MLB Roundup: Strider strikes out 10 to add to league lead as Braves knock off Twins

ATLANTA (AP) — Marcell Ozuna hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh and Spencer Strider (9-2) allowed three hits in seven innings while striking out 10 to win his fifth consecutive decision.

Ronald Acuña Jr. added a two-run homer in a three-run seventh. In the matchup of first-place teams in the NL East and AL Central, the Braves won for the 11th time in 12 games.

Minnesota played its first game at Truist Park, which opened in 2017.

Before Ozuna’s homer, the only run allowed by Sonny Gray (4-2) when Travis d’Arnaud drove in a run while grounding into a forceout.

Kirby Yates pitched the ninth for his first save since 2020.

BREWERS 2, METS 1

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NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Wiemer hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to a 2-1 victory on Monday night that dropped the struggling New York Mets a season-worst eight games under .500.

Wiemer hit a 422-drive off Drew Smith (3-3), who pitched in relief of Justin Verlander.

Despite a major league record $355 million payroll on opening day, New York (35-43) has lost seven of nine and 15 of 21.

Colin Rea (4-4) allowed one run in 6.1 innings. Devon Williams completed a three-hitter for his 14th save.

ANGELS 2, WHITE SOX 1

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout scored on a game-ending wild pitch, Shohei Ohtani hit his 26th home run, and Los Angeles beat Chicago.

Trout slid home head-first on the bad throw by Aaron Bummer, helping the Angels get a critical seven-game homestand off to a successful start.

Carlos Esteves (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to get the win.

Luis Robert Jr. homered for the third straight game for the White Sox. Reynaldo Lopez (2-5) took the loss after walking Trout to start the ninth. Bummer then came in to face Ohtani, who drew his own walk. The two Angels superstars successfully executed a double steal, leading to Trout’s heroics.

MARINERS 8, NATIONALS 4

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SEATTLE (AP) — J.P. Crawford and Eugenio Suarez both homered, and Luis Castillo overcame a shaky beginning to pitch seven strong innings and win his first start since May 27.

Seattle opened its final homestand before hosting the All-Star Game next month and needed its offence to come through as Castillo wasn’t at his best early on.

Suarez homered leading off the fourth inning against Washington starter Trevor Williams, and Julio Rodriguez’s two-out RBI single pulled Seattle even at 3-3. Seattle’s three-run fifth inning against Washington’s Cory Abbott (0-1) proved to be the difference.

Castillo (5-6) allowed seven hits, struck out seven and snapped a personal four-game losing streak. Paul Sewald struck out Jeimer Candelario with the bases loaded to end the game for his 14th save.

TIGERS 7, RANGERS 2

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andy Ibanez and Jake Rogers homered as Detroit overcame the early departures of their first two pitchers to beat AL West-leading Texas.

Tigers starter Matthew Boyd and reliever Will Vest were already hurt and out of the game before Ibanez hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the third inning for a 4-1 lead. Rogers added a two-run shot with two outs in the sixth to chase Texas starter Andrew Heaney (5-5).

Rookie Mason Englert (3-2), the third of six Detroit pitchers who combined for 16 strikeouts, allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings.

ORIOLES 10, REDS 3

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Jordan Westburg had a productive night at the plate and made a slick defensive play in his big league debut to lead Baltimore.

The game started 15 minutes late because of the weather, and there was another delay of 1 hour, 44 minutes in the third inning. Baltimore led 2-1 when play was halted, then quickly started adding runs after it resumed.

Westburg, one of the game’s top infield prospects, was called up before the game and started at second base. He had a hit, a walk, a run and an RBI, and in the fifth, he nearly started a double play by flipping the ball with his glove to shortstop Jorge Mateo on a grounder up the middle.

Bruce Zimmermann (1-0) pitched three innings after the long rain delay in relief of Cole Irvin.

Spencer Steer homered for the Reds, who have dropped three in a row following a 12-game winning streak. Brandon Williamson (1-1) threw 64 pitches in the first two innings.