BALTIMORE (AP) — Nick Martinez pitched six innings of one-hit ball, Junior Caminero and Chandler Simpson delivered RBI singles in the pivotal sixth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
The AL East-leading Rays had lost three straight and seven of nine before bouncing back behind Martinez (13-4), who retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced. The only flaw in his brilliant performance was Colton Cowser’s third-inning double down the right-field line.
Cam Booser worked a perfect seventh, Kevin Kelly got three straight outs in the eighth and Bryan Baker gave up a leadoff homer to Cowser in the ninth before sealing his 37th save.
Baltimore finished with three hits and failed to draw a walk for the first time in 122 games.
PHILLIES 6, CARDINALS 4
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber’s MLB-leading 39th homer of the season was a two-run shot with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning as Philadelphia rallied from a four-run deficit and beat St. Louis
Schwarber’s walk-off blast traveled an estimated 459 feet to center field and punctuated an incredible comeback with six runs in the bottom of the ninth. The win was the Phillies’ ninth straight and gave Philadelphia its third consecutive series sweep.
The Phillies were scoreless through eight innings when Bryce Harper led off the ninth with his second double of the game. Riley O’Brien (3-5), the Cardinals’ fifth reliever, got two quick outs before J.T. Realmuto singled and Justin Crawford worked a walk to load the bases. That brought on utility man Edmundo Sosa, who cleared the bases with a double down the left-field line that cut the lead to 4-3. Bryan De La Cruz’s RBI single scored Sosa, tying the game at 4.
Pitching-short Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol opted to stick with O’Brien and Schwarber ended the game by hitting a 2-2 sinker to deep center.
Phillies reliever Alex McFarlane (3-1) pitched the ninth and earned the victory. Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez allowed four runs over 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts.
YANKEES 8, BLUE JAYS 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Rice hit a bases-loaded single to score two runs and cap a three-run sixth inning, and New York pulled away for a victory over Toronto.
The Yankees knocked out Toronto starter José Soriano (10-7) by opening the sixth with three straight singles, including a bunt by Jazz Chisholm Jr. that loaded the bases. After Braydon Fisher got the first two outs, Trent Grisham took a 3-2 slider that was low and inside for a go-ahead walk.
Rice also reached a full count against left-hander Mason Fluharty and lined a slider to right field for a 5-2 lead.
Chisholm added a two-run homer in the seventh and Grisham homered in the eighth as the Yankees earned a win by at least five runs for the third time since the All-Star break.
MARLINS 6, NATIONALS 2
MIAMI (AP) — Xavier Edwards hit a go-ahead two-run single in the fifth inning and Miami beat Washington to complete a three-game series sweep.
Otto López had two walks and hit a sacrifice fly, while Joe Mack doubled and had two RBI for the Marlins, who are 41-25 at home.
Edwards snapped a 1-all tie when his line drive with the bases loaded scored López and Agustin Ramirez. López drew a two-out walk and Ramirez singled against Washington starter Jackson Kent (0-2). Trevor Williams relieved Kent and walked Heriberto Hernández before Edwards’ single.
Nationals star shortstop CJ Abrams sat out his fourth straight game because of a left ankle sprain.
Michael Petersen (3-3) got the last out in the fifth for the win. Marlins reliever Jack Ralston pitched two scoreless innings in his major league debut
ROYALS 11, TIGERS 7
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Loftin and John Rave homered, Kyle Isbel drove in three runs and Kansas City extended its winning streak to eight games with a victory over Detroit.
The Royals’ winning streak is their longest since May 2024. Kansas City has won seven straight at home, only the fourth time in franchise history the team has completed an undefeated homestand of seven or more games.
Isbel drove in the first runs of the game with a two-run single, and Loftin added a three-run shot over the left-center field wall, putting Kansas City up 5-1.
Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez added RBI doubles in the fifth before Rave extended the Royals’ lead to 9-5 with a two-run shot to right field.
ATHLETICS 7, ASTROS 6
HOUSTON (AP) — Max Muncy hit a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning and the Athletics rallied from a six-run deficit to beat Houston.
Brian Serven hit a three-run shot, his fourth, that began the six-run rally in the fifth inning. Lawrence Butler had an RBI double, and Tommy White drove in two to even the score 6-6.
Muncy then drove a fastball from Steven Okert (6-2) to center to give the A’s the lead for good.
Jack Perkins (3-9) threw five innings of relief, striking out six while allowing three runs on three hits. He walked five, including two intentional walks of Yordan Alvarez.
Alvarez, currently in the hunt for just the second Triple Crown this century, fouled a ball off of his foot in the fourth, but remained in the game.
WHITE SOX 2, METS 1
CHICAGO (AP) — Tristan Peters homered with one out in the ninth inning to give the Chicago a victory over New York.
After the Mets tied it in the top of the inning, Peters drove a pitch from Kodai Senga (0-9) 406 feet into the center-field seats to seal Chicago’s 11th walk-off victory this season — and second of the series. It was Peters’ third walk-off hit of the season.
Andrew Benintendi drove in the other run with a double and Chicago’s bullpen allowed one run in seven innings.
Benintendi gave Chicago a 1-0 lead in the eighth with a double that scored Miguel Vargas. Jared Young answered right back in the top of the ninth inning, tying the game with a single.
RANGERS 5, ANGELS 3
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ezequiel Durán and Elias Díaz hit solo homers, Cal Quantrill worked six scoreless innings and Texas beat Los Angeles.
With the win, the Rangers moved into a tie with the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West with records of 65-66.
Durán put Texas on the board early, launching his 14th home run of the year into the left-center seats for a 1-0 lead. Cody Freeman added an RBI triple — his first of the season — before Díaz extended the lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning with a solo homer, his sixth of the season.
