Nats slipping…Braves gaining…Cueto wins 17th
UNDATED (AP) – The Washington Nationals, who have been the most pleasant surprise of the baseball season, have hit the late-season doldrums. The last-place Miami Marlins, languishing 19 games back of the NL East leaders, handed the Nats their fifth straight loss, 9-0. That ties Washington’s longest skid of the season.
Even ace Stephen Strasburg couldn’t turn around the Nats’ fortunes. Strasburg was touched for seven runs on nine hits in his five innings, one of his shortest stints of the season. Justin Ruggiano started the rout in the first inning, touching Strasburg for his 13th home run in the second batter of the night. It went downhill for the Nats from there.
After scoring just five runs in three losses in Philadelphia over the weekend, the Nats bats went silent. Ricky Nolasco tossed a five-hitter.
In the rest of the NL:
– Johnny Cueto scattered four hits over seven innings for his major league-leading 17th win and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2.
– Dan Uggla hit his 16th homer and Atlanta moved within four games of the Nationals by blanking San Diego 2-0.
– Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez connected on the go-ahead RBI single in a two-run ninth inning uprising and the San Francisco Giants rallied for a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros.
– Jeff Bianchi hit a three-run shot for his first big league homer in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.
– Ike Davis hit a tiebreaking double during a four-run 10th inning, Kelly Shoppach had a two-run homer and the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-5 for their third straight victory.
– Pittsburgh blanked St. Louis 9-0. Pedro Alvarez homered twice and drove in four runs. James McDonald scattered two hits over seven innings.
Over in the AL:
– Nick Swisher extended his hot hitting with an RBI single and the New York Yankees handed Ricky Romero his 11th straight loss with a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
– Nick Markakis drove in three runs and the Baltimore Orioles defeated Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox 6-0 for their fourth straight win.
– Tommy Milone and three Oakland relievers extended Cleveland’s scoreless streak to 22 innings and the Athletics beat the Indians 7-0.
– Texas blanked Tampa Bay 1-0. Yu Darvish and two relievers combined on a seven-hit shutout. Ian Kinsler’s 16th homer was all the scoring. Darvish struck out 10 over seven innings in outdueling James Shields for the victory.
– The Kansas City Royals roughed up Detroit ace Jason Verlander in their 9-8 win over the Tigers. The Royals scored eight runs on 12 hits in Verlander’s five and two-thirds innings
– Dustin Ackley hit a three-run home and the Seattle Mariners beat the stumbling Minnesota Twins 5-2. The Twins have lost 16 of 19.
– The L.A. Angels rallied with two in the bottom of the ninth to beat Boston 6-5. Torii Hunter’s sacrifice fly ended it. Albert Pujols hit his 39th and rookie Mike Trout added his 25th homer for the Angels.
Williams sisters coast…American teen-ager wins
NEW YORK (AP) – Venus Williams’ return to the U.S. Open was a victorious one. The seven-time Grand Slam tournament champ rolled to a first round win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3, 6-1. Williams missed last year’s Open while battling the effects of an autoimmune disease.
Sister Serena also cruised. The defending Wimbledon and Olympic gold medalist crushed Coco Vandewehge 6-1, 6-1.
Second-seed Agnieszka Radwanska moved on as did American teenager Sloane Stephens who upset 22nd-seeded Francesca Schiavone.
On the men’s side, defending champion Novak Djokovic lost the first game then ran off 18 of the next 19 en route to a 6-1, 6-love, 6-1 win over Paolo Lorenzi of Italy.
Andy Roddick advanced as did by fellow American Querrey.
Fifth-seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, sixth-seed Tomas Berdych and women’s sixth-seed Angelique Kerber were among the other first round winners.
Clippers’ Griffin says knee is good to go
LOS ANGELES (AP) – L.A. Clippers All-Star center Blake Griffin says his left knee is healed after last month’s surgery that forced him to miss the London Olympics. Griffin’s latest knee injury had nothing to do with the stress fracture of his left patella and surgery that forced him to miss the 2009-10 season.
Griffin signed a five-year contract extension worth $95 million.
Redskins cut Cooley
UNDATED (AP) – The Redskins have said goodbye to tight end Chris Cooley. The 30-year old, who has spent his entire eight-season career with the Redskins, was released after a career with 428 receptions, including three seasons of at least 70. Injuries limited him to five games and eight receptions last season.
Ex-Penn State faculty leaders blast Freeh Report, NCAA…Lobos QB suspended
UNDATED (AP) – Former Penn State faculty leaders blasted the NCAA and former FBI director Louis Freeh (LOO’-ee free) over their handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal. The group says Freeh’s report on the scandal and the NCAA’s $60 million in fines unfairly punish the entire university community.
Freeh defended his work in an interview with The Associated Press. Addressing specific criticism that his team did not interview key witnesses, Freeh said his team respected requests by state prosecutors to rely on their grand jury testimony.
In other college football news:
– New Mexico junior quarterback David Vega has been suspended from the team indefinitely. The suspension was announced Tuesday by Lobos coach Bob Davie, who says Vega was arrested early Sunday by Albuquerque police.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore 6 Chi White Sox 0
Oakland 7 Cleveland 0
N-Y Yankees 2 Toronto 1
Texas 1 Tampa Bay 0
Kansas City 9 Detroit 8
Seattle 5 Minnesota 2
L.A. Angels 6 Boston 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
N-Y Mets 9 Philadelphia 5, 10 Innings
Pittsburgh 9 St. Louis 0
Miami 9 Washington 0
Milwaukee 4 Chi Cubs 1
San Francisco 3 Houston 2
Colorado 8 L.A. Dodgers 4
Cincinnati 5 Arizona 2
Atlanta 2 San Diego 0