Bryant Hits, Quintana Pitches Cubs To Win, Cardinals Pound Reds

By ESPN

Kris Bryant said he didn't do anything on Chicago's off day, and it felt great.

Looks as though the rest helped.

Bryant hit a three-run homer, Jose Quintana pitched seven effective innings and the Cubs beat the New York Mets 8-3 on Tuesday night for a sorely needed victory.

"I think we did a lot right today," Bryant said. "Q did great. Some good at-bats. So it's nice to win a game after three not-so-good games."

The Cubs were swept by Milwaukee last weekend, making for a crowded race at the top of the NL Central. The defending World Series champions had Monday off after playing for 20 consecutive days, and they responded with three homers and 11 hits overall in the opener of a three-game set against New York.

St. Louis and Milwaukee also won Tuesday night, so the Cubs remained two games ahead of the Cardinals and 2 1/2 in front of the third-place Brewers.

"I think it's good for baseball," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I think it's good for us. It's good for us to find out what we're all about now and in the future. So there's nothing wrong with a solid pennant race."

Quintana (10-11) also helped himself at the plate with a pair of sacrifices, including a perfectly placed safety squeeze that drove in Kyle Schwarber in the fourth. Quintana got another bunt down in the sixth, sending Javier Baez to third ahead of Ben Zobrist's RBI single.

Asdrubal Cabrera had three hits for New York, but Robert Gsellman (6-7) lasted just four innings. The right-hander walked five and was charged with four runs and five hits.

"It's frustrating when you get behind the batters," Gsellman said. "You try to go out and attack. I had the right mindset today, I was just falling behind and I walked too many guys."

Travis Taijeron's run-scoring grounder put the Mets in front in the fourth, but the Cubs went ahead to stay with four runs in the bottom of the inning.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Bryant drove a 3-2 pitch from Gsellman to left-center for his 26th homer. Coming into the day, the reigning NL MVP was batting just .176 (6 for 34) with no RBI in September.

"Obviously, the mistake to Bryant killed him," Mets manager Terry Collins said about Gsellman. "You just can't keep letting leadoff hitters on and beat a team like that."

Schwarber and Ian Happ also homered before Bryant tacked on a deep sacrifice fly in the eighth. Schwarber went 3 for 3 and scored twice in his first start since going 0 for 3 in Thursday's 8-2 win at Pittsburgh.

Quintana improved to 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his last three starts. The left-hander allowed two runs and six hits, struck out seven and walked one.

"It was a really good night for us," he said.

Cardinals 13, Reds 4

Paul DeJong didn't start the season in the majors. Now he's in the St. Louis Cardinals record book.

DeJong homered, Yadier Molina drove in three runs and the streaking Cardinals outslugged the Cincinnati Reds 13-4 on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals have won four straight and six of their last seven to stay two games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

DeJong's drive to center, his first homer since Sept. 3, gave the Cardinals a 9-4 lead in the sixth. His team-leading 22 homers are the most in a season by a Cardinals shortstop, bettering Jhonny Peralta's 21 in 2014.

"I never really thought about it," DeJong said. "I just want to go out there and play like the player I am and let the results speak for themselves."

DeJong didn't make his debut until May 28 when, fittingly, he hit a home run in his first at-bat at Colorado. He has 35 combined homers between the majors and Triple-A Memphis.

"Three-hole, shortstop, just a lot to ask of any player, but I think just because they're young players that you don't give them the opportunity to respond," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "That's exactly what he's doing. He's responded very well so I think we're at that point that he's our guy at that spot in the order."

DeJong was a triple away from a cycle when he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh.

"It's more important to get Paul of the field," Matheny said. "Rain's starting to come down, he's had a great day, wet track, him pushing for triple would probably be one of the worst things he could have done."

Molina's two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the first gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. He drove in his 10th run over his past three games with a single in the sixth. Molina leads the team with 75 RBI.

Matt Carpenter walked a career-best four times, doubled in a run and scored twice.

"We talk about those big hits, just a relentless offense," Matheny said.

Lance Lynn (11-7) allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits in five innings.

Robert Stephenson (4-5) was pulled after three innings, the shortest career outing for the Reds rookie. He allowed six runs, four earned, and all three of his walks scored. Cincinnati walked nine batters and lost its third of four.

