KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez tied the franchise home run record and Lane Thomas hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the seventh to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
Kansas City right-hander Seth Lugo (4-6) held the Giants scoreless till the sixth inning, when he gave up a leadoff walk and hit the next batter. Runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Drew Cavanhaugh, and Luis Arraez knocked the game’s first run across with a sacrifice fly to center.
The Giants struck again in the seventh with an RBI triple from Jung Hoo Lee and RBI double from Willy Adames to extend the lead. Lugo exited after the inning, giving up three hits and two walks. He also had five strikeouts.
Vinnie Pasquantino extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a double in the seventh inning. He was called safe after sliding past the bag. The call was confirmed and Giants manager Joey Vitello was ejected after arguing the call.
On the next at bat, Perez hit his 14th home run of the season and 317th of his career to tie the Royals’ franchise record. That signaled the end of right-hander Landen Roupp’s day. He allowed four hits and two runs and struck out seven.z hit his 14th home run of the season and 317th of his career to tie the Royals’ franchise record. That signaled the end of right-hander Landen Roupp’s day. He allowed four hits and two runs and struck out seven.
BREWERS 4, METS 3
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Joey Ortiz went 3 for 3 and was a homer away from the cycle to help Milwaukee defeat New York.
Christian Yelich drove in two runs and Logan Henderson matched a career high with nine strikeouts for NL Central-leading Milwaukee, which took two of three from New York. Marcus Semien and Brett Baty homered for the Mets, who are last in the NL East.
Ortiz hit a two-run triple in the second inning, singled in the fourth and had a ground-rule double in the sixth before walking in the eighth. He also made a diving stop of a grounder by A.J. Ewing and threw to first for the final out.
Ortiz is batting .373 (19 of 51) since July 4, improving his season average from .201 to .239.
NATIONALS 8, ROCKIES 0
DENVER (AP) — Cade Cavalli threw six strong innings, Luis García Jr. hit a two-run homer as part of a six-run seventh to break open a tight game and Washington beat Colorado.
The Nationals took two of three from the Rockies to win a fourth consecutive road series.
Cavalli (7-4) scattered four hits and walked two while striking out eight. The right-hander threw 90 pitches, mixing a blazing fastball with a baffling knuckle-curve. He also made a nifty play early in the game, reaching behind him with his glove to snare a sharp grounder headed up the middle.
Cavalli and Rockies starter Gabriel Hughes (0-2) matched zeros through four innings. The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the fifth after Jorbit Vivas led off the inning with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly from James Wood.
Hughes went five innings and allowed one run while striking out five. Washington scored seven runs — five earned — on the Colorado bullpen.
DIAMONDBACKS 15, ATHLETICS 5
PHOENIX (AP) — James McCann hit his 100th major league home run and Ryan Waldschmidt slugged the first of his career as part of Arizona’s seven-run fifth inning and the Diamondbacks set a season high for runs scored in a rout of the Athletics.
With the game tied at 2, Arizona broke it open with their biggest inning of the season. Gabriel Moreno hit a go-ahead two-run shot, and McCann and Waldschmidt also had two-run homers in the big seventh.
Corbin Carroll and Nolan Arenado homered in the fourth off A’s starter Gage Jump.
Merrill Kelly (8-8) allowed two runs and five hits, including Jeff McNeil’s homer, in five innings for the Diamondbacks.
Jump (3-6) was hammered for eight hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings.
REDS 5, MARNERS 3
SEATTLE (AP) — Sal Stewart hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning to lift Cincinnati past Seattle.
The Mariners (51-52) slid a game behind Texas (51-50) in the AL West with their second straight loss after winning the series opener against the Reds.
Stewart hit his team-leading 21st home run of the season on a first-pitch sinker from Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo (3-3) with two outs to make it 5-3. Bazardo walked Edwin Arroyo and gave up a single to Ke’Bryan Hayes before Stewart’s homer.
Emilio Pagán pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save and second in as many days.
JJ Bleday also went deep for Cincinnati, hitting a solo shot off Mariners starter Emerson Hancock in the fourth inning to tie it at 2. Hancock, who threw six innings of two-run ball, gave up one more run in the inning on an RBI single by Dane Myers.
CARDINALS 1, ANGELS 0
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Hunter Dobbins scattered six hits over six innings, JJ Wetherholt hit a home run in the sixth and St. Louis held on for a victory over Los Angeles.
Dobbins, recalled from Triple-A Memphis for Wednesday’s start, struck out five and walked none to help St. Louis snap a four-game losing streak and end the Angels’ three-game win streak.
