Cleveland: Matt Carpenter hit a two-run homer off reliever Marc Rzepczynski in the eighth inning after Cleveland replaced starter Trevor Bauer, rallying the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the Indians on Thursday.
Bauer blanked St. Louis on four hits over 7 1-3 innings before giving up a one-out walk. Indians manager Terry Francona brought in the left-handed Rzepczynski (1-1) to face Carpenter, a lefty, who had struck out in his three previous at-bats.
Carpenter drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right-centre to help the Cardinals win the series after being overpowered by Corey Kluber on Wednesday night. It’s the first homer, Rzepczysnki has given up to a left-handed hitter since June 12, 2012, when he was with the Cardinals.
Kevin Siegrist (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings, and Trevor Rosenthal put the tying run on with one out in the ninth before striking out pinch-hitter Zach Walters and Jason Kipnis for his 12th save.
Michael Brantley homered for the Indians, who haven’t won consecutive games since April 8-9. Following Kluber’s 18-strikeout performance, Bauer fanned 10.
In San Diego, Cory Spangenberg had his first two-homer game and Derek Norris homered, tripled and drove in five runs to lead San Diego to a victory over Washington in a game delayed for nearly two hours by rain.
Spangenberg homered to right-centre with two outs in the second off Doug Fister and to left off Blake Treinen leading off the fourth. They were his first two of the season.
Norris hit a three-run homer to left with two outs in the first and barely missed another shot in the second, settling for a two-run triple off the wall in left-centre, also with two outs.
Norris’ chance at the first cycle in Padres history ended when he grounded out to shortstop in the fifth.
The offensive outburst gave Tyson Ross (2-3) his first victory since April 12 against San Francisco.
The rain delay was just the fifth since Petco Park opened in 2004.
— AP
