Betts get cycle, but Boston falls
Stanton hits fastest home run recorded
TORONTO — Mookie Betts homered in the ninth inning to complete the first cycle in his career during the Toronto Blue Jays’ 8-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.
Betts is the 21st Red Sox player to hit for the cycle and the first in the major leagues this season. He singled and scored in the first inning, tripled in the second and doubled in the fourth against starter Ryan Borucki. After walking in the sixth, Betts hit a one-out drive off Albuquerque’s Ken Giles in the ninth for his 27th homer of the season.
The 25-year-old Betts is the first Boston player to hit for the cycle since Brock Holt in 2015. Betts, Holt and Leon Culberson in 1943 are the only Red Sox to cycle from the leadoff spot. YANKEES 7, RANGERS 3: In New York, Giancarlo Stanton hit the hardest homer ever measured by Major League Baseball’s Statcast system, and Neil Walker hit two more home runs as New York beat Texas.
Stanton’s 28th homer was measured at 121.7 mph, the fastest long ball tracked by Statcast since the system was introduced in 2015. Miguel Andujar and Aaron Hicks also went deep, helping the Yankees win their fourth straight since a fivegame skid that included a fourgame sweep at AL East-leading Boston. INDIANS 5, MINNESOTA 4: In Cleveland, Michael Brantley’s ninth-inning single gave Cleveland its second straight walk-off victory over Minnesota.
Brantley grounded a 2-1 pitch off Addison Reed (1-6) past the diving Miguel Sano at first base to score Greg Allen. Francisco Lindor’s three-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday gave Cleveland a 5-2 victory. Brantley’s hit set off another celebration as he was mobbed by his teammates.
DODGERS 8, ROCKIES 5: In Denver, Chris Taylor and Brian Dozier homered off closer Wade Davis in the ninth inning and Los Angeles exploited Colorado’s shaky bullpen to beat the Rockies.
Taylor lined the first pitch he saw from Davis (1-6) into the left-center bleachers to make it 6-5. Two batters later, Dozier followed with a two-run shot to cap off another late-inning, flipflopping game at Coors Field.
NATIONALS 6, BRAVES 3: In Washington, Gio Gonzalez pitched seven strong innings for his first victory since May 28 to help Washington split a four-game series with Atlanta.
Gonzalez (7-8) snapped a personal seven-game losing streak and had gone 11 consecutive starts without a victory. He allowed three hits and one walk. Nick Markakis’ solo homer to lead off the second was the lone run Gonzalez allowed.
MARINERS 8, ASTROS 6: In Houston, Mitch Haniger homered while Seattle jumped on Justin Verlander for six runs in two innings as the Mariners beat Houston.
PIRATES 10, GIANTS 5: In San Francisco, David Freese hit his 100th career home run, Elias Diaz and Josh Bell went deep on consecutive pitches and Pittsburgh beat San Francisco.
RAYS 5, ORIOLES 4: In St. Petersburg, Fla., Jake Bauers drove in two of his three runs with a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning as Tampa Bay beat Baltimore.
PADRES 8, BREWERS 4: In Milwaukee, Hunter Renfroe hit a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning, his fourth straight game with a home run, as San Diego rallied to beat Milwaukee.