Keuchel wins seventh game for Astros
Rizzo, Schwarber belt homers for the Cubs
MIAMI — The Houston Astros are playing so well they needed unbeaten ace Dallas Keuchel for only five innings Tuesday night.
The left-hander became the first seven-game winner in the majors despite his shortest outing this season, and Houston beat the sinking Miami Marlins 12-2.
Keuchel (7-0) threw only 70 pitches before departing with a 10-2 lead achieved in part thanks to a pair of tworun homers by Jake Marisnick.
“I don’t like to pitch five innings,” Keuchel said, “but if there’s a big lead and I’ve got a chance to get a win, I’ll take that. I’m on pace for a lot of innings, so today was a good chance to save a few bullets.”
Keuchel is known to argue when he’s taken out of games, but this time he offered little protest, manager A.J. Hinch said.
“He always wants to pitch, but he understands,” Hinch said. “He’s on board with what we’re doing, and we have the big picture in mind when we do stuff like this.”
The big picture is rosy for the Astros (28-12), who own the best record in the majors and have won six series in a row.
The last-place Marlins (14-24) are headed the other way, losing 16 of 20.
ORIOLES 13, TIGERS 11 (13): In Detroit, Chris Davis homered in the 12th inning and again in the 13th, and Baltimore finally held on after the second one.
YANKEES 7, ROYALS 1: In Kansas City, Mo., Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer, Chris Carter added a two-run shot and CC Sabathia got back on track as the Yankees rolled.
Pitching on six days’ rest, Sabathia (3-2) went 6⅔ shutout innings to win for the first time since April 15.
RAYS 6, INDIANS 4: In Cleveland, Corey Dickerson hit two of Tampa Bay’s season-high five home runs, leading the Rays.
GIANTS 2, DODGERS 1: In San Francisco, Ty Blach allowed one run and five hits in seven innings and Brandon Belt hit his eighth homer for the Giants.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, METS 4: In Phoenix, Yasmany Tomas homered against the reeling Mets, and Zack Greinke pitched Arizona to a victory.
BREWERS 6, PADRES 2: In San Diego, Eric Sogard had a career-high four hits and drove in a run, and Jimmy Nelson struck out eight in six-plus innings and hit an RBI single to help Milwaukee.
CUBS 9, REDS 5: In Chicago, slumping sluggers Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber homered, rookie Ian Happ connected again and the Cubs beat Cincinnati.
Happ hit his second homer in his third major league game and Addison Russell also went deep as Chicago returned to .500 after a lackluster road trip. NL MVP Kris Bryant added two hits in his first appearance after missing three games with an illness.
NATIONALS 8, PIRATES 4: In Pittsurgh, Bryce Harper belted his 13th home run, Ryan Zimmerman smacked a two-run double to add to his major league-leading RBI total (38) and Washington held off the Pirates.
Harper’s laser to the last row of seats in right field in the ninth gave the 24-year-old star a home run in every ballpark in the National League.
ROCKIES 7, TWINS 3: In Minneapolis, Charlie Blackmon hit a towering two-run homer during a four-run sixth inning and finished with three hits to lead Colorado. RED SOX 6, CARDINALS 3: In St. Louis, Mookie Betts homered and drove in two runs, Jackie Bradley Jr. also went deep and Boston took the opener of a two-game interleague series.
RANGERS 5, PHILLIES 1: In Arlington, Texas, Yu Darvish struck out nine over seven solid innings and Texas stretched the majors’ longest active winning streak to seven games.
BRAVES 9, BLUE JAYS 5: In Toronto, Dansby Swanson hit a tie-breaking homer in the seventh inning, Freddie Freeman added a two-run shot and Atlanta swept the two-game series.