Nido powers Mets past Nationals
Belts two-run homer and grand slam
Tomas Nido had his first twohomer game as a professional, hitting a two-run shot in the fourth inning and a grand slam in the fifth to lead the New York Mets to an 8-2 win over the Washington Nationals and a split of the fourgame series.
Nido, who entered Thursday with five homers and 26 RBIs over 93 games in parts of four big league seasons, is just the fifth catcher in Mets history to hit at least two homers and collect at least six RBIs in a game. Hall of Famers Gary Carter and Mike Piazza did it twice apiece and Todd Hundley and Paul Lo Duca once each.
Nido struck out in the seventh as he tried to match Carter, the only Mets catcher with a threehomer game.
“Hard work pays off,” Nido said. “I did work really hard this offseason and it just feels good to be able to help the team win.”
Dominic Smith homered in the second and Pete Alonso had an RBI single in the eighth for the Mets, who were relieved to learn their second straight victory wasn’t as costly it first appeared it could have been.
Left fielder Jeff McNeil was carted off after crashing into the wall while robbing Asdrubal Cabrera of a two-run extra-base hit to end the first inning. Manager Luis Rojas said afterward that X-rays and an MRI on McNeil’s left knee were negative and that the All-Star is day-to-day with a bone bruise.
“When I got out there with the trainer, we were a little concerned just how he was talking to us,” Rojas said of McNeil, who covered his eyes with his hands after he fell and flung his glove.
McNeil’s catch cost the Nationals the chance to put up a crooked number against rookie David Peterson (3-1), who allowed Washington to load the bases with no outs. Trea Turner walked and went to third when Nido fielded Adam Eaton’s bunt and threw the ball into center field. Starlin Castro walked before Peterson struck out hot-hitting Juan Soto and retired Howie Kendrick on a runscoring comebacker to bring up Cabrera.
Peterson allowed only the unearned run over five innings and gave up just one hit — Yan Gomes’ single leading off the fifth. The rookie southpaw walked two, struck out three and retired 11 of 12 before Gomes’ hit. Peterson was lifted after 74 pitches due to some routine shoulder soreness, but said he wasn’t concerned.
Jared Hughes, Edwin Diaz and Brad Brach combined to finish the five-hitter.
Soto capped a sensational series by homering in the sixth. He was 7 for 15 with four homers and eight RBIs in the four-game set.
Pirates 9, Reds 6 — Adam Frazier hit the first of three homers off Anthony DeSclafani, who hasn’t beaten Pittsburgh in his last seven tries, and the Pirates returned from a three-day layoff with a flourish, beating the Cincinnati Reds.
Pittsburgh’s three-game series in St. Louis was called off because of the Cardinals’ COVID-19 outbreak. The Pirates showed no rust against a pitcher they’ve dominated.
DeSclafani (1-1) didn’t allow a run in either of his first two starts this season. Frazier connected on the right-hander’s second pitch Thursday, and the Pirates surged to a 9-0 lead after two innings.
DeSclafani hasn’t beaten the Pirates since June 17, 2018, at PNC Park. Since then, he’s 0-5 in seven starts — all Pirates wins — giving up 29 runs in 32 1/3 innings.
The Pirates won for only the second time in their last 12 games.
Colin Moran also connected in the first inning for his sixth homer. Gregory Polanco led off the second with a home run, the fourth time in his career that DeSclafani has given up three in a game, his career high.
The Pirates sent 12 batters to the plate for seven runs in the second inning, their biggest of the season. Josh Bell singled home a pair of runs, and Moran had an RBI single during the rally, which included DeSclafani walking Polanco with the bases loaded.
DeSclafani gave up a careerworst nine runs in two innings. His previous high was seven runs allowed, done twice against the Mets in 2014 and 2015.
Cubs 4, Brewers 2 — Yu Darvish took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his third straight dominant start, and the major leagueleading Chicago Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers.
Darvish allowed just one hit — Justin Smoak’s towering solo homer to right field with one out in the seventh inning on his 98th pitch — before being relieved by Casey Sadler to start the eighth. The 33-year-old right-hander from Japan struck out 11 and threw 104 pitches.
Before Smoak’s drive, Darvish allowed only three baserunners. He walked Ben Gamel in the second and Orlando Arcia in the fifth, and hit Christian Yelich with a low pitch in the first.
Kyle Schwarber hit a solo homer in the second as Chicago improved to 13-3 for the first time since 1907. Javier Baez, Ian Happ and David Bote each had an RBI.
Darvish signed a $126 million, six-year contract with the Cubs as a free agent in February 2018, but has been hampered by elbow and triceps injuries since coming to Chicago. But after a rocky first outing this season, against the Brewers on July 25, Darvish has been in a groove.
He’s trimmed his ERA to 1.88 and has fanned 27 in 24 innings.
Interleague
Orioles 11, Phillies 4 — Pedro Severino and Rio Ruiz hit homers to back Thomas Eshelman and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Philadelphia Phillies to complete a three-game sweep.
Eshelman (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings to earn his second career win. The right-hander was Philadelphia’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2017 but was traded to Baltimore last year for international slot money.
Phillies starter Jake Arrieta (1-2) gave up four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
J.T. Realmuto hit a pair of tworun homers for the Phillies, who fell to 5-9 under first-year manager Joe Girardi. Realmuto has seven homers and 17 RBIs.
The Orioles, who lost 108 games last season, are off to a 10-7 start.
Arrieta cruised into the fifth before things unraveled. The Orioles loaded the bases on three singles. Pat Valaika grounded into a fielder’s choice as second baseman Jean Segura made a diving stop to prevent a hit and record the second out. Then Anthony Santander lined a three-run double to right to give the Orioles a 4-2 lead.
Jose Iglesias drove a two-run double to left-center to make it 6-2 in the seventh.
Severino hit Connor Brogdon’s first major league pitch into the seats in left for a 9-2 lead in the eighth. Ruiz connected off Brogdon in the ninth.