Category: Major League Baseball (MLB)

The two winningest teams in the majors will have a rubber match on Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers have split the first two games of their three-game series in St. Petersburg, Fla.

It will be a battle of top-tier left-handers, with Tampa Bay sending Shane McClanahan (9-1, 2.02 ERA) to the mound opposite Texas’ Martin Perez (6-1, 3.97).

The Rangers are carrying momentum after an 8-4 victory Saturday. Corey Seager led the way with a career day by going 5-for-5 with four RBIs, on a two-run home run and two-run double.

“He’s pretty good,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said in his postgame interview. “He has good at-bats against righties, lefties, fastballs, breaking balls … it doesn’t matter. He got us. He had a good day today.”

The Rangers also had multi-hit days from Marcus Semien and Ezequiel Duran. The bullpen delivered 2 2/3 scoreless innings, highlighted by Josh Sborz striking out the side in the eighth.

In his last five outings, Sborz has 13 strikeouts to two walks over 7 1/3 innings. He spoke to the Rangers’ radio network after Saturday’s game, emphasizing the trust everyone in the clubhouse has in each other.

“It’s a long season. It’s really early to start getting tense,” Sborz said. “Keep winning, keep our nose down and attack.”

Perez enters unbeaten in his last 10 starts. He was impressive on Monday by allowing just one unearned run on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts over seven innings in a no-decision effort vs. St. Louis.

In his career vs. Tampa Bay, Perez is 4-6 with a 5.46 ERA in 18 games, including 15 starts. He is 3-4 with a 7.78 ERA in eight games, including seven starts, at Tropicana Field.

But Perez won both of his starts vs. the Rays last season. He threw seven scoreless innings with five strikeouts in a 3-0 home victory on May 31, and then allowed three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in a 4-3 road victory on Sept. 16.

McClanahan ranks among the early AL Cy Young favorites as he leads the league in ERA and is tied for the lead in wins with Nathan Eovaldi of the Rangers. McClanahan allowed one run on five hits with five strikeouts over six innings in a 4-1 victory at Boston on Monday.

Cash summed up McClanahan’s season to date following his last start.

“He’s just really good,” Cash said. “He’s been a good run.”

McClanahan will make his first career start vs. the Rangers. In 37 career starts at Tropicana Field, he is 20-8 with a 2.74 ERA.

Offensively, Josh Lowe had a two-hit game Saturday for his 18th multi-hit game of the season.

Also, Tampa Bay, which had a seven-game winning streak snapped Saturday, has lost just one series at home this season. The Astros took two of three April 24-26.

–Field Level Media

The visiting Minnesota Twins regained their hitting touch Saturday, and they hope it continues Sunday afternoon when they go for a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays.

After struggling at the plate recently, the Twins scored all of their runs in the final three innings of their 9-4 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. They had scored a total of 10 runs over their previous seven contests.

The Twins, who dropped two of three to the Blue Jays May 26-28 in Minneapolis, have won 12 of their past 15 games in Toronto.

Carlos Correa hit a grand slam and Max Kepler added a three-run blast when the Twins erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning on Saturday. The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead into seventh when Minnesota’s Trevor Larnach hit a solo shot, an omen of things to come.

In 10 career games in Toronto, Correa is hitting .366 (15-for-41) with two doubles, four home runs, and 16 RBIs.

The home run on Saturday was his eighth of the season and his second career grand slam.

“We needed that (big inning) as a team,” Correa said. “We needed to put great at- bats together like that. We’ve been waiting for that for the past week. It came at the right time.”

The seven-run eighth started with Michael A. Taylor’s bunt hit followed by two more singles that loaded the bases with none out. Correa’s decisive home run came with one out against Toronto reliever Adam Cimber.

“It’s a bunt single and a broken-bat single, and things unraveled from there,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.

“That felt really good,” Correa said. “I’m not going to lie. Bases loaded, we’re down. To just turn the game upside down like that, it was a great one.”

