NY Mets sweep Braves
Dodgers boost division lead to season-high 14 1/2 games
NEW YORK, Aug 7, (AP): Max Scherzer tied a season high with 11 strikeouts over seven innings and the New York Mets beat the sloppy Atlanta Braves 6-2 Saturday night to complete a doubleheader sweep.
Francisco Lindor had three hits and three RBIs as New York took the opener 8-5, and the Mets stretched their NL East lead to 5 1/2 games.
Mets fans taunted the second-place Braves in the ninth inning of Game 2 by performing the tomahawk chop, a tradition at games in Atlanta despite complaints from some Native American groups that the chant is degrading.
Pete Alonso had three singles, including one with the bases loaded to match Yankees star Aaron Judge for the major league lead with 93 RBIs. The Mets swept their second doubleheader against Atlanta this season and opened their biggest division lead since June 21. They are 11-3 in seven twinbills this year, including four sweeps.
New York (69-39) is 30 games over .500 for the first time since finishing 9765 in 2006.
Lindor reached twice in the late game and scored on shortstop Dansby Swanson’s throwing error as Max Fried (10-4)
BASEBALL
was nearly injured on the play.
Scherzer (8-2) allowed four hits in his 198th career win. The three-time Cy Young Award winner pulled into a tie for 14th place on the career strikeouts list with former Tigers teammate Justin Verlander at 3,140.
Lindor had three hits in the first game, including an RBI single during a two-run first inning against Jake Odorizzi (4-4). His double stretched New York’s edge to 5-0.
Dodgers 8, Padres 3
In Los Angeles, Will Smith homered and drove in three runs, and Los Angeles continued to sprint away from the rest of the NL West with its seventh consecutive victory.
Max Muncy hit a three-run homer for the Dodgers, who boosted their division lead to a season-high 14 1/2 games with their 16th win in the last 18 meetings with second-place San Diego.
The Dodgers have won six straight series against the Padres. LA has outscored San Diego 16-4 in back-to-back big victories at Chavez Ravine.
The Dodgers also improved the majors’ best record to 74-33 with their 14th win in 17 games since hosting the AllStar Game last month.
Cardinals 1, Yankees 0
In St. Louis, Jordan Montgomery blanked his old teammates over five innings and Nolan Arenado drove in the lone run as St. Louis grabbed sole possession of the NL Central lead by handing New York its season-high fourth straight loss.
Making his first start for St. Louis since being acquired at the trade deadline earlier in the week, Montgomery (4-3) was taken out after five innings for precautionary reasons due to cramping. He gave up two hits and a walk with one strikeout.
Four St. Louis pitchers held the
Yankees to just two hits - singles in the first and third. Only two runners reached second base.
Giovanny Gallegos pitched
1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his
11th save, striking out the final two hitters. St. Louis has won a season-high six straight games, and eight of nine.
Reds 7, Brewers 5
In Milwaukee, José Barrero hit his first two major league home runs and Cincinnati dropped Milwaukee into second place in the NL Central.
Joey Votto and Donovan Solano each had a solo homer for the Reds, who hadn’t scored more than three runs since an 8-2 win July 30 over Baltimore.
Milwaukee fell a game behind St. Louis in the division race.
Phillies 11, Nationals 5
In Philadelphia, Rhys Hoskins homered in the first inning for the third straight game - the first Philadelphia player to do it since at least 1900 - in a rout of Washington.
J.T. Realmuto and Matt Vierling also went deep for the surging Phillies, who have won nine of 10 to move a seasonbest 11-games over .500. Realmuto also tripled and drove in three runs and Jean Segura had three hits for Philadelphia.
Luke Voit homered and Lane Thomas had three hits and an RBI for Washington, which is an MLB-worst 36-73. Patrick Corbin (4-16) lost his sixth straight decision.
Orioles 6, Pirates 3
In Baltimore, Ryan McKenna hit a two-run double in the fifth inning, and Baltimore won its fifth straight game.
Oneil Cruz hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh in the fourth to cut an early Baltimore lead to one, but McKenna came through as a pinch-hitter the following inning, putting the Orioles up 5-2 with a big two-out hit to left.
Baltimore, which entered the day 1 1/2 games out of the final wild card in the American League, has now won 21 of its last 28 games. The Orioles (56-51) have already reached their highest win total in five years.
Twins 7, Blue Jays 3
In Minneapolis, Jorge Polanco had a pair of two-out RBIs and Jose Miranda homered for Minnesota, which beat Toronto behind a stellar bullpen performance.
All-Star Luis Arraez went 3 for 5 with an RBI for the first-place Twins, who kept their two-game lead on Cleveland in the AL Central.
Arraez doubled twice and scored on both of Polanco’s clutch hits - a single in the third inning off Blue Jays starter Mitch White (1-3) and a double in the fifth after White was replaced by Tim Mayza.
Royals 5, Red Sox 4
In Kansas City, rookie Nick Pratto hit a game-ending home run in the ninth inning, giving Kansas City a win over Boston.
Pratto blasted a two-out, 3-2 changeup from Garrett Whitlock (2-2) an estimated 424 feet to center field for his second career homer and first at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals began and ended the game with homers. MJ Melendez hit his second leadoff homer of the series, a 434foot drive to right field for his 12th longball this season. Kyle Isbel also homered for Kansas City. Dylan Coleman (3-1) retired the Red Sox in order in the ninth.
Bobby Dalbec hit a two-run drive for Boston in the fourth inning and Alex Verdugo went deep in the sixth to tie the game at 4-4.
Mariners 2, Angels 1, 1st game
Angels 7, Mariners 1, 2nd game In Seattle, Reid Detmers pitched seven smooth innings, Mickey Moniak hit his second home run in three days and Los Angeles defeated Seattle to split their doubleheader.
David Fletcher homered and drove in three runs for the Angels, who dropped the opener 2-1 as Ty France hit a two-run homer and George Kirby (3-3) struck out eight over six innings for the Mariners.
In the nightcap, Moniak connected off Chris Flexen (7-9) for his third major league homer. The top pick in the 2016 draft was acquired from Philadelphia at Tuesday’s trade deadline in a deal for pitcher Noah Syndergaard.
Tigers 9, Rays 1
In Detroit, Harold Castro drove in two runs and scored twice as Detroit ended a three-game skid with a win over All-Star Shane McClanahan on Lou Whitaker Night.
Playing in front of their first sellout crowd since opening day, the Tigers won for the fifth time in 16 games on the night they retired Whitaker’s No. 1. Garrett Hill (2-3) picked up the win, allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings.
McClanahan (10-5) gave up four runs on six hits in seven innings.
Rockies 3, Diamondbacks 2
In Phoenix, Ryan McMahon hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth, Antonio Senzatela threw seven quality innings and Colorado rallied for a win over Arizona.
McMahon drilled a high fastball from Ian Kennedy (4-5) into the left-center seats for the game-deciding drive. The hard liner left the ballpark in a hurry, just clearing the wall to the left of the 413foot sign. It was his 10th homer of the season.
Rangers 8, White Sox 0
In Arlington, Dane Dunning allowed one hit in seven dominant innings against his former team for his first win since April, and Adolis García drove in five runs as Texas shut out Chicago.
Dunning (2-6) struck out six and walked one, winning for the first time in 16 starts since a 3-1 victory April 30 over Atlanta. Chicago traded the right-hander to Texas in a December 2020 deal for pitcher Lance Lynn.