Renfroe's HR sends Boston Red Sox past Tampa Bay Rays 2-1
BOSTON (AP) — Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and threw out Joey Wendle trying for a triple from deep center field for the final out of the ninth as the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 Wednesday night.
Renfore’s big bat and strong arm helped the Red Sox avoid a three-game sweep against the AL East-leading Rays.
He drove a hanging slider from JT Chargois (5-1) over the Green Monster in left field just after Boston had fallen behind in what had been a scoreless tie through the first seven innings.
Boston pulled within nine games of Tampa Bay for the division lead.
Garrett Richards (7-7) got the win, and Hansel Robles picked up his 12th save.
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BLUE JAYS 6, YANKEES 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 41st homer, and the streaking Blue Jays knocked the slumping Yankees out of the AL’s top wild-card spot.
The Yankees have lost five straight and nine of 11 since winning 13 in a row. This latest defeat dropped them a half-game behind Boston for the first wild-card slot.
Teoscar Hernández hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning and Guerrero connected off Aroldis Chapman to begin the ninth as the Blue Jays won their seventh in a row. Toronto moved within 1 1/2 games of the Yankees.
Marcus Semien hit a two-run single during Toronto's three-run fourth. He scored the go-ahead run on Hernández’s hit off Clay Holmes (6-3).
Trevor Richards (6-2) tossed 1 2/3 innings for the win. Jordan Romano worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 16th save.
PADRES 8, ANGELS 5
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish threw six strong innings for San Diego, and Adam Frazier had two hits and three RBIs during the Padres' eight-run second inning.
The Padres took a one-game lead over Cincinnati for the NL’s second wild card. The Reds lost 4-1 at the Chicago Cubs.
Darvish (8-9) allowed one run and three hits in his first win since June 21. Mark Melancon pitched the ninth for his 37th save, tops in the majors.
Jo Adell and Juan Lagares each hit a two-run homer for Los Angeles. Mike Mayers (4-5) got the loss in a bullpen game for the Angels.
ATHLETICS 5, WHITE SOX 1
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Chapman homered and Frankie Montas pitched seven sparkling innings, helping Oakland snap a four-game losing streak.
Montas (12-9) allowed one run and six hits in his third straight win. He got some help from his defense, with the A’s turning inning-ending double plays in three of the first four frames.
Matt Olson, Yan Gomes and Elvis Andrus had run-scoring singles for the A’s, who drew a crowd of 8,147 as they try to stay in the playoff race.
White Sox left-hander Dallas Keuchel (8-9) was charged with five runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. He has just one win in his last 10 starts.
GIANTS 7, ROCKIES 4
DENVER (AP) — LaMonte Wade Jr. and Evan Longoria each had two RBIs during San Francisco's four-run rally in the ninth inning.
The streaking Giants (90-50) won their fourth straight and became the first team in the majors to win 90 games.
Brandon Crawford homered and Brandon Belt had three hits for San Francisco. Tyler Rogers (6-1) worked a scoreless eighth inning, and Jake McGee pitched the ninth for his 30th save.
Elías Díaz had three hits for Colorado, including his 16th homer. Trevor Story had a run-scoring double.
Carlos Estévez (2-4) got the loss, allowing all four runs in the ninth.
CARDINALS 5, DODGERS 4
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright pitched into the ninth inning, Yadier Molina homered and St. Louis stopped a four-game slide.
Tyler O’Neill also connected for the Cardinals, and Edmundo Sosa had an RBI single.
The Dodgers dropped two games back of NL West-leading San Francisco, which rallied for a 7-4 victory at Colorado.
Wainwright (15-7) sailed into the ninth, but he was replaced by Giovanny Gallegos after Corey Seager’s RBI single got the Dodgers within two. Will Smith then hit a sacrifice fly before Gallegos struck out Chris Taylor for his fifth save.
Wainwright improved to 8-1 in his last nine starts.
Max Muncy hit his 31st homer for Los Angeles, which had won three of four. Mitch White (1-3) permitted four runs and five hits in five innings.
CUBS 4, REDS 1, 10 INNINGS
CHICAGO (AP) — Jason Heyward hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning to send the Cubs to their eighth victory in nine games.
Ian Happ homered for the third straight game, extending his hitting streak to a career-high nine games and helping the Cubs win their third consecutive series.
Joey Votto launched his 29th homer for Cincinnati. Brad Brach (1-2) got the loss.
The Reds have lost four of six as they fight for a playoff spot.
Codi Heuer (7-2) worked two hitless innings for the win.
BREWERS 4, PHILLIES 3
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Eduardo Escobar hit a tiebreaking solo homer for Milwaukee in the sixth inning.
Milwaukee, which won the final two games of the series after dropping the opener, extended its lead to 12 games in the NL Central over Cincinnati. Philadelphia remained 2½ games behind NL East-leading Atlanta.
Escobar drove an 0-1 pitch from Connor Brogdon (5-4) deep to right for his 25th homer. The infielder was acquired in a July trade with Arizona.