"I just wasn't sharp," Stephenson said. "I was behind on a lot of hitters and they had the leadoff runner on every single inning and I wasn't able to throw quality pitches when I needed to."

Tommy Pham had a two-run triple and scored four runs. Jose Martinez had a pair of hits and drove in two.

"The most important thing for us is to go out there and try to be our best," Martinez said. "Trust in ourselves and trust on our abilities to make something happen."

Zack Cozart's 433-foot drive off Lynn in the first gave the Reds six players with 20 or more homers in a season for the first time in franchise history.

"We just got to keep doing what we're doing and we can't change anything," DeJong said. "Tomorrow it starts over."

Royals 4, White Sox 3

Brandon Moss gave the Kansas City Royals an early lead, and rookie Scott Alexander made it hold up in a tense ninth inning.

Moss hit a grand slam in the first Tuesday for his third consecutive game with a homer, leading the Royals to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Alexander worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his fourth save in six chances. He yielded a double to Adam Engel and a single to Yolmer Sanchez to lead off the inning. He struck out Yoan Moncada, retired Jose Abreu on a pop to Whit Merrifield and got pinch hitter Matt Davidson on a grounder to end the game.

"I was just trying to get outs any way I can," Alexander said. "In that situation, such a great game, everybody played great, you don't want to be the one to blow it. I was just doing everything I can to keep that run from scoring or at least not give up the lead."

White Sox rookie Dylan Covey (0-5) walked the bases loaded in the opening inning before Moss drove a full-count fastball to right-center.

It was Moss's fourth career grand slam and his first since July 24, 2014. He has nine RBI in his past three games.

"I don't think you can ever go up to the plate with the bases loaded and not be excited," Moss said. "That's always a fun situation to hit in. The ultimate goal is always a grand slam. You don't hit with the bases loaded very often. You're trying to get a pitch to drive."

Covey allowed just one more hit, a double to Eric Hosmer to lead off the sixth, before leaving after 5 2/3 innings. He threw 34 of his 83 pitches in the first inning and walked only one, Moss in the fourth, after the first.

"I was struggling with command early on," Covey said. "You'd like to make the adjustment the next pitch, but it came a little later for me. It was halfway through the Moss at-bat when I started to get a little bit of rhythm. Unfortunately he got hold of one, but it was the walks that did me in."

Sam Gaviglio (4-5) picked up his first Royals victory in his second start after being picked up on waivers Sept. 1 from Seattle. He yielded two runs on seven hits over five innings.

Sanchez's double in the third scored Rymer Liriano, who had singled and stole second, for the first White Sox run.

Delmonico and Avisail Garcia led off the White Sox fourth with singles. Tim Anderson's one-out single scored Delmonico and advanced Garcia to third. Anderson swiped second, his 10th stolen base in 11 attempts. Gaviglio prevented further damage by striking out Lirano and retiring Engel on a grounder.

The White Sox trimmed the lead to one run in the eighth when Rob Brantly's double off Peter Moylan scored Delmonico.

"We got down early, but our starter bounces back and gives us a great rest of the game," Engel said. "He really settled in. The offense chipped away, and we put ourselves in a good situation there late."

Tuesday, September 12 Scoreboard

Kansas City 4, Chicago White Sox 3

Atlanta 8, Washington 0

Philadelphia 9, Miami 9 (F/15)

Toronto 3, Baltimore 2

Boston 11, Oakland 1

Cleveland 2, Detroit 0

Tampa Bay 2, New York Yankees 1

Milwaukee 5, Pittsburgh 2

Seattle 10, Texas 3

Chicago Cubs 8, New York Mets 3

Minnesota 16, San Diego 0

St. Louis 13, Cincinnati 4

Colorado 4, Arizona 2

Houston 1, Los Angeles Angels 0

Los Angeles Dodgers 5, San Francisco 3

Wednesday, September 13 Schedule (All Times Central)

Detroit at Cleveland, 11:10 a.m.

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

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 1:15 p.m.

Oakland at Boston, 6 p.m.

Atlanta at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Miami at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

Baltimore at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

New York Mets at Chicago Cubs, 7:05 p.m.

Seattle at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Milwaukee, 7:10 p.m.

San Diego at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Colorado at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco, 9 p.m.

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