Luis Gastelum threw a scoreless seventh, George Soriano had a 1-2-3 eighth and closer Riley O’Brien struck out Oswald Peraza with an 80-mph sweeper and Josh Lowe with a 98-mph sinker with two on in the ninth for his 26th save.
Dobbins (2-1) escaped a first-and-third, two-out jam in the second, a two-on, one-out jam in the third and a first-and-third, two-out jam in the fourth. That inning ended with Cardinals third baseman Blaze Jordan reaching into the third-base dugout to snag Tyler Heineman’s popup.
Angels starter Reid Detmers (3-7), expected to be a top target of contenders looking to acquire starting pitching before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, blanked the Cardinals on one hit through five innings despite walking two to open the fifth.
TWINS 10, GUARDIANS 6
CLEVELAND (AP) — Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer, Trevor Larnach had a solo shot and three RBIs and Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Cleveland to spoil star third baseman José Ramírez’s return to the Guardians.
Lee connected for his 15th homer in the fourth inning off Shane Cecconi (4-7), who gave up a leadoff homer to Larnach on his fourth pitch. Lee also had an RBI single.
Larnach added a two-run single in the eighth to put Minnesota ahead 9-4.
Travis Adams (2-0) pitched two innings of relief for the win.
Kyle Manzardo homered for Cleveland.
Ramírez was back in Cleveland’s lineup after missing five weeks following left hand surgery. The seven-time All-Star went 2 for 5, drove in a run and scored once. He also had one of Cleveland’s three errors.
DODGERS 9, PHILLIES 5
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Max Muncy hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning, Tommy Edman added to the Dodgers’ lead with a bases-clearing triple in the eighth, and Los Angeles beat Philadelphia.
Muncy’s homer off Aaron Nola (3-8) was his 229th with the Dodgers, moving him into fifth in franchise history. He has five other home runs, all with the Athletics.
Alec Bohm hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Eric Lauer (5-5), who ended up allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings. Lauer ended his night by striking out Bryce Harper for the third time.
Edman had three hits. Freddie Freeman had two doubles and a single for the Dodgers, and catcher Dalton Rushing, their No. 9 hitter, homered in the third and had a two-run double in the fifth.
Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, playing in his first major league game of the season after the Phillies recalled him from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, led off the fifth with a homer to tie it at 3-all.
RAYS 4, BLUE JAYS 2
TORONTO (AP) — Griffin Jax allowed one run in six strong innings, Victor Mesa Jr. drove in two runs and Tampa Bay used a three-run sixth to top Toronto.
Jax (6-7) gave up three hits and walked one while striking out five in his second quality start of the season. Bryan Baker earned his 26th save with a hitless ninth.
Mesa drove in the Rays’ first run in the second with a single that tied it at 1.
Tampa Bay took the lead on Chandler Simpson’s sacrifice fly in the sixth. Mesa hit another RBI single and Ben Williamson walked with the bases loaded to drive in Cedric Mullins to make it 4-1.
The Rays had batters reach on a bunt single, walk, an error and a hit by pitch in the sixth — the first time in franchise history they had all four in the same inning.
BRAVES 7, PADRES 6
ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie Jim Jarvis drilled a run-scoring double into the right-field corner to give Atlanta the lead in a six-run eighth inning and the Braves survived a ninth-inning scare to beat San Diego.
With one out in the eighth, Mauricio Dubón singled off left-hander Wandy Peralta (1-1). Jarvis followed with the double that allowed Dubón to score from first base for a 2-1 lead.
Brewer Hicklen drove in Jarvis with a double to left field. Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Dominic Smith added run-scoring singles off Randy Vásquez. The Braves collected seven of their 14 hits in the inning.
Right-hander Víctor Mederos gave up a run-scoring single to Gavin Sheets and a two-run triple to Fernando Tatis Jr. in the ninth. Raisel Iglesias gave up a two-run homer to Luis Rengifo before recording the final two outs for his 20th save.
RED SOX 6, BALTIMORE 3, 1ST GAME
BALTIMORE 5, RED SOX 1, 2ND GAME
BOSTON (AP) — Baltimore ended Boston’s franchise record-tying 15-game winning streak behind Kyle Bradish’s six innings of one-run ball, defeating the Red Sox in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
It was Boston’s first loss since a 10-2 setback to Washington at Fenway Park on July 1.
The Red Sox won the opener 6-3 to match the club’s 80-year-old record. Boston’s 1946 team that won 15 straight was led by Ted Williams and won the American League pennant.
