MLB Roundup: Astros escape with win over Rangers, Twins walk-off Mariners

DETROIT (AP) — Tarik Skubal struck out nine while recording his first victory in over a year and Detroit handed San Francisco its season-worst sixth straight loss, 5-1.

Skubal (1-1) held the Giants scoreless on two hits in five innings in a game that was a makeup of an April 16 postponement. His previous victory came against Oakland on July 21 last season. He had flexor tendon surgery in August.

Zack Short hit a two-run homer and Kerry Carpenter also drove in two runs for Detroit.

Ross Stripling (0-4) gave up three runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings.

BLUE JAYS 6, DODGERS 3, 10 innings

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Daulton Varsho hit a tiebreaking two-run double in Toronto's three-run 11th inning, sending the Blue Jays to a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.

Matt Chapman homered in the eighth for the Blue Jays, who earned their 11th win in 16 games.

Toronto loaded the bases in the 11th on third baseman Chris Taylor’s throwing error and Whit Merrifield’s single before Varsho’s low line drive to right was misplayed by Jason Heyward, who wasn’t charged with an error. Bo Bichette drew a bases-loaded walk from Phil Bickford (2-3) to make it 6-3.

Jay Jackson (3-0) pitched two hitless innings of relief, retiring all of the Dodgers’ top hitters. All-Star closer Jordan Romano finished for his 28th save, tying Baltimore's Félix Bautista for the AL lead.

Max Muncy homered in his third consecutive game for Los Angeles, hitting a 435-foot tying shot in the eighth inning. Heyward also homered for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who took their first back-to-back losses since July 2.

After Chapman put the Blue Jays ahead 3-2 with his first homer since July 6, Muncy tied it with a drive off Trevor Richards for his 25th homer of the season. The slugger, who also had an early RBI single, has eight hits, four homers and 13 RBIs in his last five games.

The Dodgers loaded the bases later in the eighth, but pinch-hitter Miguel Rojas flied out.

Michael Grove yielded eight hits with six strikeouts while pitching into the fifth inning for the Dodgers. Grove is one of three rookies currently in LA’s injury-plagued rotation with the trade deadline looming.

Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged his team urgently needs starting pitching, even with Clayton Kershaw likely returning in August. Los Angeles’ starters entered Monday ranked 29th in the majors with a 6.12 ERA since Kershaw’s last start in late June.

“Given the experience and the health of the starters, this is probably as forefront of mind, just kind of the (overall) pitching in general, as it’s been in my tenure here,” Roberts said.

José Berríos yielded five hits and four walks over five innings for Toronto.

Heyward connected in the fourth for his 10th homer with Los Angeles after hitting only nine for the Cubs in the previous two seasons combined.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. delivered a tying RBI single in Toronto’s two-run fifth.

ORIOLES 3, PHILLIES 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rookie Colton Cowser hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning after helping to throw out the potential go-ahead run in the eighth, lifting the surging Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.

Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg homered for the AL-East leading Orioles, who have won 13 of 16 games and moved 2 1/2 games ahead of idle Tampa Bay.

Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber drove in runs for the defending NL champion Phillies. Philadelphia has lost five of six.

Cowser entered as a defensive replacement for Aaron Hicks in the third inning after Hicks was hurt making a diving catch. In the ninth, he lofted a flyball to left against Craig Kimbrel (6-2) that went off the glove of diving left fielder Schwarber.

Bryan Baker (4-3) got the win in relief of Dean Kremer, who allowed one run on three hits in seven innings. Cionel Pérez pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his first save.

ASTROS 10, RANGERS 9

HOUSTON (AP) — Chas McCormick homered and drove in a career-high six runs, and Yanier Díaz's game-ending RBI single in the ninth lifted Houston over AL West rival Texas.

The Astros moved within two games of the division-leading Rangers.

Rookie Alex Speas (0-2) walked Kyle Tucker to start the ninth. McCormick walked with one out. Díaz then lined his single to right field and Tucker slid in just before the tag. The play was upheld after a video review.

Ryan Pressly (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth. The Rangers led 9-6 when Aroldis Chapman walked consecutive batters with one out in the seventh. McCormick tied it with a three-run shot to left-center.

BREWERS 3, REDS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit a game-ending single, Sal Frelick launched his first major league home run and Milwaukee beat Cincinnati.

Milwaukee overcame a 456-foot,l two-run homer by Elly De La Cruz, who was robbed of a home run earlier on a leaping catch by center fielder Joey Wiemer.

