Reds end nine-game skid
Scott Schebler and Scooter Gennett homered and Joey Votto snapped an eighth-inning tie with an RBI single, helping the Cincinnati Reds end a season-high nine-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays last night in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Schebler led off the fifth inning with his 19th homer, tying Votto for the team lead. Gennett went deep for the second consecutive day, his first homers since hitting four in a game against St. Louis on June 6, to make it 3-0 in the sixth.
Votto’s RBI single off Jose Alvarado (0-2) put the Reds in front for good after Tampa Bay rallied to tie the game on Steven Souza Jr.’s homer off Scott Feldman and Daniel Robertson’s two-run shot off reliever Michael Lorenzen (4-2).
Rookie shortstop Jesse Winker finished Cincinnati’s three-run eighth with a bases-loaded, two-run single to make it 6-3.
The Reds won for the first time since June 8, stopping a skid that was their longest since they dropped 11 straight in May 2016.
Feldman allowed two runs and six hits over sixplus innings, holding the Rays scoreless until Souza homered off one of the catwalks supporting the roof at Tropicana Field with two outs in the sixth.
American League
Indians 12, Orioles 0 — Corey Kluber pitched a three-hitter for his fifth career shutout, Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana homered and Cleveland overpowered host Baltimore for its season-high sixth straight victory.
Santana and Austin Jackson had three RBI apiece for the AL Central leaders, whose recent surge has lifted them to a season-best six games over .500 (37-31).
Kluber (6-2) struck out 11 and walked none in his second shutout of the season.
Blue Jays 7, Rangers 6 — In Arlington, Texas, Kendrys Morales hit a go-ahead single after a tying single by Josh Donaldson in the ninth inning, and Toronto beat Texas in a matchup of AL Division Series opponents the past two seasons.
The Blue Jays won despite blowing a 5-1 lead in their first visit to Texas since last postseason, when they won the first two games in a best-of-five sweep that was their second straight ALDS victory over the two-time defending AL West champs.
Astros 4, Athletics 1 — George Springer hit his 20th home run, Jake Marisnick and Derek Fisher also went deep and visiting Houston beat Oakland.
Evan Gattis and Alex Bregman both doubled twice to help the Astros improve to a major leaguebest 24-8 on the road while winning their seventh straight at the Coliseum.
Mariners 6, Tigers 2 — Mike Zunino hit a pair of two-run home runs, Guillermo Heredia also had a two-run shot and host Seattle topped Detroit.
Zunino’s first home run snapped a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning, and then he went deep again in the eighth.
National League
Marlins 8, Nationals 7 — Marcell Ozuna singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning, and host Miami overcame an early six-run deficit to beat Washington.
Enny Romero (2-3) retired his first two batters in the ninth but walked Dee Gordon on four pitches. Gordon stole second and went to third on a sharp infield single by Stanton before Christian Yelich walked on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases for Ozuna.
Miami slugger Justin Bour tied the game at 6 in the third inning with a grand slam, his 18th homer. Giancarlo Stanton also hit his 18th of the season to make it 7-7 in the seventh.
Braves 9, Giants 0 — R.A. Dickey threw seven scoreless innings, Matt Adams hit another homer and host Atlanta sent San Francisco to its seventh straight loss.
The 42-year-old Dickey (5-5) surrendered just three hits and retired 16 of the last 17 hitters he faced.
Giants pitcher Hunter Strickland began serving a six-game suspension for brawling with Bryce Harper after his appeal was denied by Major League Baseball. The penalty stemmed from a benches-clearing incident between the Giants and Washington Nationals on May 29.
Pirates 8, Brewers 1— Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer, Gerrit Cole pitched seven strong innings and Pittsburgh beat host Milwaukee.
Travis Shaw’s leadoff homer in the second put the Brewers ahead 1-0 and set a franchise mark by scoring their 16th consecutive run via the long ball.
Cubs 3, Padres 2 — Willson Contreras hit a tying home run, Javier Baez scored the winning run on an error and Wade Davis worked out of a ninth-inning jam as host Chicago beat San Diego.