Molina Hits Two Homers in Cards' Win, Cubs Lose

By ESPN

The praises were flowing for Yadier Molina.

Molina hit two solo home runs, Kolten Wong added a two-run double, Luke Weaver pitched into the seventh inning and the St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

"He is our captain, he is our leader, he is the St. Louis Cardinals," Wong said of Molina. "We are going to hop on his back whenever he is going. He is our man. When he goes, we go."

Molina homered in the fourth and then crushed the first pitch from Brent Suter (2-2) leading off the sixth over the wall in left for his 12th of the season and fourth career multi-homer game.

"Definitely a lot left in the tank from what I saw tonight," Suter said of the 35-year-old Molina.

Molina doubled in the second and advanced Jedd Gyorko to third. He scored on Luke Voit's ground out with the bases loaded and tied the game.

"He was the story of the game tonight," Suter said. "That guy's on his way to the Hall of Fame."

Molina finished with 10 total bases for the first time in his career.

"If you're going to give them up, you might as well give them up to one of the best in the game," Suter said.

Weaver (1-1) made one mistake in the first and Eric Thames hit it for his 25th home run of the season. Weaver regrouped and held the Brewers scoreless until Hernan Perez's one-out RBI single in the seventh.

Weaver allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked two over 6 1/3 innings in his first road start of the season and second for Adam Wainwright (mid-back tightness). He took a 4-0 loss to Arizona in his first start on July 27 after being recalled for the second time this season.

Jeremy Jeffress, who made his first appearance since being reacquired Monday in a trade with the Texas Rangers, took over for Suter with runners at first and second and one out in the sixth. One out later, Wong drove in the final two runs of the inning.

Suter struck out seven, walked one and allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

"He was good, just Yadier Molina got him," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Suter who came in 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his five previous starts.

Jesus Aguilar hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer off John Brebbia in the eighth. Trevor Rosenthal got the last four outs for his seventh save.

Diamondbacks 3, Cubs 0

Zack Godley stared down one of the hottest lineups in baseball. He one-upped a resurgent Cy Young Award winner. And once again, he exited a start without giving up a run.

Godley pitched three-hit ball over six innings, Jake Lamb drove in all the runs, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the surging Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Wednesday night.

The loss was just the fourth in 18 games since the All-Star break for the NL Central-leading Cubs. The defending champions got shut down by Godley after pouring on a season-high 16 runs in Tuesday's romp.

Lamb hit a two-run double against Jake Arrieta in the sixth and an RBI double off Justin Wilson in the eighth.

Godley (5-4) was every bit as stingy after tossing seven scoreless innings in a win at St. Louis last week.

"Zack Godley did exactly what he needed to do on a day where we were trying to come off a very tough game," manager Torey Lovullo said. "I've always said pitching sets the tone and gives you a chance to play downhill baseball. ... It was a really good combination of things and it was all set up by what Zack Godley did for us."

It was a strong game all-around, with two teams playing solid defense and both starting pitchers dominating. Godley was just a little better. As losses go, Cubs manager Joe Maddon can live with this one.

"To lose that game, I have no issues, man," Maddon said. "I have zero issues. We played well. They played well."

Godley struck out five and walked two. In his past two starts, the right-hander has allowed seven hits while striking out 12 and walking four.

Godley and three relievers combined to retire the final 19 batters, with Andrew Chafin, Archie Bradley and Fernando Rodney each working an inning. Rodney got his 23rd save in 28 chances, and the Diamondbacks came away with the win after dropping three of four.

Arrieta (10-8) allowed two runs (one earned) and three hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked two. To Maddon, it might have been 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner's best start of the season.

It was another encouraging outing for Arrieta coming off a strong July, though he still believes his best is yet to come. Can he be as good as he was two years ago?

"Yeah, it's possible," he said. "I don't see why not. I think it's possible for all our guys to elevate themselves and pitch at a really high level or compete on defense or at the plate at a level higher than they have currently. That's just having a lot of confidence in the guys that we have."

Maddon saw this as another positive sign for a team that was two games below .500 at the All-Star break.

"It's trending in the right direction," Maddon said. "Even though you've lost a game like that tonight, to play that game on a consistent basis, you're gonna win a lot of them."

Arrieta was sailing along until the sixth.

David Peralta singled with one out and shortstop Addison Russell bounced the throw to first on A.J. Pollock's grounder, putting runners on the corners. Pollock stole second, and Lamb bounced a two-run double down the right-field line, giving the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead.

Arrieta then hit Paul Goldschmidt in the left shoulder before J.D. Martinez grounded into a double play.

Lamb made it 3-0 with his double in the eighth off Justin Wilson, who made his first appearance after being acquired in a trade with the Tigers. Left fielder Kyle Schwarber slid as he tried to field the ball, which rolled all the way to the wall.

Blue Jays 5, White Sox 1

Pitching in his home state for the first time since 2013, J.A. Happ looked more like the 20-game winner from a year ago than he has lately.

The left-hander had a season-high 10 strikeouts in seven innings, matching his longest start of the season, as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Chicago White Sox 5-1 on Wednesday.