The Twins are scheduled to start right-hander Louie Varland (3-2, 4.40 ERA) in the series finale. In his only career appearance against Toronto, he took the loss May 26 when he allowed three runs on seven hits and no walks in six innings. He had three strikeouts in the Twins’ 3-1 defeat.

The Blue Jays’ scheduled starter is right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-3, 2.63).

Gausman was the winning pitcher on May 26, allowing one run on four hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out eight. In 10 career starts against Minnesota, he is 1-4 with a 5.88 ERA.

Before the game Saturday, Minnesota placed infielder Jorge Polanco (left hamstring strain.) on the injured list. He had been reinstated from the IL on June 1 after missing 12 games with a hamstring issue.

Minnesota recalled infielder Edouard Julien from Triple-A St. Paul. Julien had a double, a single and a walk on Saturday. The native of Quebec City was playing his first career game in Toronto.

Toronto center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (wrist) did not start for the second straight game on Saturday.

Toronto designated hitter Brandon Belt (left hamstring tightness) left the game after scoring a run in the third inning Saturday. Nathan Lukes batted for him in the fifth and hit a sacrifice fly.

–Field Level Media

The pitching for the Baltimore Orioles has been spot-on for much of the season, and this weekend’s opponent hasn’t put up much of a fight.

The Orioles, who are riding their first three-game winning streak in nearly a month, are hoping to complete a sweep of the visiting Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon.

“They have a really good pitching staff,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “There’s a reason they’re winning a lot of games.”

The Orioles have reached the 40-win mark for the season, getting there nearly a month earlier than last year.

“We have to stay together,” outfielder Anthony Santander said. “It’s a long season. We have to keep doing what we’re doing.”

The pitching part tends to be crucial for the Orioles. They won’t want to let up against light-hitting Kansas City.

The Royals have lost five consecutive games. They’ve scored more than two runs in only two of their last nine games.

“We got eight or nine hits, one run, so we didn’t capitalize and drive guys in when we had them on base,” Quatraro said of Saturday’s 6-1 result, when the Royals had eight hits. “Overall, the guys put some good swings on the ball. They play good defense. They catch the ball. That’s a big reason in the difference in their winning.”

The Royals stranded nine runners and were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

“It has been a handful of days now where we’ve struggled to score,” Quatraro said. “Nobody is going to be happy with that. When they’re not getting the results, it’s frustrating.”

The Orioles have received notable recent production from Austin Hays and Gunnar Henderson. Santander had been in a slump, but he posted three hits, including two doubles, on Saturday.

“Just stay positive, the right mentality,” Santander said. “Be on time on the fastball is the main thing.”

The Orioles will try to keep the streak going with right-hander Kyle Gibson (7-3, 3.87 ERA) heading to the mound. Gibson has lasted at least five innings in all but one of his 13 starts this season.

He racked up wins in three straight starts prior to Tuesday’s no-decision at Milwaukee. Yet his seven strikeouts in five innings marked his second-highest total of the season.

Gibson has a 10-6 record and 3.99 ERA all-time in 27 games, including 25 starts, against the Royals. A victory Sunday would match his 11 wins against Detroit for the most against any team in his career. Already, his 149 innings against the Royals are his most against any opponent.

Right-hander Carlos Hernandez (0-3, 4.31 ERA) will make a spot start for Kansas City. It will be his 27th appearance of the season, but just his fourth start. It will be a short stint, as he hasn’t worked more than 2 1/3 innings this season.

In three of his five outings against Baltimore, Hernandez has been a starter. He’s 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA across 16 2/3 innings in the five outings against the Orioles.

Kansas City first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who’s batting .247 with nine home runs, went on the injured list Saturday with a shoulder injury sustained Friday night. He played in 61 of the team’s first 63 games.

“We’re not going to know the severity until we get back home,” Quatraro said. “It’s the same shoulder he had an issue with last year.”

