MLB Roundup: Orioles hold off Rays' comeback attempt, widen AL East lead

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn had a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth inning and the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles rebounded after blowing a five-run lead to beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the second time in three days, 6-5 on Saturday.

The Orioles, who have won 11 of 14, took a one-game lead over the second-place Rays. Baltimore started July 6 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay, which dropped to an AL-worst 4-13 in July.

The four-game series concludes Sunday.

Pinch-hitter Adam Frazier had a ninth-inning leadoff single off Pete Fairbanks (0-4), went to second on James McCann’s sacrifice bunt and scored on O’Hearn’s liner to right.

Cionel Pérez (3-1) got the final out in the eighth, and Félix Bautista worked a perfect ninth to get his 27th save.

Rays All-Star Shane McClanahan was bidding to become the majors’ first 12-game winner but lasted just four innings, allowing five runs, five hits and three walks.

DODGERS 16, RANGERS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit two more home runs, Max Muncy and J.D. Martinez also went deep as NL West-leading Los Angeles dealt AL West-leading Texas its most lopsided loss of the season.

The Dodgers, who won for the 10th time in 12 games, matched their season highs with 18 hits and five homers. Their last long ball was Jonny Deluca’s three-run shot in the ninth off Texas utility player Brad Miller, who pitched the final two innings.

Freeman went 4 for 5 with his 19th and 20th homers. Dodgers rookie starter Bobby Miller (6-1) gave up Marcus Semien’s homer on his second pitch, and worked six solid innings, striking out six without a walk.

Dane Dunning (8-3) had his shortest start of the season, allowing five runs over three innings.

YANKEES 5, ROYALS 2

NEW YORK — DJ LeMahieu hit the go-ahead home run in the 7th inning, Gerrit Cole struck out 10 and New York defeated Kansas City.

Giancarlo Stanton homered and drove in three runs and Anthony Volpe doubled and stole a base for the Yankees, who won their second straight game and pick up their first series win in July. New York has won 17 of the last 21 meetings with Kansas City.

Nick Pratto homered and Brady Singer struck out nine in another strong start at Yankee Stadium for the Royals, who lost for the seventh time in nine games following the All-Star break.

Cole scattered five hits and a pair of runs across 6 1/3 innings. Wandy Peralta (3-1) threw four pitches in relief of Cole in the seventh to earn the victory. Clay Holmes earned his 13th save.

CUBS 8, CARDINALS 6

CHICAGO — Cody Bellinger drove in four runs and Nico Hoerner had three of Chicago’s 15 hits in a win over NL Central rival St. Louis.

Chicago trailed 1-0, 3-1, 5-3 and 6-5 before moving in front for the first time with three runs in the sixth inning. Bellinger yanked a two-run single into right field and Seiya Suzuki followed with an RBI single, giving the Cubs an 8-6 lead.

Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman homered for St. Louis, which has dropped two in a row after a six-game win streak. Nootbaar had three hits, scored three times and made two impressive defensive plays in a terrific all-around performance.

Daniel Palencia (2-0) got one out for the win. Zack Thompson (2-3) was charged with all three runs in the sixth.

Adbert Alzolay worked the ninth for his ninth save,

REDS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2

CINCINNATI — TJ Friedl, Matt McLain and Jake Fraley hit consecutive home runs in the sixth inning and Cincinnati beat Arizona for its fourth straight victory.

Diamondbacks rookie right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (0-4), just recalled from Triple-A Reno, retired 16 in a row after Spencer Steer led off the first with a single before Friedl started the power spree.

The Reds last hit three consecutive homers on July 13, 2022, when Kyle Farmer, Mike Moustakas, and Stuart Fairchild went deep at Yankee Stadium.

Reds rookie left-hander Brandon Williamson (2-2) allowed one run and three hits.

Corbin Carroll hit his 20th home run in the ninth off Alexis Diaz, who finished for his 29th save.

ROCKIES 4, MARLINS 3

MIAMI — Nolan Jones hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning and Randal Grichuk hit a go-ahead RBI single in the ninth as Colorado rallied from an early three-run deficit to beat Miami.

Grichuk’s first hit of the game scored Ryan McMahon. He led off the inning with a single off reliever Tanner Scott (4-3) and went to second when pinch-hitter Elias Díaz was hit by a pitch.

Daniel Bard (4-1) worked an inning of relief and earned the victory. Justin Lawrence pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save of the season.

MLB-batting leader Luis Arraez hit a ground-rule double in the third and an RBI triple in the fifth that gave the Marlins a 2-0 lead. His batting average rose from .373 to .375.

METS 5, RED SOX 4, 1ST GAME

RED SOX 8, METS 6, 2ND GAME

BOSTON (AP) — Triston Casas had his first career multihomer game, and Yu Chang and Jarren Duran also went deep off Max Scherzer in the nightcap as Boson and New York split a doubleheader.

