MLB Roundup: Baty HRs in first at-bat, Mets end Braves win streak

ATLANTA — Brett Baty homered his first time up in the big leagues, Starling Marte went deep twice and the New York Mets defeated the Braves 9-7 Wednesday night to snap Atlanta’s eight-game winning streak.

The NL East-leading Mets jumped to a 6-1 lead and barely made it stand up to push their advantage over the Braves back to 4 1/2 games.

Vaughn Grissom had a two-run single in the ninth, but Trevor May retired Ronald Acuña Jr. on a flyout to the warming track to end the game.

Baty, the 12th overall pick in the 2019 draft, came up for the first time in the second with a runner aboard and the Mets ahead 2-0 on back-to-back homers in the first off Jake Odorizzi (4-5). Baty connected on a hanging curve on his very first swing in a New York uniform, becoming the fifth player in Mets history to homer in his first at-bat.

Atlanta knocked out nemesis Matt Scherzer (9-2) in the seventh without getting a ball out of the infield. He was charged with four runs over 6 1/3 innings, despite surrendering just three hits and three walks while striking out eight.

Robbie Grossman made a game of it, launching a three-run homer that brought the Braves within a single run. That was as close as they got. Pete Alonso’s two-run single highlighted a three-run ninth that provided some breathing room.

YANKEES 8, RAYS 7

NEW YORK — Josh Donaldson hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning as the clock struck midnight, and the struggling New York Yankees salvaged an 8-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night to avoid a three-game sweep.

Gleyber Torres singled leading off the 10th off Jalen Beeks (2-2) and Anthony Rizzo walked before Donaldson lifted a one-strike, 97 mph fastball to the short porch in right field.

Aroldis Chapman (2-3) gave up three runs in the top of the 10th for New York, which entered having lost three straight and 12 of 15.

But the Yankees finally got some help from their offence, scoring more than three runs in a game for the first time since Aug. 8. New York had totaled one run in its past three games.

Although the Yankees are 9-16 since the All-Star break, their AL East lead moved back to 10 games over Tampa Bay and Toronto. New York has led the division by double digits for all but two days since June 13.

BLUE JAYS 6, ORIOLES 1

TORONTO — George Springer broke a scoreless tie with a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh inning, and Toronto beat Baltimore behind a stellar effort by Ross Stripling.

Springer’s liner to centre was career hit No. 1,000, and Toronto poured it on from there. Santiago Espinal followed Springer with a two-run double, and Alejandro Kirk capped the Blue Jays’ six-run seventh with another two-run double.

Toronto snapped a five-game losing streak against Baltimore and won for the third time in 11 games. It broke through against the Orioles’ bullpen after Stripling carried a perfect game into the seventh.

Stripling retired his first 18 batters before Cedric Mullins singled to centre on the first pitch of the seventh. He matched a season high by striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings.

Yimi Garcia (2-4) got two outs for the win. Joey Krehbiel (4-4) was charged with the loss.

MARINERS 11, ANGELS 7

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Cal Raleigh homered twice, Eugenio Suárez and Jesse Winker each hit a two-run shot, and Seattle completed a three-game sweep of Los Angeles.

Shohei Ohtani had a two-run homer, a triple, two singles and four RBIs for the Angels.

George Kirby (5-3) pitched six-hit ball into the sixth while getting ample run support in his third consecutive victory.

Spot starter Touki Toussaint (1-1) took the loss for Los Angeles.

TWINS 4, ROYALS 0

MINNEAPOLIS — Emilio Pagán pitched two scoreless innings after Tyler Mahle departed with right shoulder fatigue, and the Twins beat the Royals for a three-game sweep.

Jose Miranda hit a two-run homer for Minnesota, which is fighting with Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox for control of the crowded AL Central.

After Mahle left in the third, Pagán (4-6), Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran, Michael Fulmer and Trevor Megill finished Minnesota’s second straight shutout. A diving catch by centre fielder Gilberto Celestino saved a run in the seventh.

Mahle is going to be further evaluated and the team is expected to provide an update later Wednesday or Thursday.

Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino each had two hits for Kansas City. Daniel Lynch (4-8) allowed four runs — three earned — in six innings.

REDS 1, PHILLIES 0

CINCINNATI — Jose Barrero hit a game-ending RBI single off Seranthony Domínguez with two out in the ninth inning, sending Cincinnati to the win.

Albert Almora Jr. helped set up Barrero’s winning hit with a one-out walk. Almora advanced to second on Alejo Lopez’s single and hustled home when Barrero hit a grounder back up the middle.

It was the first run allowed by Domínguez (6-4) since July 10. Alexis Díaz (4-1) got six outs for the win.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto announced after the win that he will have season-ending surgery Friday to repair a torn left rotator cuff. The 38-year-old Votto, a six-time All-Star and 2010 NL MVP, hit just .205 this year.

PADRES 10, MARLINS 3

MIAMI — Jake Cronenworth hit a grand slam in the first inning, Ha-Seong Kim also drove in four runs, and San Diego avoided a three-game sweep by Miami.

