PHOENIX — Right-hander Yoshihisa Hirano has been spectacularly efficient in his first season in Arizona [url=http://www.edmontonoilersteamshops.com/...vier-rodrigue-jersey]Olivier Rodrigue Oilers Jersey[/url] , part of the reason the Diamondbacks will enter their four-game series against the San Diego Padres with the best bullpen ERA in the majors.
Hirano may be a major league rookie, but his work the last five seasons as a closer with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan has translated well.
Hirano, 34, had a franchise-record 26-game scoreless streak broken in an 8-4 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday, when he finished one scoreless appearance short of tying former Red Sox right-hander Koji Uehara for the longest such streak by a Japanese-born pitcher in major league history. Even that loss could not diminish the value Hirano has had this season.
Arizona right-hander Shelby Miller is scheduled to face San Diego left-hander Eric Lauer in the first game of the series Thursday.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was Boston’s bench coach when Uehara set the record in 2013, so he can provide a comparison of Uehara and Hirano.
“They have the same work habits, which is pretty impressive,” Lovullo said. “They both come in and get their work done pregame. They come in and get their work done postgame. They find themselves healthy and strong and prepared for every single one of their outings.
“They both have a fearlessness to their game and an approach to understanding what needs to happen during each at-bat. They are not afraid to put the ball on the plate with two different pitches. They go out and expect to get outs. Very similar mind-set. Very similar makeup. Very similar confidence.”
Hirano is 2-0 with a 1.43 ERA in 42 appearances. He has 19 holds, fourth in the majors, and he has permitted only one of his 16 inherited runners to score while being primarily used in the seventh inning. Eighth-inning reliever Archie Bradley leads the majors with 22 holds and closer Brad Boxberger has 20 saves.
Uehara began the 2013 season in a similar setup role in the Boston bullpen before advancing to the closer’s role after injuries thinned the relief corps. He finished with 21 saves, a 1.09 ERA and an 0.57 WHIP.
“As soon as he became the closer, he gave off a certain edge and a certain confidence that was noticeable,” Lovullo said.
“It’s as close to a slam dunk, shut-down ninth-inning save as I’ve ever seen. He had this ability to collect outs and get through innings in 12 pitches or less. It was so quick [url=http://www.edmontonoilersteamshops.com/...c-ryan-mcleod-jersey]Ryan McLeod Oilers Jersey[/url] , the ninth inning was over before it even started. It was a very comfortable setting for all of us. You played the Boston Red Sox in 2013 for eight innings because the ninth inning was over. That’s what I remember.”
Hirano has a 1.01 WHIP, fourth among major league relievers with at least 40 appearances.
“He’s been very versatile,” Lovullo said. “He’s unfazed by any role we have asked him to do. He can pitch in traffic. He can start clean innings. He can get left-handers and right-handers out.”
The Diamondbacks lost two of three to St. Louis and have dropped five of their past six games overall. They took two out of three games in their only other series against the Padres this season, also at Chase Field.
San Diego has slumped over the last 2 1/2 weeks. The Padres have lost three in a row and are 3-13 since beating Atlanta 9-3 behind left-hander Clayton Richard on June 15. They have scored 30 runs in their last 10 games.
“We’re not getting hits with runners in scoring position,” San Diego manager Andy Green told reporters after a two-game sweep in Oakland.
“Sometimes the best thing you can do is relax, go play baseball and enjoy what you’re doing. Then the hits start coming.”
Christian Villanueva hit his 17th homer for the Padres in a 4-2 loss to the A’s Wednesday.
Miller is 0-2 with an 11.42 ERA in two starts this season after returning from a 14-month absence following Tommy John surgery in last May, 2017. He has given up 15 hits and 11 runs in 8 2/3 innings.
Miller is 2-2 with a 4.54 ERA in eight career appearances, including seven starts, against the Padres. He had a strong outing against them early last season, giving up four hits and one run in 7 1/3 innings in the third of his four starts before suffering the elbow injury.
Rookie Lauer joined the Padres’ rotation in late April and is 3-5 with a 5.08 ERA in 13 starts this season. He was 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA in six June starts and is 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA in seven road starts.
He has never faced the Diamondbacks.
Wilmer Font worked into the sixth inning to get his first major league win, Willy Adames homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-0 on Saturday.Font (1-3) allowed three hits, one walk and struck out four over 5 2/3 innings. Four relievers completed a four-hitter.
Adames had an RBI single during a two-run second and added a solo homer in the seventh off Sonny Gray (5-5).
The Rays have won the first two of a three-game series against the Yankees, who have the best record in the majors.
New York (50-24), coming off a three-game sweep over Seattle [url=http://www.authenticschicagobears.com/...james-daniels-jersey]James Daniels Color Rush Jersey[/url] , is the only team in the big leagues not to have dropped more than two straight games this year. This is the latest the Yankees have gone into a season without losing three in a row since August 1954.
