Baseball – Page 32 – North Platte Post Archive

Wieland gets 1st Win, Padres beat Rockies 4-3

Posted on September 24, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joe Wieland earned his first big league win, and Tommy Medica hit a three-run home run and a replay-aided double to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-3 victory against Colorado in their home finale Wednesday night.

The Padres notched their 76th win with four games to go, matching their victory total from each of the last two seasons.

It was San Diego’s 48th home win, setting the franchise single-season record at Petco Park, which opened in 2004.

Colorado’s Justin Morneau went 0 for 3 to see his NL-leading average drop two percentage points to .317. Pittsburgh’s Josh Harrison went 1 for 5 to drop to .316.

Wieland (1-0) was making his second start and fourth appearance since May 6, 2012. He underwent reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in July 2012, forcing him to miss all of 2013 and part of this season.

Indians Keep Playoff Pulse Going, Beat Royals 6-4

Posted on September 24, 2014

CLEVELAND (AP) — Yan Gomes hit a three-run homer, Michael Brantley got three more hits and the Cleveland Indians stayed in the AL wild-card chase for at least one more day with a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

A loss would have eliminated the Indians, but after blowing a 3-0 lead, they rallied and moved within 3½ games of Kansas City and Oakland in the wild-card standings. There are four days left in the regular season.

The Royals, who haven’t made the playoffs since 1985, fell two games behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central.

Zach McAllister (4-7) pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings and Cody Allen worked the ninth for his 23rd save.

Stubbs’ HR, Barnes’ Catch Lift Rockies over Padres

Posted on September 24, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Drew Stubbs hit a tiebreaking home run leading off the eighth and left fielder Brandon Barnes robbed Rene Rivera of a tying shot in the bottom of the inning to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 3-2 victory against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

The Padres, who were trying to extend their winning streak to a season-high six games, were assured of their fourth straight losing season. The Padres (75-82) can still finish with their best record in three seasons. They went 76-86 in 2012 and 2013.

Stubbs homered on the first pitch from Dale Thayer (4-4) into the Jack Daniel’s party deck atop the right-field wall, his 15th. It was the first run Thayer allowed in nine outings.

Rymer Liriano was shaken up after slamming into the wall trying to make the catch but remained in the game.

Royals Roll On, Beat Indians 7-1

Posted on September 23, 2014

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Yordano Ventura blanked Cleveland’s punchless offense for seven innings as the Kansas City Royals kept pressure on first-place Detroit in the AL Central with a 7-1 win over the Indians on Tuesday night.

The hard-throwing Ventura (14-10) allowed four singles and threw a 100 mph fastball on his 104th pitch.

Salvador Perez’s two-out, two-run double off Danny Salazar (6-8) put the Royals ahead 5-0 in the fifth and they turned their attention to the left-field scoreboard to monitor the Tigers’ score. Kansas City entered one game out of first and with a grasp on one of the league’s two wild-card spots.

The Royals are closing in on their first postseason appearance since 1985, when they won their only World Series title.

At 86-71, Kansas City matched its win total from last season. It’s the first time the Royals have had consecutive seasons with at least 86 victories since 1977-78.

Mo’ne Davis to Donate Jersey to BB Hall of Fame

Posted on September 23, 2014

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Philadelphia Little League sensation Mo’ne Davis is headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Davis, the first girl to win a game at the Little League Baseball World Series, will donate the jersey she wore during the game to the museum on Thursday. She’ll be accompanied by teammates from both her Little League World Series team and the travel team she’s played on since she was seven.

Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, a former Negro Leagues pitcher and one of only three women to play in the Negro Leagues, will also attend Thursday’s event at the Hall of Fame.

Afterward, Davis and her teammates will face a team from upstate New York in an exhibition game at Doubleday Field.

Davis pitched Taney Little League into the Little League World Series, becoming the fourth American girl to appear in the tournament. In her first game, she shut out a team from Nashville 4-0 over six full innings while featuring a fastball that reached 70 miles per hour.

