Slumping Rays fall to red-hot Phillies, 8-4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Taijuan Walker overcome early struggles to win his sixth consecutive start and the Philadelphia Phillies extended their road winning streak to 11 games with an 8-4 victory over the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.

It’s the third-longest road winning streak in Phillies history, trailing a 13-game run in 1976 and 12-game stretch that spanned the 1887 and ‘88 seasons. Tampa Bay has lost a season-high four in a row and 10 of 16 overall.

Walker (10-3) allowed four runs and five hits, all in the first three of his seven-inning outing. Bryson Stott had four hits as Philadelphia finished with 17 hits overall. Bryce Harper went 2 for 5 in his fifth consecutive game with two hits.

The Phillies grabbed a 5-4 lead on Trea Turner’s leadoff homer and Stott’s RBI single in the fifth. Nick Castellanos extended the Phillies’ advantage to 6-4 on a 437-foot homer to center off Robert Stephenson.

Luke Raley homered for Tampa Bay. Yonny Chirinos (4-4) was the loser.

METS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1

PHOENIX (AP) — Francisco Alvarez homered to tie it with two outs in the ninth, Mark Canha tripled in the go-ahead run and New York beat Arizona.

The Mets won their fourth in a row, but they waited until they were down to their last strike, when Alvarez homered to right field off Andrew Chafin (2-2), the fourth Arizona pitcher of the game.

Alvarez, the rookie catcher, flung his bat joyfully in the air as he neared first base and saw the ball clear the wall for his 15th homer. He leads the majors with five tying or go-ahead home runs in the sixth inning or later.

Brett Baty followed with a ground single to right and, after a mound visit, Canha tripled to the 413-foot sign in right-center to score Baty.

Kodai Senga (7-5) matched his season high with 12 strikeouts over eight innings. Christian Walker led off the seventh with a home run well over the wall in left-center to break a scoreless tie, and until two out and nobody on in the ninth, it looked as if it would be enough for the NL West-leading Diamondbacks.

BRAVES 8, GUARDIANS 1

CLEVELAND (AP) — All-Stars Sean Murphy and Matt Olson homered and Atlanta bounced back from a rare loss to rout Cleveland.

Murphy hit a solo shot in the third inning off Cal Quantrill (2-6), Olson hit a 428-foot blast in the ninth and the Braves had 19 hits and took the series finale after their winning streak was stopped at nine Tuesday.

Austin Riley also connected as the Braves homered in their 23rd straight game, baseball’s longest stretch of long balls this season. They lead the majors with 166 homers and are on pace to break the season record of 309 set by Minnesota in 2019.

Atlanta has won 18 of 20 and 25 of 29. Michael Tonkin (5-2) worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

ORIOLES 6, YANKEES 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Touted prospect Colton Cowser hit an RBI single in his major league debut and scored the go-ahead run when fellow rookie Jordan Westburg followed with a two-run triple, sending Dean Kremer and Baltimore past New York.

Kremer (9-4) struck out a career-high 10 in seven innings of four-hit ball. Ryan O’Hearn lined a two-run homer in the ninth, and All-Star relievers Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista combined to get the final six outs as the second-place Orioles won for the second time in eight games. Bautista got four outs for his 23rd save.

Josh Donaldson and Anthony Volpe homered for the Yankees, who had won the first two games of this four-game series between AL East playoff contenders. Kyle Higashioka had an RBI single. Nick Ramirez (0-1) took the loss.

DODGERS 6, PIRATES 4

LOS ANGELES (AP) — J.D. Martinez and David Peralta homered back-to-back in the fifth inning, helping Los Angeles overcome a four-run deficit to beat Pittsburgh.

Martinez connected on an 0-2 pitch from reliever Roansy Contreras (3-7) for his 20th homer, a go-ahead, three-run shot to left-center that scored Will Smith and Max Muncy, who drew consecutive walks. Peralta followed with a 406-foot solo shot to the lower right-field seats for a 6-4 lead.

Reynolds had a solo homer off Dodgers starter Bobby Miller (5-1) in the first. The Pirates extended the lead to 4-0 on Suwinski’s three-run blast in the fourth.

Daniel Hudson earned his first save in 13 months.

RED SOX 4, RANGERS 2

BOSTON (AP) — Brayan Bello took a shutout into the sixth inning, Justin Turner had two hits and a pair of RBIs and Boston beat slumping Texas.

Corey Seager had three hits for the Rangers, and Adolis Garcia celebrated being selected for the Home Run Derby by hitting one that counted, a two-run shot in the sixth that made it 3-2.

But those were the only runs against Bello (6-5), who allowed two runs on eight hits in seven innings, striking out three and walking none. Kenley Jansen, Boston’s only All-Star selection, pitched the ninth for his 18th save. The Red Sox won for the fourth time in five games.

Texas starter Jon Gray (6-5) allowed four runs – three earned – on nine hits and three walks in six innings. The AL West-leading Rangers have lost eight of 12.

PADRES 5, ANGELS 3

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado became the career home run leader at Petco Park and drove in three runs for San Diego, which held two-way All-Star Shohei Ohtani hitless in a three-game sweep.

