Montas pitches Oakland to 6th straight win, 7-2 over Indians
CLEVELAND (AP) — Frankie Montas pitched six scoreless innings, Mark Canha homered and drove in three runs and the Oakland Athletics extended their winning streak to six with a 7-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.
Nick Hundley had three hits, including a solo homer and two RBIs. Robbie Grossman also drove in a pair of runs as Oakland swept the three-game series and reached the .500 mark for the first time since April 26.
The Athletics completed a 6-2 trip and have won 10 of their last 14.
Montas (6-2), who struck out nine, has not allowed more than three earned runs in his 10 starts this season. The right-hander gave up five hits, four of them over the first two innings, in lowering his ERA to 2.40.
Canha, filling in for injured designated hitter Khris Davis, hit his seventh home run and a double. Davis underwent an MRI on his ailing left hip, but has not been put on the injured list while the team awaits the results.
Jefry Rodriguez (1-4) allowed four earned runs in a season-low four innings. Cleveland trailed 7-0 in the eighth when Jake Bauers hit a two-run homer off Fernando Rodney.
Jason Kipnis singled in the Cleveland fifth, marking the 17th straight game he has reached base.
ROYALS 8, CARDINALS 2, 1ST GAME
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brad Keller pitched seven-plus innings of two-hit baseball, Jorge Soler hit a three-run homer and Kansas City beat St. Louis in the first game of a doubleheader.
Keller (3-5) snapped a six-start winless streak. He pitched around leadoff walks in the first, second and fourth innings and had retired 12 of 13 batters before Matt Carpenter walked and Paul Goldschmidt singled to start the eighth, ending Keller’s day. Keller struck out three, walked four and hit two batters.
Soler’s drive into the left field seats off Michael Wacha (3-2) capped a six-run third and made it 7-0.
Whit Merrifield had two hits, drove in a run and scored once. Nicky Lopez reached three times and scored twice and Hunter Dozier hit a pair of sacrifice flies.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Yasmani Grandal homered during a big rally and started a bizarre double play on a pitch that got past him and bounced to the backstop, helping Milwaukee outlast Cincinnati.
Grandal hit a two-run homer as the Brewers scored five times in the sixth for an 11-8 lead.
The pitching matchup between the Brewers’ Zach Davies and Luis Castillo turned out to be the shortest outing of the season for both. Davies gave up six runs in three innings and Castillo allowed four in 2.
Josh Hader finished it, earning his 12th save in 12 chances.
Tyler Barnhart’s fourth homer capped a five-run second that put the Reds up, 5-0. Dietrich hit his 12th in the third for a 6-1 lead.
The Brewers made it 6-all in the fourth on a two-run single by Eric Thames. Keston Hiura and Mike Moustakas also homered for Milwaukee.
Milwaukee reliever Junior Guerra (2-0) earned the win. Wandy Peralta (0-1) took the loss.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Hunter Pence homered, Adrian Sampson had another impressive long outing for a victory after not starting, and Texas beat slumping Seattle to complete a three-game sweep.
The Mariners have lost 27 of 37 games to fall to the bottom of the AL West standings since starting the season 13-2.
Seattle lefty Marco Gonzalez (5-4) limited the Rangers to one earned run over seven innings, but dropped to 0-4 with a 4.56 ERA in five starts in May. He was 5-0 after his first seven starts this season.
Sampson (2-3) went 5 1/3 innings and gave up one earned run after the Rangers used a reliever to start the game. Jesse Chavez got the first five outs against the Mariners. Shawn Kelley worked the ninth for his fourth save in five chances.
PADRES 5, DIAMONDBACKS 2
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Left-hander Eric Lauer pitched seven strong innings for his first win in seven starts and Greg Garcia had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run as San Diego beat Arizona to complete a three-game sweep.
Lauer (3-4) held the Diamondbacks to one run and four hits, struck out seven and walked none to win for the first time since April 8 at San Francisco. Kirby Yates got the final three outs for his major league-leading 20th save.
The Padres roughed up rookie Merrill Kelly (4-5) for four runs and five hits in 1 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out none.
