MLB: Sale strkes out 15, leads White Sox over Cubs

Subscribe Now Choose a package that suits your preferences.
Start Free Account Get access to 7 premium stories every month for FREE!
Already a Subscriber? Current print subscriber? Activate your complimentary Digital account.

CHICAGO — Chris Sale matched a career high with 15 strikeouts while pitching seven scoreless innings, and the Chicago White Sox snapped the crosstown Cubs’ nine-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory Sunday.

Sale (11-7) allowed one hit — Dexter Fowler’s one-out single in the sixth.

The Cubs were trying for their first double-digit win streak since they won 12 straight in 2001. But Dan Haren (8-8) allowed homers to Jose Abreu, Melky Cabrera and Alexei Ramirez in 4 2-3 innings.

David Robertson gave up Jorge Soler’s two-out homer in the ninth before finishing for his 24th save in 30 chances.

GIANTS 5, NATIONALS 0

SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner homered and doubled, struck out 14 and pitched a three-hitter as San Francisco handed Washington its sixth straight loss.

Hunter Pence also homered as the playoff-contending Giants finished off a four-game sweep. Washington matched its longest skid of the season and fell below .500.

Bumgarner (14-6) held the Nats hitless into the fifth inning. The World Series MVP matched his career high for strikeouts while pitching his first shutout of the year.

Bumgarner hit his fourth homer this season and 10th overall.

Joe Ross (3-5) took the loss.

ASTROS 6, TIGERS 5

HOUSTON — Jose Altuve hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning and AL West-leading Houston, boosted by two homers from Colby Rasmus, beat Detroit.

Miguel Cabrera homered, doubled and drove in three runs for the Tigers.

Jake Marisnick tripled off Tom Gorzelanny (1-2) with two outs in the Houston ninth. Alex Wilson relieved and Altuve singled on the first pitch for his third hit of the game.

Will Harris (5-2) allowed two hits and a run in two innings.

PIRATES 8, METS 1

NEW YORK — Aramis Ramirez had four hits and three RBIs, Pedro Alvarez homered and Pittsburgh finished off its first season series sweep of the NL East leaders.

Alvarez, Ramirez and Gregory Polanco each had run-scoring hits in a breakaway four-run seventh, keyed by a throwing error from reliever Bobby Parnell (1-3).

The Pirates went 6-0 vs. New York this year. Arquimedes Caminero (4-1) got this win.

DODGERS 2, REDS 1

LOS ANGELES — Zack Greinke lowered his major league-best ERA to 1.58 with seven sharp innings and drove in the go-ahead run with his second homer of the season, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers over Cincinnati.

Greinke (13-2) allowed a run on six hits, struck out eight and walked one. The right-hander is 8-0 with a 1.16 ERA over his last 11 starts.

Joc Pederson and Greinke hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth off rookie Anthony DeSclafani (7-8).

Kenley Jansen got four outs for his 24th save in 25 chances and 130th of his career, just hours after becoming a father for the second time.

ORIOLES 18, ATHLETICS 2

BALTIMORE — Adam Jones hit two home runs, Gerardo Parra had five of Baltimore’s 26 hits, and the Orioles breezed past Oakland.

Four days after Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma pitched a no-hitter against them, the O’s tied a team record for hits.

Parra and Jones homered off Kendall Graveman (6-9) in the third, and Baltimore put up a nine-run, 10-hit fifth.

The A’s, who lost their sixth in a row, brought in first baseman Ike Davis to pitch in the eighth. He allowed a single and a walk in a scoreless inning.

Wei-Yin Chen (7-6) is 5-0 with a 2.30 ERA in seven career starts against Oakland.

BLUE JAYS 3, YANKEES 1

TORONTO — Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer, Drew Hutchison won his third straight start and Toronto avoided a three-game sweep by beating the New York Yankees.

The Blue Jays and the division-leading Yankees, separated by a half-game atop the AL East, meet seven more times this season.

New York’s Carlos Beltran hit big homers in the first two games of the set. This time, he sparked a Toronto burst in the third by losing Troy Tulowitzki’s fly to right field in the sun.

Tulowitzki wound up with a two-out double, Josh Donaldson hit an RBI single and Bautista added his 28th homer.

Hutchison (12-2) improved to 10-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 13 home starts. Roberto Osuna closed for his 13th save.

Making his third big league start, Luis Severino (0-2) struck out nine in six innings.

BRAVES 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1, 10 INNINGS

ATLANTA — Shelby Miller took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, and Atlanta went on to beat Arizona on Cameron Maybin’s home run in the 10th.

