Category: Major League Baseball (MLB)

Gunnar Henderson went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and two runs Sunday to lead the Baltimore Orioles to an 11-3 victory and a three-game sweep of the visiting Kansas City Royals.

Ramon Urias went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs, while Ryan O’Hearn went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and four runs.

Josh Lester went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Aaron Hicks went 2-for-4 with two runs for Baltimore, which has won four straight games.

Kyle Gibson (8-3) overcame a shaky start to pick up the win after allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and no walks over 6 1/3 innings before being relieved by Keegan Akin.

Salvador Perez went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double and two runs for the Royals, who have dropped nine of their past 10 games, including six straight.

After the Royals took a 1-0 first-inning edge on Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI double, Baltimore took the lead in the bottom of the inning against Carlos Hernandez, a reliever making just his fourth start of the season.

Henderson led off with a double before moving to third on Anthony Santander’s groundout and crossing the plate on Austin Hays’ sacrifice fly to right. After O’Hearn walked and advanced to third on Hicks’ double to right, Urias’ double to center cleared the bases for a 3-1 lead.

Hernandez went one inning, with Mike Mayers relieving him to open the second. Kansas City tied the game 3-3 in the third on Perez’s two-run homer.

The Orioles took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. After they loaded the bases with no outs, Lester’s one-out single to center scored Hicks and O’Hearn, with James McCann following with a sacrifice fly that scored Urias for a 6-3 advantage.

The Orioles pushed their lead to 7-3 in the fourth on Hicks’ two-out double that scored O’Hearn.

Mayers (1-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits with a strikeout and three walks in five innings.

Henderson blasted a 462-foot, three-run homer off reliever Jackson Kowar over the right-field wall and onto Eutaw Street for a 10-3 lead in the seventh before O’Hearn hit a solo homer in the eighth.

–Field Level Media

Tucupita Marcano hit a go-ahead RBI single in the fourth inning and Andrew McCutchen reached 2,000 career hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates topped the visiting New York Mets 2-1 on Sunday.

Jack Suwinski added a solo homer for the Pirates, who entered play having lost three of their last four games.

Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller (8-2) pitched seven innings, allowing one run and a season-low two hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks. He has won five of his past seven starts.

David Bednar pitched the ninth for his 14th save despite giving up a one-out double to Tommy Pham.

Jeff McNeil hit a solo homer for the Mets, who have lost eight of their past nine games.

New York starter Carlos Carrasco (2-3) gave up two runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings, with one strikeout and three walks.

McCutchen, who returned to his original team this year in his 15th season, led off the bottom of the first with a line-drive single to left for his 2,000th hit.

He is the 291st major-leaguer to reach that milestone, and it came in the final game of a nine-game homestand. He was 1 for 3 with a walk in the game, while recording his 52nd hit of the season. He has 1,515 hits as a member of the Pirates.

“It’s cool to have the opportunity to do it, to sustain the career I’ve had,” McCutchen said on the AT&T Sportsnet broadcast. “It’s nice to get it out of the way in that first at-bat.”

After his milestone hit, the Pirates went down in order in the first, stranding McCutchen at first.

In the fourth, McNeil led off with his third homer, to right, for a 1-0 Mets lead.

Suwinski answered in the bottom of the fourth, leading off with his 13th homer, also to right, for a 1-1 tie. An out later, Ji Hwan Bae doubled to right-center, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Marcano’s single to right to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead.

–Field Level Media

Nick Castellanos homered, singled and drove in two runs, Bryson Stott hit a triple, single and knocked in two runs and the host Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3 on Sunday.

Trea Turner ripped three hits and scored three runs while Bryce Harper added two hits, two walks and an RBI. Brandon Marsh also had two hits for the Phillies, who have won seven of eight.

Phillies starter Taijuan Walker (6-3) tossed five shutout innings and allowed two hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

While it wasn’t a save situation, Craig Kimbrel retired the Dodgers in order in the ninth inning.

Freddie Freeman hit a home run and singled for the Dodgers. Jason Heyward also homered as Los Angeles lost for the sixth time in eight games.

The Dodgers threw a bullpen game and Caleb Ferguson (3-3) gave up three hits and one run in the first inning.

Manager Dave Roberts used eight pitchers.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth inning. Max Muncy drove in a run with a fielder’s choice to pull his team within 7-3. J.D. Martinez struck out and pinch hitter Chris Taylor struck out to end the inning.

The Phillies went ahead 1-0 in the first when Harper blooped an RBI single to left.

The Dodgers placed runners on first and second with two outs in the third, and Muncy flied out to the fence in center.

Philadelphia took a 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the third when Stott hit a two-run single to center.

Freeman launched a solo homer to center to open the sixth to cut the deficit to 3-1. It was Freeman’s 33rd career home run against the Phillies.

