Braves get past Phillies in NL East showdown

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Orlando Arcia hit a pair of solo homers, the first one as part of back-to-back shots with Sean Murphy in the third inning, to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.

While both teams are about a lock to reach the playoffs, a split of the first two games of a four-game weekend set between the NL East rivals moved the Braves within five games of the division-leading Phillies with 27 games left in the season.

Reynaldo López (8-4) won his second straight start and has seemingly rebounded from an 0-3 June. López gave up one run and tossed four-hit ball over six innings. He struck out six.

BREWERS 5, REDS 4, 1ST GAME

BREWERS 14, REDS 0, 2ND GAME

CINCINNATI (AP) — DL Hall worked seven scoreless innings in the best start of his career, Willy Adames and Rhys Hoskins each homered and drove in three runs, and Milwaukee scored 10 runs in the ninth inning to pound Cincinnati and sweep a doubleheader.

The NL Central-leading Brewers won the opener 5-4 when automatic runner Eric Haase scored on a double play in the 10th inning, and Devin Williams made it stand up.

Making his sixth start of the season and seventh of his career, Hall (1-1) worked past the sixth inning for the first time in his first scoreless start. The 25-year-old left-hander, acquired in the offseason trade that sent ace Corbin Burnes to Baltimore, made his second appearance since returning from a left knee sprain that sidelined him in April.

Hall was in command throughout, allowing four hits and one walk and throwing just 83 pitches. He struck out nine Reds batters in 4 2/3 innings in his previous start on Aug. 11.

RED SOX 7, TIGERS 5, 10 INNINGS

DETROIT (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran homered in the 10th inning as Boston rebounded after squandering a four-run lead and beat Detroit.

The Tigers trailed 4-0 heading in the eighth inning, but rallied and forced extra innings by scoring three times in the eighth and once in the ninth.

But, Rafaela’s 14th homer off Shelby Miller (6-8) scored Nick Sogard and made it 6-4 with one out in the 10th. Duran, who doubled in his first two at-bats, hit Tyler Holton’s first pitch 431 feet into the right-field stands to make it a three-run game at 7-4.

Chris Martin pitched the 10th for Boston, allowing the automatic runner Riley Greene to score on a groundout before earning his second save.

CUBS 7, NATIONALS 6

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cody Bellinger homered to cap a seven-run second inning, and the Chicago Cubs held on to defeat Washington in the opener of a three-game series.

Chicago, which has scored 80 runs in its last eight games, improved to 6-1 on its three-city road trip. The Cubs have won 18 of 26 since July 31.

Dylan Crews homered for the second consecutive game for Washington, which was denied its first three-game winning streak since July 19-21.

Washington pushed three runs across in the ninth inning against relievers Tyson Miller and Drew Smyly, but Keegan Thompson entered to strike out Crews and record his second save.

YANKEES 6, CARDINALS 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Wells hit two-run homers in the third and eighth innings, powering the New York Yankees to a victory over St. Louis.

Wells hit a two-run shot in a three-run third off Erick Fedde (8-8) to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead. He connected again later off Riley O’Brien for a 6-3 lead.

It was Wells’ first career multihomer game and the rookie catcher is hitting .346 (28 for 81) with five homers and 21 RBIs in 20 games as New York’s cleanup hitter.

Marcus Stroman (10-6) allowed two runs and nine hits in seven gritty innings for his third straight win. Stroman completed seven innings for the first time since May 31 and is 3-0 in his last four outings.

GUARDIANS 10, PIRATES 8

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Jhonkensy Noel hit a two-run homer and Andrés Giménez followed with a solo shot in the fifth inning, leading Cleveland to a win over the Pittsburgh.

Emmanuel Clase became Cleveland’s career saves leader, notching his 150th — and 40th this season — by working the ninth. Clase gave up a leadoff homer to Andrew McCutchen before getting three outs and passing Cody Allen on the club list.

Clase has a legitimate Cy Young case with an ERA under 1.00 and by converting 27 straight save opportunities since May 20.

Noel’s 450-foot blast off Carmen Mlodzinski (2-5) came after the Pirates had scored six in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead.

PADRES 13, RAYS 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Manny Machado hit a three-run homer in the second inning and singled twice to help San Diego beat Tampa.

Machado moved into a tie with Adrian Gonzalez for second-place on the Padres’ career homer list with 161, two behind leader Nate Colbert. In his past eight games, Machado is 13 for 34 with three home runs and nine RBIs.

Second in the National League wild-card standings, the Padres improved to 77-60.

San Diego tagged Rays starter Taj Bradley (6-9) for eight runs in 2 1/3 innings. David Peralta added a two-run homer in the fourth inning off reliever Erasmo Ramirez and Xander Bogaerts hit a solo shot to left field in the ninth inning.

ATHLETICS 9, RANGERS 2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brent Rooker homered twice to give him 33 this season, JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers also went deep and Oakland beat Texas for their first consecutive winning months in more than three years.

Oakland is 14-11 in August with one game remaining in the month, after going 15-9 in July to snap a franchise-record streak of 11 consecutive full months with losing records. The A’s (59-76) hadn’t had consecutive winning months since May-June 2021.

Bleday broke a 1-1 tie and put the A’s ahead to stay in the third with his 20th homer, lining a three-run shot that just cleared the angled wall in right-center. That came after No. 9 batter Jacob Wilson and Rooker walked against Texas starter Jon Gray (5-6).

