SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 48th and 49th home runs, setting a single-season record for catchers, as the Seattle Mariners beat the Athletics 11-4 on Sunday.
The switch-hitting Raleigh hit his home runs in the first and second innings off Athletics left-handed starter Jacob Lopez (7-7), with the second homer giving the Mariners a 5-1 lead. Raleigh passed Salvador Perez’s total with the Kansas City Royals in 2021 to set the record.
Seattle turned the contest into a lopsided win in the third with a six-run inning that featured RBI singles from Victor Robles and Julio Rodriguez, as well as a two-run double by Josh Naylor. While Raleigh led the Mariners with four RBIs, Robles, Rodriguez and Naylor each knocked in two runs.
The Mariners’ offensive outburst was hardly needed for starter Logan Gilbert (4-5), who set a career-high with 13 strikeouts in six innings of one-run ball. Gilbert was efficient, too, walking just one batter before a trio of Seattle relievers combined to secure the Mariners’ 70th win of the season.
PIRATES 4, ROCKIES 0
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes pitched seven sparkling innings, and Pittsburgh beat Colorado for its fourth consecutive win.
Jared Triolo hit a three-run homer for Pittsburgh, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa had a run-scoring double. Triolo also went deep during Saturday night’s 5-1 victory over the lowly Rockies.
Skenes (8-9) allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked none. It was a much sharper performance by the right-hander than his previous start against Colorado, when he permitted four runs and five hits in five-plus innings in a no-decision at Coors Field on Aug. 2.
Pittsburgh outscored Colorado 18-1 while sweeping the weekend series between last-place teams.
Rockies right-hander McCade Brown (0-1) pitched 3 2/3 innings in his major league debut. He was charged with four runs and five hits.
BRAVES 4, METS 3
ATLANTA (AP) — Jurickson Profar drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single with two outs in the eighth inning, sending Atlanta to a win over New York.
The Mets, who led 2-0, were denied their first sweep at Truist Park, which opened in 2017. New York’s last series sweep in Atlanta came at Turner Field in 2016.
Profar’s single gave Atlanta a 4-2 lead. Juan Soto hit an RBI single for New York in the ninth before Raisel Iglesias retired Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil with two runners aboard, earning his 22nd save.
The Mets fell a season-high seven games back of the NL East-leading Phillies going into a three-game series between the teams beginning on Monday night at Citi Field.
In the eighth, Mets left-hander Gregory Soto (1-4) hit Vidal Bruján with a pitch to load the bases after giving up a single to Ozzie Albies and walking Sean Murphy. Profar’s go-ahead single landed in front of Cedric Mullins in center field.
New York’s Mark Vientos hit a two-run homer in the second. Vientos hit two of the Mets’ six homers in Saturday night’s 9-2 win.
David Peterson gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings, falling one out shy of giving the Mets their third consecutive start of at least six innings.
Tyler Kinley (2-3) pitched the eighth for the win.
PHILLIES 3, NATIONALS 2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ranger Suárez struck out a career-high 11 in seven shutout innings and backup catcher Rafael Marchán provided all the offense for Philadelphia with three RBIs and the Phillies held on for a win over Washington.
The Phillies have won six of seven and have a seven-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East heading into their three-game series at Citi Field beginning Monday night.
Suarez (10-6) allowed only three hits. It was his second consecutive game with double-digit strikeouts after getting 10 against Seattle last week.
Marchan had a two-run double in the second inning and a bases-loaded walk in the third to pace the Phillies.
Orion Kerkering allowed Luis Garcia Jr.’s pinch-hit homer with one out in the ninth, but retired the final two batters for his fourth save.
The Phillies generated a lot of base runners off Washington starter Jake Irvin (8-9). Irvin lasted just 2 1/3 innings — the shortest outing of his Major League career — and allowed three runs and six hits.
ROYALS 10, TIGERS 8
DETROIT (AP) — Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia homered to help Kansas City beat Detroit.
The Royals improved to 28-14 in series finales this season. They are 9-4 when they are in danger of being swept.
John Schreiber (3-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win, and Carlos Estévez handled the ninth for his 34th save.
Riley Greene hit his 31st homer for the Tigers, who had won five straight and nine of 10. Jack Flaherty (7-13) was tagged for eight runs in five-plus innings.
The Royals scored six runs in the third inning after Flaherty retired the first two batters.
Luke Maile singled and scored on Mike Yastrzemski’s double. Bobby Witt Jr. made it 2-1 with an RBI single, and Pasquantino followed with a two-run homer. Garcia singled, Salvador Perez drove in Kansas City’s fifth run and Adam Frazier made it seven straight hits with an RBI double.
Jahmai Jones hit a three-run double for Detroit in the fourth, and the Tigers added three more runs in the fifth. Wenceel Pérez homered, and Zach McKinstry’s two-out RBI single made it 7-6 Detroit.
Flaherty departed after the Royals started the sixth with a pair of hits, and Tyler Holton allowed a two-run single to Kyle Isbel. Holton’s wild pitch allowed Isbel to score Kansas City’s ninth run.
