Kirk has game-winning sacrifice fly in ninth inning as Blue Jays rally to beat Orioles
TORONTO (AP) — Alejandro Kirk hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 on Saturday.
AL-leading Toronto trailed 4-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth before battling back for its major league-leading 45th comeback win.
Daulton Varsho reached on a bunt single with one out, advancing to second on a throwing error by pitcher Keegan Akin.
Yennier Cano (3-7) came on to face Ernie Clement, who singled to put runners at the corners. Pinch hitter Joey Loperfido scored Varsho with a single and Andrés Giménez singled for the tied.
The blown save was Cano’s fifth.
George Springer reached on a catcher’s interference call to load the bases before Kirk won it with a fly ball to center as Loperfido scored without a play.
Toronto’s Addison Barger hit a solo home run, his 20th, as the Blue Jays improved to 49-25 at home, delighting a sellout crowd of 42,461.
Braydon Fisher (6-0) pitched one inning for the win.
RAYS 5, CUBS 4
CHICAGO (AP) — Nick Fortes hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth inning, and Tampa Bay Rays held off Chicago.
Tampa Bay trailed 4-3 before Junior Caminero hit a leadoff drive against Porter Hodge in the eighth. It was Caminero’s 43rd homer, extending his career high.
Fortes opened the ninth with a 421-foot drive to left-center for his fifth homer of the season. The shot ended a string of 22 consecutive scoreless appearances by Brad Keller (4-2) dating to July 12.
Bryan Baker (4-4) pitched a scoreless inning for the win, and Pete Fairbanks earned his 26th save in 31 chances. The Rays had dropped six of seven.
Chicago put runners on the corners with none out in the ninth. But Caminero threw out Dansby Swanson when he attempted to score on Matt Shaw’s bouncer to third. Fairbanks then struck out Michael Busch and Ian Happ.
PIRATES 5, NATIONALS 1
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bubba Chandler took a perfect game into the sixth inning, Andrew McCutchen and Nick Yorke had two-run singles in the eighth inning and Pittsburgh beat Washington to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Jared Triolo capped the scoring with a solo homer in the ninth.
The Pirates loaded the bases on two walks and an infield single in the eighth. After Nick Gonzalez popped out, McCutchen lined a single to right center to make it 2-1. Oneil Cruz walked to reload the bases and Yorke’s grounded deflected off the glove of diving second basemen Luis Garcia, Jr. and into right field as two runs scored.
Chandler, who turns 23 on Sunday, was making his second major league start after two relief appearances. He was perfect until Dylan Crews singled leading off the sixth and ended up allowing a run and two hits over six innings, striking out seven and walking none while throwing 81 pitches.
In his first start, Sept. 7 against Milwaukee, Chandler gave up nine runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.
RANGERS 3, METS 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Wyatt Langford hit a tiebreaking single off All-Star closer Edwin Díaz with two outs in the ninth inning, and Texas rallied past the plummeting New York.
The loss was the eighth straight for the Mets — their longest skid since 2018. New York began the day a half-game ahead of San Francisco in the race for the last National League playoff spot.
The Rangers equaled a season high with their sixth straight win. They trailed 2-0 entering the eighth before Joc Pederson hit a sacrifice fly and pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez laced an RBI double off Díaz (6-3), handed his third blown save of the year.
YANKEES 5, RED SOX 3
BOSTON (AP) — Max Fried earned his major league-leading 17th win and Jazz Chisholm Jr. had three hits — including a solo homer that moved him to the brink of the 30-30 club — leading New York to a victory over Boston.
Fried (17-5) permitted two runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. He was working on a shutout before Alex Bregman went deep with two down in the fifth.
Jarren Duran hit a solo homer in the eighth for Boston, but the Yankees added one in the ninth against closer Aroldis Chapman when Aaron Judge singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Cody Bellinger’s double.
David Bednar pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
Chisholm had his third straight multihit game and drove in three runs. He stole his 29th and 30th bases of the season on Friday night and needs one home run to become the third player in franchise history with at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases. Alfonso Soriano (2002 and ’03) did it twice.
The Yankees tagged Brayan Bello (11-7) for two runs in the first, sending eight men to the plate and scoring on Bellinger’s sacrifice fly and Chisholm’s infield single.
MARLINS 6, TIGERS 4, 11 INNINGS
MIAMI (AP) — Rookie Troy Johnston homered twice, including a game-winning two-run drive in the 11th inning, and Miami beat Detroit.
Agustín Ramírez doubled and singled, while Otto López had two hits and drove in a run as the Marlins won their fourth straight.
After Wenceel Pérez’s RBI double put Detroit ahead in the top of the 11th, López started the bottom half with an infield single that advanced automatic runner Joey Wiemer. Heriberto Hernández’s RBI fielder’s choice scored Wiemer before Johnston drove a slider from Rafael Montero (1-2) over the wall in right-center.
It was Johnston’s first career multi-homer game.
Josh Simpson (3-2) got the last two outs in the top of the 11th for the win.
GUARDIANS 3, White SOX 1
CLEVELAND (AP) — C.J. Kayfus and Jhonkensy Noel homered, helping Parker Messick and Cleveland beat the Chicago.
Kayfus connected for a two-run shot in the second against Davis Martin (6-10). The rookie also hit a two-run during a 3-2 victory over Kansas City on Thursday night.
The Guardians (77-71) won for the ninth time in 11 games. They are trying to rally into the third AL wild-card slot.
Messick (3-0) allowed one run and seven hits in six innings. The left-hander has a 1.84 ERA in five starts since making his MLB debut on Aug. 20.
