PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben Lively struck out six in six innings to lead the Cleveland Guardians to a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night in a matchup of teams with the best records in baseball.
The Phillies returned home for the first time since the MLB All-Star break, yet failed to snap out of their recent offensive malaise.
MLB-leading Philadelphia (64-39) lost for the fifth time in seven games since the break and the seventh time in the last 10 games overall. The Phillies lost two of three in Pittsburgh and Minnesota after the break.
The Phillies played more like lovable losers against the Guardians, who entered Friday sharing the best record in the American League with Baltimore and leading the AL Central. Philadelphia committed two errors, botched a rundown, failed to scoop playable one-hoppers in the dirt and chirped at umpires most of the game.
The Phillies are hoping help is on the way.
Philadelphia acquired outfielder Austin Hays from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for struggling right-handed pitcher Seranthony Domínguez and light-hitting outfielder Cristian Pache.
TWINS 9 TIGERS 3
DETROIT (AP) — Byron Buxton hit a home run and a double, Christian Vázquez had a homer and three hits and Minnesota beat Detroit.
Pablo López (9-7) allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings, striking out seven.
Tigers starter Keider Montero (1-4) allowed six runs on eight hits, including three homers, in five innings.
Buxton and Trevor Larnach gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead with back-to-back homers in the first, and Matt Wallner added a home run to right in the second.
Javier Báez hit his second homer in as many days to make it 3-2 in the third, but Minnesota scored three in the fourth.
REDS 3 RAYS 2 (10 INNINGS)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Stuart Fairchild delivered Cincinnati’s first hit since the fourth-inning, a one-out double that snapped a 10th-inning tie and gave the Reds a victory over Tampa Bay.
Jeimer Candelario drove in Cincinnati’s other runs with a first-inning double. Nick Martinez (4-5) worked two scoreless innings, and closer Alexis Diaz earned his 20th save in 22 chances for the Reds, who have won three in a row after losing three straight coming out of the All-Star break.
The Rays played for the first time since trading star outfielder Randy Arozarena to Seattle. The team made another move that could hinder its chances of making the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season, dealing starting pitcher Zach Eflin to Baltimore before taking the field against the Reds.
Arozarena watched a portion of the game from a seat in the left field stands, near a couple of sections at Tropicana Field once dubbed as “Randy Land.” The sections were especially popular on Friday nights, when fans purchasing tickets in the designated area also received free Arozarena theme T-shirts.
The Reds managed just two hits off Shane Baz — Candelario’s two-run double in the first inning and Tyler Stephenson’s single in the fourth. Fairchild doubled down the left field line against Manuel Rodriguez (1-2) to put Cincinnati ahead for good.
PADRES 6 ORIOLES 4
BALTIMORE (AP) — Jurickson Profar hit a pair of two-run homers, the second of which broke a ninth-inning tie, to send San Diego to their sixth straight victory by beating Baltimore.
Profar’s second two-out drive was the latest stumble by Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel (6-3), who blew saves in two of his previous three appearances and was booed by the Baltimore crowd after his inning of work Friday.
The Orioles had just scored two runs in the eighth to tie the game at 4 when Kimbrel came on. He allowed a one-out single and Profar’s 18th homer of the year.
Profar also went deep during a four-run sixth for the Padres, who are on their longest winning streak of the year. A day after San Diego’s Dylan Cease threw a no-hitter at Washington, the Padres went with a committee approach to the mound, using eight pitchers. Robert Suarez (5-1) got the final five outs.
Baltimore’s Grayson Rodriguez took a shutout into the sixth, but Luis Arraez singled to start the inning and Profar followed with a home run. Burch Smith came on in relief and retired Jake Cronenworth on a deep flyball, but shortstop Gunnar Henderson committed a throwing error on ex-Oriole Manny Machado’s routine grounder.
METS 8 BRAVES 4
NEW YORK (AP) — New York moved past Atlanta for the top NL wild-card berth with a win behind J.D. Martinez’s grand slam in a seven-run third inning but losing Kodai Senga to another injury in his season debut.
Martinez’s ninth slam was the first of three long balls in the third against Charlie Morton (5-6), who also allowed Mark Vientos’ two-run homer and Francisco Alvarez’s solo drive.
New York (55-48) won its fifth straight game and moved a season-high seven games over .500 following its 11th win in 14 games. The Mets had dropped 10 games behind the Braves on June 2 and are 31-13 since.
