MLB Roundup: Sale strikes out 15 as White Sox beat Cubs 3-1
Chicago White Sox starter Chris Sale throws against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of an interleague baseball game Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
CHICAGO— Chris Sale matched a career high with 15 strikeouts while pitching seven scoreless innings as the Chicago White Sox ended 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.
San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner homered and doubled, struck out 14 and pitched a three-hitter as the Giants handed the Washington Nationals its sixth straight loss 5-0.
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 hit his fourth homer this season and 10th overall.
In Kansas City, Missouri, Kendrys Morales had an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Royals to a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
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.
The AL West-leading Houston Astros edged the Detroit Tigers 6-5 after Jose Altuve hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning after Colby Rasmus hit two homers.
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.
Aramis Ramirez had four hits and three RBIs, and Pedro Alvarez homered as the Pittsburgh Pirates trounced the New York Mets to finish off their 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).
Dodgers pitcher 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 Los Angeles over the Cincinnati Reds 2-1, while Adam Jones hit two home runs and Gerardo Parra had five of Baltimore’s 26 hits in the Orioles’ massive 18-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
In other games, Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer and Drew Hutchison won his third straight start as the Toronto Blue Jays downed the New York Yankees 3-1, the Atlanta Braves outlasted the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 over 10 innings, the Miami Marlins downed the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 and the Seattle Mariners edged the Boston Red Sox 10-8 after 12 innings.
Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun hit a grand slam to equal Robin Yount’s club home run record as the Brewers downed the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1, the Texas Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3, the Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Indians 4-1 and the Colorado Rockies blanked the San Diego Padres 4-0.
