Fowler Has Big Night As Cardinals Beat Royals

By ESPN

Dexter Fowler isn't going to share the advice he received from hitting coach John Mabry before his seventh-inning grand slam on Thursday night.

"We bounced a few ideas off one another," Fowler said. "It was a healthy conversation. I'll keep it to myself."

The mysterious pearls of wisdom helped the St. Louis outfielder cap off a career-high five-RBI night as the Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals 8-6.

Fowler helped St. Louis tie a season-high with its sixth straight win.

Kansas City has lost four in a row and six of seven.

St. Louis climbed within one game of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

Fowler broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning with his 15th homer of the season. He ripped the first pitch from Neftali Feliz for his third career slam.

"Just looking for something to hit, something to drive," Fowler said.

Lorenzo Cain had four hits for the Royals, who lost all four games in the four-game, home-and-home set.

Fowler ripped a run-scoring double to trigger a three-run outburst in the sixth inning that helped erase a 3-0 deficit.

"It's fun, anyone in this lineup can hurt you," Fowler said. "That's how you draw it up."

Fowler's grand slam came at the perfect time.

"We were having trouble generating much of anything," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "We were looking for something -- and that was something."

Trevor Rosenthal recorded four outs to pick up his 10th save in 12 opportunities.

Pinch-hitter Brandon Moss brought the Royals within 7-5 with a two-run, bases-loaded double in the eighth that came within a foot of clearing the wall. Whit Merrifield followed with a sacrifice fly. But Rosenthal got Cain to fly out with the tying run on third.

St. Louis has scored 54 runs during the six-game streak.

Tyler Lyons (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Lance Lynn, who surrendered two earned runs in six innings.

"I gave up a couple more runs than I'd like, but the offense picked me up," Lynn said.

Mike Minor (5-4) took the loss.

Melky Cabrera gave the Royals a 3-0 lead with a two-run triple in the fifth.

"We've been swinging the bats pretty well," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Now, we need to get our bullpen on track. It's kind of a bullpen slump."

Kansas City starter Jason Hammel gave up two earned runs and three hits over five-plus innings. He has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his last seven starts.

"Long at-bats, long innings, the pitch count kind of got up there," Hammel said. "Overall, I felt it was a pretty good night."

Cain tied a career high with his four hits. He has 15 hits in his last 29 plate appearances.

"I'm just doing what I can to get on base with these guys behind me," Cain said. "That's my mindset."

White Sox 3, Astros 2

The Houston Astros came into Chicago hoping to break one of their few slumps this season in a three-game series with the American League's worst team. Instead, they leave the Windy City reeling after being swept by the White Sox.

Meanwhile, White Sox fans got a glimpse of a potential South Side superstar who had his first big moments for the team.

Rookie Yoan Moncada homered to tie the game in the ninth inning and then drove in the game-winnerwith a single in the 11th to lead the White Sox to 3-2 win Thursday night, completing an improbable series sweep of the AL's best team.

The top White Sox prospect said his 11th inning single wass the first walk-off hit he's had at any level.

"It was something indescribable," said Moncada, speaking through a translator. "My feelings, all my emotions were through the roof when I hit that ball and then when I was running the bases. It was something unique."

In the 11th, Leury Garcia led off with a single past diving second baseman Jose Altuve that was then bobbled by right fielder Josh Reddick, with Garcia advancing to second on the error. Altuve dove again for Moncada's hit off Francis Martes two pitches later but could only watch as the White Sox celebrated moments later near his spot in the infield.

"We're not in a great place right now, we obviously had a tough trip to this city," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We'll move on to the next city and get ourselves right again."

Earlier, Moncada homered in the ninth with one out against Astros closer Ken Giles for his second career home run.

"A star is born," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He's taking some nice swings."

It was the third blown save of the season for Giles, who has converted 22.

"I threw a good pitch," Giles said. "I looked the video, right on the outside corner, right on the black. I have to tip my cap to him. He put a good swing on it and drove it the other way. You can't really be mad at it."

Martes (4-2) took the loss after striking out all three batters he faced in the 10th inning, and then allowing the two singles in the 11th.

