MLB roundup: Astros top Red Sox for 10th straight win

Tyler White capped a five-run first inning with a two-run double, and Josh James delivered three scoreless innings of relief as the Houston Astros defeated the host Boston Red Sox 7-3 on Saturday at Fenway Park to extend their winning streak to 10.

It is the second 10-game winning streak of the season for the Astros, who will win this three-game series between the last two American League champions. The 1969 Astros were previously the only team in franchise history to post two double-digit winning streaks in the same season.

James (1-0) entered with two runners on and no outs in the fifth but worked out of the jam with no damage. He then retired Boston in order in the sixth and seventh innings and allowed zero hits and one walk while striking out two.

The Astros made short work of Red Sox right-hander Hector Velazquez (1-3), with the first four batters reaching base safely to open the first inning. Velazquez allowed five runs on three hits and two walks while recording just one out.

Nationals 5, Cubs 2

Stephen Strasburg yielded just one earned run and four hits in eight innings, while Juan Soto had two hits and drove in three runs as host Washington topped Chicago.

Strasburg (4-3) struck out the side in the third and finished with seven strikeouts before Sean Doolittle pitched the ninth to earn his eighth save -- but not before his outing was twice interrupted by Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who filed an official protest because the Nationals' left-hander was tapping his toe on the mound during his delivery.

Jon Lester (3-2) allowed five runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings. In August of last season, he gave up eight earned runs on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings in his only start of 2018 against the Nationals. In his previous five starts of this season before Saturday, Lester gave up just a single earned run, including none in his previous three starts.

Rays 2, Yankees 1 (11 innings)

Austin Meadows homered with one out in the top of the 11th inning off Luis Cessa (0-1) as Tampa Bay edged New York at Yankee Stadium. It was Meadows' ninth homer of the season.

Hunter Wood (1-0) tossed a scoreless 10th after being activated from the injured list before the game. Jose Alvarado worked around a leadoff single in the 11th and converted his fifth save in six chances after allowing three runs in the ninth inning Friday.

The Rays halted New York's four-game winning streak and rebounded after allowing three runs in the ninth on Friday. Tampa Bay also moved to 3-8 in one-run games this year.

Angels 6, Royals 3

Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani homered, Griffin Canning threw seven scoreless innings and Los Angeles defeated Kansas City in Anaheim, Calif.

Trout's 10th homer of the season was estimated at 473 feet and was the 250th of his career. He joined Alex Rodriguez, Jimmie Foxx, Ken Griffey Jr., Mickey Mantle and Juan Gonzalez as one of just 13 players overall (and sixth American League player) to hit 250 home runs before turning 28.

The home run also gave the Angels a 1-0 first-inning lead. Jonathan Lucroy added an RBI single in the second inning to make it 2-0, and Canning took it from there.

Phillies 2, Rockies 1

Bryce Harper homered, doubled and reached base three times as host Philadelphia handed Colorado its third straight loss.

Harper's eighth homer of the season, a 466-foot shot to center field with two outs in the first inning, opened the scoring. Phillies starter Aaron Nola tossed six-plus solid innings and allowed eight hits and one run. Nola (4-0) tied his career high with 12 strikeouts against just one walk.

Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela (3-3) was effective in five innings, giving up five hits and two runs (one earned). He walked four and struck out two. But his wild pitch in the third allowed Jean Segura to score what would be the game winner.

Reds 4, Dodgers 0

Tyler Mahle threw six shutout innings as host Cincinnati evened its three-game series by shutting out Los Angeles a day after being shut out.

Mahle (1-5) returned home after six straight road starts and limited the Dodgers to four hits, striking out five and walking two. The Reds came in averaging 1.8 runs per game for Mahle, the lowest run support in the majors.

Walker Buehler (4-1) pitched six innings, allowing four runs (one earned) and seven hits for the Dodgers. He struck out seven and didn't walk a batter. Dodgers right fielder Cody Bellinger, who came in with the highest batting average in the majors, went 2-for-3 with a walk to raise it to .409.

Cardinals 8, Rangers 2

Paul DeJong collected a season-high four RBIs as St. Louis snapped a three-game losing streak with a blowout win over Texas in Arlington.

The Cardinals scored more runs in the win than they did during a losing streak in which they were outscored 21-6 by the Rangers and Atlanta Braves. St. Louis ended a three-game winning streak for Texas.

Dakota Hudson (3-3) earned his first win of the month after allowing two runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two, in six innings. Ariel Jurado (1-2), who was making his first start of the season, allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk in 4 1/3 innings.

Braves 4, Brewers 3 (10 innings)

Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run to lead off the 10th inning to give host Atlanta a win over Milwaukee, its fourth straight win.

