Tanaka’s gem vaults Yanks
Masahiro Tanaka took a perfect game into the sixth inning and struck out a career-high 14, pitching the Yankees past the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-1, last night in New York, for their fifth straight win.
Brett Gardner hit a leadoff home run, Aaron Judge lined his AL-leading 33rd homer and Clint Frazier added a three-run shot to boost Tanaka (8-9). With their spurt, the Yankees moved past the Red Sox by a half-game and into the AL East lead for the first time in a month.
On Thursday night, Gardner won the opener of this four-game set between playoff contenders with a homer in the 11th. Judge wound up losing half of his front left tooth in the celebration — he got a temporary fix earlier in the day.
Tanaka struck out the first five batters, all swinging. He set down 17 in a row before Adeiny Hechavarria grounded a sharp, two-out single up the middle, past diving shortstop Didi Gregorius. Tanaka impassively watched the ball roll into center field and, after a brief ovation from the fans, went back to work.
Before the game, the Rays acquired reliever Steve Cishek from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for versatile right-hander Erasmo Ramirez.
Astros 6, Tigers 5 — Josh Reddick hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting visiting Houston over Detroit.
The Astros trailed 5-3 when Detroit brought in reliever Bruce Rondon (12) to start the eighth. He allowed singles to Derek Fisher and Jose Altuve before Reddick’s drive sailed well beyond the wall in right field.
Reddick drove in five runs, and the Astros won despite getting only three innings from starter Dallas Keuchel in the left-hander’s return from a neck injury. Brad Peacock (9-1) allowed two runs in four innings of relief, then Chris Devenski pitched the eighth and Ken Giles finished for his 22nd save in 24 chances.
Marwin Gonzalez also homered for the AL Westleading Astros, who placed injured slugger George Springer (quadriceps) on the 10-day disabled list.
Angels 7, Blue Jays 2 — Parker Bridwell pitched a career-high 71⁄ innings to win his third straight decision, C.J. Cron hit a tworun homer and visiting Los Angeles thwarted Toronto.
After being swept in a three-game series at Cleveland and falling a seasonworst five games below .500, the Angels snapped their slump by winning for the 12th time in 16 games in Toronto.
Mike Trout had two RBI and Yunel Escobar had two doubles and an RBI for the Angels.
Cron connected off Chris Smith in the ninth, his fifth.
National League
Phillies 10, Braves 3 — Aaron Altherr homered twice and Jake Thompson pitched five scoreless innings in an emergency start to lead host Philadelphia past Atlanta.
Tommy Joseph and Cameron Rupp also homered and Freddy Galvis had three hits for the Phillies, who have scored 19 runs on seven homers and 14 extra-base hits while winning the last two.
Marlins 7, Reds 4 — J.T. Realmuto had three hits, including a tie-breaking home run, to spark a fourrun seventh inning and help host Miami handle reeling Cincinnati.
Rockies-Nationals, ppd. — The series opener between Colorado and host Washington was postponed because of heavy rain. The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader tomorrow.
Elsewhere in baseball — Major League Baseball plans to start the 2019 and 2020 seasons in Asia and play regular-season games in England in June of both years.