David Holmberg (2-3) got the last out of the 11th to earn the win. Carlos Rodon threw his third straight quality start without earning a win.

Rodon, a left-hander, tied a career-high with eight innings pitched, striking out four and allowing two runs on nine hits. Jake Petricka, Tyler Clippard, Brad Goldberg and Holmberg combined to hold the Astros scoreless over the last three innings.

Houston right-hander Brad Peacock struck out five and gave up one run and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Jake Marisnick hit a home run and Marwin Gonzalez added an RBI double for the Astros, who have lost seven of their last nine games.

The Astros (71-43) still have a comfortable lead in the AL West but need to return to their early season form.

"It's frustrating," Giles said. "We've had a lot of success early and haven't really had bumps in the road. Right now, we're going through it and trying to find ourselves again. But we'll get it together as a team again and find ways to win."

Down 2-0, Chicago's Yolmer Sanchez drove in Avisail Garcia on a fielder's choice in the sixth inning.

The Astros bullpen wiggled out of two jams before Giles blew the save in the ninth.

Chicago got the tying run to second base in the seventh, but Chris Devenski relieved Peacock and struck out Moncada and got Jose Abreu on an infield pop out.

Luke Gregerson allowed the first two runners to reach in the eighth inning, but struck out Sanchez and Tim Anderson and then got pinch-hitter Alen Hansen to ground out.

But Moncada and the White Sox didn't let the third opportunity pass. The rookie has provided a spark for the White Sox, mired in last place in the AL Central at 44-68.

"I had a chance to watch Moncada in Triple-A and tell you what, it was something special," Rodon said of his teammate, who came over as the centerpiece of a December trade with Boston for ace Chris Sale. "He's got a good bat. Just a special player, man."

Thursday, August 10 Scoreboard

Cincinnati 10, San Diego 3

Pittsburgh 7, Detroit 5

Washington 3, Miami 2

New York Mets 10, Philadelphia 0

Toronto 4, New York Yankees 0

Tampa Bay 4, Cleveland 1

St. Louis 8, Kansas City 6

Chicago White Sox 3, Houston 2 (F/11)

Minnesota 7, Milwaukee 2

Los Angeles Dodgers 8, Arizona 6

Baltimore 7, Oakland 2

Los Angeles Angels 6, Seattle 3

Friday, August 11 Schedule (All Times Central)

Boston at New York Yankees, 6:05 p.m.

San Francisco at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

New York Mets at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Minnesota at Detroit, 6:10 p.m.

Colorado at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Tampa Bay, 6:10 p.m.

Houston at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Kansas City at Chicago White Sox, 7:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Milwaukee, 7:10 p.m.

Atlanta at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Baltimore at Oakland, 9:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

San Diego at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

Saturday, August 12 Schedule (All Times Central)

Pittsburgh at Toronto, 12:07 p.m.

Boston at New York Yankees, 3:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Detroit, 5:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Tampa Bay, 5:10 p.m.

San Francisco at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

New York Mets at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

Kansas City at Chicago White Sox, 6:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Milwaukee, 6:10 p.m.

Colorado at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Atlanta at St. Louis, 6:15 p.m.

Houston at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at Arizona, 7:10 p.m.

Baltimore at Oakland, 8:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Seattle, 8:10 p.m.

San Diego at Los Angeles Dodgers, 8:10 p.m.

Sunday, August 13 Schedule (All Times Central)

Pittsburgh at Toronto, 12:07 p.m.

Cleveland at Tampa Bay, 12:10 p.m.

Minnesota at Detroit, 12:10 p.m.

Colorado at Miami, 12:10 p.m.

San Francisco at Washington, 12:35 p.m.

New York Mets at Philadelphia, 12:35 p.m.

Kansas City at Chicago White Sox, 1:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Milwaukee, 1:10 p.m.

Atlanta at St. Louis, 1:15 p.m.

Houston at Texas, 2:05 p.m.

Baltimore at Oakland, 3:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Seattle, 3:30 p.m.

San Diego at Los Angeles Dodgers, 3:30 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at Arizona, 3:10 p.m.

Boston at New York Yankees, 7 p.m.