Red Sox Rally Past Cardinals, Cubs Beat Reds

By ESPN

Chris Young waited a long time for his opportunity Wednesday night and made the most of it.

Young drove in the tiebreaking run with a pinch-hit single in the 13th inning, and the Boston Red Sox rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 to sweep their two-game interleague series.

"In that situation, you get a runner in scoring position and you're just trying to find a way to put the bat on the ball," Young said. "We battled and our bullpen did an amazing job to give us the opportunity to win the ballgame and we're grateful for that."

Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run homer in the seventh off starter Mike Leake to begin Boston's comeback from a four-run deficit. The Red Sox tied it in the eighth against reliever Trevor Rosenthal when Xander Bogaerts hit an RBI triple and scored on Andrew Benintendi's sacrifice fly.

Mitch Moreland doubled with two outs in the 13th and Bradley was intentionally walked before Young singled to left-center off Sam Tuivailala (2-1).

"This win felt big, the way we had to get it," Young said. "It was just one of those we had to persevere and we fought for."

Fernando Abad (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings for the win, and Ben Taylor got three outs for his first major league save.

"This one tonight was a lot of grit, a lot of character, a lot of competitive at-bats late in the game," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Jackie with the big two-run homer that kind of got us off nothing because Leake was very good. This was big for us, particularly tonight. This is a big win. It's a huge shift. I think anytime you get this deep into an extra-inning game when you're depleting your bullpen, to come away with a win, they feel like two at times."

Dexter Fowler hit a leadoff homer for the Cardinals, who had won eight of 10. It was his fifth home run this season and the 22nd leadoff shot of his career.

Boston improved to 3-17 when trailing after seven innings, while St. Louis fell to 19-1 when leading after seven.

The Cardinals had 12 hits but did not muster one in the final five innings.

"Not a lot of opportunities," manager Mike Matheny said. "They came in throwing the ball well out of the bullpen and we just couldn't put hits on top of each other."

St. Louis scored three times in the second. Rookie outfielder Magneuris Sierra had an RBI single, extending his hitting streak to seven games. Kolten Wong followed with an RBI double, and Tommy Pham's run-scoring groundout made it 4-0.

Bradley cut it to 4-2 with a drive to center field, his second homer in two games and fourth this year.

Leake allowed two runs and seven hits over seven innings, striking out five without a walk.

Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello, who lost five of his previous six starts, gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings with six strikeouts and three walks.

Cubs 7, Reds 5

Long after Kyle Hendricks looked like Kyle Hendricks again and the Chicago Cubs got big hits from Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber, Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price was still upset about the end of the game.

The Cubs wrapped up a 7-5 victory over the Reds on Wednesday night when a replay review overturned a safe call on a close play at first that could have brought the potential tying run to the plate.

"As much as it's hail to the Cubs -- they're the World Series champs and they're great -- we're trying to win the ballgame, too," Price said.

Wade Davis retired the first two batters in the Cincinnati ninth before Joey Votto hit a grounder up the middle that shortstop Addison Russell fielded on the other side of second base. Rizzo had to stretch as far as he could go to bring in Russell's throw, and Votto was ruled safe by first base umpire Ed Hickox.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon challenged the call, and won.

"It's awkward, yeah," Maddon said. "I thought there was one angle that they showed on the board that indicated he was on the bag. Others were not so encouraging."

Price was surprised by the reversal. He said he talked to Reds general manager Dick Williams about calling Major League Baseball about the play.

"That was not a way to end the ballgame unless they can show us something definitively," Price said. "If they can't, shame on them."

Rizzo and Schwarber each drove in two runs as Chicago improved to 22-5 in its last 27 games against Cincinnati. Hendricks (3-2) pitched six effective innings, Davis got his ninth save and Ben Zobrist reached three times with two hits and a walk in his return to the lineup after missing two games with lower back tightness.

Hendricks improved to 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA in his last five starts after going 1-1 with a 6.19 ERA in his first three outings. It's a very encouraging sign for the Cubs after the wiry right-hander blossomed into one of their most dependable starters last year.

"That game was one of my better ones, for sure, too, just because I got stronger in those later innings," he said.

Zack Cozart had three hits and two RBI in Cincinnati's season-high fifth straight loss, but Adam Duvall committed a big error in left field and the Reds missed a couple more plays on defense that led to productive innings for the Cubs. Cozart connected for a solo shot in the third that extended his Wrigley Field homer streak to five games, matching a record for any player at the iconic ballpark.

"Honestly, I don't know what it is. These past two games are the first time since I've been playing with the Reds that the wind was blowing out," Cozart said. "Usually, it's the opposite. So, that makes it a little easier."

Cozart put Cincinnati in front with an RBI single in the first, but Chicago went ahead to stay with five runs in the second against Scott Feldman (2-4).

Votto tried for a backhand stab on Schwarber's hard-hit grounder to first, but it skipped by him for a tiebreaking two-run single. Rizzo's two-run single went off the glove of second baseman Jose Peraza in shallow right field, helping the Cubs open a 5-1 lead.

Chicago added two unearned runs in the third after Duvall misplayed Miguel Montero's fly ball for Cincinnati's NL-low 17th error. Hendricks drove in Zobrist with a well-placed sacrifice bunt, and Jon Jay added an RBI single.

"Defensively, tonight was not our best night," Price said.