In the sixth, the Phillies built a 4-1 lead when Garrett Stubbs hit a bunt single to score Stott from third.

Heyward crushed a solo homer with two outs in the seventh off Seranthony Dominguez as the Dodgers closed within 4-2.

Castellanos responded with a two-run homer and Kody Clemens added an RBI single in the seventh, and the Phillies took a 7-2 advantage.

–Field Level Media

Jeimer Candelario and Dominic Smith both homered during a five-run outburst in the sixth inning and helped the visiting Washington Nationals to a 6-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday to end their season-long six-game losing streak.

Washington snapped Atlanta’s seven-game winning streak and salvaged a game in their three-game set. Atlanta leads the season series 4-2.

The decisive rally began with a double by Luis Garcia, and Joey Meneses singled him home, extending his on-base streak to 18 games. Candelario followed with his eighth homer, which hit the top of the right-field wall and bounced over.

After Keibert Ruiz singled, Atlanta inserted reliever Kirby Yates, who surrendered a 444-foot blast to Smith, his first since April 29 and second of the season.

Atlanta’s Bryce Elder entered the game as the league’s ERA leader, but he was knocked out in the sixth inning. Elder (4-1) allowed a season-high five runs on eight hits, one strikeout and one walk. Elder saw his ERA rise from 2.26 to 2.69.

Washington starter Trevor Williams (3-4) worked five innings and allowed two runs on seven hits, one walk and six strikeouts.

Williams escaped from a bases-loaded situation in the fourth inning without allowing a run, retiring Ronald Acuna Jr. on a grounder to end the threat. He worked around a two-out double in the fifth.

Carl Edwards Jr. pitched two scoreless innings and Kyle Finnegan worked a scoreless eighth. Hunter Harvey pitched a perfect ninth inning, despite taking a line drive off his leg from Michael Harris II.

Atlanta grabbed a 2-0 lead in first inning on Matt Olson’s 18th homer, a two-run shot that traveled 421 feet and landed on top of the Chop House restaurant in right field.

Washington cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth inning with a two-out rally capped by an RBI single from Ruiz.

Atlanta begins a three-game series at Detroit on Monday. Washington travels to Houston to start a three-game series on Tuesday.

–Field Level Media

The Miami Marlins sent veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto on a rehab assignment Sunday to Double-A Pensacola.

Cueto, 37, was set to pitch for the Blue Wahoos on Sunday as he nears a return to the major leagues from biceps and ankle injuries.

Cueto departed his Marlins debut on April 3 with a biceps issue after giving up four runs in one inning against the Minnesota Twins, including two home runs. He went on a rehab assignment May 6 with Triple-A Jacksonville but came away with a left ankle sprain.

In 16 major league seasons with five teams, Cueto is 143-108 with a 3.46 ERA in 356 appearances (354 starts). The two-time All-Star has finished in the top six of Cy Young Award voting three times, including a second-place finish in 2014 with the Cincinnati Reds.

–Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Angels recalled right-hander Jimmy Herget from Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday, one day after the club’s five-game winning streak came to an end.

The reliever will take the roster spot of right-hander Gerardo Reyes, who was optioned to Triple-A on Saturday.

Herget, 29, was 0-2 with a 4.38 ERA in 12 relief appearances with the Angels earlier this season and had a 2.25 ERA with one save in 10 appearances at Salt Lake.

In 104 career major league appearances (two starts) with three teams, Herget is 5-6 with a 3.29 ERA. He had nine saves for the Angels last season.

Reyes, 30, made his 2023 debut Saturday and gave up a run in one inning of work against the Seattle Mariners. In 30 relief appearances for the San Diego Padres and Angels, going back to 2019, Reyes is 4-0 with a 7.45 ERA.

–Field Level Media

Shane Bieber tossed seven shutout innings, Andres Gimenez and Josh Bell each homered and the Cleveland Guardians beat the visiting Houston Astros 5-0 on Sunday to take the rubber match of the series.

Bieber (5-3) matched a season high with nine strikeouts and allowed three hits with one walk. Cleveland outhit the Astros 11-4 and won for the sixth time in its last eight games.

The Guardians claimed an early lead when Bell doubled off Brandon Bielak (3-3) to begin the second inning and Gimenez followed with a two-run homer to right-center field.

Bell scored three runs and had three hits, including a leadoff homer in the fourth inning. The 426-foot blast to center field was Bell’s fifth of the season.

Cleveland pushed another run across in the fifth when Myles Straw hit a leadoff single, moved to third on Steven Kwan’s one-out double and scored on Amed Rosario’s groundout.

The Guardians knocked Bielak out of the game in the sixth inning after Bell delivered a leadoff double and scored on Tyler Freeman’s double to left field. Freeman had entered the game in the top of the sixth in place of Gimenez, who was removed due to left leg tightness.

