Yankees win 6th straight, send Astros to 5th loss in a row
NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu homered in a hurry, connecting in a six-run fourth inning that powered the New York Yankees past the Houston Astros 10-6 on Thursday night for their sixth straight win.
Edwin Encarnación hit his AL-leading 23rd home run, and second since being acquired by New York from Seattle, as the Yankees handed Houston its season-worst fifth loss in a row.
The Astros dropped a matchup of division leaders despite Jake Marisnick's two home runs and solo drives by Alex Bregman and rookie Yordan Álvarez.
Sánchez opened the fourth with his 22nd homer. With rain falling, Torres connected for a three-run jolt off rookie Framber Valdéz (3-3). LeMahieu tagged reliever Chris Devenski for a two-run homer and a 6-0 lead. The inning included two delays — a short break to fix the mound and a 37-minute stoppage when the showers fell too hard.
Nestor Cortes Jr. (2-0) pitched three innings after another fine start by opener Chad Green. The veteran reliever struck out three in two scoreless innings — Green has filled that role in his last three outings, fanning 12 in six scoreless innings. Aroldis Chapman got the final out with two on for his 20th save in 22 chances.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Rendon and Victor Robles homered in a four-run sixth inning, and the Nationals completed a three-game sweep of Philadelphia.
Rendon led off the sixth with a tiebreaking drive against Nick Pivetta (4-2). Kurt Suzuki also went deep for the Nationals, who earned their first three-game sweep of the season. This victory followed a doubleheader win on Wednesday and postponements Monday and Tuesday. After sinking to 19-31 on May 23, Washington has used a 17-7 surge to get within two games of .500 (36-38) for the first time since April 28.
Jean Segura and Jay Bruce hit solo homers for the Phillies, who have lost four straight and eight of 10.
Philadelphia right fielder Bryce Harper was booed loudly in the stadium he called home during the first seven years of his career. Playing his second series in Washington after signing a $330 million, 13-year contract with the Phillies in March, Harper batted leadoff for the first time this season and went 1 for 5 with three strikeouts.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jose Iglesias homered and drove in four runs, Tanner Roark allowed one run — a homer by major league leader Christian Yelich — over six solid innings and Cincinnati earned its fifth straight victory.
Iglesias followed a two-out triple by Yasiel Puig with his fifth homer to put the Reds up 5-1 in the fifth. He also singled in two runs in the first. Nick Senzel hit his seventh homer for the Reds.
Roark (5-6), who had lost three consecutive starts and five of his last six, allowed three hits, struck out seven and hit three batters. Jared Hughes followed with two scoreless innings and Zach Duke finished.
Yelich, the reigning NL MVP, opened the fourth with his 28th homer, sending a 2-2 pitch from Roark 462 feet to right to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, matching his career high.
Jimmy Nelson (0-2) continued to struggle in his comeback after missing all of last season following right shoulder surgery. He allowed five runs and seven hits with four walks and a hit batter in five innings.
CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs top pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay tossed four innings of dazzling relief in his major league debut and the offense broke through with a six-run third to beat New York.
Javier Báez homered and tripled, and Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run double as the NL Central leaders improved to 26-12 at Wrigley Field.
Rookie slugger Pete Alonso hit his 25th homer and Todd Frazier connected for the 200th of his career for the Mets, who dropped to 15-26 on the road. Before the game, they fired pitching coach Dave Eiland and bullpen coach Chuck Hernández — but it made little difference on this night.
Alonso tied Dodgers star Cody Bellinger (2017) for most homers by an NL rookie before the All-Star break. Alonso also is one shy of the Mets' rookie mark set by Darryl Strawberry in 1983.
Alzolay (1-0) replaced starter Tyler Chatwood to begin the fifth. The right-hander struck out five and didn't allow a hit until Frazier's leadoff homer in the ninth. Steve Cishek got three outs for his seventh save.
New York spot starter Walker Lockett (0-1) retired his first six batters and had a 3-0 lead when he took the mound in the third following Alonso's two-run shot. But things quickly fell apart for the 25-year-old right-hander, who was pitching in place of injured Noah Syndergaard.
MARLINS 7, CARDINALS 6, 11 INNINGS
ST. LOUIS (AP) — JT Riddle hit a two-run homer in the 11th, Zac Gallen was effective in his major league debut and the Miami Marlins edged the Cardinals.
Brian Anderson also went deep and drove in two runs for the Marlins, who earned a split of the four-game series.
Rookie infielder Tommy Edman homered for the Cardinals, who rallied from 4-1 and 5-3 deficits.
Riddle connected off Andrew Miller (3-3) with one out for a 7-5 lead.
Jarlin Garcia (1-0) got the win with two innings of relief, and Sergio Romo closed for his 13th save in 14 chances. He gave up a two-out RBI double to Yadier Molina, but ended the game by picking off pitcher Jack Flaherty at second base. Flaherty was pinch-running for Molina.
ROCKIES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4, 10 INNINGS
PHOENIX (AP) — Chris Iannetta's two-run, bases-loaded single in the 10th lifted the Colorado Rockies to a victory that completed a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Iannetta, a former Diamondbacks catcher, singled off the center-field wall against Yoshihisa Hirano (3-4) with one out to drive in Ian Desmond and Brendan Rodgers. The Rockies had tied it at 4 on Tony Wolters' pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth off Arizona closer Greg Holland.
Scott Oberg (5-0) got the win with two scoreless innings in relief, but had to pitch out of jam in the bottom of the 10th when the Diamondbacks loaded the bases with one out. He got Ildemaro Vargas to fly out, and then struck out David Peralta swinging to end the game.
