Yu Darvish fans 12 as Rangers avert sweep

WASHINGTON (AP) ― After getting pummeled by Washington in two straight games, the Texas Rangers were eager to stop the Nationals’ seemingly interminable parade around the bases.

Yu Darvish gave the Rangers just what they needed to avert a humbling sweep.

Darvish struck out 12 over eight innings, Leonys Martin broke open a scoreless duel with a homer in the seventh and Texas secured a 2-0 victory Sunday.

The Rangers won despite losing an apparent run in a rare double challenge on the same play. Managers Ron Washington of Texas and Matt Williams lodged separate complaints after a double steal in the first inning. Pitching for the first time since May 22 after missing his last turn with a stiff neck, Darvish (5-2) gave up five hits and walked two in dropping his ERA to 2.08. The right-hander matched his season high in strikeouts and overpowered a club that won 9-2 on Friday and 10-2 Saturday.

“That team for two days just swung the bats at will, threw the ball around the ballpark, out of the ballpark,” Washington said. “We certainly needed to try to slow them down, and (Darvish) did that. He slowed them down. Yu was good today. He was very good. When the team needed him to be very good, he was.”


Pirates edge Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Slumping Andrew McCutchen hit his first home run in over a month, doubled twice and scored two runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 on Sunday and take three of four from the defending NL West champions.

Josh Harrison also homered and Pedro Alvarez drove in three runs, helping the Pirates win for the eighth time in 12 games.

Edinson Volquez (3-4) allowed two runs and five hits over five innings, striking out six and walking one. Jason Grilli, the fifth Pirates pitcher, got three outs for his eighth save and third of the series after giving up a pair of two-out walks and an RBI single by pinch-hitter Scott Van Slyke. It was the Dodgers only hit after Justin Turner’s solo homer with one out in the fourth.

Cleveland 6, Colorado 4

Minnesota 7, NY Yankees 2

Toronto 4, Kansas City 0

Atlanta 4, Miami 2

Boston 4, Tampa Bay 0

NY Mets 4, Philadelphia 3

Chicago White Sox 4, San Diego 1

Milwaukee 9, Chicago Cubs 0

Baltimore 9, Houston 4

San Francisco 8, St. Louis 0

Oakland 6, LA Angels 3

Seattle 4, Detroit 0

Cincinnati 4, Arizona 3