Despite going 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position, the first-place Brewers moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Cincinnati, which had won five straight.

All-Star closer Alexis Díaz (3-2) entered in the bottom of the ninth inning and didn’t get an out. He walked Blake Perkins and allowed a single to pinch-hitter Jesse Winker before Yelich drove in Perkins with a grounder into right field.

Devin Williams (5-2) pitched a perfect ninth for Milwaukee.

ROYALS 5, GUARDIANS 3

CLEVELAND (AP) — Salvador Perez became the 10th player in major league history to hit 200 homers as a catcher and Ryan Yarbrough allowed one run in six innings, lifting Kansas City over Cleveland.

Perez hit a two-run shot in the sixth off Logan Allen (4-3) to put Kansas City ahead 4-0. He has 240 homers overall in 12 seasons. Hall of Famer Mike Piazza holds the big league record for homers as a catcher with 396.

Yarbrough (3-5) won at Cleveland for the second time in 15 days. Scott Barlow gave up two hits in the ninth before picking up his 12th save.

Kansas City ended a five-game skid while Cleveland fell 3 1/2 games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.

TWINS 4, MARINERS 3, 10 INNINGS

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Correa’s flare to right field evaded a sliding Teoscar Hernández and scored automatic runner Donovan Solano in the 10th as Minnesota won its second straight game in extra innings.

Solano moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Christian Vázquez against Paul Sewald (3-1), and Ryan Jeffers reached when no Seattle player covered first base on another bunt. Correa then sent a soft liner to right that Hernández couldn't catch.

Jorge Lopez (4-2) retired all three batters he faced in the top of the 10th for Minnesota, which is 9-2 since the All-Star break.

Max Kepler had an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game for the Twins. Kolten Wong hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer with two outs in the top of the inning for the Mariners.

ROCKIES 10, NATIONALS 6

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nolan Jones hit a two-run homer, Alan Trejo had a double and three singles, and Colorado beat Washington.

Karl Kauffman (1-3) pitched four-plus innings of one-run relief for his first major league win as last-place Colorado (40-60) improved to 6-3 since the All-Star break.

Jeimer Candelario had a three-run homer and a double for the Nationals, who were looking for their first four-game winning streak of the season.

Patrick Corbin (6-11) gave up six runs — five earned — and 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings.

CARDINALS 10, DIAMONDBACKS 6

PHOENIX (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer and then a tying single in the ninth inning against his former team, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 10-6 victory over the skidding Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

It was a back-and-forth game that saw the Cardinals take a 5-2 lead after five innings, only to watch the Diamondbacks push ahead 6-5 heading into the ninth. But St. Louis rallied against closer Andrew Chafin, loading the bases with one out.

That's when Goldschmidt sent a full-count pitch into left field for a single that made it 6-all. Chafin (2-3) struck out Nolan Arenado for the second out but then walked Lars Nootbaar, which forced home Willson Contreras for a 7-6 lead.

Tyler O'Neill followed with a crucial blow, hitting a three-run double off Kevin Ginkel that made it 10-6.

St. Louis snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 7-4 since the All-Star break.

Arizona has dropped five straight, continuing an extended slide. The D-backs are 5-13 in July, which could change the team's approach to the rapidly approaching trade deadline on Aug. 1.

PIRATES 8, PADRES 4

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Carlos Santana hit a pair of two-run homers and the Pittsburgh Pirates went deep four times in an 8-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.

Liover Peguero also hit a two-run home run and Jack Suwinksi added a solo shot as the Pirates tagged Padres starter Yu Darvish four times.

San Diego's Ha-Seong Kim slugged a pair of homers in the loss.

Kim opened the scoring in the first inning with a 387-foot shot to left-center, giving the Padres the early 1-0 lead.

In the third inning, Suwinksi tied the game with a solo shot and Santana homered on a full count, scoring Andrew McCutchen, who had reached on a single and stole second and giving the Pirates a 3-1 lead.

Peguero hit his first career and two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning. Peguero’s shot down the left field line put Pittsburgh up 5-1 and scored Jared Triolo, who had reached on a base hit to left.

Santana homered and drove in McCutchen again in the top of the fifth to put Pittsburgh ahead 7-1. It was Santana’s 11th homer of the season and his 16th multi-homer game — and first since Sept. 19, 2022, when he did it while playing for the Seattle Mariners.