Oakland, Houston split key AL West twin bill
Blue Jays send Yanks to fifth loss in row
OAKLAND, Calif. — Yuli Gurriel hit a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the seventh inning set up by an Oakland error as the Houston Astros beat the Athletics 5-4 Tuesday to split a doubleheader and end a six-game losing streak.
In the opener, as ash from nearby wildfires fell inside the Coliseum, Khris Davis homered off previously unbeaten Zack Greinke to help the A’s win 4-2.
The split kept the AL West-leading Athletics 4 1/2 games ahead of second-place Houston.
George Springer reached on rookie shortstop Vimael Machin’s error to start the seventh and eventually scored on Gurriel’s fly.
Oakland loaded the bases against Enoli Paredes (2-2) in the sixth but couldn’t capitalize. Ryan Pressly earned his eighth save. J.B. Wendelken (1-1) got the loss. Matt Olson homered for the A’s, the 100th of his career.
The A’s played as the visiting team in Game 1 for the makeup of a postponement from Aug. 30 after pitcher Daniel Mengden’s positive coronavirus test result. Oakland missed four games in all, including three in Seattle that forced the club to play three doubleheaders in a seven-day span that began Tuesday.
Before the games, Houston activated third baseman Alex Bregman from the 10-day injured list, making him the 29th player for the doubleheader. In the opener, he went 0 for 3, striking out twice with a walk. He didn’t play in the second game.
Bregman had been sidelined since Aug. 19 with a strained right hamstring. BLUE JAYS 2, YANKEES 1: In Buffalo, N.Y., Gary Sánchez and slumping New York lost its fifth in a row and fell for the 15th time in 20 games, again failing to get clutch hits in a loss to Toronto.
At 21-21, the Yankees are at .500 or worse in September for the first time since 1995.
Jonathan Davis homered in his first at-bat of the season and the Blue Jays won their third straight game, a day after beating the Yankees 12-7.
Shun Yamaguchi (2-3) allowed one run in two innings of relief to earn the win. A.J. Cole and Anthony Kay each pitched one scoreless inning, and Rafael Dolis finished for his third save in as many opportunities. TWINS 7-4, CARDINALS 3-6: In St. Louis, Matt Wieters hit 14 foul balls during a 19-pitch at-bat that finished with a fly out during a wild rally that sent St. Louis over Minnesota for a doubleheader split.
Josh Donaldson, Nelson Cruz and Miguel Sanó all homered, leading the Twins to a victory over the Cardinals in the first game. Cruz also homered in the second game to tie him for the MLB lead with 15.
The Twins led 2-0 in the third inning of the nightcap before St. Louis combined two singles, three walks and two hitters to score five runs.
Wieters, hit by a pitch from Randy Dobnak (6-3) earlier in the inning, came up with two outs and the bases loaded against reliever Caleb Thielbar. Wieters quickly fell behind 0-2 before eventually working the count full. He then fouled off nine straight pitches before flying out to center.
Genesis Cabrera (3-1) pitched one inning in relief to earn the win. PHILLIES 6-2, RED SOX 5-5:
In Philadelphia, Bobby Dalbec homered for his fourth straight game, his two-run shot in the sixth inning enough to help Boston beat Philadelphia and split a doubleheader.
Alec Bohm hit a two-out, tworun single in the seventh inning to rally the Phillies in the opener.
Dalbec homered in both games of the doubleheader, and the rookie first baseman has homered in five of his first nine career games. He’s the first Red Sox rookie to homer in four straight games.
Phillies reliever David Phelps walked Jackie Bradley Jr. on four pitches to open the sixth. Dalbec homered two pitches later for the decisive shot that sent the Phillies to a crushing loss as they head into a lengthy road trip in Miami.
Bohm continued his knack for clutch hits, coming through in the opener with Philadelphia down to its last strike. The rookie drove in four runs with three hits, including his winner off Matt Barnes (1-3) as the Phillies compete for their first playoff berth since 2011.
ROYALS 8, INDIANS 6: In Cleveland, Maikel Franco drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and had an RBI single in the ninth as Kansas City beat Cleveland to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer and Cam Gallagher had an RBI double for Kansas City.
