Kluber dominates as Bellinger goes makes history
Corey Kluber was brilliant in Monday's 12-0 MLB win over the Baltimore Orioles with 11 strikeouts and zero walks in a complete-game shutout.
Corey Kluber starred as the Cleveland Indians blanked the Baltimore Orioles, while Cody Bellinger made history with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kluber was brilliant in Monday's 12-0 MLB win over the Orioles with 11 strikeouts and zero walks in a complete-game shutout.
The Indians ace is 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA and is a shoo-in for this year's Midsummer Classic.
Following a shaky start to the season, Kluber is again looking like the pitcher who won the Cy Young Award in 2014. He is now 3-0 in the month of June with a 1.60 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 28 innings since coming off the disabled list with a lower back strain.
Dodgers rookie Bellinger, playing in his 51st big league game, smashed a pair of home runs off New York Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler in a 10-6 victory to become the fastest player to reach 21 home runs in his career.
Bellinger broke the record of 20 home runs to begin a career set last year by New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez.
After having a two-game MLB debut in 2015 without a home run, Sanchez got to 20 homers in his 49th game of the 2016 season. When Bellinger hit No. 21, he broke the MLB record set by Boston's Wally Berger, who got to 21 home runs in 55 games in 1930.
The Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 4-1, the Boston Red Sox lost 4-2 to the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Mariners defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-2, World Series champions the Chicago Cubs edged the San Diego Padres 3-2, the Toronto Blue Jays overcame the Texas Rangers 7-6, the Pittsburgh Pirates crushed the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1, the San Francisco Giants were humbled 9-0 by the Atlanta Braves, the Cincinnati Reds accounted for the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3, while the Miami Marlins prevailed 8-7 against the Washington Nationals.
COLE PUMMELS BREWERS
The Brewers kept their streak of home runs going with Travis Shaw's first-inning homer, but that was just about the only mistake Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole made at Miller Park. Cole allowed just that one run and three total hits over seven innings as the Pirates blasted the NL-Central leading Brewers. He even added a hit and scored in the win.
R.A. Dickey may be 42 years old, but the wily knuckleballer had everything working Monday. The Braves pitcher scattered three hits over seven shutout innings against the Giants. Dickey struck out six and walked just one to improve to 5-5 on the season and send the Giants to their seventh straight loss.
Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak went three for four with his 20th home run of the season to lead the Blue Jays to a win over the Rangers.
GAME TO FORGET FOR WHEELER
Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler got rocked, and not just by Bellinger. Wheeler lasted just two innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits, including the two homers by Bellinger and another by Justin Turner, who added three singles on the night as Mets pitchers allowed 17 hits. Wheeler's short outing was his second straight start of two innings or less. Mets third baseman T.J. Rivera went 0 for five with four strikeouts and a fly ball to left for the final out of the game.
OZUNA MATATA
Marcell Ozuna's long walk-off single to score Dee Gordon gave the Marlins the win over the Nationals.
NATIONALS AT MARLINS
This might be the best pitching matchup of the day with the Marlins sending Edinson Volquez to the mound while the Nats will counter with Gio Gonzalez on Tuesday. Volquez is just 3-7 with a 3.72 ERA, but is 3-0 in his last four starts, including his no-hitter on June 3. Gonzalez is quietly having a superb season, going 6-1 with a 2.89 ERA.