Page 21 - atoday

SPORTS A21
Friday 2 October 2015

NL Capsules

Cardinals rout Pirates, clinch 3rd straight NL Central title

Anthony DeSclafani (9-13) two. — Drew Smyly won his fifth
took the loss. Milwaukee has won five of straight decision and Grady
GIANTS 5, DODGERS 0 its last seven games. Sizemore had a three-run
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Diego starter Andrew double for Tampa Bay.
Mike Leake pitched a two- Cashner (6-16) struck out Smyly (5-2) allowed one
hitter for his first career shut- four of the first five batters run, three hits, three walks
out. in the game, but left after and had eight strikeouts
A day after being elimi- allowing five consecutive over six innings. After los-
nated from playoff conten- hitters to reach in the fifth. ing his first start on Aug. 16
tion, the Giants jumped to He gave up five runs and following a three-month
an early lead, then rode nine hits, while striking out absence due to a torn left
Leake to beat the Dodgers seven and walking two. labrum, the left-hander has
for the eighth time in nine RAYS 6, MARLINS 4 gone 5-0 over an eight-
games at AT&T Park. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) start stretch.q
Leake (11-10) struck out
A group of St. Louis Cardinals players pose for their team one and walked three
to win for just the second
photographer while celebrating after clinching the Central time in nine starts since
being acquired in a trade
Division with an 11-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in a from Cincinnati on July 30.
The impending free agent
baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015. faced only three over the
minimum.
The Associated Press homered forAtshseocPiairatetdesP.ress Jimmy Rollins singled in the
fourth for the Dodgers, who
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jason PHILLIES 7, METS 5 remain one game behind
the New York Mets for the
Heyward hit a third-inning PHILADELPHIA (AP) — New No. 2 seed in the NL. The
two teams will play each
grand slam to power the York Mets slugger Yoenis other in the NL Division
Series, though homefield
Cardinals over the Pitts- Cespedes was bruised on advantage for that show-
down has yet to be decid-
burgh Pirates 11-1 in the two fingers of his left hand ed.
Matt Duffy hit his 12th home
second game of a double- after he was hit by a pitch run of the season off Dodg-
ers starter Mike Bolsinger (6-
header, giving St. Louis its in a testy loss to Philadel- 6).
BRAVES 2, NATIONALS 0
third NL Central title and phia. ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie
Williams Perez threw six in-
11th since 1994. X-rays were negative on nings and Atlanta’s bullpen
did the rest to record the
This one may be among Cespedes, struck on the Braves’ first shutout since
June 21.
the most impressive. The ring and middle fingers. He Jordan Zimmermann (13-
10), a fixture in the Nation-
Cardinals assured them- exited in the third inning, als’ rotation since 2011,
took the loss in what will like-
selves of the best record in then returned to the dug- ly be his final appearance
for the team that drafted
the majors this season de- out in the sixth when the him in 2007. Zimmermann,
a free agent at the end of
spite losing several stars to benches started to empty the season, gave up two
runs and six hits in six innings
injury for long stretches. following a high-and-tight in his career-high 33rd start.
Perez (7-6) is auditioning for
The Pirates will play in the pitch. a spot in an uncertain rota-
tion for the Braves in 2016.
NL wild-card game against Daniel Murphy and Mi- BREWERS 5, PADRES 0
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Zach
the Chicago Cubs next chael Conforto homered Davies pitched seven in-
nings for Milwaukee in its
week. for the NL East champion seventh shutout of the sea-
son.
Heyward’s shot off Bob- Mets. Davies (3-2) did not allow a
run for a second consecu-
by LaFromboise, who re- Ken Roberts (1-1) retired tive start, having shut out
the Chicago Cubs over six
placed an ineffective one batter and Ken Giles innings in his last outing. He
struck out six and walked
Charlie Morton (9-9), gave got his 15th save in 19

St. Louis an early six-run chances. Bobby Parnell (2-

lead. Tyler Lyons (3-1) had 4) lost in relief.

little trouble making it CUBS 10, REDS 3

hold up as the Cardinals CINCINNATI (AP) — Austin

reached the 100-win pla- Jackson drove in a career-

teau for the ninth time. high five runs, Jon Lester

St. Louis players jogged set a team for strikeouts in

out of their dugout to a season by a left-handed

the infield in a business- pitcher and the playoff-

like celebration of their bound Chicago Cubs beat

fifth straight postseason Cincinnati for their fourth

berth. Their season-long run straight win. The Reds lost

atop baseball’s most com- their 11th in a row.

petitive division — and the The Cubs will play the Pi-

ease in which the team did rates in next week’s NL

it — is all the more stunning wild-card game.

considering the obstacles it Lester’s strikeout of Ivan De

had to overcome. Jesus Jr. in the fifth inning

In Game 1, Francisco Cer- was his 203rd of the season,

velli’s grand slam off Mi- snapping the franchise re-

chael Wacha (17-7) pro- cord for a left-hander set

vided Gerrit Cole (19-8) all by Ken Holtzman in 1970.

the offense he would need Lester (11-12) finished with

to improve to 12-2 in Sep- nine strikeouts and re-

tember during his young tired the last 20 batters he

career. Neil Walker also faced.