Media
