>>Cards Down Angels
JaimeGarcia allowed just four hits in seven innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals past the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 on Wednesday night.
The left-hander gave up two unearned runs and struck out eight to win his second straight start. He has yet to allow an earned run in 14 innings this month.
Kevin Siegrist pitched a perfect eighth and Trevor Rosenthal retired the side in the ninth to complete the four-hitter.
Garcia (3-2) was dominant from the outset. He retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, sat down six of seven after C.J Cron's two-run home run in the fourth ended his no-bit bid, and pitched out of his lone jam with a pair of clutch strikeouts in the seventh.
The Cardinals scored four times in the second inning against Matt Shoemaker (1-5) to jump out to an early lead and never trailed. Stephen Piscotty, Yadier Molina and Randal Grichuk had two hits apiece to lead the offense.
Shoemaker, recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, got tagged for seven hits and four runs in four-plus innings, the second straight game an Angels starter failed to get out of the fifth inning.
The Angels have dropped five straight and nine of their last 11. The four hits were the fewest they've managed during the skid.
Adam Wainwright (2-3, 6.30) is unbeaten in his last three starts after dropping his first three decisions of the season.
The Angels counter today with Jered Weaver (3-1, 4.72), who goes for his first win of the month after a no-decision in his last start despite allowing only one earned run in six innings.
>>Padres Sweep Double-Header With Cubs
Brett Wallace hit a three-run homer in San Diego's four-run seventh inning, and the Padres stopped the Chicago Cubs' eight-game win streak with a 7-4 victory on Wednesday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Wil Myers had two hits and scored two runs for San Diego, which had lost three in a row. Carlos Villanueva (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win, and Fernando Rodney got three outs for his ninth save.
Pedro Strop (1-1) failed to retire any of the five batters he faced in the seventh and was charged with three runs and three hits.
Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell each had two hits and drove in a run, but Chicago wasted a solid start by Kyle Hendricks.
-----GAME 2------
Drew Pomeranz tied a career high with 10 strikeouts in six scoreless innings and Christian Bethancourt hit a long solo home run to give the San Diego Padres a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night and a sweep of a day-night doubleheader.
Pomeranz (4-3) allowed just three hits and walked three in lowering his ERA to 1.80. No Chicago runner advanced past second base while the left-hander was on the mound.
Brad Hand worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning, and Fernando Rodney got the final three outs for his 10th save in as many chances. He also picked up the save in Game 1.
The lack of offense for the Cubs wasted a strong start from John Lackey (4-2), who allowed just one run on three hits in eight innings.
Chicago batters struck out 14 times in the game.
Lackey retired the first 14 batters before Bethancourt, who went 2 for 3, broke up the perfect game with a majestic blast over the left-field bleachers and onto to Waveland Avenue.
Chicago's best scoring chance came in the eighth inning. With two outs, Jason Heyward walked. Hand appeared to end the inning by getting Kris Bryant to pop up on the infield. But shortstop Alexei Ramirez dropped the ball for an error, putting runners on first and third.
Hand then walked Anthony Rizzo on four pitches to load the bases, but regrouped to strike out Jorge Soler to end the threat. It was Soler's fourth strikeout of the game.
Following a day off on today, the Cubs open a three-game home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. RHP Jason Hammel (4-0, 1.85 ERA) takes on LHP Francisco Liriano (3-1, 3.60).
>>Rangers Rally Past White Sox Again
Adrian Beltre had the tiebreaking RBI single soon after his long errorless streak ended and his team fell behind, and the Rangers overcame three deficits for the second consecutive game in less than 24 hours against the American League's top team, beating the Chicago White Sox 6-5 on Wednesday.
In an eventful game for third basemen, Beltre had a throwing error in top of the sixth to end his streak of 44 games without an error that dated back to last September and was the second longest in the career for the four-time Gold Glove winner - he had a 53-game streak in 2006.
That error led to an unearned run that put the White Sox ahead 5-4. But the Rangers got even in the bottom of the inning on Desmond's second RBI single before Beltre had the go-ahead hit.
White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier got his 10th RBI in the three-game series with his homer leading off the fourth. But he left the game in the bottom of that inning when he cut his lower lip and needed five stitches after falling hard face-first into one of the arm rests attached to the seats in the first row while chasing Prince Fielder's foul pop.
After Frazier's third homer in the series, and 11th of the season, tied the game, Melky Cabrera followed with a single and Lawrie homered into the White Sox bullpen in left field for a 4-2 lead. Bullpen catcher Adam Ricks caught Lawrie's deep fly, reaching up with his bare hand to make the grab.
Hamels struck out nine with no walks in 5 2/3 innings but also gave up nine hits, the most the ace left-hander has allowed in his 19 starts for the Rangers since they acquired him in a trade last summer. He ended up with a no decision and his career-best 11-game winning streak stayed intact though not extended.
Chicago has a day off Thursday before a three-game series at the New York Yankees starting Friday night.