"We had a big group here today, a lot of friends and family in town so it feels good obviously to get the win and get out of here but also to pitch well in front of them too," said Happ, who had more than 20 friends and family members travel about 100 miles to Guaranteed Rate Field from Peru, Illinois.

Happ (4-8) gave up a run and six hits while walking one to get his first win since July 4. He last got through seven innings in his first start of the season on April 5.

Justin Smoak extended his hitting streak to nine games and reached base three times for the Blue Jays, who won two of three in a matchup of last-place teams. Steve Pearce and Josh Donaldson added solo home runs.

Happ struck out the side in his final inning and the Blue Jays won for the second time in his last eight starts and also won for the third time in four games.

The Toronto bullpen struck out the side in the eighth inning around two walks, as Dominic Leone, Aaron Loup and Joe Biagini preserved the lead. Roberto Osuna entered with two on and nobody out in the ninth inning, and set down three straight batters to earn his 27th save.

The Blue Jays were playing for the 20th straight day since the All-Star break and have a day off Thursday before a three-game weekend series against the AL-leading Houston Astros.

"I think we're all excited for the off day," Smoak said. "Twenty in a row after the break is definitely not easy, so it'll be a happy flight to Houston."

Derek Holland (5-11) gave up two runs and five hits with four walks in six innings. The left-hander came into the game with a 9.46 ERA in his past 10 starts.

"This is definitely a good start to build off," Holland said. "Probably the only thing I would say is disappointing is four walks. That kills you from going later into the game, I should say. But I thought everything else was working perfect."

Smoak drove in Donaldson with a double in the third inning to open the scoring. The All-Star first baseman had homered in each of the first two games of the series.

Pearce hit his 11th home run of the season Holland's first pitch of the sixth inning. It was his third home run in seven games.

Russell Martin had an RBI single and Kevin Pillar later scored on a Jake Petricka wild pitch in the eighth inning.

Donaldson homered on the first pitch of the ninth for his third straight game with a homer and fourth in six games.

Leury Garcia had an RBI single in the sixth inning for the rebuilding White Sox, who lost for the 19th time in 23 games.

"Honestly, today I'm not thinking about 19 games," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "I'm not thinking about the last 23, just today what went right and what went wrong."

Wednesday, August 2 Scoreboard

Detroit 2, New York Yankees 0

Toronto 5, Chicago White Sox 1

Minnesota 5, San Diego 2

Baltimore 6, Kansas City 0

Cincinnati 5, Pittsburgh 2

Miami 7, Washington 0

Atlanta 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 3

Texas 5, Seattle 1

Arizona 3, Chicago Cubs 0

St. Louis 5, Milwaukee 4

Tampa Bay 3, Houston 0

New York Mets 10, Colorado 5

Los Angeles Angels 7, Philadelphia 0

Oakland 6, San Francisco 1

Thursday, August 3 Schedule (All Times Central)

St. Louis at Milwaukee, 1:10 p.m.

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

New York Mets at Colorado, 2:10 p.m.

Detroit at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

New York Yankees at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta, 6:35 p.m.

Texas at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

Seattle at Kansas City, 7;15 p.m.

Philadelphia at Los Angeles Angels, 9:07 p.m.

Oakland at San Francisco, 9:15 p.m.

Friday, August 4 Schedule (All Times Central)

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

St. Louis at Cincinnati, 5:40 p.m.

Detroit at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

San Diego at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.

New York Yankees at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

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

Milwaukee at Tampa Bay, 6:10 p.m.

Miami at Atlanta, 6:35 p.m.

Texas at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.

Toronto at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

Seattle at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

Philadelphia at Colorado, 7:40 p.m.

Oakland at Los  Angeles Angels, 9:07 p.m.

Arizona at San Francisco, 9:15 p.m.

Saturday, August 5 Schedule (All Times Central)

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

Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets, 3:05 p.m.

Milwaukee at Tampa Bay, 5:10 p.m.

Detroit at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

San Diego at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

New York Yankees at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.

Texas at Minnesota, 6:10 p.m.

Miami at Atlanta, 6:10 p.m.

St. Louis at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Toronto at Houston, 6:10 p.m.

Seattle at Kansas City, 6:15 p.m.

Philadelphia at Colorado, 7:10 p.m.

Arizona at San Francisco, 8:05 p.m.

Oakland at Los Angeles Angels, 8:07 p.m.

Sunday, August 6 Schedule (All Times Central)

New York Yankees at Cleveland, 12:10 p.m.

St. Louis at Cincinnati, 12:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Tampa  Bay, 12:10 p.m.

Detroit at Baltimore, 12:35 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Boston, 12:35 p.m.

Miami at Atlanta, 12:35 p.m.

San Diego at Pittsburgh, 12:35 p.m.

Texas at Minnesota, 1:10 p.m.

Toronto at Houston,1 :10 p.m.

Seattle at Kansas City, 1:15 p.m.

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

Philadelphia at Colorado, 2:10 p.m.

Oakland at Los Angeles Angels, 2:37 p.m.

Arizona at San Francisco, 3:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets, 7 p.m.