To replace Pasquantino, the Royals reinstated Edward Olivares from the restricted list and he provided three hits, including two doubles, on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Dodgers look to secure their second series victory of the season over the Phillies on Sunday afternoon when the teams play the rubber match of their three-game set in Philadelphia.

The Dodgers erupted for 36 runs during a three-game sweep of the Phillies in Los Angeles early last month. Philadelphia exacted a measure of revenge with a 5-4 victory in the series opener on Friday, but the Dodgers ended the Phillies’ season-high six-game winning streak on Saturday with a 9-0 romp.

J.D. Martinez belted a three-run homer to cap a six-run uprising in the seventh inning on Saturday. Martinez has gone deep in seven of his last 12 games.

David Peralta also homered among his two hits for Los Angeles. Both of his came with two outs.

“We never give up with any at-bats … that’s what we do,” Peralta told SportsNet Los Angeles of the team’s recent success with two outs. “We’ve been playing really well. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but it’s part of the game. So, we win today and we come with the same mentality and same approach and win the series tomorrow.”

To do that, the Dodgers will need to get the better of Taijuan Walker (5-3, 5.04 ERA) on Sunday.

Walker, 30, scattered two hits and struck out eight in seven innings of a 1-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.

“In the past, when I’m feeling good, my body’s feeling good, I’m able to use my lower half more and drive down the slope (of the mound), and that’s where the velo comes from,” Walker said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. “This year, I just really haven’t been able to get in my lower half. But we found something in the last bullpen (session).

“He was great,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Just trying to get more rhythm in his delivery, and they found something. And he’s excited about it, too. He was really happy after that bullpen.”

Walker, however, wasn’t too happy after his last outing against Los Angeles.

He permitted eight runs on as many hits — including three homers — in 3 1/3 innings in a 13-4 setback on May 1. He is 3-4 with a 5.25 ERA in 12 career starts versus the Dodgers.

Bryson Stott answered an 0-for-4 performance in the series opener with three of the Phillies’ six hits on Saturday.

Philadelphia possibly could see a boost to its lineup in the form of Alec Bohm, who could be activated from the 10-day injured list on Sunday. Bohm has been sidelined since May 31 with a left hamstring strain.

Bohm leads the Phillies with 37 RBIs. He went 2-for-10 with two RBIs and a run in the previous series against Los Angeles.

The Dodgers have yet to announce their starting pitcher for Sunday’s contest. They were expected to dip into the bullpen to start the game.

–Field Level Media

The Seattle Mariners got four hits from J.P. Crawford, three apiece from Eugenio Suarez and Julio Rodriguez and rolled to a 6-2 victory over the Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif., ending Los Angeles’ five-game winning streak.

The Mariners tallied 16 hits in all, also getting two hits from AJ Pollock.

Seattle starter Bryan Woo, making his second major league start after getting hit hard his first time out, put together a strong outing on Saturday. Woo, who replaced the injured Marco Gonzales in the rotation, gave up six runs in two innings in his first start.

Against the Angels, Woo allowed two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out seven.

Four Mariners relievers combined to shut out the Angels over the final 4 1/3 innings to secure the victory, allowing only two hits. Gabe Speier (2-1) retired the only batter he faced and got the win.

Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer for the Angels’ only runs of the game.

The Mariners broke through in the third inning with three runs against Angels starter Patrick Sandoval (3-6). Crawford singled with one out and scored on a two-run homer by Rodriguez.

Seattle added its third run of the inning when Ty France doubled and scored on a single by Teoscar Hernandez.

The Angels got two runs back in the bottom of the third thanks to Ohtani’s two-run blast. It was Ohtani’s team-leading 18th homer of the season.

The Mariners added to their lead in the fourth inning with two more runs against Sandoval. Tom Murphy drove in the first run with an RBI single and Crawford followed with an RBI single of his own for a 5-2 Mariners advantage.

Sandoval was finished after five innings, allowing the five runs on a season-high 10 hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out eight.