Cronenworth’s two-out blast against Pablo López (7-8) was his 12th homer this season and second career grand slam.

Adrían Morejón (2-0) relieved Padres starter Mike Clevinger in the fifth and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1

MILWAUKEE — Tony Gonsolin pitched seven scoreless innings for his 15th victory, Austin Barnes and Max Muncy homered, and the Los Angeles beat Milwaukee.

Gonsolsin (15-1) matched the Astros’ Justin Verlander for the major league lead in wins. Craig Kimbrel allowed two baserunners in the ninth but escaped for his 21st save.

Milwaukee fell three games behind first-place St. Louis in the NL Central.

Eric Lauer (8-5) pitched seven solid innings for the Brewers, allowing four hits in seven innings, including the two homers.

ASTROS 3, WHITE SOX 2

CHICAGO — Framber Valdez threw seven solid innings, Yordan Alvarez drove in a run and scored one, and Houston ended Chicago’s five-game winning streak.

The AL West-leading Astros hung on after blowing late leads in the first two games of the series. The White Sox trail AL Central-leading Cleveland by two games.

Valdez (12-4) gave up two runs and seven hits, struck out six and walked three. Ryan Pressly pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 28 chances.

Michael Kopech (4-9) took the loss, going six innings and allowing three runs and five hits. He struck out two.

CUBS 3, NATIONALS 2

WASHINGTON — Yan Gomes hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning, lifting the Cubs to the victory.

With two out and Franmil Reyes aboard after a leadoff double, Gomes hit a soft liner to right against Steve Cishek. Gomes played for the Nationals from 2019-21.

Erich Uelman (1-1) got two outs for his first major league win. Rowan Wick pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

P.J. Higgins homered for Chicago.

Lane Thomas hit two doubles for Washington, and rookie Joey Meneses extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Jake McGee (1-3) got the loss.

RED SOX 8, PIRATES 3

PITTSBURGH — Christian Arroyo had three hits and three RBIs, Alex Verdugo reached base five times and 42-year-old Rich Hill won for the first time in nearly two months in Boston's victory over Pittsburgh.

The Red Sox won for the fifth time in six games and got back to .500 at 59-59. Boston in four games behind Toronto in the race for the third and final AL wild-card spot.

Arroyo hit a two-run double and scored on Kike Hernandez’s sacrifice fly in the second inning as Boston went ahead for good 3-2. Arroyo also singled in a run in a three-run ninth that broke the gamer open.

Verdugo was 3 for 3 with two walks. Hill (5-5) allowed two runs on three hits in five innings for his first win since June 26. He struck out four and walked none.

Rookie Roansy Contreras (3-3) allowed four runs on six hits in six innings with four walks and three strikeouts.

GUARDIANS 8, TIGERS 4

CLEVELAND — All-Star José Ramírez blooped a go-ahead, two-run double as Cleveland scored six runs with two outs in the eighth inning, rallying to beat Detroit.

Rookies Steven Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez had RBI doubles, and Amed Rosario and Owen Miller added run-scoring singles in the eighth for the AL Central-leading Guardians. Cleveland trailed 4-1 in the sixth and 4-2 entering the eighth.

Bryan Shaw (6-2) retired one batter for the win as Cleveland remained one game ahead of Minnesota in the division. Andrew Chafin (0-3) took the loss.

Willi Castro hit a solo homer and Victor Reyes and Eric Haase had RBI singles for Detroit, which has lost nine of its last 11 games. Rookie Kerry Carpenter had a sacrifice fly for his fourth RBI in the four-game series.

CARDINALS 5, ROCKIES 1

ST. LOUIS — Jordan Montgomery picked up his third win in as many starts with St. Louis, and Nolan Gorman drove in three runs in a victory over Colorado.

St. Louis won for the 12th time in 13 home games and beat Colorado for the 11th straight time at home while improving to a season-best 14 games over .500 at 65-51.

Colorado lost its fourth in a row and has dropped 18 of 26 since the All-Star break.

Montgomery (6-3), who was acquired from the New York Yankees on Aug. 2, gave up one run on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight.

Jose Iglesias had two hits for the Rockies, who have been held to one run or less six times since July 26. German Marquez (6-10) gave up three runs on seven hits over six innings.

ATHLETICS 7, RANGERS 2

ARLINGTON, Texas — Sean Murphy had his second two-homer game and rookie Shea Langeliers hit his first major league home run in his second game with Oakland.

Murphy pulled a solo home run to left field in the first inning, launched an opposite-field, two-run shot in the third doubled and scored in the eighth inning. Langeliers, from nearby Keller, Texas, homered on an 0-2 pitch with one on during Oakland’s four-run eighth inning.

A’s rookie righthander Adam Oller (2-5) allowed one run — his fewest in 10 starts — on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

Cole Ragans (0-2) gave up three runs on four hits and one walk in five innings while striking out three. It was Ragans’ third big league start.

The A’s, with the worst record in the American League, have won two consecutive games following a nine-game losing streak.