Ohtani was the designated hitter after leaving Tuesday as a pitcher with a blister on his right middle finger. He was 0 for 10 with two walks and two strikeouts in the series.

Machado gave the Padres a 3-2 lead when he hit a no-doubter to left off reliever Jose Soriano leading off the sixth for his 66th at Petco Park, one more than former Padres star Adrian Gonzalez.

L.A.’s Matt Thaiss tied it leading off the seventh when he greeted reliever Nick Martinez (4-3), with a homer to deep right-center.

The Padres loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and Xander Bogaerts’ soft grounder to reliever Jacob Webb (1-1) brought in Fernando Tatis Jr. with the go-ahead run.

All-Star closer Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 20th save.

REDS 9, NATIONALS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elly De La Cruz hit a massive solo homer and two doubles after a mix-up with a covering on the knob of his bat and surging Cincinnati beat Washington.

Joey Votto also homered and finished with three hits as Cincinnati won for the seventh time in eight games. Will Benson had two hits and two RBIs for the NL Central leaders, and Graham Ashcraft (4-6) pitched six effective innings in his first victory since May 28.

Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray (6-7) allowed three earned runs and eight hits in five innings.

De La Cruz had what appeared to be an empty sensor cover on the knob of his bat. But it was removed after Nationals manager Dave Martinez questioned its use before the infielder batted in the second. Umpires reviewed the legality of the knob cover with the league office and informed De La Cruz he was allowed to put it back on his bat for his second at-bat in the third.

ASTROS 6, ROCKIES 4

HOUSTON (AP) — Yainer Díaz homered in his first two at-bats, Jeremy Peña added a two-run shot in his return from a stiff neck and Houston beat Colorado,

Díaz had a solo home run in the second inning and made it 3-0 with a two-run homer in the fourth in his first career two-homer game.

Houston starter J.P. France (4-3) allowed six hits and three runs in six innings to help Houston sweep the two-game series with its fourth straight victory and seventh in 10 games. Ryan Pressly had a scoreless ninth for his 19th save.

Randal Grichuk and C.J. Cron homered for the Rockies, who dropped their 10th straight road game. Chase Anderson (0-4) was the loser.

CUBS 4, BREWERS 3

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Mike Tauchman doubled in two runs and scored in a three-run ninth inning off All-Star closer Devin Williams and Chicago rallied to beat Milwaukee.

Cody Bellinger greeted Williams (4-2) in the ninth with a bloop single to center. After Christopher Morel struck out, Jared Young singled on a dribbler to third. Both runners advanced on a ground out and Tauchman sliced an opposite-field double to left to tie it at 3.

Tauchman scored the go-ahead run when Nico Hoerner reached on a throwing error by third baseman Brian Anderson.

Michael Rucker (2-1) got the victory with two innings of scoreless relief. Adbert Alzolay threw a perfect ninth for his fifth save in six opportunities. It was the second blown save for Williams in 20 chances.

TWINS 4, ROYALS 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pablo López pitched his first career shutout, a four-hitter complete with a career-high 12 strikeouts, in Minnesota’s victory over Kansas City.

López (5-5) retired 15 straight from the third to the eighth inning, including a stretch with six consecutive strikeouts, to help the Twins complete a three-game sweep.

López gave up two doubles and two singles without a walk in his first scoreless appearance since he beat the Royals on opening day.

Rookie Edouard Julien hit his second home run of the series to give the Twins the lead in the first, and Ryan Jeffers went deep for insurance in the seventh.

GIANTS 2, MARINERS 0

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alex Cobb had seven strikeouts in six crisp innings and combined with three relievers on a seven-hitter, and San Francisco beat Seattle to end a four-game losing streak.

Making his second start since coming off the injured list at the end of June, Cobb (6-2) allowed six hits and didn’t walk a batter to anchor the Giants’ eighth shutout of the season.

Taylor Rogers and Tyler Rogers each retired three batters. All-Star closer Camilo Doval pitched the ninth for his 25th save.

Mariners starter Tommy Milone (0-1) was the loser.

MARLINS 10, CARDINALS 9

MIAMI (AP) — Yuli Gurriel scored from first base on a throwing error by St. Louis reliever Jordan Hicks with one out in the ninth inning and Miami Marlins rallied to beat the Cardinals.

With Gurriel on first after a single and pinch-runner Garrett Hampson on second, Joey Wendle hit a dribbler back to Hicks (1-5). The pitcher’s high, errant throw got past first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to allow both runners to score.

The Cardinals’ Jordan Walker hit a two-run homer off Marlins closer A.J. Puk (4-2) in the ninth to make it 9-8.

ATHLETICS 12, TIGERS 3

DETROIT (AP) — Ryan Noda homered in a three-run first inning and majors-worst Oakland went on to rout Detroit.

Oakland won for the fourth time in five games. The Athletics beat Detroit 1-0 on Tuesday night and held the Tigers scoreless for the first 17 innings of the series.

Shea Langeliers and Jordan Diaz also homered. Athletics starter Austin Pruitt retired all nine batters he faced. Ken Waldichuk (2-5) allowed three runs on two hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. Eduardo Rodriguez (4-5) took the loss.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

by Taboola