The Mariners increased their lead to 6-2 in the seventh inning, getting a run-scoring single from Suarez.

–Field Level Media

It’s a little difficult to say which team has the momentum as the Pittsburgh Pirates and visiting New York Mets go into the deciding game of their three-game series Sunday.

The Mets won 5-1 on Saturday, limiting Pittsburgh to three hits, all singles. But the win didn’t necessarily give New York much to brag about, seeing as how it ended a season-long seven-game losing streak.

In addition, the Pirates gave the Mets a 14-7 bruising in the series opener, a game that was even more of a laugher before New York scored five times in the ninth.

“It’s definitely nice to put (the losing streak) to bed,” said the Mets’ Mark Canha, who had two doubles and three RBIs Saturday. “We still have a lot of work to do, and that’s important to remember.”

The Mets have made five errors this series. One of their three Saturday contributed to Pittsburgh’s lone run.

Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton pointed not to any specific shortcoming from his club in dropping the middle game of the series. Instead, he credited the performance of Mets starter Kodai Senga and his specialty pitch.

“The forkball is elite, and he had it (going well),” Shelton said of Senga, who allowed just two hits and one unearned run in seven innings.

One bit of drama surrounds Pittsburgh designated hitter Andrew McCutchen, who is chasing his 2,000th career hit with his team’s homestand ending Sunday.

He reached 1,999 career hits on Friday but was 0-for-3 with a walk on Sunday.

Shelton, asked if McCutchen might be rested because of the day game Sunday, laughed.

“No, he’ll be in the lineup,” he said.

In the series finale, New York right-hander Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 5.94 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Pittsburgh right-hander Mitch Keller (7-2, 3.60 ERA).

Carrasco looked as if he might help the Mets end their losing streak at three in New York’s game Tuesday at Atlanta when his teammates staked him to a 4-1 lead.

But things blew up for him in the sixth, and he ended up giving up three runs without getting an out.

“We had two or three 0-2 situations where he didn’t put some guys away,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “He got away with it early and didn’t in that inning.”

“I can’t fault Carlos. In a tough environment, I thought he gave us a quality start to give us a chance to win.”

Carrasco is 2-0 with a 2.78 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates.

Keller has emerged as the Pirates’ ace, but he is coming off one of his toughest outings.

On the heels of a four-game winning streak, he gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings, with four walks and one strikeout Tuesday in a loss against Oakland.

“I just didn’t execute,” Keller said. “It just comes down to execution. I left too many pitches over the middle, and they took advantage.”

Even given the winning streak, Keller is in a rough patch. He has given up 15 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings over his past three starts. At the beginning of that stretch, he had a 2.44 ERA.

Keller is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.

–Field Level Media

With Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez sidelined due to a right oblique injury, the team is looking for other players to step up. It hasn’t taken long for first baseman Jose Abreu to answer the call.

Abreu is heating up at the right time for the Astros, who face the host Cleveland Guardians in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday.

Abreu had just one home run this season before hitting a three-run shot in the Astros’ 14-inning, 10-9 loss in Friday’s series opener. He followed that up with a two-run blast and an RBI single in Saturday’s 6-4 victory.

The Astros are hoping Abreu has turned a corner after beginning the weekend hitting .213 with one homer and 23 RBIs.

“I really can’t tell you yet if I feel fully better at the plate now than before,” Abreu said. “(Friday), I felt a lot better. I’m going to go out there and try to battle every single game.”

Houston, which snapped a season-long four-game losing streak on Saturday, will send right-hander Brandon Bielak (3-2, 3.35 ERA) to the mound in the series finale. He won his second straight start last Monday, allowing three runs on 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings in an 11-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bielak, 27, has emerged as a reliable starter following injuries to Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy. He has allowed three runs or fewer in six of his first seven games this season.

“This has kind of been my main goal since being with the Astros, cracking the rotation,” Bielak said. “I’m still kind of taking it and doing the best I can to just run with it.”