Rooker went deep in the first and seventh innings. Langeliers capped a four-run ninth with his 23rd long ball, a two-run shot right after an RBI double by Bleday.

ASTROS 3, ROYALS 2

HOUSTON (AP) — Framber Valdez pitched seven no-hit innings and Jose Altuve hit a game-ending RBI double in the ninth to lift Houston to a win over Kansas City.

The game was tied at 2-all when Jake Meyers singled off James McArthur (5-6) with one out in the ninth. There were two outs when Altuve bounced his double off the wall in left field to send Meyers home and set off a wild celebration.

The Royals trailed 2-0 and had just one hit when Bobby Witt Jr. reached on an error by shortstop Jeremy Peña to start the ninth. With one out, Paul DeJong sent a slider from Josh Hader (7-7) into the Crawford Boxes in left field to tie it.

Valdez was pulled after throwing 98 pitches, 60 for strikes, with seven strikeouts, three walks and a hit batter.

TWINS 2, BLUE JAYS 0

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pablo López pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings and Jhoan Duran rebounded from a rough outing to record the save as Minnesota snapped a four-game skid and beat Toronto.

López (13-8) allowed six hits and and struck out three without a walk. The 28-year-old right-hander extended his scoreless streak to 20 2/3 innings and won for the fourth time in five decisions.

López got the first two outs of the eight before Nathan Lukes singled his 100th pitch of the game. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli visited the mound but left his starter in to face ninth-place hitter Leo Jiménez. When Jiménez reached on an infield single, Griffin Jax came on to strike out Daulton Varsho on three pitches, ending the inning.

METS 5, WHITE SOX 1

CHICAGO (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer, Tylor Megill pitched effectively into the sixth inning in his return from the minors and the New York Mets topped the skidding Chicago White Sox. Jesse Winker had an RBI double among his three hits as the Mets remained three games behind Atlanta for the final NL wild-card spot with their second straight win and seventh in 11. At 71-64, New York matched its season high at seven games above .500.

Megill (3-5) allowed a run and five hits and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings after being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse for his fourth stint with New York this season. The 6-foot-7 right-hander finished strong, retiring 10 in a row before Gavin Sheets singled with one out in the sixth.

Andrew Benintendi had an RBI double and two hits for the White Sox (31-105), who dropped their eighth consecutive game. They are 4-34 since the All-Star break and are just one loss from the franchise record of 106 in 1970. Chicago also is on track to break the majors’ modern record for most losses — 120 by the 1962 Mets.

ORIOLES 5, ROCKIES 3

DENVER (AP) — Albert Suárez pitched a career-best seven innings, Emmanuel Rivera hit his first homer for Baltimore and drove in three runs, and the Orioles beat Colorado.

Rookie Jackson Holliday hit an RBI triple off the right-field wall in the ninth in his return as a major leaguer to Coors Field — where his father, former Rockies star Matt Holliday, began teaching him the sport. Holliday then scored on a headfirst slide when reliever Angel Chivilli fielded Austin Slater’s comebacker but threw wide of catcher Jacob Stallings for an error.

Baltimore remained 1 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees. The Orioles hold the top AL wild card spot.

Brendan Rodgers hit a one-out homer in the bottom of the ninth off Seranthony Dominguez. Jake Cave beat out an infield single before Dominguez closed it out with a strikeout of Michael Toglia and a groundout by Stallings for his eighth save.

MARINERS 9, ANGELS 5

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Victor Robles had three hits and drove in two runs, Julio Rodríguez homered for the first time since coming off the injured list and Seattle opened a 10-game road trip with a victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

The Mariners scored five times in the first to ruin the debut of Angels’ left-hander Samuel Aldegheri, who became the first player born and raised in Italy to pitch in a major league game.

Aldegheri (0-1) ended up giving up seven runs — only two earned — on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings. Aldegheri, called up from Double-A Rocket City on Friday, was acquired last month in the trade that sent closer Carlos Estévez to Philadelphia.

George Kirby (10-10) allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings for the Mariners, who have won four of five.

DODGERS 10, DIAMONDBACKS 9

PHOENIX (AP) — Will Smith hit a late three-run homer, Shohei Ohtani added his 43rd of the season and the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their NL West lead to five games with a victory over Arizona.

Arizona’s late-season surge set the stage for a crucial four-game series and a charged-up crowd in a rematch of last season’s NL Division Series won by the Diamondbacks.

A sold-out Chase Field got a wild show that included 10 combined runs in the first three innings, a big toe injury that knocked out Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and a run scored on a disengagement violation.

Freddie Freeman did the early damage with a two-run homer in the first inning after missing three straight games to rest a fractured right middle finger. Smith gave the Dodgers a 9-5 lead in the seventh, just clearing the wall in left with his three-run shot.

GIANTS 3, MARLINS 1

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matt Chapman hit a bases-clearing double in the eighth inning, Blake Snell pitched seven strong innings and San Francisco beat Miami.

With the Giants trailing 1-0, Chapman ripped a slider on a two-strike count from Miami reliever George Soriano into the left-center field gap to score all three runners with two outs.

The Giants are back at .500 at 68-68 but remain 6 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.

The game, which was scoreless through six innings, featured a pitchers’ duel between Snell and the Marlins’ Adam Oller.

The Associated Press