A22 SPORTS
Saturday 14 April 2018
Cardinals' 13-4 win extends Reds' worst start since 1955 CINCINNATI (AP) — Jose Martinez drove in six runs and Yadier Molina homered in his return from a one-game suspension, powering St. Louis to a victory that left Cincinnati mired in its worst start since 1955. The Cardinals homered a season-high four times while piling up a season high in runs. The Reds helped by walking 11 batters, three of them with the bases loaded. The Reds fell to 2-10, the worst record in the majors and their worst start since an identical mark in 1955. Infielder Cliff Pennington pitched the ninth for Cincinnati and gave up a pair of walks and Martinez's second RBI single of the game. Paul DeJong's solo shot deep into the upper deck in center off Austin Brice (02) snapped a 4-4 tie in the sixth. Martinez and Molina hit back-to-back drives in the seventh, when St. Louis put it away with seven runs. Michael Wacha (2-1) went five innings and extended his streak of beating Cincinnati. PIRATES 6, CUBS 1 CHICAGO (AP) — Gregory Polanco homered twice to help back a third straight solid start by Trevor Williams, and Pittsburgh pulled away
St. Louis Cardinals' Jose Martinez watches his solo home run off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Zack Weiss during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 12, 2018, in Cincinnati. Associated Press
from Chicago. Francisco Cervelli lined a three-run shot in the seventh off Justin Wilson as Pittsburgh scored four times in the inning to break open a tight game. Adam Frazier also went deep for Pittsburgh, which improved to 9-3. Kyle Schwarber homered, doubled and singled for three of the Cubs' seven hits. Chicago's Ian Happ
had his first two-hit game this season. Williams (3-0) was a bit better than Kyle Hendricks (0-1) in what began as a pitchers' duel following Chicago's 13-5 rout of Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. Williams yielded one run and four hits through six innings. Hendricks allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. ROCKIES 5, NATIONALS 1
WASHINGTON (AP) — DJ LeMahieu hit two home runs and drove in a careerhigh four runs, powering Colorado to the victory. Chad Bettis (2-0) allowed one run and three hits over seven innings as Colorado took the opener of a fourgame series. LeMahieu's four-hit game matched a career high. He provided most of the offense, starting with the
game's first at-bat. The second baseman sent Washington starter Gio Gonzalez's third pitch into the Colorado bullpen in left. LeMahieu added an RBI double in the second off Gonzalez (1-1). In the sixth, he smacked a two-run homer to center off Matt Grace to make it 5-1. GIANTS 7, PADRES 0 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Chris Stratton and Derek Law combined on a one-hitter, and Hunter Pence's broken-bat, two-run bloop single highlighted a threerun first inning for San Francisco. Stratton (1-1) kept the Padres mostly off the bases through seven innings. He allowed their only hit, a one-out single in the third by pitcher Clayton Richard, who was hitting for starter Bryan Mitchell (0-2). Richard was doubled off after Franchy Cordero lined out to shortstop. Stratton struck out four, walked three and retired his final eight batters. The only time a runner got into scoring position against him was when he walked Freddy Galvis and Carlos Asuaje with one out in the fifth.Law, recalled from Triple-A Sacramento before the game, threw two perfect innings.q
Rockies' Arenado, Padres' Perdomo suspended 5 games apiece NEW YORK (AP) — Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado has been suspended five games for charging the mound after Luis Perdomo threw a pitch behind his back, inciting a benches-clearing brawl during Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres. Major League Baseball announced Friday that Perdomo was also suspended five games for intentionally throwing at the All-Star third baseman. "Five games is a lot of games," Arenado said before Friday night's game. "I just defended myself." Rockies outfielder Gerardo Parra was suspended four games for fighting.
Colorado Rockies' Nolan Arenado, front right, is restrained by Carlos Gonzalez, center, as Gerrardo Parra, left, keeps an eye on the San Diego Padres dugout after Arenado rushed the mound following getting hit by a pitch from Padres starting pitcher Luis Perdomo in the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Denver Associated Press
"As of now, I think both are appealing," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "That could change." Both Arenado and Parra were in the lineup for Colorado against the Washington Nationals on Friday night. Padres pitcher Buddy Bauman got a one-game suspension for fighting. The suspended players were also fined. Padres catcher A.J. Ellis and infielder Freddy Galvis and Rockies right-hander German Marquez were fined but not suspended. Arenado swung wildly at Perdomo after he reached the mound, but none of his punches landed squarely. "It's hard not to react a cer-
tain way when you know someone's trying to do something on purpose. It is what it is," Arenado said. "Obviously, five games — you don't want to fight. That's not why we're playing this game. But 96 (mph) at you on purpose, you get frustrated." The brawl came during a tense series that included three batters being hit by pitches before the benches-clearing incident. San Diego's Manuel Margot was hit first and ended up on the disabled list. The suspensions were effective Friday, pending appeals by the players. The Padres hosted the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.q