Miller, an NL All-Star last month and among the league leaders in ERA, wound up with his 16th straight winless start.

Leading 1-0, Miller’s no-hit try ended when Nick Ahmed led off the eighth with a bloop single to right field. Pinch-hitter Jarod Saltalamacchia followed with another single that finished Miller, who struck out 10.

Maybin opened with the 10th with a drive over the left field wall off David Hernandez (0-3).

David Aardsma (1-1) struck out the side in the 10th.

MARLINS 6, CARDINALS 4

ST. LOUIS — Derek Dietrich drove in three runs, Dee Gordon had three hits and Miami broke a six-game losing streak against St. Louis.

Adeiny Hechavarria had two hits and scored two runs as Miami won for the fourth time in six games.

Jason Heyward homered twice and drove in three runs for St. Louis, which sports the best home record in the majors at 44-18.

Chris Narveson (1-0) pitched 2 2-3 innings. He also drove in a run with a squeeze bunt.

A.J. Ramos closed for his 19th save in 24 opportunities.

Carlos Martinez (12-5) gave up one earned run in five innings.

MARINERS 10, RED SOX 8, 12 INNINGS

BOSTON — Robinson Cano got five hits, Nelson Cruz connected for his majors-leading 36th home run and Seattle blew a big lead before edging Boston.

Franklin Gutierrez homered twice for Seattle, which led 7-0. The Mariners had been outscored 37-11 in the first two games of the series.

Xander Bogaerts and Rusney Castillo homered for the Red Sox, who lost for the first time under interim manager Torey Lovullo.

Rob Rasmussen (2-1) worked two scoreless innings and Danny Farquhar got his first save.

Craig Breslow (0-3) took the loss.

BREWERS 6, PHILLIES 1

MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun hit a grand slam to tie Robin Yount’s franchise home run mark and Milwaukee swept the season series from Philadelphia.

Braun finished with five RBIs. His 251st career homer came in the fifth when he homered off the scoreboard girder in left-center field.

Rookie Taylor Jungmann (7-4) set a career high with nine strikeouts in 6 1-3 shutout innings. Francisco Rodriguez got his 29th save.

Aaron Harang (5-14) leads the majors in losses.

RANGERS 5, RAYS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas — Adrian Beltre and Ryan Strausborger hit solo home runs to spoil Drew Smyly’s return, and Texas beat Tampa Bay.

The Rangers swept the three-game series and have won four straight games and seven in a row at home.

Beltre broke a tie in the third inning with a solo shot. The next inning, Strausborger hit his first major league homer in his third game.

Smyly (0-2) allowed five runs in four innings. He made his first start since going on the disabled list with a torn labrum in his shoulder in May.

Yovani Gallardo (9-9) got the win and Shawn Tolleson pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 23rd save in 24 chances.

TWINS 4, INDIANS 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Tommy Milone returned from the disabled list and pitched five innings, Kurt Suzuki had two key RBIs and Minnesota defeated Cleveland.

Trevor Plouffe hit his 17th home run and four Twins relievers held Cleveland scoreless over the final four innings, capped by Glen Perkins working the ninth for his 31st save.

Milone (6-3), making his first start since coming off the DL with a left elbow strain, was limited to 76 pitches. He allowed one run and three hits,

Carlos Carrasco (11-9) struck out seven in seven innings.

ROCKIES 4, PADRES 0

DENVER — Chris Rusin pitched a five-hitter for his first career complete game, Carlos Gonzalez homered and Colorado beat San Diego to snap a six-game losing streak.

It was the first complete game by a Rockies pitcher since Tyler Matzek blanked the Padres last Sept. 5.

Rusin (4-5) retired the final 10 batters. Ian Kennedy (7-11) got the loss.

ROYALS 4, ANGLES 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kendrys Morales had an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night.

Ben Zobrist singled with one out in the 10th, the Royals’ first hit since Eric Hosmer’s RBI single in the first inning. After Hosmer walked, Morales singled against Trevor Gott (2-1) as Kansas City improved to 7-2 in extra-inning games.

Kelvin Herrera (4-2) pitched a perfect 10th to pick up the victory.

Kole Calhoun homered in the eighth off Wade Davis to put the Angels up 3-2.

Angels closer Huston Street, however, could not hold the lead in the ninth. He walked the bases loaded before Alex Rios’ sacrifice fly scored Hosmer to tie the score. Mike Trout made a diving catch of Paulo Orlando’s scorcher to right-center for the third out to preserve the tie.