MLB Roundup: Yankees beat Royals to pick up much-needed win

NEW YORK (AP) — Billy McKinney hit a three-run homer and made two key catches in center field as the Yankees got a much-needed win.

Franchy Cordero homered for the second straight game and Gleyber Torres also went deep for the Yankees, who stopped a four-game slide and won for only the third time in 12 games since July 4. Torres extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

New York right-hander Clarke Schmidt (6-6) was charged with three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Clay Holmes worked the ninth for his 12th save.

Michael Massey hit a three-run shot in the fourth for Kansas City and a solo shot in the eighth. Alec Marsh (0-4) allowed five runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

RAYS 3, ORIOLES 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Zach Eflin pitched seven strong innings to become the AL’s third 11-game winner, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on Friday night in a matchup of the top teams in the American League.

Baltimore, which won 4-3 in 10 innings on Thursday night in the opener of the four-game set, leads the AL East with a .608 winning percentage compared to Tampa Bay’s .604.

Eflin (11-5) allowed two hits, struck out eight and walked one, improving to 10-1 in 11 starts at home.

After Colin Poche struck out the side in the eighth, Pete Fairbanks finished the two-hitter for his 11th save in 12 chances.

Isaac Paredes and Jose Siri homered for the Rays, who stopped a five-game skid.

Baltimore's Kyle Bradish (6-5) gave up two runs and six hits in six innings.

DODGERS 11, RANGERS 5

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit a two-run double and a solo homer before scoring the go-ahead run as the Dodgers snapped the Rangers' six-game winning streak.

J.D. Martinez hit two RBI singles and drew a bases-loaded walk for the Dodgers, who played at Globe Life Field for the first time since winning the 2020 World Series in the neutral-site postseason during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Corey Seager, the Dodgers’ shortstop when he was the MVP of both that World Series and NLCS, homered against his former team. But he departed after hurting his hand on a headfirst slide into second base.

Ryan Brasier (2-0) got two outs for the win. Rookie right-hander Alex Speas (0-1) was charged with the loss.

Dodgers rookie center fielder Jonny Deluca had two incredible catches — against consecutive batters to end the fifth inning.

ANGELS 8, PIRATES 5

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani allowed four homers for the first time in his major league career while pitching six-hit ball into the seventh inning and earning the mound victory as Los Angeles beat Pittsburgh.

Pirates rookie Henry Davis became the first major league player to homer twice off Ohtani. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft had three total hits off Ohtani, while Ji Man Choi and Jack Suwinski also homered in Pittsburgh’s power spree from the fourth to the sixth innings.

Ohtani (8-5) had allowed three homers in three previous starts over his six seasons with for the Angels. All-Star closer Carlos Estévez pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

The Angels bailed out Ohtani. Mike Moustakas hit a three-run homer, Trey Cabbage hit his first major league home run and Zach Neto and Taylor Ward went deep in the fifth.

Johan Oviedo (3-11) yielded five runs on three hits and three walks over four innings.

ASTROS 6, ATHLETICS 4

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kyle Tucker hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career and drove in four runs, Alex Bregman also went deep and Houston earned its ninth straight win over Oakland dating to last season.

It was the fifth multi-homer game of Tucker’s career, including playoffs.

Houston’s Framber Valdez (8-6) allowed six hits and four runs with four strikeouts and two walks. Ryan Presslyr ecorded the final three outs for his 23rd save this season and the 100th of his career.

Tony Kemp had two hits, was hit by a pitch and scored twice for the MLB-worst A’s (27-73). Oakland has lost 10 of 12 overall. Starter JP Sears (1-7) took the loss.

BRAVES 6, BREWERS 4

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Atlanta star Austin Riley homered for the fifth time in his last four games, and Orlando Arcia also went deep.

Riley hit a two-run homer in the third inning, and then singled and scored in the fifth to help the Braves win the matchup of division leaders. Riley is 8 for 17 with 13 RBIs over his last four games.

Arcia connected for a two-run homer in Atlanta’s three-run second, helping the Braves erase an early 2-0 deficit.

Willy Adames hit a two-run homer for NL Central-leading Milwaukee, and William Contreras went 2 for 4 and scored twice. Freddy Peralta (6-8) was charged with six runs in five innings.

Braves starter Michael Soroka (2-1) gave up four runs in six innings. Kirby Yates got three outs for his second save in five opportunities.

