Sports Al Dente

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit an inside-the-park home run, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 6-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night. Ian Happ and Miguel Amaya also homered for the Cubs (64-65), who started a nine-game road trip.

Crow-Armstrong’s 14.08-second sprint from home to home is the fastest in the major leagues since Byron Buxton’s 13.85 seconds on August 18, 2017, as a Minnesota Twin.

“You never really have control over what happens after a moment like that, especially me. I’m kind of quick to react,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m just glad I made it home safe.”

Isaac Paredes’ run-scoring double against Marlins reliever Brett de Geus (0-2) in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie. Amaya then hit a two-run homer off Kent Emanuel in the ninth.

Porter Hodge (2-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief for the win, and Jorge López closed out the game for his fourth save.

Cubs relievers recorded the final 13 outs and held the Marlins to just one hit. López has given up only one run in nine appearances this month.

“Just a good win, the bullpen did a heck of a job,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “We got some big hits from the bottom of the lineup again. It’s a great way to start the road trip.”

The Marlins fell to an NL-worst 46-82 and are set to finish with their 24th losing season in the franchise’s 32-year history.

Miami pulled Kyle Hendricks from the game after Kyle Stowers walked with the bases loaded to tie the game 3-3 in the fifth inning.

Happ’s two-run homer highlighted a three-run third inning that put the Cubs ahead 3-1. He hit a slider from Marlins starter Max Meyer over the center field wall for his 23rd homer of the season.

Earlier in the third inning, Crow-Armstrong evened the score with his sprint around the bases. His hit reached the warning track, went past right fielder Jesús Sánchez, and bounced toward right-center.

Center fielder Derek Hill picked it up and threw it to second baseman Otto López, but Crow-Armstrong slid in head-first to beat the throw to the plate.

“When I saw the ball kick, I put my head down and started running,” Crow-Armstrong said. “At that point the ball’s already behind me.”

Jonah Bride’s RBI single in the third inning made it 3-2 for Miami.

The 25-year-old Meyer pitched six innings, giving up three runs and six hits. He walked two and struck out two. Miami manager Skip Schumaker praised Meyer, the third overall pick in the 2020 draft, for using his change-up more against Chicago.

“We want him to throw that more in general,” Schumaker said. “We think it can be a real weapon. I’m proud of him for throwing it with confidence. It’s only going to get better.

He needs something a little bit slower to get guys off his fastball and slider.” Hendricks allowed three runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

“It was a grind today to be honest,” Hendricks said. “I’m just glad I stayed with it mentally. Grinded it out and kept the guys in the game.”

Miami shortstop Xavier Edwards left the game after the second inning due to lower back pain. Edwards had singled and stolen second base in the first inning and played in the second inning but was replaced by Vidal Brujan in the third.

Schumaker said Edwards felt discomfort after the stolen base and will have an imaging test on Saturday.

Eugenio Suárez hit a grand slam and drove in five runs with three hits, while Ryne Nelson threw six solid innings to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Boston Red Sox 12-2 on Friday night.

Suárez’s grand slam was his 19th home run of the season and was one of nine grand slams by the Diamondbacks this year. The team finished with 16 hits, including three each from Josh Bell and Geraldo Perdomo.

Nelson (9-6) allowed two runs and five hits, struck out seven, and walked one. He helped Arizona win their fourth straight game, all on the road. Nelson retired eight batters in a row at one point and got out of a bases-loaded situation in the third inning.

“(Arizona catcher Adrian Del Castillo) was hanging with me back there. Maybe they were thinking something else,” Nelson said. He also noted that manager Torey Lovullo said before the game that he would stay in the rotation.

Bryan Bello (11-6) took the loss for Boston. He gave up five runs and seven hits, with three walks and two strikeouts.

“The walks put him in a bad spot. When you do that at this level, you’re going to pay the price,” said Boston manager Alex Cora.

Rob Refsnyder, who was added to Boston’s starting lineup late, hit a solo home run, and Wilyer Abreu added another run with a double.

New York Mets pitcher Paul Blackburn had to leave Friday night’s game against the San Diego Padres in the third inning after a line drive from David Peralta struck his right hand.

The Mets reported that Blackburn’s hand was bruised and that he would need further tests on Saturday.

Blackburn tried to protect his face with his arm when the ball hit him and bounced to second baseman Jose Iglesias, who then threw out Peralta.

