DETROIT — Max Scherzer pitched seven impressive innings, outdueling Zack Greinke and helping the short-handed Detroit Tigers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 on Wednesday.
DETROIT — Max Scherzer pitched seven impressive innings, outdueling Zack Greinke and helping the short-handed Detroit Tigers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 on Wednesday.
Detroit was without sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, but the AL Central-leading Tigers scored two runs in the first inning and Scherzer (11-3) made the lead hold up. The All-Star right-hander allowed a run and four hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
Joba Chamberlain struck out two in the eighth, and Joe Nathan fanned two in a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 23 chances.
Greinke (11-5) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out eight without a walk.
Miguel Rojas of the Dodgers hit his first career homer.
Cabrera was given a day off by manager Brad Ausmus, and Martinez is dealing with a lingering back issue.
NATIONALS 6, ORIOLES 2
BALTIMORE — Doug Fister allowed two runs over seven innings and Washington hit three solo homers in a victory over Baltimore.
Wilson Ramos, Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth connected for the Nationals, who took control early and cruised to the finish in this interleague matchup between first-place clubs located 40 miles apart on I-295.
Each team has won once in the rain-shortened, home-and-home showdown that concludes Thursday night. Washington has won eight of 10 overall and Baltimore is 7-2 in its last nine games.
Manny Machado went 3 for 4 with a homer for the Orioles.
Fister (8-2) scattered seven hits and struck out three. He is 8-1 in his last 11 starts.
Orioles starter Bud Norris (7-6) gave up five runs and six hits in four-plus innings in his first appearance since June 21. He won four straight starts before going on the disabled list with a right groin strain.
GIANTS 5, ATHLETICS 2
SAN FRANCISCO — Hunter Pence homered and drove in two runs, Matt Cain tossed six strong innings and San Francisco spoiled Jason Hammel’s debut for Oakland.
Cain (2-7) allowed two runs and five hits for his first win since May 15 against Miami. He struck out four and walked two to help the Giants snap Oakland’s six-game winning streak.
Hammel (0-1), acquired by the A’s along with fellow right-hander Jeff Samardzija from the Chicago Cubs last week for three top prospects, disjointed the thumb on his glove hand but stayed in the game. He left after giving up six hits and three runs — two earned — in five innings.
Stephen Vogt homered and Jed Lowrie had an RBI single for Oakland.
Santiago Casilla earned his fourth save.
REDS 4, CUBS 1
CINCINNATI — Alfredo Simon became the NL’s first 12-game winner and Billy Hamilton added to his sensational series with a tiebreaking triple, leading Cincinnati over the trade-depleted Chicago Cubs.
The Reds won their fifth in a row — matching their season high — and moved a season-best seven games over .500. They’ll try for their first five-game sweep since 1976 on Thursday.
Simon (12-3), left off the All-Star team, became the first Reds pitcher to win a dozen games before the break since Edinson Volquez also went 12-3 in the first half of 2008. The reliever-turner-starter gave up four hits in 6 2-3 innings, including Anthony Rizzo’s third homer in four games.
Hamilton tripled home a run and scored during a three-run fifth against Dallas Beeler (0-2), who has lost his first two starts in the majors. Cubs manager Rick Renteria was ejected during the inning for arguing a foul ball call with third base umpire Andy Fletcher.
Hamilton is 7 for 15 with three triples, three walks, two steals and seven RBIs during the series.
The Cubs have lost all six games — their deepest slump of the season — since trading starters Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland for a package of prospects.
METS 4, BRAVES 1
NEW YORK — Dillon Gee pitched into the eighth inning after two months on the disabled list, Travis d’Arnaud hit a two-run homer and New York beat Atlanta for its first four-game winning streak in a year.
David Wright sparked the tiebreaking rally by hustling for a double, Kirk Nieuwenhuis put the Mets ahead with a sacrifice fly and d’Arnaud capped the three-run seventh with a shot to left off Ervin Santana (7-6).