Bielak yielded five runs on nine hits over five-plus innings. He walked two and struck out four.

Bieber fanned at least one batter in each of his seven innings after recording a total of eight strikeouts over his last three starts.

Freeman had two hits for Cleveland, which notched its first series win against Houston since May 19-21, 2017.

Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games with a third-inning single.

Houston, which concluded a stretch of 17 games in 17 consecutive days, struck out 13 times and had just one extra-base hit. The Astros went 9-8 during the 17-game span.

The Astros’ best scoring threat came with runners at the corners and one out in the fifth inning, when Cesar Salazar struck out and Mauricio Dubon grounded into a fielder’s choice.

Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase capped the team’s sixth shutout of the season and recorded his 200th career strikeout during a scoreless ninth inning.

–Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of left-hander Adam Kolarek from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned right-hander Andre Jackson.

In an additional move, the Dodgers moved outfielder Trayce Thompson to the 60-day injured list in order to make room on the 40-man roster for Kolarek.

Kolarek, 34, returns to the Dodgers for the first time since pitching for the club from 2019-20. He was 0-3 with a 2.18 ERA at Oklahoma City this season after signing with the club in December. In 170 career major league relief appearances he is 11-4 with a 3.77 ERA for the Tampa Bay Rays (2017-19), Dodgers and Oakland Athletics (2021-22).

Jackson was just recalled Saturday and pitched three scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies to earn his second three-inning save of the season. He was returned to Triple-A as the Dodgers look for more innings coverage during a planned bullpen game Sunday against the Phillies.

Jackson, 27, has a 6.62 ERA over seven relief appearances this season and is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 14 career relief appearances for the Dodgers over the past three seasons.

Thompson, 32, has been on the IL since June 3 with an oblique injury. He was batting .155 with five home runs and 14 RBIs over 36 games.

According to the Orange County Register, Los Angeles right-hander Alex Reyes underwent a second shoulder surgery and will not pitch this season. An All-Star closer with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021, Reyes did not pitch last season while having shoulder surgery.

Reyes, 28, signed a $1.1 million deal with the Dodgers as he recovered before further shoulder damage was found.

–Field Level Media

Corbin Carroll had three hits and scored twice, including the go-ahead run during a four-run, ninth-inning rally, lifting the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks to a 7-5 win over the reeling Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Christian Walker doubled twice, scored a run and knocked in another for Arizona, which has won five straight and 11 of its last 13 games.

Starter Zac Gallen gave up five runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Kevin Ginkel (3-0) pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the win and Scott McGough collected his second save.

Zach McKinstry hit a two-run homer for the Tigers, who have lost nine in a row.

Arizona’s Emmanuel Rivera singled with one out in the ninth against Jason Foley (2-2) and Ketel Marte drew a walk. Carroll then ripped a single to bring in Rivera and trim the deficit to 5-4.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. flied out before Walker smacked a 1-2 pitch for a double. Marte scored on the double and Carroll came home when left fielder Kerry Carpenter bobbled the ball, making it 6-5 Diamondbacks. Geraldo Perdomo then knocked in Walker with a single.

Pinch-hitter Andy Ibanez led off the bottom of the inning with a triple and Carpenter drew a one-out walk. McGough then replaced Andrew Chafin, struck out Javier Baez and induced Nick Maton’s groundout.

Will Vest opened the game for Detroit, pitching a scoreless inning. Joey Wentz went the next 4 1/3 innings and gave up one hit — Pavin Smith’s two-run homer — while striking out four.

The Tigers got the early jump on Gallen. Carpenter and Baez had back-to-back two-out singles and Maton smacked a ground-rule double to score Carpenter.

Arizona took a 2-1 lead in the second. Evan Longoria walked before Smith homered to left center.

Detroit tied it in the third. Spencer Torkelson hit a one-out double and moved to third on a Carpenter single. Baez drove home Torkelson with a sacrifice fly.

The Tigers took a 5-2 lead in the fourth. Miguel Cabrera reached on a single and scored on Jake Marisnick’s two-out double. McKinstry followed with a homer to right center.

Carroll had a one-out double in the eighth. He then stole third and scored on Gurriel’s groundout to make it 5-3.

–Field Level Media

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon landed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a broken right hand.

Blackmon, 36, sustained a fracture to the fifth metacarpal and could be looking at a longer absence.

The four-time All-Star is batting .265 with five homers and 26 RBIs in 56 games in his 13th season with Colorado.

The Rockies also called up infielder Coco Montes and catcher Brian Serven from Albuquerque, optioned infielder Alan Trejo to the Triple-A club and transferred right-hander Antonio Senzatela to the 60-day injured list.

–Field Level Media