Right-hander Shane Bieber (4-3, 3.57) will get the nod for Cleveland. He allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox last Tuesday.

Bieber, 28, was not overly pleased with the outing despite improving on his previous start, when he gave up seven runs over four innings against the Baltimore Orioles.

“I guess I bounced back all right,” Bieber said. “Could have and should have been better and not as tight of a game going into the later innings, but it is what it is.”

Abreu is 13-for-45 (.289) with three homers against Bieber, who is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two career starts versus Houston.

The Guardians had their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday but received another strong effort from Josh Naylor. The first baseman extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games with two hits and three RBIs, giving him 29 RBIs in his last 23 games.

Houston ran wild on Saturday with six stolen bases against Cleveland catcher Mike Zunino, but Guardians manager Terry Francona said part of the blame lies with the pitchers.

“They were getting some pretty healthy jumps,” said Francona. “He was trying to rush and trying to be too quick.”

Sunday’s series finale has been moved up to 11:40 a.m. local time due to expected rain later in the day. The contest will mark the end of Houston’s stretch of 17 games in 17 consecutive days.

–Field Level Media

The Atlanta Braves, led by Ronald Acuna Jr.’s MVP-type numbers, will go for their eighth straight win and a three-game sweep of the visiting Washington Nationals on Sunday.

The Braves won the first two games, 3-2 on Friday and 6-4 on Saturday, and improved to 4-1 against Washington this season. Atlanta has come from behind to win its last six games and is the first National League team to win 40 games.

The pitching matchups for the series finale feature two right-handers — Atlanta’s Bryce Elder (4-0, 2.26 ERA) against Washington’s Trevor Williams (2-4, 4.15).

Acuna went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run on Saturday. During the homestand he is hitting .364 (8-for-22) with three doubles, one homer, five RBIs, three runs and two stolen bases. For the season, Acuna is hitting .333 with 13 homers, 37 RBIs and 28 stolen bases.

“I’m probably playing the best baseball of my big-league career,” Acuna said. “I think I could play better. The most important thing is to stay healthy.”

Acuna had his seven-game hitting streak end on Friday but has reached base in 57 of 64 games this season. He ranks among the top 10 in the major leagues in batting average, steals, total bases, runs, multi-hit games, hits, extra-base hits, doubles, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

The Atlanta lineup has gotten more potent with the offensive turnaround experienced by Marcell Ozuna. He was hitting .073 on April 24 and appeared to be on the verge of being released. But over the last 30 games, he is hitting .306 and has lifted his batting average to .236 with 13 homers and 29 RBIs.

“It lengthens the lineup when you have a presence like Marcell,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “To have that bat in the middle is really good. And what Ronald is doing is crazy.”

Washington manager Dave Martinez said his lineup needs to be more aggressive on good pitches.

“It’s hard to hit, but when you get to 0-2, it’s really hard to hit,” Martinez said.

That hasn’t been a problem for Joey Meneses, who went 2-for-4 on Saturday and has reached base safely in a career-high 17 straight games. Meneses is hitting .364 (24-for-66) during the streak.

Elder will make his 13th start of the season. In his last outing on Tuesday against the New York Mets, he got the victory by pitching six innings and allowing four runs on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Elder has not faced the Nationals this season. He made three starts against Washington a year ago and went 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA. He beat them 8-0 on Sept. 26, 2022, by pitching a complete-game shutout.

Williams is a veteran who will make his 13th start of the season. In his last outing last Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies, Williams took the loss after giving up four runs on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

In eight career games (four starts) against the Braves, Williams is 1-1 with a 3.28 ERA. He made two relief appearances against Atlanta last season and last started against the Braves in 2021.

–Field Level Media

The Arizona Diamondbacks have won four straight games and 10 of their last 12. They will look to stay hot when they go for a three-game series sweep of the host Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Arizona won an 11-6 slugfest against the Tigers on Friday, then had four pitchers combine on a six-hit shutout in Saturday’s 5-0 victory.