Blackburn was seen sitting on the ground and pointing to his right hand when catcher Francisco Alvarez came over to check on him. The training staff attended to him, and he was replaced by Ryne Stanek with the Padres leading 4-0.

Blackburn had a 5-3 record and a 4.19 ERA before this game.

Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe both hit two-run home runs during a five-run third inning on Friday night, helping the Kansas City Royals defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 in the first game of their interleague series between playoff hopefuls.

Perez, who had a good day playing Wiffle ball with neighborhood kids the day before, drove in three runs. Paul DeJong and Vinnie Pasquantino also contributed RBIs, bringing the Royals closer to first-place Cleveland in the AL Central.

“The Wiffle ball yesterday got me ready for today,” joked Perez, who also surpassed 900 career RBIs. “Pretty good night.”

Michael Wacha (11-6) extended his winning streak to seven games, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings while striking out five. He hasn’t lost a game since June 22 and hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in a start since June 4.

Lucas Erceg got his 10th save and fourth since being traded to Kansas City, despite facing a leadoff double in the ninth.

“It was hard work,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “They’re always going to make you work. That’s a talented team.”

For the Phillies, Taijuan Walker (3-5) struggled, giving up six runs on eight hits and a walk in just three innings. He has now allowed 30 runs on 43 hits and 18 walks over 38 innings in his last eight starts.

“In the third, everything was in the middle of the plate. It was a command,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who didn’t say if Walker would make his next start.

“It’s more attacking the hitters, but then you don’t want to be in the middle of the plate all the time. It’s one of those things. He gets behind and then he has to come to the middle.”

Shohei Ohtani is now the fastest player to achieve 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in MLB history.

On Friday night, Ohtani hit a two-out grand slam in the ninth inning for his 40th home run after stealing his 40th base earlier, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ohtani reached this milestone in just 126 games and the Dodgers’ 129th game of the season, setting a new record and becoming the sixth player ever to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season. He is also the first Dodgers player to do so.

“It’s really more about the winning,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “The record is part of the process, but the most important thing is winning the game.”

He broke the previous record set by Alfonso Soriano, who achieved it in Game 148 for the Washington Nationals in 2006.

“It’s just storybook — 40-40 on the same night,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t know if that’s ever been done, and then he wins it with a grand slam. He’s definitely known for the dramatics, and this was something I’ll remember for a long time.”

Ohtani’s 389-foot home run broke a 3-3 tie. Rays center fielder Jose Siri chased the ball, which bounced back onto the field, and then threw it into the stands, so Ohtani didn’t get to keep the ball, according to Ohtani’s interpreter Will Ireton.

Dodgers starter Bobby Miller was in the clubhouse watching on TV when Ohtani made history.

“I kind of called that one,” he said. “I was like, how cool would it be to get that 40-40 on a walk-off grand slam? He’s a really special player.”

Ohtani took a curtain call as the crowd of 45,556 stood and cheered. His teammates Miguel Rojas and Teoscar Hernández soaked him with water on the field.

“It means a tremendous amount for me to be able to do this in front of the home crowd,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani now joins Soriano, Ronald Acuña Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and José Canseco in the 40-40 club. Acuña joined this group last season with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases.

After not making the playoffs during his six years with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani is now competing for a title with the NL West-leading Dodgers.

“The number one goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series,” he said. “Whatever happens with my record, that’s part of the process.”

In the fourth inning, Ohtani got on base with an infield single against Tyler Alexander and stole second base during Freddie Freeman’s at-bat.

His 12 stolen bases in August, all without being caught, are the most in a month by a Dodger since Rafael Furcal’s 12 steals in September and October 2007.

“I know that he’s taking very good care of his legs to be able to do it and be that dynamic player,” Roberts said. “He’s doing his homework on opposing pitchers and he’s getting great jumps. He’s a much better base stealer. He’s very efficient.”

Roberts mentioned that earlier in the season and in past games against the Angels, Ohtani was hesitant on the bases and didn’t steal as successfully.

“He’s an elite base stealer with a high success rate,” the manager said. “I’m sure there’ll be more dramatics to come.”

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge leads the majors with 49 home runs. He’s expected to win the AL MVP award, while Ohtani is predicted to win the NL MVP.

“I just don’t see anyone any better. Obviously, Judge is in the conversation, but man, I’d take Shohei,” Roberts said.