Angels 12, White Sox 8

The Los Angeles Angels might want to keep Cameron Maybin right at the top of their lineup.

Maybin had three more hits, Mike Trout homered for the fifth time in six games, and the Angels completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 12-8 victory Wednesday night.

Maybin, batting leadoff for the second time in an Angels uniform, went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and drew a walk a day after a career-best five hits on Tuesday. He's 8 for 10 in his last two games, breaking out of a slump while finding a comfort zone hitting in front of Trout.

"My answer is going to be that it doesn't matter," Maybin said of where he hits in the Angels' order. "I enjoy leading the way, leading the guys, getting things started. It allows me to use my approach and be a little more patient. Again, it's my job, especially when they put me up there, to get things started and I've been able to do that."

Maybin had one of the best offensive years of his career with the Detroit Tigers last season, but had struggled at the plate with his new team. He broke out in a big way against the White Sox.

"That's just an excuse for people to talk about something," Maybin said. "When you play well, nobody has anything to say. That's your guys' job, to make excuses for us. We've got to come out and perform no matter where you are."

Trout's 13th homer of the season, a three-run shot, keyed a four-run sixth inning for the Angels.

Matt Shoemaker (3-2) gave up two runs in each of the first two innings, but settled down to earn the win. He finished with four runs allowed -- three earned -- and nine hits with nine strikeouts and one walk in 6 1/3 innings.

Miguel Gonzalez (3-4) allowed five runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out two as the White Sox opened their 10-game West Coast road trip on a sour note.

The final game of the series featured 20 combined runs, 28 hits and three errors.

Jose Abreu hit a two-out, two-run homer in the first inning give the White Sox an early 2-0 lead. Chicago made it 4-0 in the second on Yolmer Sanchez's RBI single and Melky Cabrera's run-scoring fielder's choice.

The Angels answered with a four-run second to tie it as Gonzalez walked four in the inning. Ben Revere tripled to drive in a run and scored on Martin Maldonado's groundout. Trout drew a walk to load the bases, and Albert Pujols singled to right to drive in two and tie the game at 4.

Los Angeles then scored four times in the sixth, capped by Trout's homer, and four more in the seventh to take a 12-4 lead.

The White Sox fell to 17-21 after allowing 24 runs over the last three games. They've lost 14 of their last 15 games at Angel Stadium.

"I do think we're better than that," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "We're continuing to compete. At this point, I still think it's a long season. We still have 120-something games left. You have peaks and valleys in every season. I think it's how you respond and continue to chip away and move forward in the course of a season."

Wednesday, May 17 Scoreboard

Tampa Bay 7, Cleveland 4

Houston 3, Miami 0

Arizona 15, New York Mets 4 (F/11)

Los Angeles Dodgers 6, San Francisco 1

Pittsburgh 6, Washington 1

Detroit 5, Baltimore 4

Atlanta 8, Toronto 4

Boston 5, St. Louis 4 (F/13)

Texas 9, Philadelphia 3

Chicago Cubs 7, Cincinnati 5

New York Yankees 11, Kansas City 7

Los Angeles Angels 12, Chicago White Sox 8

Seattle 4, Oakland 0

Milwaukee 3, San Diego 1

Colorado at Minnesota, postponed

Thursday, May 18 Schedule (All Times Central)

Washington at Pittsburgh, 11:35 a.m.

Baltimore at Detroit, 12:10 p.m.

Colorado at Minnesota, 12:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Texas, 1:015 p.m.

Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Milwaukee at San Diego, 2:40 p.m.

Colorado at Minnesota, 6;10 p.m.

Toronto at Atlanta, 6;35 p.m.

New York Yankees at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

Boston at Oakland, 9:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at  Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

Miami at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

Friday, May 19 Schedule (All Times Central)

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Toronto at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.

Texas at Detroit, 6:10 p.m.

Colorado at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m.

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay, 6;10 p.m.

Washington at Atlanta, 6:35 p.m.

Kansas City at Minnesota, 7;10 p.m.

Cleveland at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

San Francisco at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Boston at Oakland, 8:35 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

Miami at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

Arizona at  San Diego, 9:10 p.m.

Saturday, May 20 Schedule (All Times Central)

Kansas City at Minnesota, 1:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Boston at Oakland, 3:05 p.m.

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 3:05 p.m.

Washington at Atlanta, 3:10 p.m.

Colorado at Cincinnati, 3:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Houston, 3:10 p.m.

New York Yankees at Tampa  Bay, 3:10 p.m.

Texas at Detroit, 6:15 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at New York Mets, 6:15 p.m.

San Francisco at St. Louis, 6:15 p.m.

Toronto at Baltimore, 6:35 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

Miami at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

Arizona at San Diego, 9:10 p.m.

Sunday, May 21 Schedule (All Times Central)

Colorado at Cincinnati, 12:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at New York Mets, 12:10 p.m.

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay, 12:10 p.m.

Toronto at Baltimore, 12:35 p.m.

Washington at Atlanta, 12:35 p.m.

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 12:35 p.m.

Kansas City at Minnesota, 1:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Houston, 1:10 p.m.

San Francisco at St. Louis, 1:15 p.m.

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Boston at Oakland, 3:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Seattle, 3:10 p.m.

Miami at Los Angeles Dodgers, 3:10 p.m.

Arizona at San Diego, 3:40 p.m.

Texas at Detroit, 7 p.m.