Atlanta (54-48) has lost a season-high six straight games.
Senga’s injury-delayed season debut was cut short after 5 1/3 innings and 73 pitches when he strained his left calf.
BLUE JAYS 6 RANGERS 5
TORONTO (AP) — Ernie Clement singled in the ninth inning to give Toronto a victory over Texas, ending the defending champion’s winning streak at five.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached base four times as the Blue Jays snapped a six-game losing streak against the Rangers.
Justin Turner hit a one-out single off Josh Sborz (2-1) in the ninth and was replaced by Steward Berroa, who stole second.
Sborz exited after walking Guerrero, with Kirby Yates coming on to strike out Danny Jansen for the second out. Spencer Horwitz was intentionally walked to load the bases for Clement, who lined a first-pitch single to left.
Chad Green (3-2) worked 1 1/3 innings for the victory.
Adolis García homered and drove in three runs for Texas.
ROYALS 6 CUBS 0
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer that highlighted a six-run fifth inning and Kansas City beat Chicago.
Friday night’s attendance of 36,351 at Kauffman Stadium was topped only by the 38,775 on opening day.
The Royals, in third place in the AL Central behind Cleveland and Minnesota, moved 10 games over .500 at 57-47 and eclipsed last season’s win total.
Brady Singer (7-6) was nearly flawless, allowing just two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two. The 27-year-old right-hander combined with Will Smith and Chris Stratton to limit the Cubs to four hits.
Kyle Hendricks (2-9) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings in the loss.
RED SOX 9 YANKEES 7
BOSTON (AP) — Masataka Yoshida hit a tiebreaking two-run single off Clay Holmes in a three-run eighth inning, and Boston overcame Aaron Judge’s 470-foot home run to beat reeling New York.
Judge hit his major league-leading 36th homer, a three-run drive in the seventh on a Zack Kelly cutter that landed in a small section of stands above a back wall and below a videoboard. That put New York ahead 6-4, and Austin Wells followed with a solo homer over right-fielder Tyler O’Neill, who tumbled into the stands.
Ceddanne Rafaela cut the deficit to 7-6 with a two-run shot against Luke Weaver in the bottom half that went over the Green Monster and out of Fenway Park.
Weaver (4-2) allowed Rob Refsnyder’s third hit of the night leading off the eighth and walked Connor Wong.
Holmes relieved with one out in just his second appearance since July 14 and allowed Wilyer Abreu’s tying double on an up sinker. Holmes has blown four of his last six save chances and seven of 28 this season.
MARINERS 10 WHITE SOX 0
CHICAGO (AP) — Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore and Victor Robles hit consecutive homers in Seattle’s eight-run first inning as they beat Chicago to end a three-game slide.
George Kirby pitched seven strong innings and Jorge Polanco added a two-run drive in the fourth as Seattle won for just the second time in 10 games and handed the major-league worst White Sox their 12th straight loss. The Mariners entered one game behind first-place Houston in the AL West after once having a 10-game lead in the division.
The Mariners hadn’t gone deep back-to-back this season until they teed off against Chicago rookie Drew Thorpe, scoring all eight runs against the right-hander with two outs. Seattle last hit three straight homers on June 21, 2022, at Oakland.
Kirby (8-7) allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked one in coasting to his first win in a month. Mitch Garver, batting .177, reached base five times with three hits and two walks.
The Mariners already led 3-0 when Rojas connected for a three-run drive into the right-field bullpen off Thorpe’s centre-cut fastball. Moore and Robles followed with solo shots to chase the 23-year-old from his eighth major league start.
MARLINS 6 BREWERS 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bryan De La Cruz and Jake Burger homered off Freddy Peralta in the first inning to put Miami ahead for good in a victory over Milwaukee.
Miami’s Josh Bell also went deep with a ninth-inning drive against Janson Junk for his 1,000th career hit. Rhys Hoskins homered for Milwaukee.
The Marlins took a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and stayed in front the rest of the way despite leaving 10 runners on base. Although Miami entered Friday with the NL’s worst record, the Marlins (38-66) are 5-3 since the All-Star break and have won three of their last four games.
After Jazz Chisholm walked to start the game, De La Cruz hit a one-out blast into the left-field stands for his team-leading 18th homer. Two batters later, Burger also sent a shot into the left-field seats.
Burger and Bell each hit their 13th homers of the season, matching Chisholm for second on the team.
