Braves power past Mets in battle of top NL East teams
Matt Olson hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning, Adam Duvall went deep for two runs in the seventh and the Atlanta Braves beat the visiting New York Mets 4-1 Tuesday night.
The defending World Series champion Braves trimmed the Mets' NL East lead to 11/2 games. The Braves are 30-9 since June 1, best in the major leagues over that span.
Atlanta had one hit against Mets starter David Peterson before Olson crushed a slider 426 feet to straightaway center field. Peterson had retired 14 of 15 batters before he walked Dansby Swanson with one out in the sixth. Olson, the next batter, made it 2-1.
Duvall connected off Seth Lugo with a 412-foot shot to the second level in left field, putting Atlanta up 4-1 after Travis d'Arnaud singled.
Peterson (5-2) allowed two hits and two runs with three walks and nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Braves starter Spencer Strider wasn't as dominant as he was in his last two outings, when he struck out 23 in 12 innings. The rookie right-hander gave up five hits and one run with three walks and eight strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
ORIOLES 4, CUBS 2 >> Ramón Urías hit a two-run homer and Baltimore beat Chicago at Wrigley Field for its ninth straight victory.
The Orioles (44-44) reached .500 for the first time this season. It's their longest win streak since the franchise won 13 straight in September 1999.
Baltimore right-hander Jordan Lyles (6-7) allowed two runs in seven innings.
All-Star Ian Happ homered for Chicago, which dropped its fifth in a row. ROCKIES 5, PADRES 3 >> Charlie Blackmon hit a tiebreaking three-run homer, Austin Gomber pitched six strong innings and Colorado beat visiting San Diego.
Blackmon's blast capped a four-pitch rally off righthander Mike Clevinger (2-2) that turned the game in the sixth. Connor Joe was hit by the first pitch of the inning, and Jose Iglesias dropped a single into right field on the third. Blackmon then hit a 392-foot homer on the fourth for a 4-1 lead.
Gomber (5-7) permitted one run and six hits.
REDS 4, YANKEES 3 >> Jonathan India drove in two runs with a go-ahead, basesloaded single with two outs in the ninth and Cincinnati completed an unlikely comeback against New York at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees were 49-0 when leading after eight innings and the Reds were 0-48 when trailing after eight before New York closer Clay Holmes (4-1) failed to retire any of the five hitters he faced. Hs loaded the bases by plunking Tyler Stephenson and allowed an RBI single to Tyler Naquin and heard boos after hitting Kyle Farmer.
Wandy Peralta got two outs and was one strike away when India lined a single into center field to score Farmer and Donovan Solano.
Before pulling off their fifth straight win, the Reds did little against Gerrit Cole, who allowed four hits and struck out 11 in seven innings.
The Yankees have lost three in a row.
BLUE JAYS 4, PHILLIES 3 >> José Berríos matched his career high by striking out 13 over six innings, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had four hits, including a go-ahead double in the sixth inning, and host Toronto snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Philadelphia.
Berríos (7-4) allowed three runs and six hits, improving to 5-0 in eight home starts. He struck out five in a row at one stretch.
Gurriel singled in the second, doubled and scored in the third, doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth, and singled in the eighth.
The Phillies have lost three straight.
RAYS 3, RED SOX 2 >> Chris Sale worked five scoreless innings in his season debut, but the Boston bullpen couldn't hold a tworun lead in a road loss to Tampa Bay.
Sale, out all season with a fracture in his right rib cage, allowed three hits with one walk and struck out five during a 78-pitch, 53-strike outing.
Corey Kluber (5-5) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings to win it.
The Rays went up 3-2 in the sixth when pinch-hitter Francisco Mejía had an RBI single off Matt Strahm (3-3). WHITE SOX 1-7, GUARDIANS 4-0 >> Dylan Cease struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings, and Chicago blanked host Cleveland for a doubleheader split.
José Abreu, Luis Robert and Josh Harrison homered for the White Sox.
Cease (8-4) allowed five hits and walked three.
In the opener, the Guardians' Shane Bieber tossed a three-hitter for his first complete game of the season. José Ramírez and Amed Rosario each drove in two runs.
Bieber (4-5) struck out seven and walked none in just the 17th complete game in the majors in 2022.
The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner carried a one-hit shutout into the seventh en route to his first complete game since Aug. 4, 2019. Bieber only needed 95 pitches to wrap up the 2-hour, 9-minute ballgame. TIGERS 7, ROYALS 5 >> Miguel Cabrera drove in the tying and go-ahead runs, matching Ted Williams for 14th on the career RBI list, and Detroit rallied at Kansas City.
Cabrera's sacrifice fly in the fifth inning made it 3-3, and he had an RBI grounder for the Tigers' first run in a four-run seventh. He equaled Williams with 1,838 RBIs.