Freeman, who was 2-for-5, hit a 1-0 fastball from Josh Hader (0-3) into the upper reaches of the right field stands. It was the 10th homer of the season for the Atlanta first baseman and the 199th of his career. The winning pitcher was Jacob Webb (2-0), who worked a perfect 10th inning.

Atlanta starter Kevin Gausman pitched six innings and allowed two runs -- both in the first inning -- on six hits. He walked two and struck out four. It was Gausman's first game back since serving a five-game suspension for intentionally throwing behind Miami pitcher Jose Urena last month.

Twins 18, Mariners 4

C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop each hit two home runs, and Byron Buxton hit a grand slam as visiting Minnesota belted six homers while cruising to victory over Seattle.

It was the fifth time this season the Twins hit five or more home runs in a game, making them the first team in major league history to accomplish that feat before June 1.

Buxton and Schoop each finished with five RBIs, while Cron, who also doubled and flew out to the warning track in left, finished with four. Miguel Sano also homered, and Marwin Gonzalez went 3-for-6 with a double as Minnesota pounded out 19 hits while extending its winning streak to a season-best five games.

Pirates 7, Padres 2

Josh Bell hit two of four homers clubbed off San Diego starter Nick Margevicius to lead Pittsburgh to a road victory.

Bell, who now has 14 homers on the season, combined with Bryan Reynolds for back-to-back shots in the second inning. Bell then hit a three-run homer in the third. The homer assault -- as well as the game for Margevicius (2-5) -- ended when Gregory Polanco opened the fifth inning with his fourth homer of the season.

Left-hander Steven Brault (1-1) got credit for the win, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

Indians 4, Orioles 1

Adam Plutko allowed one hit over six innings in his season debut, and Jordan Luplow launched a two-run homer as host Cleveland had little trouble with Baltimore.

Carlos Santana homered to lead off the eighth inning, and Francisco Lindor had an RBI single for the Indians, who improved to 13-4 against the Orioles in their past 17 meetings since the beginning of the 2017 season.

Trey Mancini recorded Baltimore's lone hit with a solo homer with two outs in the fourth inning. He deposited a 1-0 changeup from Plutko (1-0) over the left-field wall for his team-leading 10th homer of the season.

Giants 8, Diamondbacks 5

Steven Duggar, Buster Posey and Brandon Belt each had two hits and an RBI, and Brandon Crawford had two RBIs to back left-hander Madison Bumgarner in San Francisco's victory over Arizona in Phoenix.

Duggar and Posey had RBIs in a three-run third inning, when the Giants opened a 4-0 lead. Pablo Sandoval and Belt added late bases-empty homers for the Giants, who had lost five of seven.

Bumgarner (3-4) gave up five hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings, with six strikeouts and three walks. He is 8-3 with a 2.97 ERA in 19 career appearances at Chase Field.

White Sox 4, Blues Jays 1 (five innings)

Lucas Giolito won his career-best fourth straight decision, Leury Garcia homered and Yonder Alonso had two RBI singles as host Chicago topped Toronto in a game shortened by rain.

Giolito (5-1) allowed three hits, two walks and one run in five innings. He struck out four, including the final three batters he faced before the game was halted by rain. The game was called after 4 1/2 innings following a delay of about three hours.

Toronto starter Ryan Feierabend (0-1), a left-hander who throws a knuckleball, allowed four runs, seven hits and one walk while striking out two in four innings. Feierabend was making his first appearance in a major league game since July 27, 2014, when he was with the Texas Rangers.

Athletics 4, Tigers 1

Daniel Mengden threw seven innings of one-run ball to notch his first win of the season as Oakland won an afternoon game in Detroit.

The Athletics have won the first three games of the series and 15 consecutive games against the Tigers.

Mengden (1-1) stymied the struggling Tigers all day. The right-hander allowed three hits, struck out five, walked two and retired the final eight hitters he faced. Detroit ace Matthew Boyd (4-4) allowed four runs on seven hits, including a pair of homers, in 6 1/3 innings.

Marlins 2, Mets 0

Pablo Lopez (3-5) pitched seven innings of one-hit ball, and Jon Berti accounted for both runs as Miami shut out New York in South Florida.

Berti hit a leadoff homer and scored Miami's other run after drawing a walk and scoring on Brian Anderson's single in the third inning. Reliever Tayron Guerrero, who was hitting 100 mph on the radar gun, pitched 1 1/3 innings, and Adam Conley got the final two outs for his second save of the season.

The Marlins, who have the worst record in the majors, won their second straight game -- tying a season best -- and clinched just their second series victory of the year. New York has lost four straight games, tying its season-worst skid.

--Field Level Media