Rookie’s game-ending HR comes in fourth game
AMERICAN LEAGUE TIGERS 4, ASTROS 1
DETROIT — Rookie Parker Meadows hit his first career home run with two out in the ninth inning, lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
The Astros led 1-0 going into the ninth and Houston closer Ryan Pressly struck out the first two batters. Miguel Cabrera, Zach McKinstry and Javier Baez then singled, and pinch-runner Carson Kelly scored from second on Baez’s liner into center.
Meadows, playing his fourth career game, then homered to right field.
“I saw a hanging slider and I was able to take advantage of it,” Meadows said. “This doesn’t feel real.”
Alex Lange (6-3) worked the ninth for the win. It was the fifth blown save for Pressly (3-4) in 33 opportunities.
Houston wasted a stellar start by Framber Valdez, who struck out 6 and walked 5 in 7 hitless innings. The left-hander, who threw a no-hitter against Cleveland on Aug. 1, matched a career high with 114 pitches.
“We couldn’t get anything in the air against him, and it seemed like everything we hit on the ground was right at an infielder,” Tigers Manager A.J. Hinch said. “But our at-bats were the reason we got him out of the game in 114 pitches.
“We knew once we got to their all-righty bullpen, we could throw our lefties at them.”
The 29-year-old Valdez became the seventh pitcher with two hitless starts in a season of at least seven
innings. Max Scherzer was the last major leaguer to accomplish the feat in 2015 with the Washington Nationals.
ATHLETICS 12, WHITE SOX 4 Nick Allen homered and drove in a career-high five runs, Zach Neal (0-1) won his first start in seven years and Oakland pounded Chicago.
GUARDIANS 5, BLUE JAYS 2 Ramon Laureano homered and had three RBI, Tanner Bibee (10-3) pitched six innings to win for the third time in four starts and Cleveland beat Toronto. TWINS 12, RANGERS 2 Minnesota took advantage of erratic pitching early, drawing four walks and scoring four runs in the first inning in a victory over Texas.
YANKEES 6, RAYS 2 DJ LeMahieu homered twice for the first time in two years, Gerrit Cole (11-4) won on the road for the first time in two months and sliding New York beat the AL wild card-leading Tampa Bay. NATIONAL LEAGUE BREWERS 7, PADRES 3 Rowdy Tellez hit a three-run home run and drove in another run with a single as Milwaukee defeated San Diego. NATIONALS 7, MARLINS 4 Joan Adon pitched six scoreless innings of two-hit ball as the Washington Nationals built a six-run lead and defeated the sliding Miami.
PHILLIES 7, CARDINALS 2 Cristopher
Sanchez (2-3) shrugged off an early home run to pitch six strong innings, Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber homered and Philadelphia beat St. Louis. Sanchez (2-3) and three relievers retired the final 21 St. Louis hitters.
PIRATES 2, CUBS 1 Mitch Keller pitched eight scoreless innings and Pittsburgh scored twice in the first inning before holding on to beat Chicago.
INTERLEAGUE
ANGELS 3, METS 1 Shohei Ohtani doubled to key a two-run third inning, leading the Angels to a win over New York in the first game after Los Angeles announced the two-way superstar had torn an elbow ligament.
DODGERS 7, RED SOX 4 Freddie Freeman had four hits, including a tie-breaking double, Mookie Betts doubled and scored two runs in his return to Fenway Park and Los Angeles beat Boston.
ORIOLES 5, ROCKIES 4 Gunnar Henderson hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, and Baltimore rallied against Colorado’s struggling bullpen to pull out a victory and lengthen their lead in the AL East. Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays homered for the Orioles.