Stults Pitches Streaking Padres past Rockies 1-0

Posted on September 23, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eric Stults pitched effectively into the seventh inning and the San Diego Padres won their fifth straight game, beating the Colorado Rockies 1-0 on Monday night.

Stults (8-17), who is tied with Philadelphia right-hander A.J. Burnett for the major league lead in losses, scattered seven hits and a walk over 6 1-3 innings in beating the Rockies for the first time this season after two defeats. Kevin Quackenbush pitched the ninth for his sixth save, ending Colorado’s season-high, six-game winning streak.

San Diego went ahead in the first inning when Rene Rivera’s double scored Jedd Gyorko, who walked. It was Rivera’s fifth RBI and third double in four games.

Rockies starter Tyler Matzek (6-11) struck out eight in six innings. He allowed one run, four hits and three walks.

Royals Beat Indians 2-0, Gain on Tigers

Posted on September 22, 2014

CLEVELAND (AP) — Danny Duffy pitched six shutout innings for his first win in more than a month as the Kansas City Royals moved closer to the top of the AL Central and kept some distance over Cleveland in the wild-card race, beating the Indians 2-0 on Monday night.

Duffy (9-11), who had thrown just one pitch in September before the start, held the Indians to six hits. The left-hander had been sidelined since Sept. 6 with a sore shoulder.

Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 44th save as the Royals, seeking their first postseason appearance since 1985, moved within one game of first-place Detroit. The Tigers lost 2-0 at home to the White Sox.

Carlos Carrasco (8-6) couldn’t keep the momentum going for the Indians, who earlier completed a 4-3 win in 10 innings in a game suspended on Aug. 31 in Kansas City.

Manfred, Clark on MLB Length of Games Committee

Posted on September 22, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Incoming baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and players’ association head Tony Clark have been selected to participate in a new Major League Baseball committee tasked with decreasing the times of games.

The committee announced Monday by outgoing Commissioner Bud Selig will be chaired by Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz. The group includes Boston Red Sox Chairman Tim Werner and partner Michael Gordon, New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson and Major League Baseball Executive Vice President Joe Torre.

The average time of a nine-inning game has increased from 2 hours, 33 minutes in 1981 to a record 3:03 this year.

Selig says the group plans to make recommendations for the 2015 season.

Cuddyer Homers as Rockies Sweep D-backs, 8-3

Posted on September 21, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Michael Cuddyer homered, Rafael Ynoa drove in three runs and the Colorado Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-3 on Sunday.

The Rockies swept a four-game series for the first time this season. It was their second sweep in as many homestands after going three months without one.

Brandon Barnes had two hits two RBIs and Wilin Rosario also had two hits and scored three runs for Colorado, which is trying to avoid a third straight last-place finish.

The Rockies’ offense came into the homestand having scored 10 runs in six games but exploded against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. Colorado scored 61 runs in its final six games at Coors Field this season to climb out of the NL West cellar, three games ahead of reeling Arizona.

Rookie right-hander Christian Bergman (3-4) allowed two runs on six hits and struck out three in 5 2-3 innings to pick up the victory.

Aoki, Guthrie, Royals Avoid Sweep, Beat Tigers

Posted on September 21, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nori Aoki hit a two-run triple, helping Jeremy Guthrie and the Kansas City Royals hold their AL wild-card spot by beating the Detroit Tigers 5-2 Sunday.

The Royals avoided a three-game sweep and moved within 1 1/2 games of the AL Central-leading Tigers. Kansas City began the day with a half-game edge over Seattle for the second wild-card spot.

Aoki’s triple in the fourth scored Omar Infante and Mike Moustakas to break a 2-all tie and end the day for Rick Porcello.

Porcello (15-12) is 0-4 in his past five starts. He yielded four runs on nine hits and two walks in 3 1-3 innings.

Guthrie (12-11) pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the second and was pulled after 81 pitches and 5 1-3 innings, yielding one earned run. Greg Holland threw a perfect ninth for his 43rd save in 45 chances, but first since Sept. 3.