ARLINGTON, Texas — Yordan Alvarez hit a 117 mph homer for the Houston slugger’s hardest shot of the season, Yusei Kikuchi struck out eight pitching into the sixth inning and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 6-4 on Wednesday.
Victor Caratini also went deep while Jeremy Peña, Mauricio Dubón, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman drove in a run apiece for Houston, which started the day a half-game behind Seattle in the division with Texas five back.
Kikuchi (5-9) held Texas scoreless through five innings before Marcus Semien’s 17th home run, a solo shot, leading off the sixth.
CUBS 8, TWINS 2
CHICAGO — Ian Happ and Michael Busch homered and five Chicago pitchers combined for a six-hitter on route to a win over Minnesota.
Javier Assad worked the first four innings and Jorge López (2-2) worked two innings and earned the victory. The Cubs took the last two games of the three-game series and have won six of their last eight.
Trevor Richards (2-2), who entered when starter Joe Ryan’ left in the third, didn’t make it out of the inning. Richards allowed three runs after walking five and throwing two wild pitches. One of the errant throws allowed a run to score and the Cubs added a run on Seiya Suzuki’s bases-loaded walk. Isaac Paredes added a sacrifice fly as the Cubs moved out to a 4-2 lead.
The Cubs’ relievers held the Twins to just three hits after Assad departed.
ATHLETICS 3, WHITE SOX 2
OAKLAND, Calif. — Armando Alvarez and Zack Gelof hit RBI singles and Lawrence Butler knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly — all in the seventh inning — as Oakland rallied past the Chicago White Sox.
The White Sox lost their 10th straight series, one day after ending their American League record-tying 21-game losing streak. Chicago (28-89) hasn’t won consecutive games since a three-game streak from June 27-29. The White Sox fell to 8-24 in one-run games and 0-67 when trailing after seven innings.
Oakland (48-68) improved to 5-1-1 in its last seven series.
DIAMONDBACKS 7, GUARDIANS 3. 1ST GAME
DIAMONDBACKS 5, GUARDIANS 3, 2ND GAME
CLEVELAND — Josh Bell homered twice and drove in three runs, Eduardo Rodriguez went 5.2 innings to win his season debut, and Arizona beat Cleveland to sweep a doubleheader Wednesday.
In the first game, Arizona received two-run homers from Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll in a 7-3 victory. The Diamondbacks won their seventh straight series and moved into the first National League wild-card spot.
Rodriguez, who joined Arizona on a four-year contract in December, had been sidelined with a left shoulder strain. The left-hander gave up three runs and is 7-0 with a 2.51 ERA in nine career starts against Cleveland.
Justin Martinez loaded the bases in the ninth before striking out Lane Thomas to end the game, earning his second save of the series and his career.
Catcher Adrian Del Castillo made his major league debut — doubling in a run in his initial plate appearance — and Randal Grichuk had a solo homer for the Diamondbacks, who are 24-9 since June 29.
The Guardians extended their longest losing streak of the season to five, but lead the American League Central by 3 1/2 games over Minnesota. Their 35-20 home record remains the best in baseball.
José Ramírez and David Fry both homered for Cleveland, with Ramírez hitting his 30th. Carlos Carrasco (3-10) allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings for the loss.
GIANTS 7, NATIONALS 4
WASHINGTON — Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman hit fifth-inning solo homers to break a 3-3 tie and the San Francisco beat Washington.
Ramos homered for the second straight game, and Chapman finished a triple short of the cycle for the Giants, who have won nine of 12. Mike Yastrzemski added a solo homer and an RBI triple.
Blake Snell (2-3), coming off a no-hitter against the A’s in his last start, gave up three runs on four hits over six innings, retiring the last nine hitters he faced. He had allowed only two earned runs total in his five starts since coming off the injured list. Snell, who struck out eight and walked one, threw 93 pitches.
The Nationals loaded the bases against closer Camilo Doval with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Doval got Alex Call to ground into a double play for his 22nd save.
MARLINS 6, REDS 4
MIAMI — Derek Hill’s grand slam capped a five-run first inning and Marlins starter Valente Bellozo carried a shutout into the sixth as Miami held off a late rally and beat Cincinnati.
Hill, claimed on waivers from San Francisco on Saturday, drove a fastball from Reds starter Andrew Abbott (9-9) 412 feet to centre after Jonah Bride singled and Jesus Sanchez and Otto Lopez walked. It was the left fielder’s fourth homer of the season and first as a Marlin.
That came after designated hitter Jake Burger opened the scoring with a 399-foot homer to centre. He then hit a 422-foot shot to left in the fifth, for his 18th and 19th homers of the season. He has six in his last nine games.
ORIOLES 7, BLUE JAYS 3
TOTONTO — Anthony Santander hit two home runs and made a spectacular catch while Jackson Holliday added a two-run homer of his own to help Baltimore beat Toronto.
The switch-hitting Santander connected for a two-run shot off Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis in the first inning, then added a solo homer off left-hander Ryan Yarbrough from the other side of the plate in the eighth. The homers were his 33rd and 34th, a career high.
Santander leads MLB with 25 home runs since the start of June. It was his third multi-homer game of the season and the 16th of his career.
Holliday went deep for the third straight game for the Orioles, who lead the majors with 178 home runs. Holliday has at least one RBI in five straight games.
Eloy Jiménez added a two-run double as the Orioles bounced back after losing Tuesday’s series opener.
Making his second start for Baltimore, left-hander Trevor Rogers allowed three runs, two earned, and seven hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked two.
CARDINALS 5, RAYS 2
ST. LOUIS — Nolan Arenado and Alec Burleson each had two hits and drove in two runs to help St. Louis beat the Tampa Bay.
