BOSTON — The Los Angeles Angels are going to be without Garrett Richards for a playoff run.
One of the AL West leader’s top starters sustained a serious knee injury, tearing his left patellar tendon Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox.
Richards was 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA this year. It’s a serious blow to the Angels, who also lost starter Tyler Skaggs to Tommy John surgery earlier this season.
“You’re going to be thinking of Garrett once every fifth day when he was out there,” manager Mike Scioscia said Thursday. “You might not be able to replace that, but it doesn’t mean that we’re not going to be able to reach our goal as a cumulative pitching staff.”
General manager Jerry Dipoto said “we’ll be open” about finding a deal to replace Richards in the rotation.
Richards crumbled to the ground covering first base on a potential 3-6-1 double play against Boston. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and was flown to Los Angeles on Thursday morning, where he had an MRI.
The Angels tweeted Richards will have surgery on Friday. The rehabilitation time should be six to nine months.
The Angels selected the contract of left-hander Wade LeBlanc, who pitched briefly for the New York Yankees earlier this season, from Triple-A Salt Lake. Richards was placed on the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.
On Thursday, Matt Shoemaker pitched one-hit ball into the eighth inning, helping the Angels complete a four-game sweep of Boston with a 2-0 victory at Fenway Park.
Shoemaker (12-4) struck out nine before a two-out walk to Mookie Betts in the eighth ended his night. Will Middlebrooks’ two-out double in the seventh was Boston’s only hit in its fifth consecutive loss.
Jason Grilli pitched the ninth for his 12th save of the season and first with the Angels since coming to Los Angeles in a deal with Pittsburgh on June 27.
The Angels have won four straight and eight of nine, taking a two-game lead over the A’s into this weekend’s series at Oakland.
Boston’s Rubby De La Rosa (4-5) pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and eight hits. He also tied his career high with eight strikeouts.
RAYS 1, TIGERS 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — David Price allowed only one hit in his first start against his former team, an RBI triple to Brandon Guyer, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Detroit Tigers to avoid a three-game sweep.
Ben Zobrist reached on a throwing error by shortstop Eugenio Suarez and scored on Guyer’s hit. Price then retired his final 23 batters, nine on strikeouts, to finish an eight-inning complete game.
Alex Cobb (9-6) scattered two hits, walked two and struck out six over seven innings, improving to 7-0 in his last 10 starts. After Brad Boxberger worked out of an eighth-inning jam, Jake McGee got three outs for his 14th save and complete a four-hitter.
NATIONALS 1, DIAMONDBACKS 0
WASHINGTON — Denard Span scored from second on third baseman Jordan Pacheco’s throwing error in the ninth inning, and the Washington Nationals stretched their winning streak to 10 games with a victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Five of Washington’s last six wins have come in its final at-bat, and the streak is tied for the franchise record. Kansas City is the only other team to win 10 consecutive games this year.
Rafael Soriano (4-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Nationals, who swept three-game series against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates before winning all four games of this series.
Oliver Perez (2-3) got the loss for the Diamondbacks.
DODGERS 2, PADRES 1
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw struck out 10 in eight innings for Los Angeles, and Justin Turner hit a two-run homer.
Kershaw (15-3) allowed one run and three hits while moving into a tie with Johnny Cueto, Wily Peralta and Adam Wainwright for the major league lead in victories.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner retired 12 in a row before giving up his first hit — a single by pitcher Tyson Ross — with two outs in the sixth.
Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 36th save.
Ross (11-12) held his own against Kershaw, allowing four hits in eight innings.
CUBS 2, GIANTS 1, RESUMPTION OF SUSP. GAME
GIANTS 5, CUBS 3
CHICAGO — Buster Posey went 4 for 4 with his 14th homer, leading Madison Bumgarner and San Francisco to the win in the nightcap of an unusual doubleheader.
Pablo Sandoval added three hits and two RBIs as the Giants rebounded from a 2-1 loss earlier in the day in the resumption of their suspended game in the series opener.
Bumgarner (14-9) struck out 12 in seven innings. He allowed three runs and seven hits.
The long day started with a rain delay of 1 hour, 57 minutes, and then the teams played the final 4 1/2 innings of a game the Cubs thought they had won 2-0 on Tuesday night.
A short rainstorm caused a delay of more than 4 1/2 hours after the grounds crew struggled with the tarp. The umpires said the field was unplayable and called it at 1:16 a.m.
But the Giants protested, and Major League Baseball ruled that the tarp had not been properly put away after its previous use.
Tsuyoshi Wada (3-1) earned the victory for the Cubs, while Ryan Vogelsong (7-9) took the loss. Hector Rondon got three outs for his 19th save in 23 opportunities.
YANKEES 3, ASTROS 0
NEW YORK — Brandon McCarthy pitched a four-hitter and the Yankees avoided a three-game sweep, beating the Houston Astros.
New York won for just the third time in 10 games. Chase Headley hit an early two-run double and the Yankees backed McCarthy with flawless fielding.
McCarthy (5-2) outpitched Dallas Keuchel (10-9) as they both threw complete games without a walk.
McCarthy struck out eight in his fourth career shutout and first this season. He was 3-10 with Arizona before being traded to the Yankees in July.
Keuchel gave up seven hits and struck out five.
BRAVES 8, REDS 0
CINCINNATI — Justin Upton extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a bases-loaded single during Atlanta’s decisive third inning, and the Braves extended their offensive resurgence.
Atlanta put it away early, sending 11 batters to the plate in the third for five runs. Jason Heyward got it started with a single off David Holmberg (0-1) and drew a bases-loaded walk that finished the rally. Upton singled home a pair of runs during the inning and later added a sacrifice fly.
Julio Teheran (12-9) went six innings and allowed four hits by the Reds, who have lost six in a row.
TWINS 4, INDIANS 1
MINNEAPOLIS — Kennys Vargas homered and sparked rallies with two other hits, leading the Twins past Corey Kluber and the Indians.
Phil Hughes (14-8) struck out eight over seven innings to forge a four-way tie for the American League lead in victories, with Rick Porcello, Max Scherzer and Scott Kazmir.
Trevor Plouffe put the Twins back in front with a two-run double in the sixth.
Kluber (13-7) had his winning streak stopped at six, despite eight strikeouts over seven innings.
Rookie Zach Walters homered for the third straight game for the Indians.