NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Tucker had a three-run homer and a stolen base, Yordan Alvarez hit his 23rd home run and Framber Valdez pitched a gem to lift the Houston Astros over the New York Mets 9-1 Tuesday night.
Alvarez reached base five times, Yuli Gurriel also homered and Alex Bregman had three hits as Houston beat the Mets for the third time in a week.
Valdez (8-3) allowed six hits over eight scoreless innings, striking out four and inducing a bevy of groundball outs.
Carlos Carrasco (8-4) had a second straight rocky outing against Houston, giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings on six hits and three walks.
BRAVES 5, PHILLIES 3
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matt Olson homered twice, Travis d’Arnaud also connected and Atlanta beat Philadelphia.
Olson had his second two-homer game this season and the 13th of his career. He broke a 3-all tie in the eighth with his second homer, driving an 86 mph slider from Andrew Bellatti (1-3) out to right.
A.J. Minter, filling in for injured closer Kenley Jansen, pitched a perfect ninth for first save in his third chance. Collin McHugh (1-1) tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
Kyle Schwarber stayed red-hot in June with a home run for Philadelphia.
YANKEES 2, ATHLETICS 1
NEW YORK (AP) — JP Sears stretched his big league scoreless streak to 12 2/3 innings and won his second spot start, pitching New York over Oakland for its 15th win in 19 games.
Sears (3-0) limited the A’s to three hits in 5 2/3 innings, struck out one and walked one.
Jose Trevino backed him with an RBI single in the first off trade candidate Frankie Montas (3-8), and Marwin Gonzalez homered in the second.
Clay Holmes allowed an RBI single to Elvis Andrus but stranded two runners to get his 13th save in 14 chances.
BLUE JAYS 6, RED SOX 5
TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a game-ending single in the ninth inning to complete Toronto's rally over Boston.
The Blue Jays trailed 5-4 when pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk singled to begin the ninth against Tyler Danish (2-1). Hansel Robles gave up Bo Bichette's tying RBI single, and Guerrero followed with his base hit. The blown save was Robles’ fifth.
Jordan Romano (2-2) worked the ninth as Toronto improved to 7-2 against the Red Sox.
Boston lost back-to-back games for the first time since May 30-31.
GUARDIANS 3, TWINS 2, GAME 1
CLEVELAND (AP) — Amed Rosario’s clutch two-run single in the eighth inning rallied Cleveland past Minnesota in the first game of a doubleheader, snapping the Guardians’ five-game losing streak.
Down 2-1, the Guardians came back against reliever Emilio Pagán (1-3), who walked Myles Straw and rookie Steven Kwan before facing Rosario. Cleveland’s shortstop then slapped a 3-2 pitch through the middle.
Carlos Correa’s homer leading off the eighth against Sam Hentges (2-0) had given the Twins a 2-1 lead.
Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his 18th save in 20 tries.
TWINS 6, GUARDIANS 0, GAME 2
CLEVELAND (AP) — Jorge Polanco drove in three runs in his first game back from the injured list, rookie Josh Winder pitched six stellar innings, and Minnesota split a doubleheader with Cleveland.
Polanco came off an IL stint for lower back tightness between games and cracked a two-run homer in the third inning off rookie Konnor Pilkington (1-1) as the Twins restored their lead in the AL Central to three games over the Guardians.
Byron Buxton hit his 20th homer and José Miranda also connected for the Twins.
Winder (3-2) was brought up as the club’s 27th man for the doubleheader and excelled in just his fourth major league start and first since May 27. Tyler Duffy (one inning) and Jovani Moran (two) completed the combined five-hit shutout.
ROCKIES 7, DODGERS 4
DENVER (AP) — Randal Grichuk and Elias Diaz homered as Colorado roughed up Los Angeles' Clayton Kershaw.
The Rockies tagged Kershaw (5-2) for six runs and nine hits in four innings, his shortest outing in Colorado since first career start at Coors Field on July 22, 2008.
Charlie Blackmon had four hits and scored twice and Brandon Rodgers had two hits and two RBIs as the Rockies clinched their second series victory over the Dodgers this season.
Kyle Freeland (4-5) gave up six hits and three runs in six innings, with five strikeouts and three walks.
BREWERS 5, RAYS 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Woodruff struck out 10 over five innings in his return from the injured list, Andrew McCutchen and Luis Urías homered during a four-run sixth, and Milwaukee beat Tampa Bay.
Woodruff (6-3) allowed one run and two hits.
Matt Wisler (2-2) replaced Tampa Bay starter Shane Baz with one on and two outs in the sixth, and it took eight pitches for the Brewers to turn a one-run deficit into to a 4-1 lead.
Josh Hader struck out the side in the ninth for his 23rd save in 24 chances.
RANGERS 8, ROYALS 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Marcus Semien homered and drove in four runs, Jon Gray pitched seven effective innings and Texas beat Kansas City.
Corey Seager hit a two-run double as the Rangers handed the last-place Royals their fourth consecutive defeat.
Semien had three hits and scored three times. His three-run homer off starter Jonathan Heasley made it 4-0 in the third.
Gray (4-3) matched his longest outing of the season. He allowed one run and five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
Heasley (1-4) gave up seven runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.
CARDINALS 5, MARLINS 3
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dylan Carlson drove in a pair of runs and the St. Louis bullpen held Miami scoreless over four innings.
Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson (6-4) went five-plus innings, allowing three runs. He was lifted after issuing a leadoff walk to Jorge Soler in the sixth.
Junior Fernández pitched two innings, Giovanny Gallegos worked the eighth and Ryan Helsley struck out the side in the ninth for his sixth save in eight opportunities.
The Cardinals knocked Braxton Garrett (1-3) out of the game during a four-run fifth.
NATIONALS 3, PIRATES 1
WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin matched a career high with 12 strikeouts, Yadiel Hernandez delivered a go-ahead two-run double, and the Washington rallied in the eighth inning for the second straight game to beat Pittsburgh.
Corbin (4-10) allowed one run in eight innings for Washington, which has won three in a row and six of eight.
Pittsburgh has lost five in a row by a combined seven runs.
Hernandez came on to pinch-hit against former Washington prospect Wil Crowe (3-5) with two on and two outs in the eighth. Hernandez hit a shot over Diego Castillo in right, scoring both runners.
Tanner Rainey worked the ninth for his 11th save in 14 attempts.
REDS 5, CUBS 3
CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Castillo struck out 11 over six shutout innings in his first win in a month, and Cincinnati beat Chicago.
Castillo (3-4) allowed five hits and walked three while throwing a career-high 123 pitches.
Jonathan India hit a three-run homer for Cincinnati.
Hunter Strickland got three outs for his fourth save.
Keegan Thompson (7-3) matched Castillo all the way to the sixth, when the last-place Reds grabbed a 2-0 lead on consecutive RBI doubles by Brandon Drury and Donovan Solano.
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