Judge hits 37th homer, Cortes pitches Yanks past Orioles 6-0

BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 37th home run, fellow All-Star Nestor Cortes pitched six sharp innings and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-0 on Sunday. Jose Trevino, another Yankees All-Star, produced the first four-hit game of his career.

Judge hits 37th homer, Cortes pitches Yanks past Orioles 6-0

BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 37th home run, fellow All-Star Nestor Cortes pitched six sharp innings and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-0 on Sunday.

Jose Trevino, another Yankees All-Star, produced the first four-hit game of his career. New York, with the best record in the big leagues, took two of three and have now won 22 of its 32 completed series this year.

Judge has seven home runs in his last nine games and leads the majors with 81 RBIs.

Cortes (8-3) allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked none. Clarke Schmidt pitched three innings and earned his first career save.

New York scored three times in the third on a double by DJ LeMahieu and a two-run drive by Judge off Dean Kremer (3-2).

ASTROS 8, MARINERS 5

SEATTLE (AP) — Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña hit back-to-back home runs off Robbie Ray to begin the game, and Houston roughed up the reigning AL Cy Young Award to complete a three-game sweep of Seattle.

Martín Maldonado had three RBIs from the No. 9 spot in the lineup and All-Star lefty Framber Valdez (9-4) took a shutout into the seventh inning for the Astros, who won their fifth straight and increased their AL West lead to 13 games over second-place Seattle.

The Mariners had won 14 in a row before Houston arrived, but were stopped cold by the defending AL champions coming out of the All-Star break.

Ray (8-7) was tagged for six runs and 10 hits in three innings. Altuve sent the first pitch of the game into the left-field bleachers, Peña followed with his 14th homer and the Astros were off and running.

Ryan Pressly returned from the paternity list and threw a perfect ninth inning for his 20th save. Pressly has retired 30 consecutive batters dating to June 25, setting a club record.

DODGERS 7, GIANTS 4

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trayce Thompson drove in two runs and thrilled his older brother, Klay, with an RBI double during the decisive rally in the seventh inning while Los Angeles surged past San Francisco for its season-high eighth consecutive victory.

Unlikely cleanup hitter Jake Lamb delivered a tiebreaking double during that three-run rally by the NL-leading Dodgers, who have 15 victories in 16 games overall. Los Angeles swept a four-game series with the Giants at Chavez Ravine for the first time since 1995 and only the third time in the archrivals’ long history.

Gavin Lux also drove in two runs as Los Angeles’ offense overcame a mediocre start by Clayton Kershaw to earn the club’s 11th consecutive victory at Dodger Stadium. After Lux’s RBI single drove in Lamb in the seventh, Trayce Thompson’s drive to right-center scored Max Muncy and pumped up Klay Thompson, the Golden State Warriors star, in his seat right behind the Giants’ dugout.

Evan Phillips (5-3) pitched the seventh for the Dodgers, who got 4 2/3 innings of scoreless, two-hit relief culminating in Craig Kimbrel’s 17th save.

Darin Ruf hit a two-run homer for the Giants. Dominic Leone (3-3) took the loss.

BLUE JAYS 8, RED SOX 4

BOSTON (AP) — Raimel Tapia had three hits and drove in four runs, giving him 10 RBIs for the series, and Vladimir Guerrero had four hits as Toronto beat bumbling Boston for a three-game sweep.

Two days after Tapia had an inside-the-park grand slam in a record-setting 28-5 victory, he had a bases-loaded triple to spot Toronto to a 5-0 lead off top Boston prospect Brayan Bello (0-2).

The Blue Jays also took advantage of three errors and a series of other blunders by Boston, which is just a half-game out of last place in the AL East.

On the day David Ortiz was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame about a four-hour drive to the west, the Red Sox lost their fifth straight game.

Tim Mayza (4-0) earned the win as the most effective reliever.

METS 8, PADRES 5

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off Joe Musgrove and had four RBIs to retake the major league lead, leading New York Mets past San Diego.

Alonso hit his 25th home run in a five-run sixth and added a RBI double high off the center-field wall in a three-run seventh that built an 8-1 lead. With 82 RBIs, he moved one ahead of the Yankees’ Aaron Judge heading into the first Subway Series game of the season at Citi Field on Tuesday night.

