Morales, Jays shrug off slide

TORONTO Hitting a two-run home run just a game after throwing a scoreless inning of relief, Blue Jays designated hitter Kendrys Morales was quick to laugh off any comparisons to Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani.

Morales’s homer and single helped Toronto down the Angels 5-3 on Tuesday to snap a four-game losing skid. Ohtani, who signed with Los Angeles as a free agent in the off-season, has a 4-1 record with 52 strikeouts and a 3.35 earned-run average as a starting pitcher to go along with a .321 batting average, six home runs and 17 RBIs when playing DH on his off days.

“I think he’s from another world,” said Morales through a translator. “I don’t think you can compare anyone to him. I think what he does is something amazing. I don’t think anyone can be compared to him.”

Morales was used to pitch the ninth inning of the Blue Jays’ 9-2 blowout loss to the Athletics on Sunday. That game completed Oakland’s four-game sweep of Toronto.

Although the Blue Jays struggled against the A’s, the series was seemingly a turning point for Morales’s slow start to the season. He has five hits in his past three games. Before that he had six hits in a 20-game stretch. Even with the recent offensive surge, the veteran slugger is hitting just .163 this year.

J.A. Happ (6-3) had another solid outing for the Blue Jays, striking out five while allowing two runs over seven innings, including limiting Ohtani to just a walk.

RED SOX 4, RAYS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mookie Betts hit his major league-leading 16th homer, Chris Sale struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays.

BRAVES 3, PHILLIES 1

PHILADELPHIA — Ozzie Albies hit his 14th homer and Brandon McCarthy tossed 5 2/3 sharp innings, leading Atlanta to the victory.

INDIANS 10, CUBS 1

CHICAGO — Jose Ramirez hit his 14th homer and the Indians routed the Cubs in their first meeting at Wrigley Field since the 2016 World Series.

ASTROS 11, GIANTS 2

HOUSTON — Gerrit Cole struck out eight in six innings, leading Houston to the victory.

REDS 7, PIRATES 2

CINCINNATI — Matt Harvey pitched six innings of one-run ball for his first victory with Cincinnati, and Scooter Gennett hit his fifth grand slam over the last two seasons.

NATIONALS 2, PADRES 1

WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper hit his NL-leading 15th homer for Washington, and Michael Taylor’s one-out double in the ninth scored the game-winning run.

BREWERS 1, DIAMONDBACKS 0

MILWAUKEE — Jhoulys Chacin and three relievers combined on a three-hitter, sending Milwaukee to the win.

TWINS 6, TIGERS 0

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s Lance Lynn gave up five hits over 6 2/3 innings in his most efficient outing of the season, and Brian Dozier drove in three runs with a pair of doubles.

ROYALS 5, CARDINALS 1

ST. LOUIS — Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez homered for Kansas City, helping Jason Hammel to his first victory of the season.

MARLINS 5, METS 1

NEW YORK — Miami’s Caleb Smith pitched neatly into the seventh inning against a Mets lineup that included newcomer Jose Bautista.

WHITE SOX 3, ORIOLES 2

CHICAGO — Yolmer Sanchez capped Chicago’s three-run eighth with a tiebreaking RBI single, lifting the White Sox to the victory.