Reds beat Astros for a series sweep

CINCINNATI (AP) — Ty France homered in the seventh inning as part of a series sweep in which he went 9 for 11, and the Cincinnati Reds beat Houston 1-0 Thursday for its ninth straight win over the Astros.

Rhett Lowder, the seventh overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft, allowed four hits over 6 1/3 innings in his second big league start.

“We knew they were an aggressive team. I had to come out with my best stuff and get them out as fast as possible,” said Lowder, who has allowed just one run in his first 10 1/3 innings. “I feel really good with where my games at right now.”

The 22-year-old right-hander with shoulder-length hair walked four and struck out three.

Tony Santillan (2-2) induced an inning-ending double play in the seventh and worked around a walk in a hitless eighth. Alexis Díaz pitched a perfect ninth for his 25th save in 29 chances, finishing a four-hitter.

TWINS 4, RAYS 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Edouard Julien hit a three-run homer, and Minnesota beat Tampa Bay in a game with a 13-minute interruption largely caused by a video review.

With Tampa Bay trailing 4-2 in the seventh inning and Jonny DeLuca on third, Yandy Díaz sliced a drive toward the right-field corner, Matt Wallner gloved the ball on two hops as DeLuca scored, and Wallner’s momentum carried him over the low wall and into a camera well.

Umpires held a crew chief review that took about nine minutes and determined Díaz should be placed on second base. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli then brought in reliever Griffin Jax to replace Pablo López (14-8). Jax retired Brandon Lowe on a groundout.

Minnesota (76-64) moved a half-game ahead of idle Kansas City (76-65) for the AL’s second wild card.

MARINERS 6, ATHLETICS 4

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit a two-run homer in the first inning and added a sacrifice fly in the fifth, Julio Rodríguez also connected, and Seattle beat the Athletics in their final scheduled visit to the Coliseum.

Luke Raley added a two-run shot in the ninth for key insurance as the Mariners closed within 4 1/2 games of the Houston Astros in the American League West standings.

Bryan Woo (7-2) struck out six and didn’t walk a batter over five innings to win in his native Bay Area a 10-minute drive from where he grew up in Alameda.

The right-hander has victories in his last two decisions, against the A’s and San Francisco. He allowed two runs on eight hits and has five or more strikeouts in six of his last seven outings.

GIANTS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 3

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell was removed after a 42-pitch first inning, and San Francisco rallied to beat Arizona behind a walk-off double in the ninth from Patrick Bailey, who drove in all three Giants' runs.

Arizona sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning, taking advantage of defensive sloppiness. Shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald threw wide of second for a run-scoring error on Josh Bell’s grounder and Corbin Carroll scored from third on a passed ball as Jake McCarthy reached on the dropped third strike.

Snell allowed two hits and walked two, stranding a pair of runners when Kevin Newman grounded out. He entered with a 1.30 ERA over his last 10 games. Only one of the runs off him were earned.

PIRATES 9, NATIONALS 4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Gonzales highlighted a five-run second inning with a two-run single and finished with three RBIs as Pittsburgh beat Washington Nationals, one night after being no-hit.

Oneil Cruz had a sharply hit a two-out double to right in the opening inning for the Pirates’ first hit after managing just three baserunners — two walks and an error — against Chicago a night earlier when the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge combined on a no-hitter.

Gonzales softly grounded to third, ending that threat and the Pirates trailing 3-0. But Gonzales bounced back and brought in two runs with a single to right in the second inning after Jared Triolo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Bryan Reynolds had run-scoring hits.

Yasmani Grandal extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 6-3 in the third with a single to right off Jake Irvin (9-12), who gave up six runs, seven hits and four walks in five innings.

PHILLIES 6, MARLINS 2

MIAMI (AP) — Bryson Stott homered into the right-field upper deck, Kody Clemens drove in two runs and NL East-leading Philadelphia beat Miami to extend their winning streak to five.

In the first game of a four-game series, the Phillies (84-56) opened an eight-game NL East lead with 22 games left.

Ranger Suárez (12-6) scattered three hits over five scoreless innings, leaving after 82 pitches. The left-hander walked two and struck out four.

Bryce Harper went 0 for 3 with a walk, a day after he was hit on the left elbow by a pitch at Toronto and left in the third inning.

Matt Strahm pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.

ROCKIES 3, BRAVES 1

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta dropped into a tie for the final NL wild card berth, losing 3-1 to Colorado on as Michael Toglia and Ezequiel Tovar hit solo home runs for the Rockies.

Atlanta and New York are both 76-64 with 22 games left, eight games back of NL East-leading Philadelphia.

Austin Gomber (5-10) allowed one run and five hits in eight innings, matching his season high. He struck out six and walked none.

Tyler Kinley pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances as Colorado avoided a three-game sweep and ended an eight-game losing streak at Truist Park.

The Associated Press