Indians on a roll, beat Orioles for 16th straight victory
CLEVELAND: Edwin Encarnacion and the Cleveland Indians won their 16th straight game, extending the best streak in franchise history by beating the Baltimore Orioles 5-0 Friday night.
Encarnacion hit a three-run homer in the first inning into some trees next to Heritage Park, the team’s hallowed area where past Cleveland stars and teams are immortalized.
Mike Clevinger (9-5) improved his chances to pitch in the postseason with six strong innings as AL Central leaders became just the third team in the expansion era — since 1961 — to win 16 straight in a season.
Cleveland’s string is the longest in the majors since Oakland won 20 straight in 2002. The longest winning streak in major league history is 21 by the 1935 Chicago Cubs.
The 1916 New York Giants had a string of 26 wins and one tie.
Encarnacion hit his 34th home run, connecting off Wade Miley (8-12).
Padres 10 Diamondbacks 6: In Phoenix, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ team-record 13-game winning streak ended when Manuel Margot drove in four runs that led San Diego.
Down 8-0, the Diamondbacks scored twice in the fifth and then added four more runs in the sixth. Padres reliever Craig Stammen retired two batters with the bases loaded to preserve an 8-6 lead.
Jordan Lyles (1-2), in his second start for the Padres, pitched into the sixth.
The Padres rocked Patrick Corbin (1312) for eight runs on 11 hits, seven for extra bases, in 4 1-3 innings.
Rockies 5 Dodgers 4: In Los Angeles, DJ LeMahieu doubled home the goahead run and Colorado sent NL Westleading Los Angeles to its eighth straight loss.
The Dodgers blew a 4-1 lead in the CHIBA, Japan: Scott McCarron was in a familiar spot atop a PGA Tour Champions leaderboard in his first trip to Japan. California childhood rival Kevin Sutherland was close behind — again.
Coming off his third victory in the last six tournaments, the 52-year-old McCarron shot his second straight 6-under 66 on Saturday at Narita Golf Club to take a one-stroke lead over Sutherland in the Japan Airlines Championship — the senior tour’s first event in Japan.
Sutherland, tied for the first-round lead with Glen Day at 65, had a 68. Also visiting Japan for the first time, Sutherland made a 30-foot putt on the par-4 18th for his third birdie on the last four holes.
The long-hitting McCarron birdied all four par 5s after birdieing three of them Friday. He saved par on 18 with a 6-footer to keep the outright lead.
McCarron won the Shaw Charity Classic last week in Calgary, Alberta, to tie Bernhard Langer for the tour victory lead with four. The 53-year-old Sutherland has five straight top-10 finishes. first behind Yu Darvish (2-3), who was chased after giving up four runs in the fifth.
Los Angeles still owns the best record in baseball at 92-49, but has equaled its longest skid since May 2013. The majors’ best team at home this season has lost seven straight at Chavez Ravine for the first time since August 1999. The Dodgers have dropped 13 of 14 overall.
Chris Rusin (5-0) won in relief and Greg Holland got his 38th save.
Athletics 9 Astros 8: In Oakland, California, Jed Lowrie singled home the winning run in the ninth inning after Boog Powell’s tying home run, and Oakland snapped Houston’s seven-game winning streak.
Marcus Semien hit a grand slam for the Athletics.
Josh Reddick homered, doubled twice and drove in four runs for the AL Westleading Astros. Jose Altuve and Yuli Gurriel added two-run homers.
Blake Treinen (2-4) got the win. Ken Giles (1-3) took the loss.
Houston starter Collin McHugh exited after just three innings because of a fingernail injury. The Astros had won 10 in a row at the Coliseum.
Mariners 4 Angeles 3: In Seattle, Ben Gamel hit a three-run homer to give Seattle an early lead, Mike Leake overcame first-inning problems to pitch six solid innings, and the Mariners snapped a three-game losing streak.
Leake (2-0) allowed two earned runs and struck out five, as Seattle got a needed victory to continue hanging around the edges of the AL wild-card race.
Los Angeles starter Ricky Nolasco (6-13) was unable to make it out of the fourth.
Nationals 11 Phillies 10: In Washington, Michael A. Taylor raced for an inside-the-park grand slam when center fielder Odubel Herrera misplayed his line drive, and Washington eliminated Philadelphia from postseason contention.
Herrera misread Taylor’s hit off Jake Thompson (1-2) in the third inning, taking a few steps in before leaping as the ball soared over his head. Herrera chased it down on the warning track and threw to the infield, but shortstop J.P. Crawford missed up the third-base line with his relay, allowing Taylor to slide home safely.
Taylor set a career high with five RBIs and matched a personal best with four hits. Trea Turner homered and drove in three, and Max Scherzer (14-5) allowed four runs over six innings.
Washington has won five straight and reduced its magic number for winning the division to three. Philadelphia is the first team in the majors eliminated from playoff contention.
Red Sox 9 Rays 3: In Boston, Drew Pomeranz did not allow a hit until the fifth inning and gave up two runs over six and Mookie Betts hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox.
It was the third straight victory for the Red Sox, who lead the second-place New York Yankees by 4 1/2 games atop the AL East.
Pomeranz (15-5) struck out seven, allowed two hits and walked two en route to tying Chris Sale for the team lead in victories.
Jesus Sucre hit a two-run homer for the Rays, who have homered in a season franchise record 18 straight games.
Chris Archer (9-9) was roughed up for a season-high eight runs, six earned, and nine hits in three-plus innings.
Betts clanged his homer off Pesky’s Pole in right field in the first inning.