Charlie Blackmon and Desmond homered for the Rockies, who have won eight in a row over the Diamondbacks. Nolan Arenado left with a bruised left big toe after fouling a ball off his foot.
Christian Walker's two-run, pinch-hit homer keyed a three-run sixth for the Diamondbacks. Ketel Marte had four hits and tied a club record for consecutive three-hit games with his fourth.
BLUE JAYS 7, ANGELS 5, 10 INNINGS
TORONTO (AP) — Billy McKinney's two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th lifted the Blue Jays over the Los Angeles Angels to avoid a four-game sweep.
Randal Grichuk singled with one out and McKinney, who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the eighth inning, went deep off Ty Buttrey (4-4) in his first at-bat since being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday. It was McKinney's fourth homer of the season.
Nick Kingham (1-0) pitched a scoreless top of the 10th to get the win.
The Blue Jays led 5-3 before the Angels pulled within one on Luis Rengifo's RBI single to shallow in the top of the sixth, and tied it on Albert Pujols' sacrifice fly in the seventh. Rengifo, who homered earlier in the game, finished with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored.
DODGERS 9, GIANTS 8
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kyle Garlick, Austin Barnes and Joc Pederson each hit a two-run homer to help the Dodgers hold off the San Francisco Giants.
Pederson's insurance homer ended up saving the Dodgers, who had a 9-4 lead going into the ninth before the Giants rallied. Their first five batters got on, including a two-run double by Brandon Crawford and RBI singles by Mike Yastrzemski and Stephen Vogt to get San Francisco within a run before the Dodgers' defense came up big.
First baseman Cody Bellinger threw to third on Tyler Austin's bunt to get Vogt. Center fielder Alex Verdugo chased down Buster Posey's line drive and made a diving catch, and Garlick caught Brandon Belt's fly ball near the warning track in right for the final out. Kenley Jansen was charged with a run and two hits, but was able to hang on for his 22nd save. JT Chargois (1-0) allowed a run in two innings.
It was the third straight night the Dodgers scored nine runs against their NL West rivals. The last time they had three nights in a row against the Giants with nine or more runs was July 1977.
The Dodgers chased Madison Bumgarner (3-7) after just 3 2/3 innings. Yastrzemski had a two-run homer in the seventh for San Francisco, which has dropped four of five.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Elvis Andrus homered and had an RBI triple to back another impressive home start by Mike Minor as the Rangers earned a series split.
Minor (7-4) limited the Indians to three hits and one run over eight innings after they had scored 10 runs each of the last two nights. The lefty struck out four and walked three while throwing 70 of 110 pitches for strikes.
Danny Santana went deep in the Rangers' eighth, his third homer in the four-game series and seventh overall. Andrus immediately followed with his seventh homer, his first since May 12 at Houston.
They also teamed up for the first two Texas runs. Andrus tripled to right-center in the first inning after Santana had doubled and stolen third base. Andrus raced home on a wild pitch by Shane Bieber (6-3) that ricocheted off catcher Kevin Plawecki and went several feet in front of the plate.
Shawn Kelley worked the ninth for his ninth save in 13 chances after giving up a leadoff homer to Carlos Santana.
ROYALS 4, TWINS 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Gordon had a two-run double and Lucas Duda added an RBI single as the Royals jumped on Jake Odorizzi in the first inning and beat the Minnesota Twins.
Glenn Sparkman (2-3) gave up just one run and five hits in a season high-tying seven innings. He walked one and struck out three. Duda, had two hits and scored a run to help the Royals win for the fourth time in five games.
Jake Diekman pitched a perfect eighth, and Ian Kennedy got the last three outs for his ninth save in 11 opportunities.
Odorizzi (10-3) came in tied with Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito for the major league lead in wins, but lasted just four innings. He gave up four runs and eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Jorge Polanco homered for Minnesota's lone run.
SEATTLE (AP) — Domingo Santana hit his third home run in two days, Wade LeBlanc gave the Mariners a boost on the mound after another rough outing by an opener. Santana's homers helped the Mariners win back-to-back games for the first time since May 13-14 against Oakland.
The Orioles have lost nine straight, and have just three wins in June.
Santana tied it at 2 with a homer off Orioles starter Dylan Bundy (3-9) in the sixth inning. Kyle Seager and Mac Williamson followed with RBI singles. The home run came a day after Santana hit two homers to fuel a sweep-averting Seattle victory over Kansas City.
LeBlanc (4-2) wiped out another difficult start by a Mariners opener with a steady outing over 6 1/3 innings in which he struck out seven. Seattle turned to reliever Tayler Scott to start with few other options in the bullpen. Scott walked three of the Orioles' first five batters and was pulled after throwing 13 balls on 23 pitches. Roenis Elias pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
ATHLETICS 5, RAYS 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Chapman hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Athletics stunned the skidding Tampa Bay Rays.
Frankie Montas pitched eight innings of one-run ball for the A's, who rallied for their fourth straight win and seventh in eight games after Tampa Bay took a 4-1 lead with three in the top of the ninth.
Tommy Pham homered in the sixth for the Rays, who lost their fourth consecutive game and eighth in 10.
Chapman's 17th homer and second game-ender came on a 1-0 slider from Diego Castillo (1-5), handed his first blown save in eight chances.
Lou Trivino (3-5) got one out for the win. Jurickson Profar hit a solo homer in the fifth to put the A's ahead.