BRAVES 7, RED SOX 5
BOSTON (AP) — Adam Duvall hit three home runs a night after teammate Marcell Ozuna become the first NL player ever to hit three homers in Fenway Park, and the East-leading Atlanta Braves beat the stumbling Boston Red Sox 7-5 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep.
Duvall hit a pair of two-run shots over the Green Monster and a solo blast to center for his five RBIs. Ozuna added a long, tiebreaking solo drive for the Braves, who entered the three-game set 0-12-3 in their last 15 series against the Red Sox.
It was Atlanta’s first sweep in Boston since capturing a three-game set in 2002. Freddie Freeman had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.
Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a solo homer and J.D. Martinez had two hits and two RBIs for the Red Sox.
Ozuna’s drive also cleared the Monster, sailing over a billboard and completely out of Fenway against Andrew Triggs (0-2) in the seventh. Duvall’s third homer hit off a back wall near the bleachers after his second homer had tied it at 5 against Triggs an inning earlier.
Tyler Matzek (3-2) got four outs in relief for the victory. Mark Melancon struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.
INDIANS 5, ROYALS 0
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Triston McKenzie tossed six innings of three-hit ball to celebrate his 23rd birthday, and Tyler Naquin hit a pair of homers for the only runs of the game to lead Cleveland.
McKenzie (2-0) needed just 81 pitches thanks to six strikeouts, no walks and some slick defense behind him. His bullpen went the rest of the way, holding the Royals without a hit over the final three innings.
Naquin’s first homer was a two-run shot off Jakob Junis (0-1) in the second inning. Naquin then provided his relievers with some much-needed breathing room by adding a three-run homer off Scott Barlow in the ninth.
The result was the fifth consecutive loss in a series-deciding game for the Royals, and their 10th straight defeat in rubber games involving Cleveland. In fact, Kansas City has won just three of its last 35 games to decide a series.
DODGERS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2, 10 innings
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts hit a tying homer in the ninth inning, Will Smith lined an RBI single in the 10th and Los Angeles rallied past reeling Arizona.
The Dodgers won their ninth in a row at home despite getting only four hits. Reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger missed his second straight game due to a lat injury.
After Arizona scored a run in the top of the 10th, Max Muncy began the bottom half as the automatic runner at second base and didn’t need much time to score. He advanced to third on Chris Taylor’s sacrifice bunt and continued home when Junior Guerra (1-1) threw wide of the bag, which also allowed Taylor to move to second.
One out later, Smith lined a single to left for the third walk-off hit of his career.
Arizona took a 2-1 lead in the 10th when Daulton Varsho came home on a bases-loaded walk by Kenley Jansen (2-0) to Christian Walker. It was the first time the Diamondbacks had gone to extra innings this season.
ASTROS 2, RANGERS 1
HOUSTON (AP) — Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer early to back up a strong start from rookie Cristian Javier and Houston held on to beat Texas.
Brantley, who had a three-run shot in a loss on Tuesday night, connected off Kolby Allard (0-4) with one out in the first on his homer to the seats in right field to give the Astros an early lead.
Allard shut the Astros down after that, but with Javier’s pitching performance it was enough for Houston to hold on for the win.
Houston’s rookie allowed only a solo home run to Isiah Kiner-Falefa and a single by Joey Gallo in a career-high 6 2/3 innings to win his third straight decision. Ryan Pressly pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save.
Javier (4-1) had retired the first 10 batters before Kiner-Falefa homered to left field to cut the lead to 2-1 with one out in the fourth inning.
BLUE JAYS 2, MARLINS 1
MIAMI (AP) — Lourdes Gurriel homered and Hyun Jin Ryu pitched six solid innings to lead Toronto.
After Miami’s Sixto Sanchez got through the first four innings on 43 pitches, Gurriel snapped the rookie right-hander’s 11-inning scoreless string with a two-run shot for a 2-0 lead in the fifth.
Ryu (3-1) allowed one run and six hits, walked two and matched a season high with eight strikeouts.
A.J. Cole and Rafael Dolis each pitched scoreless innings and Anthony Bass got his fourth save for the Blue Jays, who are 12-12 in one-run games.
Jonathan Villar had two hits in his second game since joining the Blue Jays in a trade with Miami on Monday.
Sanchez (1-1) was lifted after seven innings. He allowed six hits and struck out five.
REDS 4, CARDINALS 3
CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto’s single in the bottom of the ninth inning drove in Shogo Akiyama with the winning run for Cincinnati.
Facing Giovanny Gallegos (1-1), Akiyama and Curt Casali walked with one out and Votto delivered a sharp line drive to right to send Akiyama sliding across the plate and extend his hitting streak to six games.
The Cardinals had loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Raisel Iglesias (2-2) struck Tyler O’Neill and Lane Thomas to escape.
The Reds avoided a three-game sweep to finish 3-4 on a homestand against the Cubs and Cardinals, two of the teams they’re chasing in the NL Central.
PHILLIES 3, NATIONALS 0
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler tossed three-hit ball over 6 2/3 innings to outpitch Max Scherzer, Jay Bruce hit a solo homer and Philadelphia beat Washington.
Neil Walker was 3 for 3 with two RBIs for the Phillies, who’ve won eight of nine and three in a row to go two games over .500 for the first time since they were 79-77 last Sept. 24.
The defending World Series champion Nationals have lost five straight and eight of nine to fall to 12-22. They’ve been shut out in consecutive games.
Wheeler (4-0) struck out six and lowered his ERA to 2.20. David Phelps retired the four batters he faced in his debut with the Phillies. Brandon Workman finished for his eighth save in nine chances and fourth for Philadelphia.
Scherzer (3-2) gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings.