Noel’s pinch-hit drive off Fraser Ellard made it 3-1 in the eighth. It was his fourth homer of the season.
Cade Smith handled the ninth for his 14th save in 19 opportunities.
PHILLIES 8, ROYALS 6
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit his 51st home run, Brandon Marsh also went deep and Philadelphia won their sixth straight game with a victory over Kansas City.
Harrison Bader contributed three hits for the Phillies, who can clinch their second straight NL East title by completing a three-game sweep of Kansas City in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
Taijuan Walker (5-8) benefited from strong run support, giving up four runs on seven hits in five innings.
Jhoan Duran tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his 30th save in 33 opportunities.
Salvador Perez homered twice for the Royals, who lost their sixth in the last seven to further hurt their slim playoff chances.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, TWINS 2, 10 INNINGS
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gabriel Moreno’s infield single drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and Arizona defeated Minnesota.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Moreno hit a chopper against reliever Cole Sands (4-5) deep into the shortstop hole. Brooks Lee fielded the ball but Moreno beat his throw to first by a half-step, giving the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead.
Two batters later, Blaze Alexander hit a two-run double to provide the final margin.
Arizona starter Ryne Nelson gave up four hits and walked three while striking out four in six scoreless innings. Alek Thomas hit a two-run homer for the Diamondbacks, trying to stay close in the race for the final National League wild card.
John Curtiss (3-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
ASTROS 6, BRAVES 2
ATLANTA (AP) — Hunter Brown gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings and Houston jumped on Atlanta right-hander Bryce Elder early to beat the Braves.
The Astros began the night tied for first place in the AL West with Seattle.
Christian Walker hit a two-run homer 431 feet to center field in Houston’s three-run third. Yainer Diaz had three hits for the Astros, who led 6-0 after three innings.
Brown (12-7) allowed only four hits as his ERA rose slightly from 2.25 to 2.27, just behind American League leader Tarik Skubal (2.26) of the Detroit Tigers.
Matt Olson’s fourth-inning homer off Brown reached the second deck of the right-field stands, carrying 424 feet.
PADRES 11, ROCKIES 3
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Bryce Johnson homered to back Dylan Cease and lead San Diego Padres to a win against Colorado..
Machado and Ramón Laureano each drove in three runs for the Padres, who rebounded from a 4-2 loss on Friday night and have a chance to win the four-game series on Sunday.
San Diego came in trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 2 1/2 games in the NL West. The Padres currently hold the second of three National League wild cards. The Rockies have the worst record in the majors at 41-108.
Cease (8-11) held the Rockies to one run and five hits in six innings. He struck out six to reach 201 for the season. It’s his fifth straight season with more than 200 strikeouts.
MARINERS 5, ANGELS 3
SEATTLE (AP) — Bryan Woo struck out a career-high 13, J.P. Crawford hit a go-ahead homer in the fourth inning, and Seattle beat Los Angeles to stay tied with Houston atop the AL West with their eighth straight win.
Matt Brash worked the ninth inning for his fourth save, allowing a solo home run to Taylor Ward.
Woo (14-7) pitched six innings, allowing two runs on three hits while walking one. He has pitched five innings or more in 31 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the AL.
Woo surrendered Jo Adell’s 36th homer and an RBI single by Bryce Teodosio in the second inning, then retired the next 13 batters he faced.
Seattle scored early against Angels starter Mitch Farris (1-1), who lasted only four innings, yielding five runs on five hits, walking four and striking out seven. Jorge Polanco hit a two-run double in the first, and Crawford hit his 10th homer of the year in the fourth.
BREWERS 9, CARDINALS 8, 10 INNINGS
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Caleb Durbin hit a tying double in the 10th inning, Andruw Monasterio followed with the winning single and Milwaukee rallied from five runs down to defeat St. Louis.
Milwaukee players took the field aware they were already ensured at least a National League wild card, after the New York Mets lost to Texas a little earlier. But the NL Central leaders hardly let up.
After trailing 6-1 in the sixth, they scratched across five runs in the eighth and ninth to tie it 7-all on RBI infield singles by Jackson Chourio and William Contreras.
DODGERS 13, GIANTS 7
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his 49th homer, Teoscar Hernández delivered a go-ahead two-run double in a six-run fifth inning after the Dodgers chased Giants starter Logan Webb, and NL West-leading Los Angeles rallied past San Francisco.
Ohtani connected for a 454-foot drive to center leading off the third and is closing in on a second straight 50-homer season.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy went down hard in the sixth after he was hit in the right ear area by a pitch from Matt Gage in the sixth but stayed in the game. Miguel Rojas helped the Dodgers add on that inning with a two-run double.
Edgardo Henriquez (1-1) struck out the side in order in the fourth on the way to his first career win.
ATHLETICS 11, REDS 5
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Nick Kurtz launched a 493-foot grand slam — the longest home run in the majors this season — and the Athletics hammered Hunter Greene early in a victory over Cincinnati.
Brent Rooker also went deep and rookie Carlos Cortes hit a two-run shot for his third homer in two games as the Athletics handed Cincinnati another costly loss. Jacob Wilson provided a pair of RBI doubles.
Greene, an All-Star last year, was tagged for five runs, four hits and four walks over 2 1/3 ineffective innings, raising his ERA from 2.59 to 3.01.
With a chance to gain ground in a crowded wild-card race, the Reds (74-74) lost their second consecutive game to the Athletics (69-80) and remained 1 1/2 games behind the skidding New York Mets for the final National League playoff spot.