NEW YORK: Jose Quintana made a sensational debut for the Chicago Cubs, who beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-0 on Sunday, to open the second half of the season with a three-game sweep in Major League Baseball.
Quintana, acquired on Thursday in a blockbuster trade with the crosstown White Sox for four minor league prospects, dazzled the Orioles over seven scoreless innings, striking out 12 and allowing just three hits in the process.
Justin Turner, who is hitting .374, homered and drove in two runs to lead Los Angeles to a 3-2 win.
The Dodgers (64-29), who have the best record in the majors, have won 29 of their past 33 games, including nine in a row. They swept this three-game series against the Marlins.
Victorious
Jeremy Hellickson struck out six and Nick Williams hit his first career grand slam as the Philadelphia Phillies avoided getting swept with a 5-2 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Mike Fiers surrendered a pair of solo home runs but was otherwise marvelous over seven innings, allowing four hits while recording a season-high 11 strikeouts for the Houston Astros in their 5-3 win against the Minnesota Twins.
Daniel Murphy homered twice and had five RBIs, Adam Lind and Jose Lobaton hit two-run homers, and Anthony Rendon added a solo shot, lifting Washington past Cincinnati 14-4
Adam Frazier’s first career walk-off hit lifted Pittsburgh to a 4-3 win over St. Louis.
DJ LeMahieu and Mark Reynolds each collected four hits and three runs as Colorado routed New York 13-4.
Atlanta, swept by Arizona in a three-game home series last year, got payback by completing a sweep of the slumping Diamondbacks, who lost their fifth straight game, 7-1. Collated Results (World Results Panel) – Page 23