LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Jon Lester pitched three-hit ball into the eighth inning, Jonny Gomes’ three-run homer capped a four-run first, and the Boston Red Sox beat Los Angeles 4-2 on Saturday, snapping the Dodgers’ four-game winning streak.
The Red Sox began the day percentage points behind Tampa Bay for first in the AL East. They won at Dodger Stadium for the first time in five games dating to their first visit in 2002, when they were swept in three games.
Lester (12-7) gave up one run in 7 1/3 innings, struck out six and walked four.
Koji Uehara got the final four outs to earn his 13th save in 16 chances.
Cincinnati Reds center fielder Choo Shin-soo catches a fly ball in the first inning on Saturday. (AP-Yonhap News)
The Red Sox got to rookie Ryu Hyun-jin (12-5) right away under a searing sun in 82-degree heat. With one out in the first, Ryu hit Shane Victorino with a pitch before Dustin Pedroia reached on an infield single to second. Victorino scored on Mike Napoli’s RBI single.
Gomes followed with his 11th homer on Ryu’s next pitch, scoring Pedroia and Napoli to make it 4-0. Ryu struck out Stephen Drew and Will Middlebrooks to end the inning.
The Dodgers trailed 4-2 on Adrian Gonzalez’s RBI double off Craig Breslow with two outs in the eighth. After Breslow walked Hanley Ramirez to put the tying runs at first and second, Uehara ended the inning by striking out A.J. Ellis.
Lester retired eight of the first 10 batters he faced before the Dodgers notched their first hit, a single by Mark Ellis in the fourth.
The Red Sox backed Lester with two double plays, including Drew’s one-man double play that ended the seventh. He caught a soft line drive off the bat of Juan Uribe and then sprinted to second to double off Ramirez.
Ryu allowed four runs and five hits in five innings, tying his shortest outing of the season. The left-hander struck out seven and walked none in losing his second straight start after winning six in a row.
Hours after Ricky Nolasco limited the Red Sox to two hits in a 2-0 on Friday, Ryu fell to 6-2 at home.
Dodgers’ starters hadn’t allowed a run in their previous 26 innings dating to Wednesday, their second-longest scoreless run of the season.
Ludwick helps lift RedsCINCINNATI (AP) ― Ryan Ludwick hit a line drive that carried into the seats in left field for his first homer since last October. The next time up, he hit the ball as hard as he can, right at the shortstop.
Maybe his swing is starting to come around.
Ludwick hit the most noteworthy of Cincinnati’s four homers on Saturday night during a 6-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers that left their cleanup hitter with a better feeling.
“Amazing,” Ludwick said. “And my next at-bat, I was even more thrilled. I hit that ball harder than the home run. The swing was more pure, the ball had no sink. That ball I hit to the shortstop was the hardest ball I’ve hit since I’ve been here. That was my best swing since I’ve been here.”
Zack Cozart added a tie-breaking two-run homer as the Reds piled up 14 hits, their highest total against an NL Central opponent since June 11. They evened their series at a game apiece with their 13th victory in their last 18 games overall.
Bronson Arroyo (13-9) won his fourth straight start by allowing three runs, including Caleb Gindl’s pinch-hit homer leading off the eighth. The right-hander hasn’t walked a batter in his last 29 2/3 innings.
Cleveland 7, Minnesota 2
Oakland 2, Baltimore 1
Detroit 3, NY Mets 0
Chicago White Sox 3, Texas 2
Washington 7, Kansas City 2
Houston 8, Toronto 5
Miami 3, Colorado 0
Tampa Bay 4, NY Yankees 2
St. Louis 6, Atlanta 2
Chicago Cubs 3, San Diego 2
San Francisco 6, Pittsburgh 3
LA Angels 5, Seattle 1
Arizona 12, Philadelphia 7