Houston Chronicle

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves hammered Jon Lester in his first start for the St. Louis Cardinals, scoring five runs in the first inning and cruising to a 6-1 victory Tuesday night. The 37-year-old Lester (3-6), acquired from Washington last week, allowed the first seven hitters to reach and did not record an out until his 27th pitch. “That first … [Read more...] about Braves hammer Lester in Cardinals debut for 6-1 victory

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jorge Polanco delivered a go-ahead, three-run homer in the ninth inning, lifting the Minnesota Twins to a 7-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night. Heath Hembree (2-6) walked the first two Minnesota batters before striking out Brent Rooker. Polanco fouled off four two-strike pitches before connecting on a liner just inside the foul pole in right … [Read more...] about Polanco's 3-run blast stuns Reds in 7-5 Twins win

CHICAGO (AP) — Dylan Cease allowed one hit in six scoreless innings, matching a season high with 11 strikeouts, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Tuesday night. Tim Anderson and Andrew Vaughn homered for AL Central-leading Chicago, which had dropped three of four at fourth-place Kansas City last week. “That was definitely one of my better ones,” Cease … [Read more...] about Cease blanks Royals for 6 innings, White Sox win 7-1

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Top prospect Jo Adell drove in three runs and had three hits in his season debut for the Los Angeles Angels, and that wasn’t even what impressed manager Joe Maddon the most. “Everybody’s going to focus on hits. I’m focusing on process with him. ... His process was outstanding,” Maddon said. “I really liked the baserunning and the command of the strike … [Read more...] about Adell's 3 RBIs in season debut help Angels beat Rangers 11-3

DENVER (AP) — Elías Díaz hit a grand slam, Kyle Freeland got his first win in more than a month and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 13-6 on Tuesday night. Freeland (2-6) pitched five innings and earned his first win since June 28 before being removed with a left foot contusion. He was hit by a line drive with one out in the fifth, finished the inning and was replaced … [Read more...] about Díaz hits slam, Freeland earns win as Rockies top Cubs 13-6

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brewers starter Adrian Houser was pulled with a no-hitter intact in the seventh inning, and Gregory Polanco and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied to eventually beat Milwaukee 8-5 in the 10th Tuesday night. Houser left after 6 1/3 innings and 104 pitches with Milwaukee ahead 4-0. “We had kind of lowered his pitch count, to 70 last time,” manager Craig Counsell … [Read more...] about Held hitless into 7th by Houser, Pirates top Brewers in 10th

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Tommy Pham hit a leadoff homer, Austin Nola had four hits and two RBIs, and the San Diego Padres thumped the Oakland Athletics 8-1 on Tuesday night. Manny Machado added two hits and scored twice for San Diego. Blake Snell pitched around traffic for five innings and allowed one run as the Padres won for the second time in three games since star shortstop … [Read more...] about Pham homers leading off, Padres pile on in 8-1 win over A's

PHOENIX (AP) — Madison Bumgarner's tough two years with the Arizona Diamondbacks have looked nothing like his outstanding 11-year stint with the San Francisco Giants. But against his former team on Tuesday night, the 32-year-old showed he still might have plenty of good moments on the mound ahead. Bumgarner threw seven stellar innings to beat San Francisco for the first time, … [Read more...] about MadBum gets 1st win vs. former team, D-backs top Giants 3-1

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — Triston Casas hit his third home run of the Olympics, a two-run drive in the first inning off Boston Red Sox Double-A teammate Denyi Reyes, and the United States beat the Dominican Republic 3-1 on Wednesday to stay in gold medal contention. Tyler Austin, a former major leaguer in his home ballpark of the Central League’s Yokohama Bay Stars, added a solo … [Read more...] about Casas' 3rd homer, Kazmir help US beat Dominicans 3-1