Corbin takes 1-hitter into 8th, Nationals beat Giants 4-2
WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin took a one-hitter into the eighth inning in his first victory with Washington, Wilmer Difo homered and the Nationals beat the punchless San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday.
Signed to a $140 million, six-year contract in December after pitching for six seasons in Arizona, Corbin started three games without a decision with his new team before throwing a gem in the deciding matchup of a three-game series.
Corbin (1-0) struck out nine, walked one and a hit a batter over 7 2/3 innings against a struggling San Francisco offense that came in with a .208 average. The lone hits against the lefty were Evan Longoria’s fifth-inning double and Erik Kratz’s two-out RBI double in the eighth.
After Kratz broke up the shutout, Kyle Barraclough entered and retired pinch-hitter Buster Posey. Sean Doolittle worked the ninth, giving up three hits and a run while earning his second save.
San Francisco starter Drew Pomeranz (0-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.
After the Giants went down in order to start the game, Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-out RBI double in the bottom half for a 1-0 lead. In the third, Anthony Rendon extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games with a two-out double and scored on a double by Juan Soto. Difo hit a solo shot in the fourth, and Pomeranz was lifted after issuing a bases-loaded walk in the fifth.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, BRAVES 1
ATLANTA (AP) — Christian Walker continued his remarkable late-innings production with a two-run homer in the seventh, Luke Weaver got Arizona off to a good start and the Diamondbacks beat Atlanta to complete a three-game sweep.
Walker lined the opposite-field homer to right-center off Chad Sobotka (0-1) following a single by Adam Jones. It was Walker’s sixth homer — all in the seventh inning or later. He added a double in the ninth.
Weaver (1-1) struck out nine in five scoreless innings, fanning the last five batters he faced. He allowed four hits.
The Diamondbacks have won four straight, including their first sweep of the Braves since 2016.
Arizona led 4-0 before Freddie Freeman led off the eighth with a homer against Matt Andriese.
Yoshihisa Hirano, who earned the win in the opening game of the series, gave up a one-out single to Ender Inciarte in the ninth. Hirano struck out pinch-hitter Josh Donaldson and ended the game on Ozzie Albies’ flyball for his first save.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Randal Grichuk, Justin Smoak and Teoscar Hernandez homered to help Toronto beat Minnesota.
Eric Sogard added a three-run double for the Blue Jays. They took three of four at Target Field.
Eddie Rosario homered twice for the Twins.
Blue Jays relievers Thomas Pannone, Ryan Tepera, Tim Mayza and Joe Biagini (1-1) combined to allow one run in 3 1-3 innings. Ken Giles earned his sixth save in seven chances with a scoreless ninth.
Michael Pineda (2-1) had his worst start of the season, allowing six earned runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings. He struck out one batter, threw a wild pitch and allowed two home runs to equal his combined total from his first three starts.
DETROIT (AP) — Nicholas Castellanos had three hits and drove in a pair of runs and Detroit beat Chicago to end a five-game losing streak.
Grayson Greiner had a career-high three hits and two RBIs for the Tigers. Miguel Cabrera, playing on his 36th birthday, also drove in a pair of runs to help Detroit set season highs for runs and hits (14).
With the score tied at 7, Greiner led off the eighth with a single and moved up when Carson Fulmer (0-1) hit both JaCoby Jones and Josh Harrison with pitches. Castellanos and Cabrera put the Tigers ahead with back-to-back sacrifice flies.
Drew VerHagen (1-0) picked up the win after recording the last out of the eighth inning. Shane Greene pitched the ninth for his ninth save in nine attempts.