On Friday, star rookie Corbin Carroll hit a pair of home runs. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Nick Ahmed supplied the power on Saturday. Gurriel, who missed the previous four games due to a groin ailment, blasted a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Earlier, Ahmed hit his second homer of the season, a two-run shot.

It’s still June, but few anticipated the Diamondbacks would be leading the National League West Division at this stage over free-spending Los Angeles and San Diego.

“We have a lot of talent in this room, and guys that are hungry,” Ahmed said.

Arizona is acting like it belongs in the playoff discussion.

“We have the right pieces,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We have really good players on this team. Am I surprised? No.”

Zac Gallen will start the series finale for the Diamondbacks. The 27-year-old right-hander last pitched last Sunday against the visiting Atlanta Braves, giving up three runs (two earned) and nine hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one.

Gallen, who threw a season-high 110 pitches, had to grind through his outing.

“I felt like it was probably the worst stuff I’ve had this year,” Gallen said.

In his previous outing, Gallen (7-2, 2.75 ERA) tossed six scoreless innings against Colorado. He has never faced the Tigers.

Left-hander Joey Wentz (1-6, 7.49) has struggled throughout the season, but with the Tigers’ staff decimated by injuries, he has remained in the rotation. None of Wentz’s 12 outings would qualify as a quality start.

In his last outing, Wentz gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings at Philadelphia on Monday. The 25-year-old allowed two home runs and walked a season-high five batters.

“They chipped away at him early, and he seemed to be emotional and battling himself a little bit,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said of Wentz. “Their lineup is tough. We needed as many outs as we could get from Joey … but it was a tough night.”

The Tigers were shut out for the eighth time this season on Monday and for the third time during the current eight-game slide. Kerry Carpenter has five hits in two games since coming off the injured list after a right shoulder sprain.

“It’s one of the bats we’ve really missed in the middle of our order against right-handed pitching. … (He was) really a bright spot (Saturday),” Hinch said.

The Tigers left nine runners on base on Saturday and have scored 14 runs during their losing streak. The loss of top hitter Riley Greene to a leg injury has devastated the offense.

“I could stand up here and talk about a lot of different things. You’re not going to make excuses at all,” Hinch said. “We just have to find a different way. … Obviously, getting some guys back would help. There’s some missed opportunities, there’s also some struggles by a large number of the group. (Sunday) doesn’t get any easier with Gallen, but we’ve got to find a different way, and we haven’t really done that in this stretch.”

–Field Level Media

Kyle Hendricks took a no-hitter two outs into the eighth inning, Christopher Morel drove in three runs with a home run and a single and the Chicago Cubs made it two straight over the host San Francisco Giants with a 4-0 triumph Saturday night.

Hendricks was aiming for the Cubs’ first no-hitter since a four-man combined effort on June 24, 2021. Hendricks (1-2) had allowed just one baserunner — a Michael Conforto walk with one out in the second inning — before Mitch Haniger lashed a double off the left field fence on a full count with the right-hander just four outs away from history.

Matt Mervis provided Hendricks with an early lead with a leadoff home run in the third inning off Giants bulk-innings reliever Jakob Junis. It was Mervis’ third homer of the season. Morel did the rest of the Cubs’ offensive damage.

After opener John Brebbia had thrown two hitless innings, Junis (3-3) took the loss for the Giants, charged with all four Cubs runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Braves 6, Nationals 4

Marcell Ozuna and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit two-run homers in the second inning and host Atlanta rolled over Washington to extend its winning streak to seven games. The Nationals have lost six in a row.

Ozuna’s homer, his 13th, went 426 feet to left-center field and scored Travis d’Arnaud, who had walked. After Kevin Pillar’s double, Acuna connected with a curveball, sending it 413 feet to right center for his 13th homer. Both long balls came off starter MacKenzie Gore (3-5).

