Nats end nine-game slide, finally beat Braves
Homers by Soto and Robles upend Atlanta
Juan Soto and Victor Robles homered, and the Washington Nationals beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 7-3 Sunday to snap a ninegame losing streak.
Soto, Washington’s lone All-Star, who could be traded by the end of the month, hit a solo shot in the eighth inning to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 26 games. The Nationals avoided dropping 10 in a row for the first time since an 11-game skid that spanned the 2008 and 2009 seasons. At 31-63, they have the worst record in the majors at the All-Star break.
Washington hadn’t scored five runs in a game since an 8-7 loss to Pittsburgh on June 29, a defeat that started the Nationals’ 1-15 slide entering Sunday.
The Nationals did much of their damage against starter Spencer Strider (4-3) in the second. Ehire Adrianza lined a two-run single to center. Robles followed with his second homer of the season, a fly to left that just sailed into the visitors’ bullpen.
After a doubleheader Wednesday snarled its rotation, Washington opted for a bullpen game. Erasmo Ramirez started and worked three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Winner Steve Cishek (1-2) pitched 1 ⅔ scoreless innings, stranding the potential trying run at second in the fourth inning.
Rays 7, Orioles 5: Brett Phillips, Randy Arozarena and Francisco Mejía homered as Tampa Bay, despite losing hot-hitting Harold Ramírez to a broken thumb, beat Baltimore.
Ramírez, who was batting .329 in 77 games as a first baseman/ outfielder, was hit in the right thumb by a pitch from Jordan Lyles in the first. Ramírez stayed in the game, scored a run and exited the next inning. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
The Rays are 51-41 and hold the top spot in the American League wild-card race. They enter the All-Star break at least 10 games over .500 for the sixth time — they made the playoffs the first five times.
Rougned Odor and Austin Hays homered for Baltimore, which is 46-46 after going 52-110 last season.
Corey Kluber (6-5) gave up four runs and eight hits over six innings to win his third consecutive start. Jason Adam worked the ninth to get this fourth save in five chances.
Lyles (6-8), coming off four consecutive 100 or more pitch outings, allowed six runs and six hits over 2 ⅔ innings. Phillips’
homer ended the righty’s day on his 70th pitch.
Bryan Baker replaced Lyles and struck out all five batters he faced.
Late Saturday
Braves 6, Nationals 3: Matt Olson and freshly minted All-Star Austin Riley hit consecutive home runs in the third inning for Atlanta.
Atlanta starter Max Fried (10-3) earned his 50th career win, allowing three runs in seven innings while striking out four. He and Kyle Wright (11-4) are the first Braves duo with double-digit victories at the All-Star break since Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens in 2011.
After a rain delay of 1 hour, 49 minutes, Jesse Chavez worked a 1-2-3 eighth and Kenley Jansen handled the ninth for his 22nd save in 26 attempts.
Orioles 6, Rays 4 (10 innings): Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run single in the 11th inning, rookie catcher Adley Rutschman produced a pair of key swings, and Baltimore ended a 10-game Tropicana Field losing streak.
Rutschman belted his first pinch-hit homer and added a 10th-inning sacrifice fly for the Orioles, whose 10-game overall winning streak ended Friday night in a 5-4 loss to the Rays.
Automatic Baltimore runner Rougned Odor was thrown out after getting caught between second and third with no outs in the 11th when Jorge Mateo squared around to bunt but didn’t. But Mateo then tripled off Luke Bard, Cedric Mullins walked and stole second, and Mountcastle flared a single to right field.