MLB roundup: Cubs win 6th straight
Willson Contreras homered and drove in three runs, Javier Baez stole home for the second time this season, and the Chicago Cubs extended their winning streak to six games by downing the visiting Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon.
Contreras' seventh homer this season broke a 2-2 tie. David Bote smashed his first career homer.
Jose Quintana (7-6) held the Tigers to two runs and five hits in six innings to collect the victory as Chicago won the two-game series. Brandon Morrow got the last three outs for his 19th save.
In the fourth inning, Baez singled, then stole second and went to third on an error on the play. While he was on third, he took off for the plate on a pickoff throw to first base and scored with a stunning slide to avoid the tag of Tigers catcher James McCann.
Yankees 6, Braves 2
Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer and Aaron Judge added a solo homer as New York beat visiting Atlanta.
Stanton blasted a three-run homer in the third off Julio Teheran (6-6) less than 24 hours after his eighth-inning, two-run homer down the right field line on Tuesday.
This time, Stanton slugged Teheran's 0-2 fastball into the right-center-field bleachers to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead. It was Stanton's 21st homer of the season -- it traveled an estimated 410 feet and marked the fourth time the designated hitter homered in consecutive games this season.
Judge homered for the third time in four games when he connected to right field with one out in the seventh off Luiz Gohara. It was Judge's 24th homer, and it marked the third time Judge and Stanton homered in the same contest.
Angels 7, Mariners 4
Kole Calhoun went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs as Los Angeles snapped host Seattle's eight-game winning streak.
Calhoun's run-scoring single in the fourth inning broke a 2-2 tie. He added a two-run homer in the sixth, his fifth long ball of the season, to give the Angels a 6-2 advantage.
Los Angeles right-hander Garrett Richards (5-4), returning from the 10-day disabled list after recovering from a left hamstring strain, went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. Blake Parker pitched the ninth inning for his 10th save.
Red Sox 3, Nationals 0
Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in two runs, and Eduardo Rodriguez threw six scoreless innings as Boston won at Washington to complete a three-game sweep of the interleague series.
Washington has dropped five straight games and slipped under .500 at 42-43 for the first time since May 2.
Rodriguez (10-3) allowed three hits and struck out six with one walk to end a personal two-game losing streak. Matt Barnes and Joe Kelly then blanked the Nationals in the seventh and eighth, respectively, before Craig Kimbrel closed it in the ninth and earned his 26th save.
JT Riddle's run-scoring triple in the sixth inning and solo home run in the eighth backed the combined four-hit pitching from a quartet of Miami hurlers as the Marlins defeated visiting Tampa Bay to win the three-game Sunshine State series.
Miami starter Jose Urena scattered three hits and two walks over five innings with six strikeouts but did not figure in the decision. Relievers Drew Rucinski (two innings, one hit, two strikeouts), Elieser Hernandez (one inning, one walk), and Brad Ziegler (one inning, one walk, one strikeout) completed the combined shutout.
Rucinski (4-1) earned the win while Ziegler notched his 10th save.
Nick Williams hit a two-run homer, and Aaron Nola allowed one run in seven innings as host Philadelphia defeated Baltimore to cap a sweep of the two-game series.
Nola (11-2) won his fifth consecutive decision. He gave up the one run in seven innings, scattering seven hits while striking out nine and walking two.
Victor Arano pitched two scoreless, hitless innings for his first save.
A's 4, Padres 2
Stephen Piscotty's third double of the game, a two-run drive to right field, broke an eighth-inning tie and lifted Oakland to a two-game sweep of visiting San Diego.
The score had remained 2-2 since the third inning before Jed Lowrie worked a walk from Padres reliever Jose Castillo (1-2) to lead off the eighth.
Khris Davis followed with a double off Craig Stammen that sent Lowrie to third. After Matt Olson was walked intentionally, Piscotty drove his game-winner to right, scoring Lowrie and Davis with the difference-making runs.
Brewers 3, Twins 2
Brad Miller and Nate Orf hit solo home runs in the seventh inning to power Milwaukee to its third consecutive win, a decision over visiting Minnesota.