Acuna went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and three RBIs. He is hitting .364 (8-for-22) on the current homestand. Atlanta starter Jared Shuster (3-2) pitched five-plus innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. A.J. Minter surrendered a homer to Stone Garrett to open the ninth but retired the next three batters for his ninth save.

Rangers 8, Rays 4

Corey Seager had a career day by going 5-for-5, including a two-run home run, and Texas went on to a victory over Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Rangers jumped out to a 6-0 lead by scoring three runs in the second inning and three more in the fourth. Seager played a key role in both innings, driving in two runs with a double in the second and two more with a home run in the fourth. Nathan Eovaldi (9-2) earned the win despite allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings.

The Rays rallied with a four-run fourth, highlighted by a three-run homer by Francisco Mejia, who sent a 1-0 cutter from Eovaldi into the right field seats. Tampa Bay starter Taj Bradley (4-3) took the loss after his shortest outing of the season, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Diamondbacks 5, Tigers 0

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returned from an injury to hit a three-run homer, and four pitchers combined on a six-hitter as visiting Arizona handed Detroit its eighth consecutive loss.

Gurriel had missed the previous four games due to a groin injury. Nick Ahmed added a two-run homer. Ryne Nelson (3-3) allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings while notching four strikeouts for the Diamondbacks, who have won four straight and 10 of their last 12.

Matthew Boyd (3-5), Detroit’s starter, gave up all five runs and six hits in five innings. Kerry Carpenter had three hits and Miguel Cabrera had a pair of doubles, but the Tigers were blanked for the eighth time this season and the third time during their slide.

Reds 8, Cardinals 4

Rookie Andrew Abbott blanked St. Louis for 5 2/3 innings as visiting Cincinnati rolled to a victory.

Abbott (2-0), who allowed five hits and three walks, has started his big-league career with 11 2/3 scoreless innings. Luke Maile and Spencer Steer each drove in three runs for the Reds, who won for the fourth time in their last six games.

Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (4-3) allowed five runs on seven hits in six innings. Dylan Carlson went 3-for-3 with two walks and a two-run homer to pace the offense. Nolan Arenado also went deep for St. Louis, which has lost six of eight.

Twins 9, Blue Jays 4

Carlos Correa hit his second career grand slam in a seven-run eighth inning as visiting Minnesota rallied to defeat Toronto.

Max Kepler added a three-run homer for the Twins in the eighth. Trevor Larnach hit a solo shot in the seventh for the Twins, who have won the first two games of the three-game series. Minnesota starter Joe Ryan allowed three runs, six hits and one walk while striking out four in six innings. Jorge Lopez (2-2) earned the win in relief.

Adam Cimber (0-2) took the loss after getting tagged for six runs on five hits and recording just one out in the eighth. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Whit Merrifield, Santiago Espinal and Nathan Lukes each had an RBI for the Blue Jays.

Dodgers 9, Phillies 0

J.D. Martinez belted a three-run homer and rookie Bobby Miller scattered three hits over six innings to lift visiting Los Angeles to a victory over Philadelphia.

Martinez’s blast capped a six-run seventh inning for the Dodgers, who have won two of their last three contests. The homer was Martinez’s 16th of the season and seventh in the last 12 games. Mookie Betts had a pair of RBI singles and joined James Outman in scoring twice. Freddie Freeman also had an RBI single.

The offense was more than enough for Miller (3-0), who struck out seven batters during his 104-pitch performance. The 24-year-old has permitted two runs on 12 hits with 23 strikeouts in 23 innings. Aaron Nola (5-5) was charged with six runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss for Philadelphia.

Padres 3, Rockies 2

Manny Machado had three hits, Fernando Tatis Jr. had two hits and drove in a pair of runs and San Diego beat Colorado in Denver.

Drew Carlton (2-0) tossed two innings of relief and Josh Hader earned his 15th save for the Padres, who have won three straight and four out of five. Nolan Jones homered and Ezequiel Tovar had two hits for Colorado, which has lost six in a row.