Eric Hosmer provided Musgrove (8-3) a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the sixth off Drew Smith (2-3), but the Mets rallied in the bottom half on the sweltering night and reopened a 1 1/2-game NL East lead over second-place Atlanta. New York avoided a three-game sweep and what would have been its first four-game losing streak this year.

Manny Machado had three hits, included an RBI double in a three-run ninth off Joely Rodríguez for the Padres. Edwin Díaz, energizing the crowd when he entered to Blasterjaxx & Timmy Trumpet’s “Narco,” relieved with two on and got three outs for his 21st save in 24 chances.

Musgrove, 0-3 in his last five starts, gave up four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Mets starter Carlos Carrasco allowed six hits over five scoreless innings on the 90-degree night.

ANGELS 9, BRAVES 1

ATLANTA (AP) — Taylor Ward homered in a five-run first, Reid Detmers pitched five scoreless innings and Los Angeles cooled off Atlanta.

Max Stassi went 3 for 4 and drove in three runs, and Ward had three hits for the Angels, who improved to 3-14 this month and snapped a five-game skid. They had dropped 14 of 16 and were a season-worst 16 games under .500.

The defending World Series champion Braves had won 14 of 19 and were 35-11 since June 1, the best record in the majors during that span.

Atlanta fell 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East.

Detmers (3-3) allowed three hits with two walks and six strikeouts, improving to 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA in three starts this month.

Ian Anderson (8-6) was tagged for seven runs and eight hits in three-plus innings.

REDS 6, CARDINALS 3

CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto hit a three-run homer to back Tyler Mahle’s sharp return from injury as Cincinnati beat St. Louis.

The last-place Reds overcame Paul Goldschmidt’s two opposite-field homers to take two of three in the series. They’ve won eight of their last 12 games.

The only hits allowed by Mahle in six innings were Goldschmidt’s two home runs, giving him four in the series and 24 this season. The slugger launched a two-run drive in the fourth and a solo shot in the sixth.

Goldschmidt also homered in the All-Star Game on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium — but he won’t be available for St. Louis’ next game.

Before their finale in Cincinnati, the Cardinals announced that Goldschmidt and star third baseman Nolan Arenado — two of their best players — won’t make the trip to Toronto for a short series with the Blue Jays because they haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccination. Canada has restrictions on travelers who aren’t vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Mahle (4-7) came off the injured list and allowed three runs with three walks and five strikeouts. He hadn’t pitched since July 2 due to a right shoulder strain.

Hunter Strickland got three popups for his team-high fifth save. Four pitchers combined to limit St. Louis to three hits

Miles Mikolas (7-8) gave up seven hits and six runs over five innings in his first start since July 16.

TWINS 9, TIGERS 1

DETROIT (AP) — Sonny Gray allowed two hits in six innings to lead Minnesota over Detroit.

Gray (5-3) is 2-0 against the Tigers this season, permitting one run and six hits in 13 innings.

Jose Miranda had three hits and scored twice for the Twins, who are 2-0 since the All-Star break.

Rony Garcia (3-3) allowed three runs on three hits and three hit batters in 2 2/3 innings before leaving with shoulder soreness.

Gary Sanchez had a late two-run double for Minnesota.

CUBS 4, PHILLIES 3

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Yan Gomes hit two home runs, Drew Smyly tossed six sharp innings and Chicago completed a three-game sweep of Philadelphia.

Nelson Velázquez also went deep for the Cubs, who have won four in a row. It was Chicago’s first three-game sweep in Philadelphia since July 2000.

Garrett Stubbs homered for the Phillies, who failed to gain ground in the NL wild-card race against the lowly Cubs. Only the Reds, Athletics and Nationals entered the day with fewer wins than Chicago.

Smyly (3-5) retired his first 14 batters. He allowed one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks.

Gomes connected twice off Bailey Falter (0-3) for his sixth career multi-homer game.

David Robertson pitched out of a jam in a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.

MARLINS 6, PIRATES 5, 10 INNINGS

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Fortes and Miguel Rojas hit RBI singles in the 10th inning and the Miami Marlins topped Pittsburgh.

Fortes led off the 10th with a go-ahead single against closer David Bednar (3-4).

Jeff Brigham gave up a two-out, RBI single to Cal Mitchell in the bottom half before getting his second save in the majors and first since 2019.

Miami ace Sandy Alcantara struck out 10 in six innings, allowing two runs and two hits and leaving with a 1.81 ERA.