That gave the Mets a home run in nine straight games at Citi Field, a team record for the stadium that opened in 2009.
Gee (4-1) allowed six hits over seven-plus innings in his return from a strained right lat. Vic Black pitched out of a jam in the eighth and Jenrry Mejia got three outs for his ninth save.
New York has won the first three of a four-game series after getting swept in Atlanta last week.
The Braves have lost four straight following a nine-game winning streak.
YANKEES 5, INDIANS 4, 14 INNINGS
CLEVELAND — Jacoby Ellsbury’s two-out homer in the 14th inning sent New York to a victory over Cleveland.
Ellsbury hit his sixth home run of the season on an 0-2 pitch from Vinnie Pestano (0-1).
Chase Whitley (4-2) pitched two scoreless innings. David Robertson earned his 22nd save, retiring All-Star Michael Brantley on a long fly to left with a runner on second to end it.
Before the game, New York placed rookie sensation Masahiro Tanaka, who leads the majors with 12 wins, on the 15-day disabled list due to right elbow inflammation. The All-Star had an MRI in New York.
Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira hit a solo homer and a two-run shot.
RED SOX 5, WHITE SOX 4
BOSTON — Daniel Nava doubled home the tying run in the ninth inning and scored on Brock Holt’s single as Boston rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Chicago and snap a four-game losing streak.
Chris Sale pitched 7 2-3 innings of four-hit ball and left with a 4-0 lead in his bid to earn the final spot on the AL All-Star team. The winner of the online voting will be announced Thursday. Sale, an All-Star the past two seasons, walked none and struck out six before his bullpen cost him a chance to improve to 9-1.
Jake Petricka faced four batters in the eighth and failed to get an out. It was 4-3 by the time Javy Guerra (0-1) took over.
Koji Uehara (5-2), added to the All-Star team earlier in the day, earned the win.
Jose Abreu hit his 28th homer and Conor Gillaspie also connected for Chicago, which had won three straight.
The Red Sox had lost seven of their first eight games on the homestand.
ANGELS 8, BLUE JAYS 7
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Albert Pujols hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning and Kole Calhoun also connected to lead Los Angeles over Toronto.
The Blue Jays took a 7-6 lead in the sixth on Dioner Navarro’s two-out RBI single against Fernando Salas. Pujols responded with a drive that hit the top of the center-field fence beyond the outstretched glove of Colby Rasmus and bounced over for his 20th homer of the season and 512th of his career, tying Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews for 21st place all-time.
It scored Mike Trout, who reached on a fielder’s choice grounder after Calhoun drew a leadoff walk from Aaron Loup (2-2).
Jason Grilli (1-1) pitched a scoreless inning for his first AL victory since 2009 with Texas, striking out cleanup hitter Jose Bautista with two on to end the seventh. Joe Smith worked the ninth for his 12th save.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, MARLINS 3, 10 INNINGS
PHOENIX — Paul Goldschmidt doubled in the last two of Arizona’s three runs in the 10th inning, giving the Diamondbacks a comeback victory against Miami.
The Marlins took a 3-1 lead in the 10th on Donovan Solano’s two-run double off winner Brad Ziegler (4-1).
Aaron Hill opened the Arizona 10th with a pinch-hit single off Steve Cishek (4-5). Ender Inciarte walked on four pitches, then David Peralta’s RBI single cut the lead to 3-2.
Goldschmidt hit the next pitch to left-center for his major league-best 35th double and his fifth career walk-off hit.
Nathan Eovaldi blanked Arizona on two hits and nursed a 1-0 lead through seven innings before giving up a leadoff triple to Didi Gregorius in the eighth. Nick Ahmed singled on the next pitch for his first major league RBI.
ROCKIES 6, PADRES 3
DENVER — Troy Tulowitzki hit two of Colorado’s five home runs in a win over San Diego.