Jake Bird (1-1) relieved Rockies starter Kyle Freeland and gave up the lead in the sixth. Xander Bogaerts singled and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Tatis then singled to right to drive in two runs and give San Diego the lead.

Mets 5, Pirates 1

Mark Canha drove in three runs, including a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh, as visiting New York snapped a seven-game losing streak by beating Pittsburgh.

Francisco Alvarez homered and Brandon Nimmo added an RBI single for the Mets, whose losing streak had been their longest of the season. New York starter Kodai Senga (6-3) gave up one unearned run and two hits, both singles, in seven innings, with six strikeouts and four walks.

Ji Hwan Bae had an RBI fielder’s choice for the Pirates, who have lost three of four. Pittsburgh starter Johan Oviedo (3-5) allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.

Orioles 6, Royals 1

Cole Irvin pitched 5 1/3 strong innings for his first victory of the season as Baltimore beat visiting Kansas City.

Anthony Santander doubled twice and scored two runs and Gunnar Henderson and Adam Frazier each homered for the Orioles. Irvin (1-2), who is in his first season in Baltimore’s organization, allowed one run on six hits without a walk, striking out five.

Royals starter Brady Singer (4-5), who had won his previous two decisions, worked 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on six hits and three walks. Edward Olivares had three hits, but Kansas City lost its fifth consecutive game.

Athletics 2, Brewers 1 (10 innings)

Aledmys Diaz had three hits, including the game-winning single in the 10th inning, as visiting Oakland edged Milwaukee.

Diaz drove in automatic runner Tony Kemp with a single to center off Milwaukee reliever Joel Payamps (2-1) to give the A’s the lead in the top of the 10th. Oakland left-hander Sam Long, with automatic runner Victor Caratini on second, pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th for his first save.

The game started as a duel between Oakland’s Paul Blackburn and Milwaukee’s Julio Teheran. Teheran worked through the seventh, allowing six hits with one walk. He struck out six and threw 98 pitches, both season highs. Blackburn scattered just four singles, walked one and struck out five over six innings.

Astros 6, Guardians 4

Jose Abreu homered in the first inning for the second straight game and drove in three runs as visiting Houston snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Cleveland.

J.P. France (2-1) allowed three runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. Bryan Abreu followed and Ryan Pressly allowed an unearned run in the ninth before securing his 12th save in 14 opportunities.

Cleveland grounded into three double plays and had its three-game winning streak snapped. Josh Naylor went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games. Houston recorded a season-high six stolen bases and jumped on Cleveland starter Triston McKenzie (0-1) for three runs in the first inning.

Marlins 5, White Sox 1

Jean Segura ripped a two-run double as part of a five-run rally in the ninth inning that lifted Miami past host Chicago.

The Marlins’ offense had been held in check, but it finally broke through against right-hander Joe Kelly (1-3) in the ninth. Miami left-hander A.J. Puk worked around Yoan Moncada’s double in the ninth to put the finishing touches on the victory. Steven Okert (3-0) earned the win.

Jorge Soler had three hits and Luis Arraez added two for the Marlins, who have won seven of their last eight games. Arraez raised his batting average from .400 to .402 by going 3-for-4. Andrew Vaughn homered for the White Sox, who totaled five hits.

Mariners 6, Angels 2

Seattle got four hits from J.P. Crawford, three apiece from Eugenio Suarez and Julio Rodriguez and rolled to a victory over the Angels in Anaheim, Calif., ending Los Angeles’ five-game winning streak.

The Mariners tallied 16 hits in all, also getting two hits from AJ Pollock. Seattle starter Bryan Woo, making his second major league start after getting hit hard his first time out, allowed two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out seven. Four Mariners relievers combined to shut out the Angels over the final 4 1/3 innings to secure the victory, allowing only two hits.

Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer for the Angels’ only runs of the game. The Mariners broke through in the third inning with three runs against Angels starter Patrick Sandoval (3-6), who was finished after five innings, allowing five runs on a season-high 10 hits.

–Field Level Media