Buster Posey plays the hero during excellent Bumgarner/Kershaw duel
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San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner and Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw may have pitched well Tuesday, but Buster Posey was the real hero during the pitcher’s duel.
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Posey picked up two hits, knocking in the only two runs Bumgarner would need in order to win the game. He would kick things off with an RBI single in the first inning, and then came back with a solo home run off Kershaw to open the fourth. Posey finished 2 for 4, with one scored and two RBI during the contest.
Both Bumgarner and Kershaw turned in excellent performances. Kershaw gave up two earned runs on seven hits over seven innings of work. He struck out eight and did not issue any walks.
Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t enough. Bumgarner was even better, allowing just one earned run on five hits over eight innings. He struck out nine and walked one, earning his second win of the year.
JERED WEAVER FALTERS AGAIN
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver would probably like a do-over for the season’s first month. The 32-year-old turned in another tough start Tuesday, losing 6-2 against the Oakland Athletics.
All six runs were charged to Weaver during the contest. Things did not start out well for the ace. With the bases loaded in the first inning, Weaver allowed a two-run single against Josh Reddick. He then gave up a three-run shot to Brett Lawrie.
Weaver would recover, tossing four scoreless frames before allowing his sixth and final run in the sixth inning. When all was said and done, Weaver allowed six runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out one, but did not issue any walks.
With the loss, Weaver drops to 0-3 on the season. It’s the first time in his career Weaver has gone winless after his first five starts.
Despite the slow start, manager Mike Scioscia remains encouraged, according to MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez.
“His stuff is not that far away from when he won 20 games,” Scioscia said of Weaver, who got to 20 wins in 2012 and led the American League with 18 wins last season.
“At times, you’ll see the ball come out like you expect with Jered, but right now, he’s trying to find a release point and a mechanical solution that will let him be in sync to where his complicated delivery adds deception but gets him that crisp fastball. Right now, it’s something he’s searching for, and he’s really not that far away. His stuff is still going to play, and in a big way.”
The Angels are 9-11 to kick off the season. Weaver has posted a 5.83 ERA over 29 1/3 innings.
HOUSTON CONTINUES TO PILE IT ON
The Houston Astros continued their offensive surge Tuesday against the San Diego Padres. The Astros scored 14 runs on 17 hits en route to a 14-3 victory.
The top of the team’s lineup was responsible for a big chunk of damage. The club’s first five batters accounted for 12 hits, eight runs and 10 RBI during the contest. Jose Altuve picked up four of those hits, while George Springer was responsible for five RBI.
Springer, Evan Gattis and Chris Carter all added home runs during the victory. The win pushes the Astros to 13-7 on the year. The club has now won five straight games.
BLUE JAYS OUT-SLUG RED SOX
Despite allowed six runs over four innings, Toronto Blue Jays starter Drew Hutchison escaped with a no-decision Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox.
Hutchison wasn’t particularly sharp, giving up five walks against zero strikeouts during the contest. Things were rough early, as the Red Sox tagged Hutchison for four runs in the second inning. Hutchison didn’t give up a ton of hard contact during the inning, but the hits kept finding holes.
Hutchison was taken off the hook by Clay Buchholz. Buchholz pitched well to kick things off, but fell apart in the third. He failed to get out of the inning, giving up five runs before he was pulled. Buchholz lasted just 2 2/3 innings.
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The Blue Jays would continue to pile it on, eventually winning the game 11-8. The middle of the lineup did the most damage. Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion combined to go 7-14, with six runs scored and seven RBI.
Bautista and Donaldson each added their fifth home runs of the year during the contest, bringing the Blue Jays to 10-11 on the season.
Want to see more from Tuesday’s slate of games? Check out our scoreboard.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