Andre Pallante retired 17 of the last 18 batters he faced in seven strong innings, and Lars Nootbaar hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the fourth inning to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

Brendan Donovan hit a home run, Masyn Wynn drove in two runs, and Luken Baker drew three of the nine walks by the Cardinals. This win marked their third straight victory after being a season-high 12 games behind NL Central leader Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Pallante (6-6) went seven innings for the second consecutive start, a career first for the 25-year-old.

“It’s not just cutting, but it has some depth to it. It’s a different fastball,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said, praising Pallante’s best pitch. “It’s not the most comfortable at-bat.”

Pallante managed to leave the bases loaded after allowing just one run with one out in the second inning and did not let another runner get into scoring position, leading to the Twins’ fourth loss in their last five games.

“I’m really proud of him,” said catcher Willson Contreras, who went 3 for 5. “He composed himself.”

The Twins began a nine-game homestand by falling one game behind Kansas City into third place in the AL Central, two games behind leader Cleveland. They are also leading Boston by 3 1/2 games for the final wild card spot.

Pallante, with his unusual windup that includes a hitch and a leg kick before a deliberate delivery, gave up five hits and two walks while striking out five. Trevor Larnach struck out in all three at-bats, and Royce Lewis went 0 for 3 with three broken bats against him.

“Third time through, I felt like they were swinging at everything I threw over the plate,” Pallante said. “I wasn’t scared of contact, and things worked out for me.”

Twins starter David Festa (2-3) pitched only 3 2/3 innings and left the game trailing 3-1. Opponents are hitting .134 (9 for 67) in their first at-bats against Festa but .393 (24 for 61) in second at-bats.

Matt Vierling hit an RBI double in the first inning and a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Vierling’s single off White Sox reliever Justin Anderson in the seventh brought home Parker Meadows. One out later, Colt Keith drove in Riley Greene from second with a single, extending Detroit’s lead to 4-2.

Tigers reliever Will Vest (3-4) recorded one out in the sixth inning and pitched a scoreless seventh to get the win.

Starter Chris Flexen and the White Sox tied the MLB record for most consecutive losses by a team in games started by the same pitcher, now at 19 losses. The Brewers and Chris Capuano had a similar streak from May 13, 2007, to June 3, 2010.

After winning the first game of the four-game series against Chicago, Vierling did not place extra importance on facing the struggling White Sox.

“I think it’s important to keep the same approach. If you think differently, that’s when things can go wrong and you might get out of your game a bit.

We’re just trying to play the same baseball we’ve been playing, be aggressive, and have good at-bats. We’re trying to keep the same mentality,” said Vierling.

The White Sox are 4-27 in the second half of the season and have the worst record in the MLB at 31-98.

Flexen is focusing on not dwelling on the current losing streak.

“At the end of the day, every time I take the mound, I’m trying to have a quality start, put the team in a position to win, have a strong outing, stick to the game plan, and be competitive. That’s all I can focus on,” Flexen said.

Fraser Ellard (1-2) pitched a third of an inning and took the loss, giving up a hit, a walk, and two earned runs.

Flexen allowed back-to-back doubles in the first inning to Greene and Vierling, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

Joe Musgrove gave up only one hit in seven outstanding innings and made a fantastic defensive play to lead the San Diego Padres to a 7-0 win against the New York Mets on Friday night. The victory evened the four-game series between the two playoff-contending teams.

Musgrove (4-4) allowed just one baserunner over the minimum, matching his season high with nine strikeouts and walking no one. This was his third start since returning from a 2 1/2-month absence due to right elbow inflammation.

With two outs in the sixth inning, Francisco Lindor hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield. Musgrove raced off the mound, made a sliding grab, and threw the ball with his glove to first baseman Jake Cronenworth for the out. Musgrove and Cronenworth celebrated with high-fives and smiles.

Musgrove didn’t allow a baserunner until Starling Marte hit a double over the head of right fielder David Peralta with one out in the fifth inning. Musgrove, who grew up in suburban El Cajon, threw the first no-hitter in Padres history on April 9, 2021, at Texas. Dylan Cease later threw the team’s second no-hitter on July 25 at Washington.

“Oh, man, masterpiece. Wow,” said manager Mike Shildt. “Impart your will. He was in control the whole way. He was just pouring it in there. Dominating counts, everything was crisp.