Milwaukee’s bullpen covered 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Freddy Peralta. Alan Ashby (2-0) got six outs for the win, and Josh Hader earned his 30th save.
Bryce Harper hit his 29th homer for Philadelphia in the first.
NATIONALS 4, BRAVES 2
ATLANTA (AP) — Juan Soto crushed a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, and Washington relied on its bullpen after Sean Nolin’s first-inning ejection.
Soto’s long drive off Richard Rodriguez (0-1) landed about halfway up the seats in right-center and snapped a 2-all tie.
Nolin was ejected after only eight pitches. He gave up a one-out single to Jorge Soler, who had three hits, before throwing a pitch behind Freddie Freeman.
Nolin hit Freeman in the hip with the next delivery, possible retaliation for Braves closer Will Smith plunking Soto with a pitch in the ninth inning of Atlanta’s 8-5 win Tuesday night.
Austin Voth (4-1) got the win, and Kyle Finnegan worked the ninth for his eighth save.
Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario homered for Atlanta.
TWINS 3, INDIANS 0
CLEVELAND (AP) — Joe Ryan carried a perfect game into the seventh inning of his second big league appearance, leading Minnesota to the victory.
Ryan (1-1), who was acquired in a July trade with Tampa Bay for slugger Nelson Cruz, retired his first 19 batters before Amed Rosario lined a single through the left side of the infield with one out in the seventh.
Caleb Thielbar worked a perfect eighth and Tyler Duffey finished the one-hitter for his third save.
Miguel Sanó homered for Minnesota, which pitched back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 2019. The Twins have won four straight overall.
Cleveland right-hander Triston McKenzie (4-6) struck out seven while working six innings of one-run ball. The Indians lost their third in a row.
MARLINS 2, METS 1, 10 INNINGS
MIAMI (AP) — Bryan De La Cruz had three hits for Miami, including a game-winning single off the center-field fence in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Miami starter Sandy Alcantara struck out a career-best 14 and allowed one run in nine innings. The right-hander gave up four hits, walked one and hit a batter with a pitch.
Automatic runner Jazz Chisholm Jr. advanced to third on Magneuris Sierra’s sacrifice bunt against Edwin Díaz (5-6) in the 10th. Jesús Sánchez struck out before De La Cruz drilled Díaz’s pitch over the head of center fielder Albert Almora Jr.
Anthony Bender (3-2) worked a scoreless 10th for the win.
MARINERS 8, ASTROS 5
HOUSTON (AP) — José Marmolejos hit a tiebreaking two-run single for Seattle with two outs in the ninth inning, and J.P. Crawford padded the lead with two-run homer.
The Mariners avoided a sweep. The AL West-leading Astros won the series opener Monday 11-2 and rallied Tuesday night for a 5-4 victory in 10 innings.
Diego Castillo (3-5) struck out the side in the eighth for the win.
Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Marwin Gonzalez homered for Houston. Ryan Pressly (5-2) got the loss.
RANGERS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 5
PHOENIX (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe had three hits, Jose Trevino drove in three runs and the Rangers matched a season high with their fourth straight win.
Last-place Texas matched a run from June 25-29, with both streaks coming on the road, where the Rangers are 20-51.
Arizona fell a season-low 50 games under .500 at 45-95. The Diamondbacks have lost five straight, all at home, and 10 of 11 overall.
Jharel Cotton (1-0) pitched a scoreless sixth inning for the win. Joe Barlow, the eighth Rangers pitcher, got the last out for his fourth save.
David Peralta and Nick Ahmed homered for Arizona. Luke Weaver (3-4) allowed three runs and four hits in five innings.
ORIOLES 9, ROYALS 8
BALTIMORE (AP) — Kelvin Gutierrez hit a tying two-run single in Baltimore's nine-run eighth inning.
The Orioles also got two runs when two Kansas City outfielders collided on a ball hit by Cedric Mullins, and Ryan Mountcastle followed with a two-run homer.
Baltimore has taken two of three from Kansas City, which hasn't won a series at Camden Yards since April 2014. The finale of the four-game set is Thursday night.
Salvador Pérez hit his 42nd homer for Kansas City, and Andrew Benintendi had three hits and five RBIs. Josh Staumont (3-3) got the loss.
Manny Barreda (1-0) picked up his first career win. Tyler Wells got the last out and earned his second save.
TIGERS 5, PIRATES 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Miguel Cabrera and Robbie Grossman each had four hits, helping Detroit avoid a series sweep.
Cabrera was 4 for 4 with a double and three RBIs. Grossman was 4 for 5 and scored three runs.
Drew Hutchison (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings for his first win since since Aug. 17, 2018, for Texas against the Los Angeles Angels.
Pirates starter Mitch Keller (4-11) yielded four runs and 10 hits in five innings.
Cabrera has 2,971 hits in his career. The four-hit game was his first since April 26, 2019.
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