Springer's grand slam helps Blue Jays extend streak to 7
George Springer hit his seventh career grand slam, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a two-run drive and the Blue Jays extended their winning streak to seven by beating the shorthanded St. Louis Cardinals 10-3 in Toronto.
Alejandro Kirk added his 12th homer and Matt Chapman had two hits, including the tiebreaking single in a five-run sixth as Toronto improved to 8-1 under manager John Schneider.
Springer had three hits, scored twice, and made a fine catch at the wall in deep right to end the game, leaving the bases loaded.
“He's a stud,” Schneider said of Springer. “He's continuously made big plays in big moments his whole career.”
St. Louis played the first of two games in Canada without unvaccinated sluggers Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. The two biggest bats in the Cardinals lineup were placed on the restricted list before the game, along with catcher Austin Romine.
Foreign nationals who aren't vaccinated against COVID-19 are not allowed to enter Canada, save for limited exceptions that require a 14-day quarantine. Unvaccinated baseball players are placed on the restricted list, where they are not paid and do not accrue major league service time.
The Blue Jays had just taken the lead 4-3 in the sixth inning when Springer came up with the bases loaded and blew the game open.
METS 6, YANKEES 3>> Eduardo Escobar hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer that capped a four-run, first-inning rally, and the host Mets won a rare Subway Series clash of firstplace teams. Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo quieted many of the 42,364 fans at Citi Field in the first inning with opposite-field home runs on consecutive pitches from Taijuan Walker (8-2). But the Mets stormed right back in the bottom half when Starling Marte homered with one out against Jordan Montgomery (3-3). Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso followed with back-to-back doubles, and Escobar's two-run, two-out homer put the Mets ahead 4-2.
ORIOLES 5, RAYS 3>> Ramón Urías hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning off reliever Colin Poche to undo a marvelous start by Tampa Bay All-Star Shane McClanahan and carry the Orioles in Baltimore. McClanahan pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and was lifted with a 3-2 lead after throwing 81 pitches on a humid night.
CUBS 4, PIRATES 2>> Willson Contreras drew a standing ovation in perhaps his last home game at Wrigley Field, then keyed an early burst as Chicago earned its seasonhigh sixth straight win. Contreras, one of three members left from the 2016 World Series title team, tipped his cap after being cheered at the plate his first time up. He hit a soft single to center field in a three-run first inning off Bryse Wilson (1-6). Contreras, an All-Star catcher who can become a free agent after this season, has acknowledged this might be his last homestand as a member of the Cubs before the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
MARLINS 2, REDS 1>> Pablo López allowed two hits and tied his career high with 11 strikeouts over seven dominant innings for Miami in Cincinnati. Miami's Joey Wendle hit a two-run single off Hunter Greene.
BRAVES 6, PHILLIES 3>> Michael Harris II and Matt Olson homered and Austin Riley stretched his hitting streak to 18 games for Atlanta in Philadelphia.
GUARDIANS 8, RED SOX 3>> Nolan Jones hit a three-run homer, fellow rookie Steven Kwan had three hits and Cleveland dampened Boston's celebration for newly minted Hall of Famer David Ortiz.
PADRES 6, TIGERS 4>> Jorge Alfaro capped San Diego's three-run 10th inning with a two-run single in Detroit. Luke Voit finished with three RBIs for San Diego after he was hit by a bases-loaded pitch from All-Star Gregory Soto (2-5) in the 10th. After Matthew Batten struck out swinging for the second out, Alfaro drove in Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado with a single to right. Cronenworth was hit by a pitch leading off the inning, and Machado reached on shortstop Javier Báez's throwing error.
BREWERS 7, TWINS 6>> Luis Urías delivered a game-ending sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to bring home Andrew McCutchen for the Brewers in Milwaukee.
WHITE SOX 2, ROCKIES 1 >> Michael Kopech pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning for Chicago in Denver. Yasmani Grandal had three hits in Chicago's third straight win. Yoán Moncada doubled home Adam Engel in the seventh.
ATHLETICS 5, ASTROS 3>> Chad Pinder hit a grand slam in the third inning to lead the A's in Oakland.
DIAMONDBACKS 7, GIANTS 3>> Christian Walker had a three-run homer for host Arizona.