Throwing it where he wanted to. Just a masterful, masterful performance.” This was Musgrove’s first win since April 21.

“It feels good to be back in the win column,” Musgrove said. “It feels like it’s been months and it probably has been. It was a good outing all around. Threw a lot of strikes.”

Musgrove mentioned he introduced a new pitch, a gyro slider similar to what Cease throws. “Something that I feel I get in the zone a little more and be more aggressive to the edge. The sweeper’s been really hard for me to get a strike on the outer half, so I was able to use the traditional slider as more of a strike pitch and maybe just off the edge.”

Musgrove said his defensive play “kind of gave me a little jolt and gave me that little adrenaline boost to get back out there and feel strong for the seventh.”

He said it was a difficult play because he had his back to the runner and wasn’t sure how close he was or how fast he was running.

“It’s kind of a tweener play,” Musgrove said. “Me and Jake talk a lot about me getting over, and I told him, ‘I’ll always be at the bag on anything your way so flip me the ball, I’m going to be there.’ Part of me was thinking he’s going to go after the ball and let me have the bag.

Once it got past me, I hesitated a bit about whether I should go to the bag or keep following the ball. I looked and saw him at the bag, so instinct took over at that point. I’ve always thought I’m pretty good at handling my position, and that was one of my more enjoyable plays.”

Musgrove said he planned to flip the ball with his glove once it got past him. “I thought I would get to it and just run to the bag. I went for more of a shovel pass rather than a catch and flip.”

The Mets ended up with just two hits, while the Padres had 16 hits, including three each from Luis Arraez and Manny Machado.

Arraez and Kyle Higashioka hit home runs for the Padres, who improved to 23-8 since the All-Star break and defeated the Mets for the first time in five tries this season. The Padres had lost two straight games for the first time since the break, including the series opener on Thursday night.

The Padres entered the night holding the second wild-card spot in the NL, while the Mets were 1 1/2 games behind for the third spot.

Mets starter Paul Blackburn (5-4) was taken out of the game after being hit on the right hand by a line drive from Peralta in the third inning. Blackburn covered his face with his arm and was struck by the ball, which then deflected to second baseman Jose Iglesias, who threw out Peralta. The Mets said Blackburn had a bruised hand and would undergo further tests on Saturday.

Blackburn sat on the ground and indicated his right hand when catcher Francisco Alvarez came out to check on him. He was treated by the training staff and left the game, being replaced by Ryne Stanek with the Padres leading 4-0.

Arraez’s leadoff home run was the eighth of his career and his third this year for the Padres. He has four homers this season.

Almost a hundred years after Babe Ruth made his famous “called shot” during the 1932 World Series, the jersey he wore when he hit that home run could be sold for up to $30 million at auction.

Heritage Auctions will be offering the jersey on Saturday night in Dallas.

Ruth’s famous “called shot” happened on October 1, 1932, during Game 3 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. In the fifth inning, Ruth made a gesture pointing to center field while at bat and then hit a home run off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root.

The Yankees won the game 7-5 and completed a sweep of the Cubs the following day to win the series.

That World Series was Ruth’s last, and the “called shot” was his final World Series home run, according to Mike Provenzale, the production manager for Heritage’s sports department.

“When you can tie an item like that to an important figure and their most important moment, that’s what collectors are really looking for,” Provenzale said.

Heritage said Ruth gave the road jersey to one of his golfing friends in Florida around 1940, and it stayed in that family for many years. In the early 1990s, the man’s daughter sold it to a collector.

The jersey was then sold at auction in 2005 for $940,000, and the current owner has now consigned it to Heritage this year.

In 2019, another of Ruth’s road jerseys from 1928-30 sold for $5.64 million in an auction held at Yankee Stadium. That jersey was part of a collection of items Ruth’s family had put up for sale.

Rhys Hoskins and Joey Ortiz hit back-to-back home runs in a five-run second inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Oakland Athletics 11-3 on Friday night.

The Brewers, who have won seven of their last nine games, sent nine batters to the plate in the second inning to take a 5-1 lead. Hoskins, who had been hitless in his last 21 at-bats before this game, gave Milwaukee the lead with a three-run home run after Willy Adames and Gary Sánchez got on base with singles.

On the next pitch, Ortiz hit a homer to left-center. Later in the inning, Andruw Monasterio scored from first base on a single by Jackson Chourio that went past A’s left fielder Miguel Andujar’s glove.