Travis Shaw also homered and had two hits for the Brewers. Jeremy Jeffress (6-1), who gave up one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings, picked up the win in relief of Chase Anderson. The Milwaukee starter allowed just three hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings, walking one while striking out five.
Corey Knebel, with the aid of a highlight-reel, homer-robbing grab by center fielder Keon Broxton on Brian Dozier, notched his 10th save despite yielding a solo homer to Eduardo Escobar in the ninth.
Astros 5, Rangers 4 (10 innings)
Josh Reddick had three hits, including a two-run homer, and Evan Gattis drove in the winning run with a 10th-inning sacrifice fly to lift Houston to a victory at Arlington, Texas.
Yuli Gurriel had a double and a homer for the Astros, who are a major-league-best 32-14 on the road and have won their past eight at Texas. They overcame a 4-0 deficit Wednesday to increase their lead in the season series to 12-4.
Texas' Shin-Soo Choo had two hits, including a homer, to extend his on-base streak to 44 games, the longest in the majors this season and tied for second longest in franchise history. Julio Franco reached base in 48 consecutive games in 1993.
Rockies 1, Giants 0
Tyler Anderson allowed just two hits over eight scoreless innings in a second straight dominant start as Colorado completed a three-game sweep of San Francisco in Denver.
Anderson (6-3) walked two and struck out nine in throwing eight scoreless innings for the second consecutive outing. Chris Iannetta homered in the seventh inning to provide the only run.
The Rockies earned a 1-0 win at home for just the eighth time in the franchise's 26-season history. Colorado has won six of seven overall. San Francisco has lost 15 of its past 17 games at Coors Field.
Mets 6, Blue Jays 3
Todd Frazier hit a two-run home run to key a five-run fifth inning, and New York went on to win at Toronto.
The victory gave the Mets a split of the two-game interleague set, and the teams finished at 2-2 in the season series.
Mets reliever Seth Lugo (3-3) allowed one run in three innings. Jeurys Familia pitched a perfect ninth to post his 16th save.
Dodgers 6, Pirates 4
Yasmani Grandal and Chris Taylor drove in three runs apiece, and Rich Hill won for the first time since April 1, helping Los Angeles sweep a three-game series from visiting Pittsburgh.
Starling Marte had a two-run double and Gregory Polanco a two-run home run for the Pirates, who completed a 4-5 trip with three straight losses.
Hill (2-3) went the first five innings, yielding two runs and four hits. Kenley Jansen recorded the final five outs for his 23rd save.
Reds 7, White Sox 4
Cincinnati combined five hits and a suicide squeeze to score six runs in the fourth inning, the key to a win over visiting Chicago.
The Reds, who won two out of three games in the series, have won four of five and 16 of their past 22. The White Sox have lost five of their past seven.
The White Sox jumped to a 3-0 lead with a pair with early homers by Yoan Moncada and Daniel Palka before the Reds' big inning.
Indians 3, Royals 2
Trevor Bauer pitched 7 2/3 effective innings in humid conditions at Kansas City, leading Cleveland to a victory.
Bauer (8-6) allowed two runs on seven hits while winning for the fourth time in six starts. He struck out eight, walked one and went at least seven innings for the ninth time this season.
Cleveland managed only four hits, including Michael Brantley's RBI double in the first inning, and scored twice on sacrifice flies. Alex Gordon stole home for Kansas City, which also got a run on a sacrifice fly.
Cardinals 8, Diamondbacks 4
Yadier Molina had two hits, including a three-run homer to cap a five-run seventh inning, and Tommy Pham added three hits and three RBIs as St. Louis took the rubber game of a three-game series against Arizona in Phoenix.
Yairo Munoz homered to open the seventh inning to tie the game at 2 off Yoshihisa Hirano (2-1), breaking Hirano's 26-game scoreless streak. Pham added an RBI single after an infield error before Molina homered off Fernando Salas.
Matt Carpenter had three hits, and Miles Mikolas (9-3) gave up two runs in six innings for the Cardinals.
--Field Level Media