Drew Stubbs, Charlie Blackmon and Wilin Rosario also went deep for the Rockies, who won a home series for the first time since taking two of three from the Padres in May.
Stubbs broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run shot off Joaquin Benoit (3-1), who had thrown 19 consecutive scoreless innings. It was Stubbs’ ninth homer of the season and fifth in his last five games.
Tulowitzki followed with his second home run of the game.
Boone Logan (2-1) pitched the eighth and LaTroy Hawkins earned his 17th save in 18 chances.
Jake Goebbert and Seth Smith homered for the Padres, who have not won a series in Denver in two years.
ROYALS 5, RAYS 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Salvador Perez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the ninth inning to lift Kansas City over Tampa Bay.
Kirby Yates (0-1), the fifth Rays reliever, entered with runners at the corners and gave up Perez’s one-out shot into the left-field corner. It’s been a big week for Perez, chosen Sunday to start at catcher for the American League in next week’s All-Star game.
Aaron Crow (4-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and Greg Holland got three outs for his 24th save. Eric Hosmer also homered for Kansas City.
The second-place Royals return home Thursday night to begin a four-game series against AL Central-leading Detroit, which has a 4 1/2-game lead.
All-Star outfielder Alex Gordon (sprained right wrist) and third baseman Mike Moustakas (flu) were not in the Royals’ lineup. In addition, left-hander Jason Vargas was taken to the hospital for an appendectomy.
Kevin Kiermaier went 4 for 4 with a grand slam for the Rays, who lost two of three in the series.
ASTROS 8, RANGERS 4
ARLINGTON, Texas — Robbie Grossman snapped an 0-for-28 slide with a career-high four hits and Houston climbed out of last place in the AL West, completing a three-game sweep with a victory over All-Star pitcher Yu Darvish and Texas.
Grossman and rookie George Springer homered for the Astros, who moved into fourth place by a percentage point over the slumping Rangers.
Springer also made an incredible running catch in the third inning. The center fielder leaped on the warning track, reached over his head and held onto the ball when he slammed into the wall.
Dallas Keuchel (9-5), one of five candidates in online balloting for the final spot on the AL All-Star team, allowed four runs and eight hits over 6 2-3 innings.
The Rangers lost for the 10th time in 11 games and have dropped 18 of 21. At 38-53, their .418 winning percentage is the worst in the majors — just behind Arizona and Houston.
Darvish (8-5), who had thrown 20 consecutive scoreless innings while winning his last three home starts, gave up a season-high 10 hits and six runs.
PHILLIES 4, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE — Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley homered to support Roberto Hernandez’s solid start, and Philadelphia beat Milwaukee for its third straight win over the NL Central leaders.
Hernandez (4-8) needed just 84 pitches to get through eight innings against the aggressive Brewers, who have lost four in a row and eight of nine. Hernandez allowed three hits, and Jonathan Papelbon worked a perfect ninth for his 22nd save.
Rollins and Utley connected off Kyle Lohse (9-4), who retired 13 straight after Utley’s first-inning solo shot. Rollins’ two-run shot in the sixth snapped an 0-for-20 slide at the plate.
TWINS 8, MARINERS 1
SEATTLE — Kendrys Morales knocked in three runs and Kyle Gibson pitched six shutout innings to lead Minnesota past Seattle.
Chris Colabello hit a two-run double, Brian Dozier scored twice and the Twins put up eight runs in the first four innings to chase an ineffective Roenis Elias (7-8). The rookie lasted a career-low 3 1-3 innings, yielding seven runs — six earned — and seven hits.
with three walks.
Gibson (8-7) allowed multiple baserunners in three innings and only retired the side in order once. But he worked around seven hits and a walk, rebounding from a rough outing against the Yankees.
It was the seventh time this season that Gibson did not permit a run.
The Mariners had 12 hits but stranded 12. They have one hit in their last 30 at-bats with runners in scoring position.