Jair Jurrjens hurls one-hitter for first career shutout - MLB

Atlanta’s Jair Jurrjens emphatically reclaimed the major league lead in ERA on Friday by throwing a one-hit shutout against the Orioles. It was his first career shutout and second complete game.

The performance lowered his ERA from 2.07 to 1.89. Jered Weaver had held the major league lead with a 1.97 ERA.

Jurrjens took a no-hitter into the seventh before Adam Jones singled to break it up. Jones was one of just two hitters to reach base for the Orioles in the game, as Jeremy Guthrie fell to 3-10 despite another solid effort in a 4-0 loss. He pitched seven innings and allowed three earned runs.

Jurrjens ended up with eight strikeouts, besting his previous season high by two. His career high for strikeouts is 10, achieved Sept. 11, 2008 against the Rockies.

The 25-year-old has won his last three starts, and he’s tied for the major league lead with 11 victories. He probably won’t be the choice to start for the NL in the All-Star Game — Roy Halladay is the likely selection there — but he’ll almost certainly be on the roster and he could be the second or third pitcher into the contest for the Senior Circuit.

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”