CHICAGO – Darwin Barney launched a two-run homer to left-center in the bottom of the ninth-inning they gave the Chicago Cubs and 8 – 6 win over the San Diego Padres and completed a three-game sweep. Barney was 2-3 on the day with three runs scored and three RBI. Cubs reserve catcher Steve Clevenger also added two RBI on two hits.
Carlos Quentin hit two homers and drove in four runs for the Padres. “Right now I’m seeing the ball well and hopefully I continue to,” Quentin said. “When you see the ball (this way) you do everything you can to take advantage of it. Quentin, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in the offseason, missed the first 49 games of the season due to arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
Quentin has six extra-base hits and six RBIS in his first three games with the Padres him hitting in the cleanup spot.
Reds starter Johnny Cueto was also impressive yielding only two earned runs in seven innings of work. He struck out five. Pirates first baseman Matt Hague doubled to deep center in the sixth inning scoring Neil Walker and Garrett Jones for the Pirates only runs of the game.
ATLANTA – Apparently Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman can see now. Freeman was sporting his new glasses today and homered and drove in three runs in Atlanta Braves recover from blowing a five run lead to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 . Freeman had missed the previous four games because of vision problems.
The Braves have now won two games in a row after having had lost the previous eight. both starting pitchers Tim Hudson for the Braves and Kyle Lohse for the Cardinals gave up five earned runs.
Hudson pitched into the sixth but it became a bullpen game after that. the Braves hammered Cardinal pitching with 14 hits and Craig Kimbrel picked up his 15th save. Jonny Venters picked up the win after pitching 1/3 of an inning.
MIAMI – Josh Johnson of the Miami Marlins turned in a quality start and Giancarlo Stanton slowed his 13th home run to back him up in a 5-3 win over the Washington Nationals. The Marlins now have won 21 games in May. after sweeping the three-game set with the Nationals the Marlins are now 1/2 game back of the Nats.
NEW YORK – Carlos Ruiz came through with a tying homer in the seventh inning, Jimmy Rollins added a three-run shot and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 10-6 . Shane Victorino bailed out winless Cliff Lee with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly. Ty Wigginton also added a homer for the Phillies.
Lucas Duda hit two home runs for the Mets. Dylan Gee pitched into the seventh inning effectively but was let down by the New York bullpen.
DENVER – The Colorado Rockies took a relatively close game with the Houston Astros and exploded in the sixth inning for six runs essentially putting the game on ice. The Rockies beat the Astros 13 – 5. The Rockies had a 6-5 lead entering the sixth inning. Carlos Gonzalez slammed three home runs and was 4-5 on the night with four RBI and three runs scored.
Gonzalez now has 13 home runs. Dexter Fowler added a three-run homer and Michael Cuddyer added a grand slam. Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki left game tonight in 7th inning with a strained groin.
LOS ANGELES – The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3 and Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday night. However, the big story of the game was that Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was injured and may end up on the disabled list again. Kemp Was playing in his second game since coming off the disabled list and apparently reinjured his left hamstring in the first inning scoring from first base on a double by Andre Eithier. “I just felt it grab a little bit. It’s hurting pretty good right now, so we’ll see what the MRI says tomorrow,” said Kemp “It feels worse than the first time,” Kemp said. “This is my first time ever really having any hamstring problems, so I don’t know how to really treat it.”
The Brewers were led by Carlos Gomez who had four hits, two RBI and scored a run. His Brewer teammates pounded out 14 hits, eight of those off Dodger starter Clayton Kershaw. John Axford recorded his 10th save.
SAN FRANCISCO – the Arizona Diamondbacks Ian Kennedy, a career-high, as the D-backs beat the San Francisco Giants and Tim Lincecum 4-1. Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera had a base hit in the eighth to finish may with 51 hits. Lincecum loss for the third straight start.
He was winless in May, the first month without a victory since a career worst five start losing streak in August of 2010.
Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt homered off Lincecum in the sixth inning to give the D backs a one run lead. He later singled in the eighth inning to drive in another run.