Quantrill (6-4) allowed six hits, didn’t allow a walk and struck out six. He now boasts five-straight starts of five or more innings allowing a run or less, and extended his scoreless innings streak to 15.
Jacob Latz worked a one-hit ninth for his 26th save of the season.
GUARDIANS 7, ROCKIES 2
DENVER (AP) — Chase DeLauter had two triples and drove in two runs, Jo Adell had two RBIs and Cleveland rolled past Colorado to finish a sweep of their three-game series.
The win was the fourth in a row and sixth in the past eight games for the Guardians, who remain tied with the Texas Rangers for the American League’s third and final wild-card spot.
Foster Griffin (15-4) allowed two earned runs in five innings. It was his fourth start since being traded to Cleveland on Aug. 3, and his first against the Rockies.
Adell, Steven Kwan, Angel Martínez and Austin Hedges finished with two hits apiece for Cleveland.
The Rockies’ loss was their sixth in a row, tied for their longest skid of the season, and extended their home losing streak to nine games.
RED SOX 5, GIANTS 4
BOSTON (AP) — Nick Sogard hit his second career homer, Jake Bennett struck out six in seven innings and Boston came back to finish a sweep of San Francisco with a win.
The Sox finished their homestand 5-1. They are 7-3 since a five-game skid that matched their season high.
After the Giants took an early 3-0 lead capped by Jonah Cox’s solo homer in the second, Sogard blasted a 3-2 fastball from Matt Wilkinson (0-1) 415 feet over the Green Monster to cut into the deficit.
Ceddanne Rafaela drove in another in the third, and Connor Wong tied the game with an RBI double. Mickey Gasper gave the Red Sox the lead with a double of his own, and Rafaela added an insurance run with a single.
Bennett (8-6) allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and walked one.
DODGERS 4, PIRATES
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Snell threw six scoreless innings and Los Angeles won their sixth straight game by easing past Pittsburgh.
Snell (2-1) has won consecutive starts and the Dodgers have been victorious in each of his three appearances in August after missing three months because of surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow. He allowed two hits and three walks on a sweltering afternoon at Dodger Stadium, but still had enough to end his outing with a 97 mph fastball for his sixth strike out.
Alek Thomas, Hunter Feduccia and Max Muncy had an RBI for the Dodgers, who have bounced back since manager Dave Roberts called them out for sustained inconsistent play a week ago.
The Pirates have dropped eight of their past nine road games. Lake Bachar (1-3) started a bullpen game and allowed one run in two innings, and Carmen Mlodzinski gave up three runs in three innings.
CUBS 19, MARINERS 2
SEATTLE (AP) — Ian Happ and Pedro Ramírez each hit grand slams and had five RBIs, Pete Crow-Armstrong also homered and Chicago blew out Seattle to avoid a three-game sweep.
Michael Conforto hit Chicago’s other homer, getting his 11th of the season on a leadoff shot in the third that Happ highlighted with his two-out, two-strike shot with the bases loaded.
Mariners starter Bryce Miller (4-8) issued three straight two-out walks before facing Happ. The Seattle right-hander got ahead in the count 1-2, but Happ kept his hands tucked on a down-and-in splitter to blast it off the right-field foul pole for his 22nd home run of the season.
Seattle (62-69) remained three games behind Houston in the AL West and fell three games back for the final wild-card spot. The Cubs (75-56) preserved a 4 1/2 -game lead in the NL wild card.
PADRES 8, TWINS 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit two homers and drove in four runs for red-hot San Diego, who beat Minnesota for a three-game sweep in a showdown of teams pushing for wild-card spots.
Luis Rengifo hit a tiebreaking two-run double with the bases loaded in the sixth and Walker Buehler (8-6) pitched six strong innings for the Padres, who continue to hold the National League’s third wild-card berth.
San Diego won for the 11th time in 14 games and for the 21st time in 28.
The Twins came into the series tied with Texas for the American League’s third wild card but have dropped back into a traffic jam outside the final postseason berth.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, REDS 3
PHOENIX (AP) — Ildemaro Vargas hit a go-ahead, two-run triple in a decisive four-run seventh inning and Arizona rallied for a victory over Cincinnati to win the series and keep pace in the National League playoff race.
The D-backs remain two games behind the San Diego Padres for the final NL wild-card spot.
Trailing 3-1 in the seventh, Arizona loaded the bases with no outs against starter Andrew Abbott. Lars Nootbaar made it 3-2 with a fielder’s choice off reliever Luis Mey and then Vargas followed with his two-run triple that rolled all the way to the right-center field wall.
Corbin Carroll’s sacrifice fly brought home Vargas and made it 5-3.
Kevin Ginkel struck out Tyler Stephenson looking to end the game, stranding runners on first and second. It was his second save of the year.
BRAVES 4, BREWERS 2
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Michael Harris II hit a solo homer, Mauricio Dubon had an RBI ground-rule double and Tyler Mahle worked five strong innings as Atlanta beat Milwaukee in the Little League Classic.
Harris hit an 0-2 slider from Milwaukee reliever Aaron Ashby over the right field fence to give Atlanta an insurance run in the top of the ninth. It was the 21st homer of the season for Harris and it helped NL East-leading Atlanta win for only the second time in seven games.
Dubon’s hit to right field in the second inning bounced up and over the wall for a run-scoring ground rule double. He later walker, advanced to third on a single by Austin Riley and scored on a fielding error by Milwaukee first baseman Andrew Vaughn in the sixth.
Sean Murphy drove in the other Atlanta run on an infield single in the top of the fourth.
Mahle (5-10) allowed one run on six hits in five innings to earn the win. Raisel Iglesias got pinch-hitter Gary Sanchez to pop out with the potential tying run on third base in the eighth, and then pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 27th save.
The Associated Press
