Scherzer strong in return, but Mets fall to Reds in 9th

CINCINNATI (AP) — The New York Mets wasted a stellar performance by Max Scherzer in his return from an oblique injury, losing 1-0 to the Cincinnati Reds on Mike Moustakas’ game-ending sacrifice fly on Tuesday night.

Scherzer struck out 11 while pitching six innings of two-hit ball in his first big league start since May 18.

Reds rookie Nick Lodolo combined with four relievers on a six-hitter. Lodolo struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings in his return from a back injury.

Hunter Strickland (2-2) got three outs for the win against the NL East leaders.

Tommy Pham led off the ninth with a double into the right-field corner against Seth Lugo (1-2). After two walks, Moustakas’ deep flyball to center drove in Pham.

ASTROS 9, ROYALS 7

HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez threw out Hunter Dozier at the plate from just short of the warning track in left field to preserve a two-run, eighth-inning lead, then hit his 25th homer as Houston beat Kansas City.

The Astros also got homers from Jeremy Peña, Alex Bregman and Aledmys Díaz as they extended their winning streak to a major league-best eight games.

Houston trailed 4-3 entering the fifth inning before Peña homered off Zack Greinke (2-5) to tie it. Bregman’s two-run shot later in the fifth put the Astros ahead 6-4.

Luis Garcia (7-5) allowed eight hits and five runs in 6 1/3 innings for his fourth straight win. Rafael Montero allowed a run on a groundout in the ninth before striking out the next two batters for his sixth save.

MARLINS 2, ANGELS 1

MIAMI (AP) — Sandy Alcantara pitched eight dominant innings and Miami beat Los Angeles for its sixth straight win.

Alcantara (9-3) allowed two hits — singles by Luis Rengifo in the fifth and Mike Trout in the seventh — in his 11th consecutive outing of at least seven innings. The right-hander struck out 10 and lowered his ERA to 1.82.

Tanner Scott earned his 10th save, surrendering Taylor Ward’s sacrifice fly before retiring Jared Walsh on a liner to center for the final out.

Garrett Cooper connected against Noah Syndergaard (5-7) in the third inning. Bryan De La Cruz went deep in the fifth.

ORIOLES 10, RANGERS 9, 10 INNINGS

BALTIMORE (AP) — Cedric Mullins doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning and Baltimore beat Texas in a wild game that featured several comebacks and clutch home runs.

Mullins hit a two-out liner into the gap off Matt Moore (3-2) to bring home Ryan McKenna, who started the inning at second base.

Joey Krehbiel (4-3) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 10th for the Orioles, who have won three straight following a four-game skid.

Texas trailed 4-0 in the second inning, 7-4 in the eighth and 8-7 in the ninth before rallying. Not to be outdone, Baltimore pulled out of a 9-8 deficit in the ninth when Rougned Odor hit a two-out homer to right-center off Joe Barlow.

Mitch Garver, Nathanel Lowe and Corey Seagar homered for the Rangers.

PHILLIES 11, NATIONALS 0

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber homered twice, running his NL-best total to 25, and the Philadelphia beat Washington.

J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run shot as the Phillies won for the fourth time in five games.

Cristopher Sánchez (1-1) tossed two-hit ball over five shutout innings.

Schwarber opened the game against Paolo Espino (0-2) with his third leadoff homer this season and No. 16 for his career. He left no doubt in the third, drilling a solo shot into the second deck in right for his 18th career multihomer game.

PIRATES 5, YANKEES 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie outfielder Jack Suwinski hit his 14th home run, Daniel Vogelbach added his 11th and Pittsburgh beat New York.

Jameson Taillon (9-2), a high draft pick by the Pirates who was traded to New York in January 2021, lost for the first time since April 11. He gave up a solo shot to Vogelbach in the first inning and a two-run homer just over the center-field wall by Suwinski in the fourth.

Jose Quintana (2-4) held New York in check for five innings and Pittsburgh’s bullpen did the rest. David Bednar worked the ninth for his 13th save as the Pirates sent the Yankees to consecutive losses for just the fifth time this season.

BRAVES 7, CARDINALS 1

ATLANTA (AP) — Austin Riley homered and drove in three runs, Ian Anderson allowed one run in a bounce-back start, and Atlanta beat struggling St. Louis.

Riley hit a two-run homer, his 21st, and William Contreras also went deep in the first inning as Atlanta took a 5-0 lead.

Anderson (7-5) allowed eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts in five innings. He had allowed a combined 11 earned runs in back-to-back losses.

St. Louis rookie Andre Pallante (2-4) allowed career highs of seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings.