This year’s Red Sox streak was the longest in the majors since St. Louis also won 15 straight in September of 2021.
Dylan Beavers had a two-run single in a four-run first inning for Baltimore, which avoided a three-game sweep and won for the 11th time in 16 games.
PIRATES 5, YANKEES 3, 1ST GAME
YANKEES 2, PIRATES 0, 2ND GAME
NEW YORK (AP) — Max Fried allowed one hit over five innings in his return from a two-month layoff, Jasson Domínguez and Anthony Volpe drove in runs on consecutive pitches in the seventh and New York beat Pittsburgh for a doubleheader split.
Pittsburgh won the opener 5-3 in 10 innings.
Bubba Chandler pitched 6 1/3 innings of two-hit ball in his first scoreless outing this year.
Brandon Eisert (2-2), acquired from the Chicago White Sox on July 11, relieved and walked Cody Bellinger. One out later, Domínguez doubled down the left-field line and scored when Volpe singled for his second RBI since June 19.
Fried struck out seven and walked one, inducing 10 swings and misses while throwing 37 of 57 pitches for strikes and retiring his last 12 batters. He had not pitched since May 14 because of a bone bruise in his left elbow and was to have thrown one more minor league rehab start before Tuesday night’s rainout caused the Yankees to change their plans.
He was economical, with 13 pitches in the first, 10 each in the second, third and fourth, and 14 in the fifth. Fried’s four-seam fastball averaged 96.2 mph, 1.5 mph above his season average coming in. He threw his two fastest pitches this year, topping at a 98.5 mph fastball for a called strike against Marcell Ozuna in the second.
TIGERS 5, CUBS 1
CHICAGO (AP) — Keider Montero and four relievers combined on a four-hitter, Hao-Yu Lee hit a three-run homer and Detroit beat Chicago.
Spencer Torkelson also homered for the Tigers, who have won five of their last six series, including two sweeps.
Montero (7-5) struck out eight and allowed one run on three hits — one of which was Seiya Suzuki’s 17th homer in the first inning.
Drew Sommers, Drew Anderson and Kyle Finnegan combined to allow just one hit before Kenley Jansen sealed the game with a hitless ninth.
In the fourth inning, Lee drove a fastball 389 feet to left field for a tiebreaking three-run homer that gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead. Torkelson tied the game at 1 in the second with his homer to left-center field, his 19th of the season.
Zach McKinstry capped the scoring with a double in the ninth for Detroit.
WHITE SOX 4, RANGERS 2
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Chase Meidroth went 4 for 4 while he and Andrew Benintendi had a pair of run-scoring singles apiece, Anthony Kay pushed through five innings for his first win in more than a month, and Chicago beat Texas.
Braden Montgomery scored all three times he reached base. Meidroth’s fourth career four-hit game helped the White Sox move out of a tie with Cleveland atop the American League Central as the Guardians lost to Minnesota 10-6.
Texas rookie Cam Cauley hit his first major league homer as the Rangers dropped back to .500 but stayed in first place in the AL West by a half-game over Seattle with the defending division champion Mariners’ second consecutive loss to Cincinnati.
Kay (7-4) allowed five hits and two runs to end a six-start winless streak. The left-hander hit his majors-leading 19th batter to put Cauley on and load the bases with no outs in the fourth. Elias Díaz’s double-play grounder brought home Brandon Nimmo, and Kay preserved a 3-2 lead by striking out Alejandro Osuna.
Four Chicago relievers finished with four hitless innings. Bryan Hudson had two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.
ASTROS 5, MARLINS 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to lift Houston to a win over Miamit, completing a three-game series sweep.
After Jeremy Peña’s leadoff single in the eighth, Alvarez hit his major league-leading 34th homer to give Houston a 4-2 lead. Paredes followed with a shot to the same spot — left center field — to extend the lead.
The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Nick Allen’s RBI single. Peña hit a solo home run in the third inning, his third in as many games.
Steven Okert (3-1) pitched a flawless eighth inning, throwing only eight pitches, six for strikes. Starter Peter Lambert pitched six innings, gave up six hits, struck out three and walked two. Bryan Abreu earned his sixth save, striking out one in the ninth.
The Marlins have lost nine straight, with their last win coming before the All-Star break. They scored both their runs in the fourth inning. Javier Sanoja hit an RBI double and Joe Mack hit a single to tie it at 2.
Sandy Alcantara (10-6) pitched seven innings and was pulled after Paredes’ home run. He gave up nine hits, struck out three and walked one.
