Giants sweep doubleheader with Mets: NL roundup
Giants 6, Mets 1 (GM 1), Giants 7, Mets 2 (GM 2)
NEW YORK — Madison Bumgarner pitched seven neat innings, Pablo Sandoval homered to match a team mark set by Willie Mays and the San Francisco Giants beat the New York Mets 7-2 Monday night for a doubleheader sweep.
The Giants took the opener 6-1 as Tim Lincecum posted his first win of the season despite another uneven performance.
Slightly over 1,000 fans bundled up in the stands when the opener began on a windy, raw afternoon better suited for the Bay Area. The crowd later picked up, but Citi Field was nearly empty for the final out. A rainout Sunday forced the twinbill.
Sandoval hit a three-run homer in the first inning to back Bumgarner. The burly slugger has a 16-game hitting streak, tying the San Francisco record at the start of a season set by Mays in 1960, STATS LLC said.
Cubs 3, Cardinals 2
CHICAGO — Joe Mather's two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning lifted the Chicago Cubs to a 3-2 comeback win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
St. Louis closer Jason Motte (1-1) had the Cubs down to their final strike when Mather, a former Cardinal, grounded a 2-2 slider up the middle, scoring Bryan LaHair and Geovany Soto.
LaHair battled Motte for 12 pitches before drawing a one-out walk. Motte then walked Soto, before Steve Clevenger's grounder moved the runners up to set the plate for Mather.
Rafael Dolis (1-1) picked up the win in relief.
Jaime Garcia outdueled Matt Garza, who held St. Louis to two runs and four hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking three.
Brewers 6, Astros 5
MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun broke out of his slump with a homer and three hits, Zack Greinke remained unbeaten at Miller Park the Milwaukee Brewers held off the Houston Astros 6-5 on Monday night.
Braun also singled in a run and doubled to end a 2-for-20 slide. Greinke pitched six solid innings to improve to 13-0 at home with Milwaukee, which won its 10th straight against the Astros.
Greinke handed Jose Veras a 6-2 lead to start the seventh, but five of the next six Astros batters reached base. Houston scored three runs on four hits, including Brian Bogusevic's two-run triple, before Veras struck out Jose Altuve and got pinch-hitter Matt Downs to ground out to end the inning.
Diamondbacks 9, Phillies 5
PHOENIX — Justin Upton burst out of a slow start to the season with two RBIs, including his first home run, and the Arizona Diamondbacks pounded the Philadelphia Phillies 9-5 on Monday night.
Left-hander Wade Miley, starting in place of injured Daniel Hudson, stifled the Phillies on two hits through six scoreless innings. Philadelphia's Kyle Kendrick (0-1), replacing the injured Cliff Lee, lasted just three innings plus one batter, allowing seven runs and 11 hits.
Jason Kubel homered and doubled twice, tying a career best with three hits. Miley (2-0) struck out seven and walked one in his first start of the season.
Philadelphia scored all five runs in the ninth inning, including a three-run homer by Shane Victorino and Carlos Ruiz's solo shot.
Dodgers 7, Braves 2
LOS ANGELES — Juan Uribe tied a career high with four hits and drove in three runs, and Chris Capuano pitched out of trouble for seven innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.
A.J. Ellis had a pair of RBI singles and Capuano (2-0) allowed a run, six hits and four walks while striking out five, helping the Dodgers improve to an NL-best 13-4. The left-hander needed 27 pitches to get out of the first inning unscathed, striking out Jason Heyward on a full count with the bases loaded.
Capuano escaped another jam in the fourth, retiring leadoff man Michael Bourn on a grounder with two runners in scoring position.
Uribe had an RBI single in the first and a two-run single with the bases loaded in the eighth.
Pirates, Rockies PPD
PITTSBURGH — Monday night's game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Colorado Rockies has been postponed by inclement weather.
The game was called six hours before the scheduled 7:05 p.m. first pitch due to a steady rain scheduled to fall throughout the area until Tuesday morning.
The game will be made up on Wednesday as part of a doubleheader beginning at 12:35 p.m.
Kevin Correia (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will start Tuesday's game for Pittsburgh. James McDonald (0-1, 3.45) will start Wednesday's first game for the Pirates, with Charlie Morton (0-1, 3.60) getting the nod in the second game. Colorado's rotation has not been set.