AL Playoff Watch: Orioles fall further behind Blue Jays, Mariners win

BALTIMORE — Rafael Devers hit a first-inning grand slam, Kiké Hernández had four hits and Boston slugged its way to a big win over Baltimore.

Jordan Lyles (10-10) couldn’t make it out of the fourth in his first start this month, and the Orioles lost for the fifth time in seven games. Lyles allowed eight runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Christian Arroyo hit a two-run homer in the fifth for the Red Sox, who had already broken the game open by then. Boston snapped a four-game losing streak, and Michael Wacha (11-1) extended his unbeaten run to 11 starts, and gave up three runs and six hits in six innings.

Boston finished with 21 hits.

BLUE JAYS 11, RANGERS 7

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Danny Jansen homered and matching a career high with four hits, Santiago Espinal tied his career highs with three hits and three RBIs, and Raimel Tapia hit a three-run homer as Toronto’s bottom of the order led an early onslaught in a win over Texas.

All 11 Blue Jays runs came in the first four innings, helping Kevin Gausman to his fourth consecutive win. The Blue Jays are a season-best 18 games over .500 and pulled within one-half game of AL wild-card leader Tampa Bay.

Gausman (12-9) allowed five runs on two homers. He went 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine, which is one short of his season high.

The Jays batted around twice in the first three innings against Kohei Arihara (1-3), who also gave up a two-run homer to Jansen in the fourth. Tim Mayza earned his first save of the season.

YANKEES 10, RAYS 3

NEW YORK — Leadoff man Aaron Judge singled twice during a six-run first inning off Corey Kluber as the New York Yankees started with seven straight hits for the first time since 1990 and routed the Tampa Bay Rays 10-3 Saturday.

Josh Donaldson homered early and Giancarlo Stanton connected late off a lob pitch as both players returned to the lineup and helped the AL East-leading Yankees move to 4 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay. New York also clinched the season head-to-head tiebreaker over the Rays should the teams finish even atop the division.

Judge, leading the majors with 55 home runs, hit three singles in raising his average to .307. He is the first Yankees player to reach base at least three times in seven straight games since Mickey Mantle in June 1957.

New York hit six singles on the first 21 pitches from Kluber (10-8). Judge’s RBI single with two outs in the first chased the two-time Cy Young Award winner after 32 pitches.

New York starter Jameson Taillon (13-4) gave up three runs and six hits in 7 1/3 innings and got his 50th career win.

Wander Franco hit an RBI single and Harold Ramírez added a two-run single as Tampa Bay lost for the second time in 11 games.

MARINERS 3, BRAVES 1

SEATTLE — Sam Haggerty and Eugenio Suárez each hit a solo homer, George Kirby pitched into the seventh inning and Seattle beat Atlanta to snap the Braves’ eight-game winning streak.

Atlanta starter Max Fried (13-6) made his first start in interleague play this season and had won his previous nine starts against AL teams.

Haggerty hit Fried's first pitch of the fifth inning out to left field for his fifth home run. Suárez followed an inning later, hitting a two-out shot to center for his 28th of the season. It was the first time this year Fried allowed multiple home runs in a start.

In his 21st start of his rookie season, Kirby (7-3) struck out six, didn’t walk a batter and over his past 11 starts has a 1.99 ERA.

Fried's final line was almost a mirror of Kirby’s, throwing six innings and striking out six.

WHITE SOX 10, ATHLETICS 2

OAKLAND, Calif. — Elvis Andrus connected for a three-run homer against Oakland, which cut him last month, and Chicago had 20 hits in its fourth straight win.

A.J. Pollack and Andrew Vaughn each had four hits, helping Lance Lynn (6-5) and the surging White Sox win for the ninth time in 11 games. Lynn allowed two unearned runs and three hits in six innings.

Andrus is 22 for 60 with five homers over his last 14 games.

A’s starter Adrián Martínez (4-4) was tagged for 14 hits in just 3 2/3 innings and gave up seven runs. He fell to the ground after being struck in his left, non-pitching shoulder by a line drive in the second, got the out to end the inning and stayed in the game.

ANGELS 6, ASTROS 1

HOUSTON (AP) — Mike Trout homered in his sixth straight game to set an Angels franchise record, Shohei Ohtani threw five solid innings before exiting because of a blister and Los Angeles beat the Houston Astros 6-1 on Saturday night.

Trout hit his 34th homer, a three-run drive to left field in the second inning. The three-time AL MVP broke the club mark of five games in a row with a homer set by Bobby Bonds in 1977.

Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly and Dale Long share the major league record of eight games in a row with a home run.

Ohtani (12-8) yielded one run on six hits with seven strikeouts until leaving just before the sixth inning with a blister on his right index finger.

The Angels jumped on Houston starter José Urquidy (13-6) for five runs in the first two innings. He allowed a career high-tying six runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts in five innings.

PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 5

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper ended the longest home run drought of his career and Kyle Schwarber hit his 37th homer of the year to help Philadelphia over Washington.

Harper homered for the fist time since June 5, a span of 102 plate appearances that also included a two-month stint on the IL with a broken thumb. Schwarber homered for the first time since Aug. 29 to keep the National League lead.

Brandon Marsh and Nick Maton also homered for Philadelphia. Ranger Suarez (9-5) earned the win for the Phillies, throwing 6 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits.

Erick Fedde (6-10) took the loss for the Washington. He allowed four runs on five hits and four walks in just 3 2/3 innings.

METS 11, MARLINS 3

MIAMI (AP) — Francisco Lindor had three hits, including his 22nd home run, Mark Canha launched a grand slam to cap an eight-run fourth inning and New York took down Miami.

Eduardo Escobar also went deep among his three hits for the Mets, who began the night trailing in the NL East for the first time since April 11.

Canha opened the fourth with a walk against Miami starter Pablo López and polished off the outburst by connecting off reliever Andrew Nardi for his first career slam to put the Mets ahead 9-1.

Carlos Carrasco (14-6) overcame an early Marlins advantage and pitched six innings of one-run ball. The right-hander retired 11 straight before Jon Berti’s one-out double in the sixth.

López (8-10) gave up eight runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He has allowed 14 runs and 22 hits in his last two starts against New York.

GIANTS 5, CUBS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Joey Bart and David Villar each homered, doubled and drove in two runs, helping San Francisco top Chicago and end a five-game losing streak.

Logan Webb (13-8) allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings, while striking out six and walking none. The 25-year-old right-hander retired 17 of his last 19 hitters, and extended his career highs for wins and innings pitched.

John Brebbia tossed a scoreless eighth. Camilo Doval worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 21st save.

Ian Happ doubled twice and drove in a run for the Cubs, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games. Chicago starter Marcus Stroman (3-7) yielded four runs and seven hits over four innings.

BREWERS 5, REDS 1

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Willy Adames and Andrew McCutchen each hit a two-run homer, Adrian Houser allowed one hit in six innings and Milwaukee beat Cincinnati.

Houser (6-9) permitted a leadoff double by José Barrero in the third and a sacrifice fly by TJ Friedl — but nothing more. The right-hander turned a 2-1 lead over to the bullpen, and the Brewers easily held on. Taylor Rogers pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, Matt Bush struck out the side in the eighth and Brad Boxberger handled the ninth for Milwaukee, which is chasing an NL wild card.

Adames connected off Chase Anderson (0-3) in the first inning for his 27th home run, tying Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers for most in the majors by a shortstop.

TIGERS 8, ROYALS 4, 8 INNINGS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —Victor Reyes drove in three runs, and Detroit beat Kansas City in a rain-shortened game.

Javier Báez and Harold Castro each had two hits and two RBIs as Detroit earned its third straight win. Matt Manning (2-2) pitched 6 1/3 innings of three-hit ball.

The Tigers went ahead to stay with three runs in the third against Jonathan Heasley (3-8). Reyes snapped a 1-1 tie with an RBI triple. Báez doubled in Reyes and then scored on Castro’s single.

Heasley was charged with seven runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.

Salvador Perez had two hits for Kansas City and drove in a run.

CARDINALS 7, PIRATES 5

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Albert Pujols hit his 696th home run, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5 Saturday night.

Pujols trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the all-time homer chart. The 42-year-old Pujols has 22 games left in his 22nd and final season in the big leagues.

With St. Louis down 3-1 in the sixth, Pujols connected on a first-pitch slider from JT Brubaker. He sent a two-run shot 418 feet into the left-field bleachers at PNC Park, launched with an exit velocity of 111.2 mph.

Pujols also doubled and singled for the NL Central leaders. His RBI single in the eighth made it 4-all.

Nolan Arenado broke the tie with a three-run double with two outs in the ninth off Wil Crowe (5-9).

Giovanny Gallegos (3-5) pitched a perfect eighth inning for the Cardinals. Ryan Helsley allowed a two-out RBI single from Bryan Reynolds in the ninth before getting Rodolfo Castro to ground out for his 15th save.