Garcia homered in the seventh to make it 10-7, but Spencer Torkelson answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning.
ORIOLES 3, ASTROS 2
BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson and Luis Vázquez homered and Trevor Rogers worked seven strong innings as Baltimore beat Houston to avoid a series sweep.
Rogers (7-2) allowed five hits and three walks and struck out nine. The 27-year-old left-hander moved past two Hall of Famers with his 1.40 ERA through the first 13 starts of a season. Hoyt Wilhelm set the club record with a 1.50 ERA in 1959, and was followed by Jim Palmer’s 1.55 ERA in 1975.
Keegan Akin struck out three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his third save.
Henderson hit his 16th homer, a solo shot off Spencer Arrighetti (1-5) in the first, to give Baltimore the lead. Ryan Mountcastle had an RBI single in the sixth and Vázquez made it 3-1 in the seventh with his first big league homer.
Arrighetti gave up two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. John Rooney relieved Arrighetti in his debut and allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings. Craig Kimbrel struck out two in a scoreless inning in his first game with the Astros.
Jeremy Peña had an RBI single in the third and Victor Caratini drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth for Houston.
MARLINS 5, BLUE JAYS 3
MIAMI (AP) — Jakob Marsee hit a bases-loaded triple and Eury Pérez pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning to lead Miami past Toronto.
Eric Wagaman homered and scored twice for Miami, and Agustín Ramírez had an RBI single. Pérez (6-3) was charged with two runs in six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Lake Bachar inherited two runners from Pérez in the seventh and allowed Daulton Varsho’s three-run homer that pulled the AL East-leading Blue Jays to 4-3. Varsho, who struck out twice in two at-bats against Pérez, sent a 424-foot drive over the center-field wall for his 15th homer.
Ramírez’s run-scoring single against reliever Yariel Rodríguez in the bottom half made it 5-3.
The Blue Jays threatened in the eighth when Bachar issued two-out walks to Nathan Lukes and Bo Bichette. Ronny Henriquez relieved and retired pinch-hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a popup in the slugger’s first appearance of the series. Guerrero missed the previous four games because of hamstring inflammation.
Tyler Phillips pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.
Wagaman gave the Marlins their first lead of the series with his solo homer in the third. Marsee’s triple in the fifth extended it to 4-0.
Toronto starter Kevin Gausman (8-10) allowed four runs and seven hits while striking out seven in six innings.
WHITE SOX 8, TWINS 0
CHICAGO (AP) — Colson Montgomery homered for the third straight game, and Chicago beat Minnesota.
Edgar Quero drove in three runs for Chicago, and Kyle Teel had three hits and two RBIs. Mike Tauchman had two hits and scored twice from the leadoff spot.
The last-place White Sox posted their second straight win following stretch of seven losses in eight games. It was the team’s first series win against the Twins since July 2023.
Taj Bradley (6-7) was tagged for seven runs and nine hits in five innings in his first start with Minnesota. The Twins finished with five hits.
White Sox right-hander Yoendrys Gómez struck out six in 4 2/3 innings in his third career start. Brandon Eisert (3-5) got four outs for the win.
RANGERS 5, GUARDIANS 0
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rowdy Tellez and Joc Pederson homered, and Merrill Kelly earned his first win with Texas by pitching seven terrific innings as the Rangers beat Cleveland to sweep their three-game series.
Kelly (10-7) faced two batters in the eighth and struck out eight, the most in his five starts with Texas since being acquired from Arizona on July 31.
The Rangers (66-66) have won three straight for the first time since sweeping Atlanta from July 25-27. They’re back at .500 for the first time since Aug. 14.
Tellez hit a two-run homer in the fourth, and Wyatt Langford blooped a two-run single into shallow right field. Pederson added a solo shot in the seventh.
The Guardians (64-65) were shut out on eight singles over the final 19 innings of the series and have lost four in a row overall, dropping below .500 for the first time since July 29.
Gavin Williams (8-5) allowed three runs on three hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings. Williams leads the majors this season with 72 walks.
GIANTS 4, BREWERS 3
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Heliot Ramos hit a two-run single off Trevor Megill with two outs in the ninth inning and San Francisco rallied to beat Milwaukee.
The Giants trailed 3-2 when Matt Chapman hit a leadoff double and Luis Matos delivered a one-out single in the ninth. Megill struck out pinch-hitter Rafael Devers before walking Jung Hoo Lee to load the bases.
Ramos, who had been 0 for 12 over his last three games, then sent a 2-1 fastball back up the middle to drive in Chapman and Matos.
Matos also hit a two-run homer as the Giants earned their first series victory since winning two of three at Pittsburgh from Aug. 4-6.
Megill (5-3) has blown three of his last four save opportunities, though this was the first of those times the Brewers ended up losing the game.
Ryan Walker allowed a two-out single to Sal Frelick in the bottom of the ninth before striking out pinch-hitter Anthony Seigler to earn his 11th save. José Buttó (4-3) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win.
