Betts powers Bosox past O’s
Mookie Betts homered twice and drove in five runs, helping the resurgent Boston Red Sox beat the host Baltimore Orioles 5- 3 for their fifth victory in a row Tuesday.
Betts hit a three- run home run in the fifth inning and added a tiebreaking two- run shot in the seventh. He’s batting .426 with 12 homers and 18 RBI in 11 games against the Orioles this season.
The victory lifted the Red Sox into a tie with the Orioles in the American League East, a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tommy Pham and Jedd Gyorko each homered to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the host Houston Astros 8- 5.
The Cardinals roughed up ace Dallas Keuchel ( 7- 12) to overcome a rocky outing from starter Jaime Garcia ( 10- 8). Garcia gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings.
Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday to repair his broken right thumb. The Cardinals have not given a timetable for his return.
Danny Duffy ( 10- 1) allowed one run in 7⅔ innings, and the Kansas City Royals hit four homers in a 6- 1 victory against the host Detroit Tigers.
Raul Mondesi Jr., Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer all homered against Justin Verlander ( 12- 7), and Kendrys Morales went deep against Mark Lowe.
Russell Martin homered twice, including a go- ahead shot in an eight- run eighth inning, and Troy Tulowitzki had four hits as the Blue Jays erased a six- run deficit in their 12- 6 victory against the host New York Yankees.
Shortstop Erick Aybar was traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Tigers for minor- league catcher Kade Scivicque. Aybar is hitting .242 with two homers and 26 RBI and is making $ 8.5 million in the final year of his contract.
Braves top prospect Dansby Swanson, the No. 1 overall draft pick of 2015, will be in the lineup at shortstop Wednesday in his majorleague debut.