METS 9, ORIOLES 4
BALTIMORE (AP) — Michael Conforto went 4 for 5 with a homer and five RBIs, Pete Alonso hit a lengthy solo shot and New York snapped a five-game losing streak.
Conforto matched his career high in hits with a two-run homer in the first inning, RBI doubles in the fifth and seventh, and a run-scoring single in the eighth. His first double made it 3-2, and the Mets padded the advantage as part of a 14-hit attack.
Alonso had just one hit, but it was a whopper. His sixth-inning drive off John Means (0-3) was only the fifth in the history of Camden Yards to reach the second deck in left field.
The Mets also got some decent pitching to earn a split of the two-game series and end a skid that matched their longest of the season. David Peterson (4-1) threw four innings of two-hit relief before giving way in the eighth to Miguel Castro, obtained in a trade with Baltimore on Monday.
RAYS 5, YANKEES 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Brosseau got some revenge against the New York Yankees, hitting two home runs as the Tampa Bay Rays topped their AL East rivals again.
A night after Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman threw a 101 mph fastball over his head, Brosseau posted his second career multi-homer game and the first-place Rays ended the season series with an 8-2 edge.
Chapman was handed a three-game suspension by Major League Baseball that he’s appealing.
Brosseau capped Tampa Bay’s four-run first inning against Jordan Montgomery (2-2) when he hit a 2-2 curve an estimated 420 feet into the visitors’ bullpen beyond the left-center fence. Brosseau made it 5-0 in the fifth by hitting an 0-1 fastball into the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center.
Randy Arozarena also connected for the AL East leaders, hitting a two-run homer two batters into the game on Montgomery’s seventh pitch.
The Rays improved to 20-4 in their last 24 games and moved 4 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees.
John Curtiss (2-0) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for the win.
ROCKIES 9, GIANTS 6
DENVER (AP) — Garrett Hampson and Sam Hilliard homered and newcomer Kevin Pillar delivered a key triple as Colorado bounced back from a battering, rallying to beat San Francisco.
A day after getting 27 hits in a 23-5 rout at Coors Field, and Alex Dickerson leading the way with three home runs and two doubles, the Giants again started fast. Mike Yastrzemski homered to help San Francisco score four times on six hits in the first inning.
By the fourth inning, the Giants already had six runs and 11 hits. But the Rockies bullpen pitched shutout ball the rest of the way.
Pillar, acquired in a trade with Boston on Monday, hit a go-ahead, two-run triple in a five-run seventh inning.
The Rockies trailed 6-4 going into the seventh. After Sam Coonrod (0-1) was relieved by Tyler Rogers, Pillar, who spent most of last season with the Giants, tripled for a 7-6 lead. Hilliard followed one out later with a two-run homer that landed in the left field bleachers.
Mychal Givens (1-0), acquired over the weekend from Baltimore, worked a scoreless inning for the win. Daniel Bard got three outs for his fourth save.
CUBS 8, PIRATES 2
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Javier Baez hit a three-run home run and Kyle Hendricks pitched one-run ball over six innings to lead Chicago.
Baez connected in the fourth inning to put Chicago in front 3-1. The blast carried 443 feet to the back set of bleachers in left-center field and came one pitch after Nick Tropeano relieved starter Joe Musgrove.
Hendricks (4-4) scattered six hits to go with six strikeouts and two walks. He had been winless in his previous three starts.
Anthony Rizzo added a two-run single in the seventh and the Cubs scored three times in the eighth to make it 8-2.
Musgrove (0-4) went three-plus innings after being activated from the injured list prior to the game. He gave up three hits, struck out four and walked none while being limited to 46 pitches.
BREWERS 8, TIGERS 5
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Keston Hiura and Jace Peterson homered as Milwaukee snapped Detroit’s six-game winning streak.
Eric Sogard’s sacrifice fly off Joe Jimenez (1-2) scored Justin Smoak with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Brewers responded after falling behind 4-0. Peterson provided insurance with a pinch-hit, two-run shot in the eighth.
Milwaukee matched its biggest comeback in a victory this season. The Brewers trailed 5-1 in a 6-5 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 27.
Eric Yardley (2-0), Devin Williams and Josh Hader combined to pitch four innings of no-hit relief after Brewers starter Adrian Houser gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings. Hader, who hasn’t allowed a hit in 11 2/3 innings this season, earned his ninth save in 10 opportunities.
TWINS 8, WHITE SOX 1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Josh Donaldson returned from the injured list with two hits and two RBIs for Minnesota.
Jake Cave and Miguel Sanó hit solo shots, Eddie Rosario had a two-run homer and Jose Berríos (3-3) pitched six sharp innings for the Twins. Two of Chicago’s four errors directly contributed to Minnesota’s highest score in 19 games.
White Sox starter Reynaldo López (0-2) struggled again, getting only five outs before Donaldson’s two-run double in the second prompted a call to the bullpen. Chicago (22-15) fell one game behind AL Central leader Cleveland (23-14), with Minnesota (22-16) in third place, 1 1/2 games back.
PADRES 11, ANGELS 4
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jason Castro hit a tiebreaking two-run double against the team that traded him three days ago, and San Diego rallied for eight runs in the eighth inning.
Castro’s two-out drive to the gap off Ty Buttrey (1-2) made for a memorable debut with the Padres, who acquired the veteran catcher from Los Angeles on Sunday as part of their all-in trade bonanza.
Fernando Tatís Jr. then drew a bases-loaded walk, Manny Machado delivered a two-run single and Eric Hosmer hit a 443-foot, three-run homer as the Padres piled on against the Angels’ hapless bullpen.
Jurickson Profar hit a two-run homer and drove in three early runs for San Diego, which has won three straight by a combined 30-6.
Mike Trout hit a two-run homer for the Angels.
Tim Hill (2-0) got two outs in the seventh inning to pick up the win.