Brandon Nimmo and Daniel Vogelbach each hit a two-run homer for the Mets before the rains came on Friday night, when the series opener was suspended in the fourth inning. After they picked things up there on Saturday afternoon, the teams traded runs and the New York held on to take the day game 5-4 for their fourth win in five games.

Casas had four hits on the day, and Masataka Yoshida had three in the night game, knocking an RBI single in the seventh just before Justin Turner’s two-run homer gave Boston an 8-3 lead.

James Paxton (6-2) struck out seven in six innings to snap Boston’s three-game losing streak. Scherzer was charged with five runs while striking out seven; it’s the first time he’s allowed four homers in an outing since his 2021 season debut.

Grant Hartwig (3-1) picked up the win in the opener, while Boston's Kutter Crawford (4-5) took the loss.

MARINERS 9, BLUE JAYS 8

SEATTLE — J.P. Crawford and Teoscar Hernández had two-run doubles as part of a five-run seventh inning and Seattle rallied to beat Toronto.

The teams combined for seven home runs, including each side having a three-homer inning. Seattle led 3-0, watched Toronto rally for leads of 5-3 and 7-4, before the Mariners finally took control with their big seventh inning.

Cal Raleigh homered twice for Seattle, while Dylan Moore and Julio Rodríguez added solo shots.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Brandon Belt and Kevin Kiermaier homered for the Blue Jays.

Toronto's Nate Pearson (5-2) took the loss. Isaiah Campbell (1-0) picked up the win.

GUARDIANS 1, PHILLIES 0

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Tanner Bibee struck out eight in seven dominant innings and Amed Rosario scored on a misplayed pop-up in the sixth in Cleveland's win over Philadelphia.

Bibee (6-2) limited the Phillies to two hits and one walk in his second-longest start in the majors. Enyel De Los Santos worked the eighth and All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase picked up his 27th save for the Guardians, who have won four of five.

Philadelphia's Zach Wheeler (7-5) worked seven innings, allowing five hits while striking out eight. Edmundo Sosa doubled and Trea Turner singled for the Phillies, who lost their fourth in a row.

NATIONALS 10, GIANTS 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams hit a two-run homer on his bobblehead night, Josiah Gray earned his first win since June 30 and Washington routed San Francisco and moved into a position to complete its first series sweep since August 2021.

With a victory Sunday, Washington can claim its first sweep since taking both games from Toronto in August 2021. The Nationals haven’t swept a three-game series since June 2021 against Pittsburgh.

San Francisco has lost four in a row since a seven-game winning streak.

Gray (7-8) settled in after walking three of the Giants’ first five batters, scattering four hits and striking out four over seven innings to match his longest career outing.

Webb (8-8) allowed six runs and struck out two over 1 1/3 innings, his shortest outing in 98 career starts.

BREWERS 4, BRAVES 3

MILWAUKEE — Sal Frelick went 3 for 3, drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and made two outstanding catches in his major league debut as Milwaukee rallied to beat Atlanta.

Austin Riley homered for the fifth straight game in a losing cause to tie a Braves franchise record. Riley has gone 10 for 21 with six homers, 16 RBIs and nine runs over his last five games. Riley’s three-run shot off Adrian Houser in the third gave the Braves a 3-0 lead.

Frelick made sure the Brewers came all the way back. Devin Williams then preserved Milwaukee’s lead by working out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to earn his 25th save in 27 opportunities.

Joel Payamps (4-1) earned the win with one inning of scoreless relief. Milwaukee’s bullpen has thrown 27 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

Joe Jimenez (0-3) took the loss.

PADRES 14, TIGERS 3

DETROIT — Luis Campusano had a homer among his four hits and San Diego beat Detroit for the 4,000th victory in franchise history.

Manny Machado and Ha-Seong Kim also homered for the Padres, who trailed 3-0 after two innings.

Jackson Wolf (1-0) won his major league debut, waiting out an 84-minute rain delay in the second. He gave up three runs on six hits and a walk in five innings.

Mason Englert (4-3), who replaced Detroit starter Matt Manning after the delay, allowed nine runs and 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings.

TWINS 3, WHITE SOX 2

MINNESOTA — Christian Vásquez drove in the tying run and Michael A. Taylor followed with an RBI single, all in the seventh inning, in Minnesota's win over Chicago.

Jordan Balazovic (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning and earned his first big league victory. Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17 save of the year.

Trailing 2-1 with two runners on in the seventh, Vásquez hit what he thought was a go-ahead three-run homer off reliever Gregory Santos. But, the ball hit the top of the left-field wall and was ruled a double, scoring Byron Buxton. Later in the inning, Taylor put the Twins, hitting a sharp single to center after trying unsuccessfully to bunt earlier in the at-bat. His hit four pitches later drove in Kyle Farmer.

Both Twins runs were charged to reliever Keynan Middleton (2-2), who gave up a hit and a walk in a third of an inning.