Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb delivers a pitch to the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Wednesday. (UPI)
Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Alex Cobb tossed seven shutout innings and knocked in the only run the Rays needed as they swept a two-game interleague series from the St. Louis Cardinals with a 3-0 decision in the Major League Baseball on Wednesday.
Cobb (6-6) allowed five hits and struck out 10 with no walks as Tampa Bay (49-53) swept a two-city road trip for the first time in 17 seasons.
It was also the eighth consecutive road victory for Tampa Bay, which moved within 4 ½ games of the Seattle Mariners for the American League’s second wild-card spot.
The Minnesota Twins, behind a terrific start from right-hander Anthony Swarzak and a three-hit effort from center fielder Danny Santana, defeated the Cleveland Indians 3-1.
Swarzak, starting in place of an injured Kyle Gibson, allowed only one run on two hits in five innings of work. Santana and right fielder Oswaldo Arcia had multi-hit games to pace the Minnesota offense.
Mark Reynolds hit two home runs and Kyle Lohse worked into the seventh as the Brewers finished off a three-game sweep of the Reds with a 5-1 victory. Reynolds’ two home runs came as part of a 3-for-4 day and the first baseman was one of three Brewers with multiple hits.
Center fielder Carlos Gomez picked up a pair and scored and catcher Jonathan Lucroy recorded his second consecutive multi-hit game, singling his first two times up. Lohse (11-4) matched Wily Peralta for the team lead with 11 victories by holding the Reds to a run on four hits with three strikeouts.
A strong outing by James Shields plus another stifling relief performance from the bullpen gave the Kansas City Royals their second straight win. Shields, who didn’t get a decision, allowed one run through seven innings and the back end of the bullpen slammed the door on the Chicago White Sox in a 2-1 victory.
A single to shallow center by right fielder Nori Aoki led to third baseman Mike Moustakas scoring the deciding run with one out in the ninth, although he needed Chicago catcher Tyler Flowers to drop the ball after a great throw by center fielder Adam Eaton.
Colon shows the rookie
Veteran starter Bartolo Colon showed the rookie a thing or two about pitching when the 41-year-old New York Mets right-hander flirted with a perfect game before beating the Seattle Mariners and 21-year-old Taijuan Walker 3-2.
Colon came within seven outs of the first perfect game in Mets history after retiring the first 20 batters he faced. Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano broke up the no-hit bid with a two-out single in the seventh inning. Colon (9-8) was charged with two earned runs and gave up three hits in 7 1/3 innings as the Mets led 3-0 through seven innings and held on late.
Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run homer and center fielder Austin Jackson and catcher Alex Avila added three RBIs apiece as the Tigers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-5. Avila had a two-run double in the second inning off right-hander Trevor Cahill (1-7) and Jackson had a three-run double in a five-run fourth for a 7-0 lead.
Cabrera had two hits, and his 15th homer of the season capped a four-run eighth inning for an 11-5 lead after Arizona got within two in the seventh.
Jorge De La Rosa pitched into the eighth inning and the Rockies beat the Washington Nationals 6-4 to end their seven-game losing streak. The left-hander held the Nationals to two runs, one earned, in a season-high 7 1/3 innings with no walks and a season-high 11 strikeouts.
Down 1-0 early, the Rockies quickly wiped out that deficit with three runs in the bottom of the first.
Jose Bautista had two RBIs with a homer and a double and R.A. Dickey pitched six innings as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-4. Dickey (8-10), a right-handed knuckleballer, allowed nine hits and four runs, including three in the first inning on the fourth home run in three games by Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz. Bautista, who played first base, doubled in a run in the bottom of the first inning and hit his 18th homer of the season in the seventh.
Francisco Liriano won for just the second time in 17 starts this season and Josh Harrison’s two-run double capped a four-run first inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1.
Liriano (2-7) allowed only one run and four hits in seven innings with four strikeouts and two walks.
Harrison and Travis Snider had two hits each with Snider claiming a home run, and scoring the game’s final run on center fielder Andrew McCutchen’s double in the seventh inning.