Erick Fedde (8-5) pitched five innings for the victory. Willson Contreras and Masyn Winn also had two hits apiece for the Cardinals.
After a rocky debut after being acquired from the Chicago White Sox, Fedde rebounded in his first start at home. He allowed a run on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk.
Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth for his majors-leading 36th save in 39 opportunities.
Josh Lowe had two hits for the Rays and scored a run.
BREWERS 8, BRAVES 5
ATLANTA — Blake Perkins was 3 for 5 with three RBIs and Milwaukee had 16 hits in a victory over slumping Atlanta.
Joey Ortiz went 3 for 5 with a double, two RBIs and a run to help the NL Central-leading Brewers beat the Braves for the second straight game to open the series.
Gary Sánchez was 2 for 5 with two runs and an RBI. Jackson Chourio and Rhys Hoskins had three hits each as the Brewers had 24 baserunners.
The Braves have lost four straight and have dropped into the NL’s third wild-card slot after leading the wild-card race for much of the season.
Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta (7-6) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings. Nick Mears, Joel Payamps, Jared Koenig and Devin Williams each pitched an inning of relief.
ROYALS 8, RED SOX 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bobby Witt Jr. had two homers, a double and four RBIs as Kansas City beat Boston and salvaged the final game of a three-game series.
With the victory, the Royals moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Boston in the race for a wild-card spot in the American League. In the AL Central, Kansas City moved within a half-game of second-place Minnesota, which lost to the Chicago Cubs. The Royals are four games back of Cleveland, which was swept in a doubleheader by Arizona.
Witt had his fourth multi-homer game of the season, getting the Royals on the scoreboard in the first with his 21st homer. Witt’s second homer of the game was a 421-foot blast to centre field in the sixth inning. He also added a two-run double.
The Royals have homered in 13 consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak in club history.
Cole Ragans (9-7) allowed four runs, one earned, on six hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven and walking two.
YANKEES 5, ANGELS 2, 1ST GAME
ANGELS 8, YANKEES 2, 2ND GAME
NEW YORK (AP) — Zach Neto hit his first career grand slam in a six-run second inning off rookie Will Warren and drove in a career-high six runs as the Los Angeles Angels beat the New York Yankees for a doubleheader split on Wednesday night.
In the first game, New York rookie Luis Gil battled command issues but pitched five scoreless innings of two-hit ball in a 5-2 victory. Neto hit a two-run homer in the seventh of the opener before the best game of his career in the nightcap.
Warren was one strike away from escaping the second with just a 2-0 deficit, but Neto turned on a full-count sinker and lifted it to the back of the Angels’ bullpen in left field to make it 6-0.
Neto’s 412-foot drive gave him five homers in his last nine games and was Los Angeles’ fifth grand slam this season.
PADRES 9, PIRATES 8, 10 INNINGS
PITTSBURGH — Jackson Merrill had two homers, Xander Bogaerts singled in the go-ahead run in a three-run 10th inning and San Diego held on for a victory over Pittsburgh.
Bogaerts led off the 10th with a line drive to left field off Colin Holderman (3-5), scoring automatic runner Luis Arraez. The Padres tacked on two runs on a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado and an error on catcher Yasmani Grandal.
The Padres needed those extra runs as the Pirates cut the lead with a bases-loaded walk by Tanner Scott (7-5) and wild pitch by Adrian Morejon. Morejon relieved with runners on second and third with none out and earned his first career save.
San Diego is 13-3 since the All-Star break and entered the night four games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
The Pirates have lost three in a row for the first time since May 7-10 as they fell under .500 at 56-57.
METS 5, ROCKIES 3
DENVER — Francisco Lindor hit a tie-breaking, two-run single in the ninth inning, Jesse Winker had three hits, and the New York Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Wednesday night.
With the game tied 2-2 in the ninth, Lindor singled to left off Colorado’s Victor Vodnik (3-2) to score Harrison Bader and Ben Gamel, putting the Mets ahead. Bader was pinch running for Francisco Alvarez, who hit an opposite-field triple off the out-of-town scoreboard in right field with one out. Gamel and Tyrone Taylor then walked to load the bases for Lindor.
Winker then added a single with two outs to drive in Taylor for a 5-2 lead. The Mets had 11 hits, 10 of which were singles.
Ezequiel Tovar homered in the first for the Rockies, who have 72 homers since June 15. Atlanta leads the majors with 73 during that span. The Mets are third with 71.
Jose Butto (5-3) gave up one hit and struck out two in two scoreless innings for the win. Edwin Diaz pitched the ninth for his 14th save in 19 chances, giving up a Michael Toglia triple and an RBI groundout before recording the final out.
TIGERS 6, MARINERS 2
SEATTLE — Tarik Skubal allowed two runs over seven innings, Parker Meadows made a homer-saving catch in the eighth inning and Detroit beat Seattle.
Skubal (13-4) was overpowering in stretches. The 27-year-old left-hander allowed three hits, struck out nine and continued to strengthen his resume in the AL Cy Young Award conversation.
But Meadows’ catch will be the lasting image of the game as Seattle fell out of first place in the AL West, slipping a half-game behind Houston.
PHILLIES 9, DODGERS 4
LOS ANGELES — Kyle Schwarber homered three times and drove in seven of Philadelphia’s nine runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Schwarber hit his 27th homer of the season leading off the ninth against Michael Grove. It was his second career three-run homer game, the last coming in 2021.
The seven RBIs are the most by a Phillies player since Carlos Ruiz had that many against Atlanta in 2012.
Schwarber had a three-run blast in the sixth that gave Philadelphia an 8-4 lead. He led off the game with a two-strike shot off Gavin Stone.