LAA 12, CLE 3   WP Jered Weaver (16-8) LP Danny Salazar (6-7)

So apparently good pitching doesn’t always beat good hitting as the Angels’ sticks came into the game on a roll and Danny Salazar has tossed 17 consecutive scoreless innings including his first complete game shutout last time out…the streak actually hit 21 frames before the Halos laid a six-spot on the Tribe in the fifth, keyed by a pair of home runs, the first a two-run shot by Kole Calhoun then David Freese added a three-run blow…Albert Pujols and Howie Kendrick added some insurance with a couple of 9th inning big flies…Calhoun, Pujols and Kendrick each had three hits with Mike Trout chipping in with a pair…Jered Weaver was the recipient of the onslaught, tossing a quality start…Lonnie Chisenhall hit his 13th blast in the losing effort.

DET 9, KC 5   WP Justin Verlander (13-12) LP Jeremy Guthrie (10-11)

In a series with all sorts of playoff implications, the Tigers won the opener of a three-game set pulling to within a game of the AL Central leading Royals…for the record, that’s the first time I have ever typed those particular words in that particular order…the Tigers snapped a 2-2 tie with six in the third and never looked back…the old guys keep getting it done in Motown as Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez had three knocks while Miguel Cabrera and youngster Nick Castellanos had a pair…Justin Verlander did what you’re supposed to do with a lead, throwing seven solid frames with just one walk, allowing six hits and four earned with four punch outs…Lorenzo Cain was 2-for-4 with a homer while Eric Hosmer is getting in a groove with three hits

WSH 2, ATL 1   WP Doug Fister (13-6) LP Mike Minor (6-10) SV Drew Storen (3)

Doug Fister outdueled Mike Minor in a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, though neither party was especially dominating…Fister tossed seven sharp scoreless frames with three whiffs, allowing just two hits but he walked three…Adam LaRoche had two hits for the victors with Anthony Rendon and Ian Desmond collecting the only RBIs…Minor worked six frames, surrendering seven hits and two earned, fanning three while walking a pair…Freddie Freeman had half of the Braves four hits and their only RBI…remember when Washington felt compelled to go out and get Rafael Soriano because they didn’t feel Drew Storen had the moxie to close for a playoff team?              

PIT 6, PHI 4   WP Jeff Locke (7-4) LP Kyle Kendrick (8-12) SV Mark Melancon (27)

This time last season Jeff Locke was felled by the regression monster, yesterday he said not this year as he fanned nine with nary a free pass over seven three-hit, one-run innings…Starlin Marte was the sparkplug with three hits including a three-run blast…Jordy Mercer stayed hot with a pair of knocks, scoring and plating a run…Kyle Kendrick gutted out seven stanzas, fanning eight but serving up nine hits and five earned…Chase Utley had a pair of RBI in the losing cause…Jimmy Rollins left early and is expected to miss a week after straining his left hamstring.

TOR 8, CHC 0   WP Marcus Stroman (10-5) LP Jacob Turner (5-9)

In a different season, we could be pimping Marcus Stroman for Rookie-of-the-Year but Jose Abreu that has that locked up…the right-hander twirled his first career complete-game shutout, limiting the Cubs to just three base runners, all singles…Jose Bautista hit his 32nd, a three-run shot…if you’re holding Dan Straily hoping for a couple of starts down the stretch, it’s safe to drop him, he’s been lit coming out of the ‘pen though long-term I still like him as a back-end starter.

BAL 4, BOS 0   WP Miguel Gonzalez (9-7) LP Joe Kelly (3-4)

Miguel Gonzalez is on a roll, tossing 15 1/3rd consecutive scoreless frames with only one earned over his past 22 1/3rd…yesterday’s effort was 6 1/3rd shutout stanzas with six hits, three walks while fanning four…Nelson Cruz and Steve Pearce provided the support with a pair of hits each…No one on the Red Sox had more than one hit.

NYM 3, COL 2   WP Carlos Torres (7-5) LP LaTroy Hawkins (3-3)

The Mets won it walkoff style with Curtis Granderson tying it with a triple then scoring the game-winner on a sacrifice fly by Wilmer Flores…Jon Niese started and threw 6 1/3rd one-run innings with eight whiffs…Michael Cuddyer and Nolan Arenado had solo shots accounting for both Rockies runs. 

STL 5, CIN 0   WP Shelby Miller (9-9) LP Manny Parra (0-3)

Shelby Miller is determined not to be the forgotten man this post-season as he spun his third straight stellar outing, this time a scoreless seven-inning stint, holding the Reds to just four hits with no walks and four strikeouts…Matt Carpenter staked the Cards to a 2-0 lead in the 7th before Matt Adams provided some breathing room in the 9th with a three-run Big City blast…Dylan Axelrod stated for the Reds but left after one batter with an injured oblique…David Holmberg came in and worked 5 2/3rd scoreless frames…Brandon Phillips had two of the three Reds hits.

MIA 6, MIL 4   WP Brad Penny (2-1) LP Yovani Gallardo (8-9) SV Steve Cishek (33)


Three early home runs by Marcell Ozuna, Garrett Jones and Giancarlo Stanton knocked Yovani Gallardo out of the game in the 4th…Brad Penny held the fort with six innings of two-run ball…Carlos Gomez returned to the lineup for the Brewers, going 1-for-3 with a pair of runs and a ribbie…Jonathan Lucroy and Scooter Gennett had a pair of knocks for the losers. 

CHW 5, OAK 4   WP Javy Guerra (2-3) LP Jesse Chavez (8-8)  12 innings

Tyler Flowers put two homers on the board, the first tying the game in the 9th, the second sending everyone home happy in the 12th…Cole Gillaspie hit a solo-shot in the 6th…Sonny Gray started for the A’s, tossing seven stanzas with two earned runs, three total…Josh Reddick and Jed Lowrie each had blasts for Oakland before Flowers heroics.

LAD 9, SD 4   WP Clayton Kershaw (18-3) Odrisamer Despaigne (3-6)

Yawn, just another day at the office for Clayton Kershaw, eight innings with one earned run (three total), three hits, two walks and eight whiffs…Hanley Ramirez was 4-for-5 with a run and two RBI…Juan Uribe and Crawford both went yard…Dee Gordon stole his 59th…Yasmani Grandal had a 9th inning solo shot in a losing effort.

SEA 4, HOU 1   WP Danny Farquhar (3-1) LP Mike Foltynewicz (0-1) SV Fernando Rodney (44)

Felix Hernandez worked six scoreless and was in line for the win but wasn’t as sharp as usual, walking four with five hits though he did fan eight…Brad Miller was the hero, tripling in the go-ahead runs in the eighth then scoring an insurance run himself…Robbie Grossman had three hits including a triple on which Michael Saunders same close to making a highlight-reel catch.