“It’s nice to jump on a team on the road early,” Hoskins said. “It puts you ahead of the eight ball a little bit, get some confidence for the pitcher to go out there and fill up the zone.”

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that while hitting might seem contagious, it still depends on “swinging at the right pitches.”

“When everybody’s doing that, it feels really good,” Murphy said. “It reminds everybody, ‘If that’s what he’s doing, I’ve got to do that.’”

Chourio and Blake Perkins drove in runs in the fourth inning, increasing the lead to 7-1. Sánchez cleared the bases with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hoskins in the ninth inning.

Hoskins has been making hard contact recently, even though he struggled to get results.

“That’s what makes this game hard,” Hoskins said. “Just continuing on with how I’ve been feeling within batting practice, doing what I can to help that translate in the game.”

Neither starting pitcher went five innings. The Brewers’ Aaron Civale gave up three runs in four innings, and the A’s JP Sears (10-9) left with two outs in the third inning after allowing five earned runs. Sears had come into the game with a 3-0 record and a 1.57 ERA over his last four starts.

Shohei Ohtani hit a two-out grand slam in the ninth inning for his 40th home run after earlier stealing his 40th base, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.

Ohtani became the fastest player ever and the sixth player in history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season. He’s also the first Dodger to achieve this feat.

He broke the record previously held by Alfonso Soriano, who reached the mark in Game 148 for the Washington Nationals in 2006. Ohtani accomplished it in his 126th game and the Dodgers’ 129th of the season.

“He’s definitely known for the dramatics and this is something I’ll remember for a long time,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “What a way to cap off a great night.”

The Japanese superstar came out of the dugout to wave at 45,556 fans who gave him a standing ovation. His teammates poured water on him on the field.

Will Smith was hit by Manuel Rodriguez (2-3) to start the ninth inning, and Tommy Edman followed with a single. Smith and Edman advanced on Miguel Rojas’ sacrifice. Colin Poche came in and walked Max Muncy, setting up Ohtani’s 389-foot grand slam to center field.

“He’s just dangerous any time he puts that uniform on,” Roberts said.

Center fielder Jose Siri chased the home run ball, which bounced back onto the field. He threw it back into the stands, so Ohtani did not get to keep it, according to Ohtani’s interpreter Will Ireton.

With the game tied 3-3, the Rays had a chance to take the lead in the ninth. A ball hit by Jonny DeLuca bounced off the heel of reliever Michael Kopech’s glove for an error. DeLuca was caught stealing, and Siri struck out on a 101-mph pitch from winning pitcher Kopech (4-8) to end the inning.

Leo Rivas hit a single to end the game, driving in Dylan Moore in the bottom of the 10th inning, and the Seattle Mariners came back late to win 6-5 against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.

The first game with new manager Dan Wilson was exciting, even though the Mariners didn’t start hitting well until the eighth inning. Seattle scored four runs in the eighth to tie the game at 5-5, and then Rivas delivered the winning hit in the 10th inning.

“Just seeing the way these guys fought was, it was inspiring tonight for me to see how hard they worked to come back into that game, string all those hits together. It left with a good feeling,” Wilson said.

Pinch-runner Moore stole third base with one out, and Rivas hit a 2-2 pitch from Erik Miller (3-5) into center field, sparking a celebration as Seattle won for just the second time in their last 10 games.

“I was trying to do the same thing that I try and do in every at-bat, make contact, try and do my thing for the team,” Rivas said. “Thank God (Moore) got the base, different situation, same approach. Thank God it happened.”

Luke Raley homered for Seattle, but it was the big rally in the eighth inning that gave the Mariners a chance. Seattle had nine batters up in the inning and scored four runs on six consecutive singles off San Francisco reliever Tyler Rogers.

Justin Turner, Josh Rojas, Rivas, and Raley all had RBI singles that helped tie the game at 5-5.

The four earned runs Rogers allowed were the most he’s given up since allowing seven runs to the Mets in May 2022.

“Felt like we had it in our hands,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “We had our two best pitchers coming into the game in the eighth and ninth. Got away from Tyler a little bit.”

Julio Rodríguez made a great sliding catch to take away a hit from Tyler Fitzgerald at the start of the top of the 10th, and Collin Snider (3-2) struck out Heliot Ramos and Michael Conforto to keep the game tied. Rodríguez played his first game in the field since injuring his ankle in mid-July.