REDS 11, CUBS 2
CINCINNATI (AP) – Anthony DeSclafani hit the first grand slam by a Cincinnati pitcher in 59 years, helping the last-place Reds beat the Chicago Cubs for their sixth consecutive victory.
It was Cincinnati’s third slam in five days and major league-leading seventh of the season, two short of the record set in 2002. The last Reds pitcher to hit a grand slam was Bob Purkey against the Cubs on Aug. 1, 1959. DeSclafani (3-1) also pitched a season-high 6 1/3 innings and allowed three hits, struck out three and walked four.
Tucker Barnhart and Joey Votto also went deep in front of a crowd of 36,818, Cincinnati’s largest since opening day. Votto hit a three-run shot off backup catcher Chris Gimenez in the eighth.
Willson Contreras and Ben Zobrist homered for Chicago, which has lost three straight. Luke Farrell (2-3), a former Red and the son of ex-Red Sox manager and current Reds scout John Farrell, was charged with three runs and two hits in his second career start.
MARINERS 7, RED SOX 2
BOSTON (AP) – Mike Leake pitched eight shutout innings, Mitch Haniger drove in three runs and the Seattle Mariners snapped a season-high five-game losing streak with a victory over the Red Sox.
Nelson Cruz had three hits and scored twice a night after hitting two homers and driving in seven runs for Seattle, which went on its skid after beating Boston two straight at home last weekend. Leake (8-4) gave up three singles [url=http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/...lik-jefferson-jersey]http:///...lik-jefferson-jersey[/url] , struck out five and walked two six days after he allowed five runs and took the loss against the Red Sox at Safeco Field. Edwin Diaz gave up two runs in the ninth.
Eduardo Rodriguez (9-2) gave up five runs, four earned, in four innings, snapping his personal six-game win streak. The Red Sox were 13-1 in his starts this season.
RANGERS 9, TWINS 6
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Adrian Beltre and Robinson Chirinos homered to help Yovani Gallardo win for the first time since last July as the Texas Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins.
Delino DeShields had two hits and drove in two runs for the Rangers, who have won a season-high seven in a row.
Eddie Rosario homered and drove in four runs, while Logan Morrison also homered and Mitch Garver had three hits for the Twins, who have lost three straight.
Gallardo (1-0) entered with a 15.95 ERA and made his second start for Texas after opening the year with Cincinnati. He fell behind 2-0 just five pitches into the game on Rosario’s homer before turning it around and pitching into the sixth. Gallardo gave up four earned runs on six hits. Keone Kela gave up a two-run double to Rosario, but struck out Morrison with the bases loaded to end the game, earning his 18th save.
Twins starter Jake Odorizzi (3-5) retired the side in order in the first inning, but the Rangers knocked him out in a six-run second.
DODGERS 8, METS 3
NEW YORK (AP) – Clayton Kershaw and Jacob deGrom stumbled in an unexpected ace showdown, Matt Kemp hit a pinch grand slam during a five-run eighth and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the slumping Mets.
The Dodgers have won 11 straight against the Mets dating to May 2016, matching their best run in the rivalry. Los Angeles beat New York 11 straight times across 1963 and `64.
Kershaw gave up two runs over three innings in a surprise return from the disabled list. He threw 55 pitches [url=http://www.lionscheapshop.com/...reeves-maybin-jersey]Jalen Reeves-Maybin Jersey[/url] , starting out strong before laboring through his final inning. Left-handed rookie Caleb Ferguson (1-1) replaced him and escaped a couple tight situations over four scoreless innings for his first major league win.
DeGrom (5-3) allowed three earned runs in six innings, including Max Muncy’s 14th home run in the first. He entered the game with a major league-leading 1.51 ERA and hadn’t allowed three earned runs in a game since April 16 against Washington. New York has lost five straight overall and 12 of 13 at home.
ORIOLES 7, BRAVES 5
ATLANTA (AP) – Mark Trumbo hit a first-inning grand slam, Chris Davis doubled in three runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Braves.
Dylan Bundy (6-7) allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings while improving to 3-0 in June. One day after allowing four runs and recording only one out, Zach Britton pitched around a one-out walk to Johan Camargo in the ninth to earn his first save.
AL East-leading Atlanta dropped its third consecutive game. Julio Teheran (5-5) allowed a season-high seven runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Trumbo’s homer was his fourth in his last six games. He has seven homers this season after missing April with a right quad strain.
Nick Markakis, who spent his first nine seasons with Baltimore, drove in three runs for Atlanta, including a two-run double off Donnie Hart in the seventh.
CARDINALS 3, BREWERS 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Yadier Molina homered twice to back a strong start by Miles Mikolas and lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a victory.
Molina’s two-run homer in the sixth inning off
