Dodgers starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin delivers against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. (AFP-Yonhap News)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ― A.J. Ellis hit an RBI single in the ninth inning, Hanley Ramirez hit a tape-measure, three-run homer in the first against Cliff Lee and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Saturday night.
Philadelphia’s Chase Utley homered in his first two career at-bats against Ryu Hyun-jin. But the Dodgers won for the seventh in eight games, bouncing back from a 16-1 loss Friday that was the franchise’s most lopsided at home since a 19-2 rout by the New York Giants on July 3, 1947 ― during Jackie Robinson’s rookie season.
Ramirez led off the ninth against rookie Justin De Fratus (2-3) with a single before Matt Kemp took a called third strike. De Fratus walked Andre Ethier before Ellis lined a 2-2 pitch to right, scoring Ramirez.
Kenley Jansen (2-3) got the win. He came in trying to protect a 3-2 lead in the ninth for Ryu, but was charged with his third blown save in 10 chances as a result of some shoddy defense by his teammates.
Michael Young led off the ninth with a single down the right-field line and continued to second when rookie Yasiel Puig misplayed the ball for an error. Young advanced on Utley’s groundout and held up on Jimmy Rollins’ shallow fly to center fielder Kemp, whose hurried throw to the plate was about 20 feet to the first base side and bounced away from catcher Ellis, allowing Young to dash home with the tying run.
Reds center fielder Choo Shin-soo (right) is congratulated by manager Dusty Baker after his leadoff homer on Saturday. The Korean went 3 for 4 with two walks. (AFP-Yonhap News)
Lee gave up three runs and four hits in seven innings and struck out 10, after going 7-0 with a 2.00 ERA in his previous 10 starts. The left-hander, five years removed from his only Cy Young Award, escaped a based-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth by starting a 1-2-3 double play on a dribbler to the left of the mound by Ellis and then retiring Juan Uribe on a groundout.
Ryu allowed two runs, seven hits and three walks in seven innings and struck out six.
Choo homers as Reds win in 11
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ― Devin Mesoraco hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning and the Cincinnati Reds snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the AL West-leading Texas Rangers on Saturday night.
Mesoraco was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts before his 380-foot homer into the left-field seats off Kyle McClellan (0-1), which came right after Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch to start the 11th.
Cincinnati had lost six of seven and was coming off consecutive shutout losses before Choo Shin-soo homered on the first pitch of the game.
J.J. Hoover (1-5) got the last two outs in the 10th, even after a walk and a hit. Aroldis Chapman worked the 11th for his 20th save in 23 chances.
After going 1 for 19 his previous six games, Choo hit the first pitch into the visitors bullpen in left-center field. His fifth leadoff homer this season, and 10th of his career, snapped a stretch of 20 consecutive scoreless innings by Texas pitchers that included a 4-0 victory in the series opener Friday night.
Choo walked twice and had three hits, including a leadoff single in the ninth before he was caught stealing to end that inning.
Texas rookie right-hander Nick Tepesch struck out seven, but was gone after allowing three consecutive hits to start the fifth.
Choo led off with a single and scored on a double by Zack Cozart, who came home on Xavier Paul’s single off reliever Ross Wolf for a 4-3 Reds lead.
Minnesota 6, Kansas City 2
NY Mets 5, Washington 1
Toronto 6, Boston 2
St. Louis 7, Oakland 1
Atlanta 11, Arizona 5
Cleveland 4, Chicago White Sox 3
LA Angels 7, Houston 2
Colorado 2, San Francisco 1
Miami 7, San Diego 1
Baltimore 11, NY Yankees 3
Chicago Cubs 5, Seattle 3
Pittsburgh 2, Milwaukee 1
Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 3