The Marlins let a 4-2 lead slip away in the ninth, when Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a two-run single off reliever Anthony Bass (2-3).

WHITE SOX 6, GUARDIANS 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Dylan Cease threw six innings in his third straight scoreless start, Leury Garcia and AJ Pollock homered, and Chicago beat Cleveland to salvage a four-game split.

Eloy Jiménez went deep in his second straight game, helping the White Sox end a series that was shaping up as a bad one for them on a stronger note.

The reigning AL Central champions won the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader after blowing a 3-0 lead. They jumped on Shane Bieber (4-6) in this one and finished a stretch of 19 straight games against division opponents at 10-9.

Chicago scored five in the second on Garcia’s two-run homer and Pollock’s three-run drive. Jiménez made it 6-0 when he connected leading off the sixth.

That was plenty for Cease (10-4), who won his third straight start. The right-hander gave up seven hits and struck out four.

ROYALS 4, RAYS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kris Bubic went seven strong innings, Hunter Dozier and MJ Melendez had late-inning RBIs and Kansas City won a series against Tampa Bay for the first time in five years.

Dozier snapped a 2-all tie with two outs in the seventh when he singled off Brooks Raley (1-1) to score Whit Merrifield. Melendez added an insurance run with a double in the eighth.

The Royals overcame the loss of Bobby Witt Jr. for their first series win against the Rays since 2017. They broke an 11-series losing streak to AL East teams.

Bubic (2-6) tied with a season high by pitching seven innings. He gave up two runs and four hits.

Witt hit an RBI single in the first, but exited before the next half-inning started with right hamstring tightness. He is day to day.

RANGERS 11, ATHLETICS 8

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Martín Pérez allowed four hits over seven strong innings to extend his undefeated streak and beat fellow All-Star Paul Blackburn, leading Texas over Oakland.

Pérez (8-2) had six strikeouts and won his career-best eighth straight decision. The first-time All-Star is unbeaten in his last 17 starts, passing Kyle Gibson for the Rangers’ single-season franchise record.

Corey Seager hit his 23rd home run. Adolis García also connected and had a career-high four hits and three RBIs as the Rangers won for the second time in eight games. Jonah Heim matched a team record with three doubles on a day when eight Texas players had at least one hit and one RBI.

Pérez induced 11 groundouts. In three road starts against the A’s this season, he has a 0.90 ERA.

Blackburn (6-6) is winless since June 16. He yielded 10 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. The 10 earned runs tied for most in the majors this season.

BREWERS 10, ROCKIES 9

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Andrew McCutchen’s tiebreaking, two-run double capped a two-out rally in the eighth inning that lifted Milwaukee over Colorado.

Alex Colomé (2-3) came in to protect an 8-7 lead for the Rockies and retired the first two batters he faced before the Brewers broke loose. Rowdy Tellez hit a tying single that set the stage for McCutchen.

Colorado, which had erased deficits of 3-0 and 5-2 earlier in the day, nearly came all the way back again. Brewers closer Josh Hader held on for his 28th save in 30 opportunities.

Hunter Renfroe homered for the third straight day and Tyrone Taylor also went deep as the NL Central leaders beat the Rockies for the eighth straight time. The Brewers had lost seven in a row to the Rockies before this stretch.

Kris Bryant had three hits for the Rockies, including a homer and a double. Hot-hitting Elias Díaz drove in three runs.

Brent Suter (3-3) pitched out of a jam in a scoreless eighth to earn the win.

NATIONALS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3

PHOENIX (AP) — Keibert Ruiz had three hits, including a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, and Washington avoided a three-game sweep by beating Arizona.

The Nationals were sloppy in the field with three errors and a couple other questionable decisions. But they stayed close and tied the game 3-all on Josh Bell’s RBI double in the seventh.

Pinch-hitter Lane Thomas led off the eighth with a double against All-Star reliever Joe Mantiply (1-3), and Ruiz brought him home for a 4-3 advantage.

Washington’s bullpen escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the eighth. Steve Cishek got Ketel Marte to pop out and then Kyle Finnegan coaxed a double-play grounder from Christian Walker to end the inning.

Arizona left 13 runners on base.

Finnegan also worked a scoreless ninth for his second save, and the Nationals won for just the third time in 20 games.

Carl Edwards Jr. (3-3) got the win with a scoreless inning of relief.

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