Baez, Murphy help Cubs overpower Arizona
Taylor gives LA walk-off win over Colorado with homer in 10th
PHOENIX — Javier Baez and Daniel Murphy each hit a tworun homer as the Chicago Cubs jumped out to a big early lead Tuesday night on their way to a 9-1 win over the fading Arizona Diamondbacks.
With its fifth victory in six games, Chicago increased its NL Central lead to 3½ games over the Milwaukee Brewers, who lost at home to last-place Cincinnati.
Mike Montgomery (5-5) allowed a run and four hits with a season-high eight strikeouts in six innings for his first win since Aug. 7.
The Diamondbacks began the day five games out of first place in the NL West and fell six games out of the second wild-card spot. They have lost four in a row and nine of 11. DODGERS 3, ROCKIES 2 (10): In Los Angeles, Chris Taylor hit a homer off Colorado’s Adam Ottavino with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Dodgers a victory over the Rockies.
The victory enabled LA to expand its lead in the NL West to 1½ games over second-place Colorado. The Rockies also trail St. Louis by 1½ games for the second wild card.
YANKEES 3, RED SOX 2: In New York, Neil Walker hit a threerun homer, Zach Britton started a game-ending double play on New York’s third try in the ninth inning and the Yankees kept Boston from a bubbly celebration in the Bronx for at least another night.
Batting from the left side, Walker golfed a no-doubter in the seventh inning off Ryan Brasier for the Yankees’ third hit of the game and a 3-1 lead.
Aaron Judge returned to New York’s lineup for the first time since breaking his right wrist July 26, while AL MVP candidate Mookie Betts got a day off for Boston after injuring his left side Sunday. Judge hit a pop fly to the warning track but finished 0-for-4.
BLUE JAYS 6, ORIOLES 4: In Baltimore, the Orioles fell to Toronto, dropping their 108th game, a team record for losses since they arrived in Baltimore in 1954.
The 1988 Orioles, who opened the season 0-21, held the previous team record for losses with a 54-107 finish. The overall franchise record for defeats is 111, set by the 1939 St. Louis Browns — a mark this year’s team could easily eclipse.
CARDINALS 8, BRAVES 1: In Atlanta, Paul DeJong hit a tworun homer and Yadier Molina added a two-run single in a fourrun eighth inning as St. Louis beat Atlanta for its third straight win.
Austin Gomber pitched five effective innings for the Cardinals, who hold a slim lead for the second NL wild card. The Cardinals top the National League with 36 victories since All-Star break.
RAYS 4, RANGERS 0: In Arlington, Texas, Blake Snell became the major leagues’ first 20-game winner in two years, helping pitch Tampa Bay past Texas.
Snell (20-5) threw one-hit ball for five innings and tied the Tampa Bay record for victories in a season. David Price also won 20 in his Cy Young Award season of 2012.
Snell won his eighth straight start. The 25-year-old lefty struck out five, walked two and threw 92 pitches, exiting with a 1.97 ERA.
PHILLIES 5, METS 2: In Philadelphia, Jorge Alfaro hit a goahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning as Philadelphia rallied past New York.
Philadelphia overcame an uneven outing from ace Aaron Nola and a home run by starter Steven Matz that made him the third Mets pitcher to homer in consecutive appearances.
REDS 3, BREWERS 1: In Milwaukee, Jose Peraza capitalized on Chase Anderson’s home run troubles with a drive in the first inning as Cincinnati beat Milwaukee, the Brewers’ third loss in four games.
The Brewers’ edge for the top NL wild-card spot was cut to two games by St. Louis. ASTROS 7, MARINERS 0: In Houston, Marwin Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in a four-run third inning that helped Houston to a win over Seattle.
Houston, which eliminated the Mariners from contention for the AL West title with the victory, entered the day four games ahead of Oakland atop the division standings. NATIONALS 4, MARLINS 2: In Miami, Stephen Strasburg matched his season-high with 11 strikeouts and Bryce Harper tied a career-high with five walks as Washington beat Miami.
Anthony Rendon drove in two runs for the Nationals (77-75), who closed to 6½ games of NL Eastleading Atlanta.
INDIANS 5, WHITE SOX 3: In Cleveland, Corey Kluber struck out 11 in eight innings to record his career-high 19th win as Cleveland beat Chicago.
Kluber (19-7), who allowed three runs, topped 200 strikeouts for the fifth straight season. Kluber won 18 games in three of the previous four seasons, including his two AL Cy Young Award-winning years, 2014 and 2017. PIRATES 2, ROYALS 1 (11): In Pittsburgh, pinch-hitter Ryan Lavarnway drove in the winning run with a single in the 11th inning and Jameson Taillon struck out a career-high 11 as Pittsburgh beat Kansas City. TWINS 5, TIGERS 3: In Detroit, Chris Gimenez homered and Tyler Austin drove in three runs as Minnesota beat Detroit.