Caleb Durbin put the Brewers ahead 3-2 with a leadoff homer against Giants starter Robbie Ray in the fifth. Brandon Lockridge and Christian Yelich each had an RBI single for Milwaukee.
The Brewers wore “UECK” rather than their own names on the back of their jerseys to pay tribute to Bob Uecker, whose life was celebrated in a star-studded pregame ceremony. Uecker broadcast Brewers games for 54 seasons before dying Jan. 16 at age 90.
DODGERS 8, PADRES 2
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered in back-to-back innings, rookie Dalton Rushing hit a tiebreaking three-run shot in the seventh, and the Los Angeles Dodgers evened the NL West race once again with a victory over San Diego.
Shohei Ohtani hit his 45th homer in the ninth inning and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-8) yielded four hits over six strong innings for the Dodgers, who salvaged the last game of their final regular-season series with the Padres after managing just two runs while losing the first two and falling out of first.
The Southern California archrivals are now even at 74-57 with 31 games left.
Backup catcher Elias Díaz hit a two-run homer in the third, but the Padres’ five-game winning streak ended after Jeremiah Estrada (4-5) gave up a homer for the second straight day out of San Diego’s usually formidable bullpen.
Shortly after Rushing’s third career homer, Freeman — who hit a tying solo shot in the sixth off Nick Pivetta — added a two-run blast off Wandy Peralta.
Ohtani was hitless in the series until he crushed a fastball from Yuki Matsui.
Pivetta pitched six innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts, retiring 16 of 17 before Freeman’s first homer.
CUBS 4, ANGELS 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nico Hoerner had an RBI double against former teammate Kyle Hendricks and Chicago beat the Los Angeles Angels to complete a three-game series sweep.
Hoerner and Matt Shaw each had two hits in backing right-hander Jameson Taillon (9-6), who allowed one run in five innings as the Cubs improved to 8-2 in winning their third straight series. Right-hander Daniel Palencia worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his 20th save.
Taylor Ward hit his 30th homer for the Angels, who fell to 2-7 since a three-game sweep of the Dodgers.
Hendricks (6-9) gave up four runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings with three walks and two strikeouts in his first start against his former club. He joined the Angels this season after 11 seasons with Chicago, where he played a key role in their 2016 World Series title.
REDS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 1
PHOENIX (AP) — Spencer Steer hit a three-run homer in Cincinnati’s five-run eighth inning, and the Reds avoided a sweep by topping Arizona.
Austin Hays had three hits for Cincinnati, and Noelvi Marte had two hits and scored two runs. Brady Singer struck out nine while pitching six innings of one-hit ball.
The Reds (68-63) improved to 3-3 on a nine-game trip. They also moved within 1 1/2 games of the New York Mets for the third NL wild card.
Arizona wasted a sharp performance by Zac Gallen, who struck out seven in six innings. The Diamondbacks finished with two hits.
Marte sparked the decisive sequence for the Reds with a leadoff single against Kyle Backhus (0-3). He advanced on Elly De La Cruz’s flyout and scored on Hays’ tiebreaking single off Juan Burgos.
Following a Gavin Lux single, Steer hit a 397-foot drive to left for his 16th homer. TJ Friedl tacked on a two-out RBI single that gave Cincy a 6-1 lead.
Graham Ashcraft (8-5) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
RAYS 7, CARDINALS 2
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Junior Caminero hit his second career grand slam to power Tampa Bay to a victory over St. Louis after a 4-hour, 25-minute rain delay that emptied most of the announced crowd of 8,809 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The Rays (63-67) took two of three games in the series and are 5-5 over their last 10. The Cardinals (64-67) finished a 3-3 trip to Miami and Tampa.
Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore, once a Rays prospect, walked Josh Lowe and Carson Williams to open the fifth inning. After getting one out, Liberatore issued another walk to Chandler Simpson that loaded the bases and ended his outing.
Matt Svanson entered and gave up Caminero’s 381-foot slam to right field on his first pitch.
The homer was Caminero’s 37th of the year, surpassing Alex Rodriguez for the most in one season by an American League player 21 or younger. Simpson added a two-run triple in the sixth to extend the lead to 7-0 and continue his strong rookie campaign.
Christopher Morel hit his 10th homer in the fourth to get the Rays going.
Liberatore (6-11) was charged with four runs on three hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. Ryan Pepiot (9-10) earned the win for Tampa Bay, throwing five scoreless innings while allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts.
YANKEES 7, RED SOX 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a pair of two-run homers, Trent Grisham also went deep twice and New York beat Boston to prevent a four-game sweep.
Carlos Rodón allowed one hit in 5 2/3 innings as the Yankees moved within a half-game of rival Boston for the top American League wild card. They are 5 1/2 games behind first-place Toronto in the AL East.
Boston outscored New York 19-4 in the first three games of the series and was looking for its first sweep of at least four games in the Bronx since 1939.
After dropping eight straight to the Red Sox, the Yankees improved to 2-8 in the season series.
Grisham hit solo homers in consecutive at-bats off Dustin May (7-10).
The Associated Press