GUARDIANS 6, PHILLIES 5

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bryce Harper flashed some glove with a stunning catch in his first career start at first base, but Cleveland ended Philadelphia’s interleague winning streak at 12 games.

José Ramírez had four hits and David Fry drove in two runs for the Guardians. Trevor Stephan (5-4) got the win, and Emmanuel Clase worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 26th save in 33 tries.

J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run homer and Bryson Stott had a solo shot for Philadelphia, which squandered some early scoring chances and lost for just the fourth time in its last 19 road games. Ranger Suárez (2-5) was charged with the loss.

The Phillies finished one win shy of matching the record of 13 consecutive interleague wins shared by the New York Yankees (2003-04), Tampa Bay (2004), Miami (2013-14) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017).

PADRES 5, TIGERS 4

DETROIT (AP) — Juan Soto hit two long home runs, powering San Diego to the win.

Soto connected for a 447-foot solo drive in the first inning. He added a two-run shot in the third that traveled an estimated 463 feet. He has 19 homers on the season.

Seth Lugo (4-4) pitched six innings of two-run ball for the Padres. Josh Hader worked the ninth for his 24th save.

Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry homered for Detroit. Reese Olson (1-4) took the loss, allowing five runs and seven hits in five innings.

REDS 9, DIAMONDBACKS 6

CINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Matt McLain hit his first career grand slam, and Cincinnati extended its win streak to three games.

Spencer Steer had two hits and three RBIs for the Reds. Alex Young (4-0) got one out for the win, and Alexis Díaz worked the ninth for his 28th save.

Cincinnati (53-46) pulled within 1 1/2 games of NL Central-leading Milwaukee.

Ketel Marte homered twice and drove in four runs for Arizona (54-44). Alek Thomas also went deep.

Diamondbacks left-hander Tommy Henry (5-3) was charged with four runs, three earned, and four hits in 4 1/3 innings.

TWINS 9, WHITE SOX 4

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota's Byron Buxton halted an 0-for-26 skid by homering in his first two at-bats, and Alex Kirilloff and Ryan Jeffers also took Lance Lynn deep.

Buxton hit a first-pitch fastball from Lynn into the bullpen in left-center to cap a five-run first inning that Kirilloff sparked with a two-run shot. Buxton led off the fourth with a drive into the left-field bleachers for his 17th homer of the season.

Twins starter Joe Ryan (9-6) gave up a home run by Andrew Benitendi on his first pitch and outlasted a two-run shot by Yasmani Grandal in the sixth to finish that inning and notch his second win in his last 10 turns.

The Twins (51-48) stayed two games ahead of Cleveland for the top spot in the AL Central.

Lynn (6-9) was tagged for nine runs — six earned — and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

CUBS 4, CARDINALS 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer, and the Cubs stopped the Cardinals' six-game win streak.

Bellinger capped Chicago’s four-run third inning with a 400-foot drive to right against Jack Flaherty. Bellinger, a possible trade target ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, is 10 for 20 in his last five games.

All-Star left-hander Justin Steele (10-3) struck out a season-high nine in 6 1/3 innings for Chicago. Adbert Alzolay worked the ninth for his eighth save.

Flaherty (7-6) was charged with four runs and eight hits and six innings. The right-hander went 4-0 with a 3.24 ERA in his previous four starts.

ROCKIES 6, MARLINS 1

MIAMI (AP) — C.J. Cron, Jurickson Profar and Elias Díaz homered for Colorado, and Peter Lambert pitched five shutout innings.

Miami dropped its seventh straight game since the All-Star break.

Lambert (2-1) surrendered three hits in his return from a three-week stint in the minors aimed at converting him into a starter after struggling as a reliever.

Miami starter Braxton Garrett (5-3) gave up six runs over three innings. Luis Arraez went 0 for 3 with a walk for the Marlins, dropping his major league-leading average to .373.

NATIONALS 5, GIANTS 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas homered for Washington, and rookie Jake Irvin struck out a career-high nine in 6 2/3 innings.

J.D. Davis and Joc Pederson homered for the Giants, who have dropped three in a row since a seven-game winning streak that spanned the All-Star break.

Abrams homered off Alex Wood (4-4) with two outs in the second for his ninth of the season. He also doubled to lead off the fifth, chasing Wood.

Irvin (3-5) allowed three runs and five hits. Kyle Finnegan worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 13th save.

The Nationals had lost four of five.