ASTROS 5 DODGERS 0
HOUSTON (AP) — Framber Valdez struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings, Alex Bregman and Jon Singleton hit home runs and Houston beat Los Angeles.
Bregman hit a solo home run to left in the third inning and Singleton hit a 403-foot two-run homer into the second deck in right in the fourth.
Joey Loperfido had an RBI single in the second and made an outstanding leaping grab to rob Shohei Ohtani of extra bases in the third. Mauricio Dubón added an RBI double in the eighth.
Valdez (9-5) scattered four hits in winning his fourth straight decision. He has allowed three runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts.
Ohtani was 2 for 3 with a walk as the Dodgers were shut out for the fifth time this season.
NATIONALS 10 CARDINALS 8 (10 INNINGS)
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jacob Young hit a bases-loaded triple in the 10th inning in Washington’s victory over St. Louis.
Luis Garcia Jr. drove in three runs for the Nationals, a day after they were no-hit by San Diego’s Dylan Cease for their third straight loss.
Nolan Arenado hit a three-run homer, and rookie Maysn Winn hit a two-run homer and added an RBI single. Juan Yepez drove in two runs and had three hits.
Jacob Barnes (6-2) worked the ninth for the victory. Ryan Fernandez (1-3) pitched the 10th and took the loss.
With two outs, Garcia drew an intentional walk, and Fernandez walked Trey Lipscomb. Young lined a 2-0 pitch to right field that Dylan Carlson could not catch despite leaping for. It was Young’s first triple this season. CJ Abrams added a run-scoring single.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the ninth with two outs off Kyle Finnegan, the sixth Washington pitcher. Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer. It was his second hit in the game, giving him 2,000 for his career.
DIAMONDBACKS 4 PIRATES 3
PHOENIX (AP) — Joc Pederson hit a solo homer, Zac Gallen navigated six solid innings and Arizona rallied to beat Pittsburgh.
The D-backs have won three straight games and nine of 12.
Down 3-1 heading into the sixth, Arizona responded with three runs off Luis Ortiz and Carmen Mlodzinski.
Pederson started the inning with a solo homer that travelled 453 feet, deep into the seats in right. Gabriel Moreno singled home Christian Walker to tie it, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. scored on a wild pitch by Mlodzinski (2-4).
Pederson homered for the second straight game. The 32-year-old hit his 200th career homer in an 8-6 victory in Kansas City on Wednesday.
Gallen (8-5) pitched into the seventh, but was pulled after walking the first two batters of the inning. Kevin Ginkel wiggled out of the jam, striking out Andrew McCutchen and Oneil Cruz before Nick Gonzales grounded out.
ATHLETICS 5 ANGELS 4
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Brent Rooker hit his 10th home run in July, Seth Brown had three hits and drove in three runs, and Oakland secured their first winning month in two years, beating Los Angeles.
Oakland is 13-7 in July, snapping a string of 11 consecutive full months with a losing mark. It is their first winning month since going 14-12 in July 2022.
Taylor Ward and Nolan Schanuel had two-run homers in the first inning as the Angels were unable to make an early lead hold up for the second straight night.
The Athletics were down 4-0 after the first inning and trailed by two going into the fifth before scoring three times. Brown supplied the go-ahead hit with a single down the right-field line to drive in Shea Langeliers. It was originally ruled as a foul ball before being overturned by replay.
Had it not been ruled a foul ball, Brown likely would have gone for at least a double and Abraham Toro might have scored from first to make it a two-run lead, instead of being stopped at third.
GIANTS 11 ROCKIES 4
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tyler Fitzgerald continued his power surge with two home runs, Kyle Harrison tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, and San Francisco beat Colorado.
Fitzgerald, with a pair of two-run blasts, became the first Giants player to hit seven home runs in an eight-game span since Barry Bonds in 2004. The rookie shortstop had a five-game homer streak that was snapped on Wednesday.
Harrison (6-4) held the Rockies to a run on one hit. He struck out six of the last nine batters he faced, tipping his cap to the home crowd after he departed following a two-out walk in the seventh.
Jorge Soler also had three hits, including a leadoff homer, reaching base all five times. Soler drilled a hanging off-speed pitch from Rockies starter Kyle Freeland (2-4) to start the game. He added RBI singles in the second and fourth innings.
Freeland allowed six runs in four innings, though he had eight strikeouts to surpass Ubaldo Jiménez for fourth most in Rockies history.