TWINS 8, WHITE SOX 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Kirilloff hit two of Minnesota’s five homers, Jorge Polanco went deep on his birthday for the second time, and the Twins beat Chicago.

Kirilloff went back to back with Polanco against slumping White Sox starter Michael Kopech (2-6) in a three-run fifth, and then hit a two-run drive against Vince Velasquez in the seventh.

Max Kepler and Jose Miranda also connected for the Twins.

Josh Winder (4-2) pitched five solid innings on short notice after Chris Archer went on the 15-day injured list because of tightness in his left hip.

DODGERS 5, ROCKIES 2

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Muncy and Mookie Betts hit first-pitch home runs to power Los Angeles past last-place Colorado.

The victory pushed the Dodgers’ NL West lead to 5 1/2 games over San Diego, their largest of the season.

Rookie right-hander Ryan Pepiot (1-0) started in place of Mitch White after being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier in the day. The 24-year-old Pepiot allowed one run and four hits over five innings in his fourth big league start. He struck out a career-high six and walked one.

Brusdar Graterol pitched the ninth to earn his second major league save, both in the past week.

Colorado’s Kris Bryant went deep for the first time since last September, ending a career-worst homerless streak of 38 games. Bryant has gone 10 for 29 in seven games since coming off the injured list a week ago.

Germán Márquez (4-7) gave up four runs and six hits in six innings.

MARINERS 6, PADRES 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Logan Gilbert (10-3) tied for the major league lead in wins, Sam Haggerty homered and Seattle beat San Diego.

The Mariners swept the two-game set to win their fifth consecutive series. They have won 12 of 15, while the Padres have lost nine of 12.

Gilbert allowed one earned run and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three, struck out one and has a 2.61 ERA.

Mike Clevinger (2-1) gave up four runs and six hits over six innings.

CUBS 8, BREWERS 3

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Seiya Suzuki homered for the second straight night as Chicago overcame Kyle Hendricks’ early exit and beat Milwaukee.

Hendricks left after three innings with a sore right shoulder. Matt Swarmer (2-3), Rowan Wick and Michael Rucker combined to allow just one run over the last six innings.

Suzuki broke a 2-all tie by lining a two-run shot just to the right of the left-field foul pole in the fifth inning.

After Jason Alexander (2-1) held Chicago scoreless for the first three innings, the Cubs totaled eight runs over the next three frames.

RAYS 8, RED SOX 4

BOSTON (AP) — Kevin Kiermaier hit an early three-run double and broke a tie with an RBI grounder during a four-run sixth inning that sent Tampa Bay past Boston.

Yandy Díaz had three hits and an RBI as the Rays evened the three-game series between AL East rivals at one apiece.

Xander Bogaerts and Trevor Story homered for Boston.

Ryan Thompson (2-2) took over for starter Jeffrey Springs with two on and none out in the fifth and got out of the jam to keep the game tied.

Nick Pivetta (8-6) pitched 5 2/3 innings for Boston and allowed seven runs on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

TIGERS 11, GUARDIANS 4

DETROIT (AP) — Riley Greene and Victor Reyes drove in three runs apiece, Eric Haase blasted a two-run homer and Detroit pounded Cleveland.

Miguel Cabrera added three hits, two runs scored and an RBI for the Tigers, who have won the first three games of the four-game series.

Drew Hutchison (1-4) allowed two runs — one earned — and five hits in five innings.

Guardians starter Cal Quantrill (4-5) surrendered six runs — three earned — and eight hits in four innings.

ATHLETICS 5, BLUE JAYS 3

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Piscotty homered, Adrián Martínez struck out five over five solid innings and Oakland beat Toronto.

Matt Chapman hit a tying two-run homer in the second against his former club, but the A’s held on to secure a winning series for just the second time in their last 12.

Four relievers followed Martínez (2-1) and held Toronto in check, with Lou Trivino closing it out for his sixth save in seven opportunities.

Yusei Kikuchi (3-5) matched his season high with five walks in 2 1/3 innings. He was charged with four runs and two hits.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, GIANTS 2

PHOENIX (AP) — Daulton Varsho hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning after Josh Rojas caused problems with his speed, and Arizona extended San Francisco's losing streak to six games.

Rojas led off the eighth with a two-strike bunt single — the second in the majors by a position player since 2016 — and distracted reliever Dominic Leone (3-1) at first base, drawing several pickoff throws. Rojas went to third on Cooper Hummel’s single and scored the tying run on a wild pitch.

Leone walked the next two batters to load the bases and Buddy Kennedy hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly off Camilo Doval. Varsho followed with his 12th home run, and the Diamondbacks earned their first series win against their NL West rivals since May 2019.

Caleb Smith (1-1) got the victory.

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