Adalberto Mondesí led off the eighth with a single off Adam Cimber (0-1) and scored on Franco’s fly to center, putting the Royals up 6-5. Later in the inning, Nicky Lopez was hit by a pitch from Oliver Perez with the bases loaded to score Hunter Dozier.
Carlos Santana, Sandy León and Francisco Lindor each homered for Cleveland, which had won three in a row.
NATIONALS 5, RAYS 3: In Washington, Juan Soto drove in a run in his return to the lineup and Washington used strong relief pitching to beat Tampa Bay and sweep the two-game series.
After missing five games with left elbow soreness, Juan Soto was back in the lineup as the designated hitter. He drove in a run in his first at-bat with a ground-out to third in the first. Soto finished 1 for 2 with two walks and a run.
The AL East-leading Rays had won or split their past 10 series before dropping both games against the Nationals.
Tampa Bay left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (0-3) returned from the injured list and had his shortest outing of the season in going 2 2/3 innings while allowing four runs and six hits.
Nationals starter Aníbal Sánchez (2-4). gave up two hits to three of the batters he faced in the inning before leaving without recording an out. Daniel Hudson earned his ninth save. TIGERS 8, BREWERS 3: In Detroit, Spencer Turnbull allowed three hits in six scoreless innings, and Detroit broke the game open with five runs in the fifth on their way to a victory over Milwaukee, the Brewers’ third straight loss.
Turnbull (4-2) struck out three and walked three for the Tigers, who pulled within one game of the New York Yankees for the final postseason spot in the American League. Jeimer Candelario homered and drove in four runs.
PIRATES 5, WHITE SOX 4: In Pittsburgh, pinch-runner Jason Martin scored the winning run on catcher Yasmani Grandal’s error in the bottom of the ninth inning as Pittsburgh rallied for a victory over Chicago.
With the score tied at 4, the Pirates loaded the bases with none out. Gregory Polanco and Josh Bell singled and, after both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Ke’Bryan Hayes was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Kevin Newman then laid down a bunt. Pitcher Jimmy Cordero fielded the ball and shoveled it to Grandal in attempt to get a force out at home plate, but Grandal dropped the toss and Martin, who ran for Polanco, scored. MARLINS 8, BRAVES 0: In Atlanta, Sixto Sánchez combined with four relievers on a four-hitter and Jorge Alfaro hit one of three homers for Miami in a victory over Atlanta.
Garrett Cooper had two hits, including a two-run homer, and drove in three runs. Alfaro drove in two runs with two hits, including his first homer.
Miami trails Atlanta by 2 1/2 games in the division after winning the first two games of the three-game series. PADRES 14, ROCKIES 5: In San Diego, Wil Myers homered twice, including San Diego’s seventh grand slam of the season, and Austin Nola hit a three-run shot to help support Mike Clevinger in his home debut for the Padres, who routed Colorado.
Clevinger (2-2) settled down after allowing Nolan Arenado’s three-run home run with one out in the third. The right-hander, obtained in a blockbuster deal with Cleveland just before the trade deadline, held the Rockies to four runs and five hits in five innings, struck out eight and walked one.
ORIOLES 11, METS 2: In New York, rookie slugger Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run homer and Rio Ruiz added a three-run shot as Baltimore hit four homers and cruised to a win over New York.
The Orioles won their fourth straight and improved to 20-21, moving within a half-game of the Yankees for the second AL wildcard spot.
RANGERS 7, ANGELS 1: In Arlington, Texas, Lance Lynn pitched seven strong innings, Elvis Andrus homered and Texas snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over Los Angeles, which had won five in a row.
Lynn (5-2), the first major league pitcher to make 10 starts this season, struck out six, walked two and limited the Angels to one run on four hits.
GIANTS 6, MARINERS 5: In San Francisco, pinch-hitter Darin Ruf homered with one out in the seventh inning as San Francisco beat Seattle, ending the Mariners’ sixgame winning streak.
Alex Dickerson and Mauricio Dubón also went deep for the Giants, who erased a 5-1 deficit.