>>Quintana Outduels Cole For Cubs Win

 

Alex Avila flared an RBI triple in the ninth inning, capping a duel between Jose Quintana and Gerrit Cole and lifting Chicago over the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 on Wednesday.

 

Avila's hit against Daniel Hudson (2-6) left the bat at just 75 mph, but with Pittsburgh's outfielders shifting the other way, pinch-runner Leonys Martin had plenty of time to score from second base.

 

It was Chicago's third hit of the game after Cole limited Chicago to two knocks over eight innings, one of which was an infield single. Cole struck out eight and walked four while turning in his second scoreless outing in three starts.

 

The Pirates had runners aboard in all six innings against Quintana, but were unable to come through with a big hit. In the fifth inning, third baseman Kris Bryant made a leaping stab of Jordy Mercer's line drive with two men on to save a run. Then in the sixth, the Pirates had two men on with no outs before Quintana got Jose Osuna to ground into a double play and a grounder from Sean Rodriguez to end the inning.

 

Quintana finished with six strikeouts and had to scramble to keep pace with Cole.

 

Wade Davis struck out two during a perfect ninth for his 29th save, preserving a win for Pedro Strop (4-4) and ending Pittsburgh's four-game winning streak.

 

Jon Lester (9-7, 4.46 ERA) will make his second start since returning from shoulder soreness on Sept. 2. He lasted five innings and allowed four runs and eight hits in that outing.

 

Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.50) will look to build off a strong outing, when he pitched six scoreless innings.

 

>>Cardinals Down Padres

 

Jack Flaherty threw five innings of one-run ball in his second career start, Stephen Piscotty hit a two-run homer and the streaking Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Wednesday night.

 

St. Louis has won four straight and six of seven. Piscotty hit his ninth homer in the seventh - only the Cardinals' third hit to that point - and St. Louis tacked on an unearned run in the eighth on Harrison Bader's sacrifice fly.

 

Three Cardinals relievers blanked the Padres over four innings, with Tyler Lyons pitching a wobbly ninth for his second save. The Padres had the tying runs aboard with no outs before Lyons retired three straight. Ryan Sherriff (1-1) got the win.

 

Dinelson Lamet (7-7), who lost a pitching duel to the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw in his previous outing, stymied the Cardinals through six innings, giving up just one hit. Then Jose Martinez led off the seventh with a sharp single, and Piscotty followed with his two-run blast. When Lamet then walked Greg Garcia, his night was done and he was charged with two runs and four walks. He struck out eight.

 

Lance Lynn (10-6, 2.99) was sensational his last time out despite not getting a decision when throwing eight scoreless innings and allowing a hit to the Dodgers. Lynn leads the majors with 21 starts in which he's allowed two earned runs or fewer.

 

Clayton Richard (6-13, 4.94) has made 13 career appearances against the Cardinals, with six starts. In those starts, he's 3-0 with a 3.53 ERA and 24 strikeouts.

 

>>Carrasco Deals As Indians Win 14th Straight

 

Carlos Carrasco was the latest Indians starter to shine with a complete game dismantling of the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night, and the 5-1 victory was Cleveland's 14th straight win.

 

The streak is MLB's longest this season and the Indians have a chance to set a franchise record with 15 straight on Thursday in Chicago, which would top last season's run of 14 by the eventual American League champions who lost the World Series in Game 7 to the Chicago Cubs.

 

The win also was the team's 10th straight on the road and would have been a shutout if not for Adam Engel's line drive home run with two outs in the ninth inning.

 

Carrasco (14-6) allowed three hits, facing 28 batters with 97 pitches in his eighth career complete game. The right-hander said all five of his pitches were working, as he threw 76 strikes.

 

Carrasco struck out nine and did not allow a walk.

 

Carlos Santana hit a two-run home run to cap a three-hit night as Cleveland added three runs in the eighth inning to break open a 1-0 game.

 

Rookie right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (0-3) stranded eight runners in six innings, and allowed a run on Tyler Naquin's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.

 

Left fielder Nicky Delmonico robbed Francisco Lindor of a home run in the seventh inning.

 

The four-game series concludes Thursday as Cleveland sends RHP Corey Kluber (14-4, 2.56 ERA) against LHP Carlos Rodon (2-5, 4.15).