Stanton homers again as Marlins sweep the Rockies
MIAMI » Giancarlo Stanton homered for the fourth straight game, hitting his 42nd of the year to tie the Marlins’ season record, and Miami completed its first series sweep of the Colorado Rockies since 2006, winning 5-3 Sunday.
Stanton homered leading off the third inning to match Gary Sheffield’s team record set in 1996. It was the 250th homer of Stanton’s career and came in his 941st game. Only five players since 1913 have reached the 250-milestone faster. DODGERS 6, PADRES 4 » Justin Turner hit two home runs, Yasmani Grandal also went deep and Los Angeles won for the 28th time in 33 games, improving the best record in the majors to 83-34. The Dodgers are 16-0-3 in their last 19 series, and haven’t lost one since June 5-7 to Washington.
Cory Spangenberg hit two home runs for the Padres. GIANTS 4, NATIONALS 2 » Chris Stratton (1-2) struck out a career-high 10 in 6 2/3 shutout innings in the opener of a daynight doubleheader, the Nationals’ first game following Bryce Harper’s knee injury.
Harper has a significant bone bruise in his left knee but no ligament damage, general manager Mike Rizzo said. Harper was injured Saturday when he slipped on a wet first base, and Rizzo said the Nationals hope the star outfielder can return this season. CUBS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 2 » Jake Arrieta (12-8) won consecutive starts for the first time since early April, Javier Baez and Ian Happ hit consecutive home runs in the eighth inning and Chicago reopened a one-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central.
Kris Bryant put the Cubs ahead when he scored from second on a wild pitch from Zack Godley (5-5) in the first inning on strike three to Victor Caratini. The reigning NL MVP added his 21st home run of the season in the ninth inning, reaching base for the 13th time in 15 plate appearances during the three-game series. ASTROS 2, RANGERS 1 » Dallas Keuchel (10-2) struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings for his first win since June 2 against the Rangers, just before his nearly two-month stint on the disabled list. AL-leading Houston stopped its longest losing streak this season at five games.
Jose Altuve’s 17th home run came in the fourth off Andrew Cashner (7-9). Adrian Beltre’s 12th homer pulled the Rangers even in the sixth, and Carlos Beltran had a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh. BLUE JAYS 7, PIRATES 1 » J.A. Happ (6-8) allowed one run and four hits in six innings to win his third straight start, Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer and Justin Smoak and Darwin Barney added solo homers.
Toronto scored five runs off Chad Kuhl (5-8) while batting around in the first inning and taking a 5-1 lead. Pittsburgh managed just one hit after the first, and none in the final five innings. INDIANS 4, RAYS 3 » Austin Jackson hit a tiebreaking home run off Tommy Hunter (2-3) leading off the eighth inning.
Corey Kluber (11-3) struck out nine in seven innings for the AL Central leaders, his 14th straight start of fanning eight or more. He gave up four hits, including a tworun homer to Steve Souza Jr. in the sixth that made it 3-all. TWINS 6, TIGERS 4 » Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano homered for Minnesota. The Twins blew an early 4-0 lead but Byron Buxton hit a tiebreaking single off Warwick Saupold after Bruce Rondon (1-3) walked the first two batters in the eighth.
A day earlier, the Twins trailed 5-0, rallied for an 11-6 lead, then lost to the Tigers 1211 on Justin Upton’s two-run homer in the ninth.
Detroit has lost nine. ROYALS 14, WHITE SOX 6 » Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer and drove in a careerhigh five runs. Drew Butera had four of Kansas City’s 16 hits as the Royals climb back over .500 at 59-58.
Jason Vargas (14-6) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, matching his career high for wins set in 2012 with Seattle. BREWERS 7, REDS 4 » Neil Walker had two hits in his Milwaukee debut, and Domingo Santana hit a threerun homer in the fifth off Sal Romano (2-5), who gave up seven runs, six of them earned, in five innings.
Acquired from the New York Mets on Saturday, Walker started at third base in place of the banged-up Travis Shaw and went 2 for 4 seven of with a run scored. BRAVES 6, CARDINALS 3 » R.A. Dickey (8-7) allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings, Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer and Atlanta stopped the Cardinals’ season-high, eight-game winning streak and the Braves’ five-game losing streak.
Arodys Vizcaino pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save. Michael Wacha (9-5) gave up four runs and five hits in eight innings. ATHLETICS 9, ORIOLES 3 » Matt Chapman hit a tiebreaking three-run homer off Jeremy Hellickson (1-2) in a five-run fourth as Oakland overcame a 2-0 deficit.
Manny Machado hit his 22nd homer and scored twice for Baltimore. ANGELS 4, MARINERS 2 » Parker Bridwell (7-1) yielded one run and four hits in six innings, winning his fifth straight decision and extended Los Angeles’ winning streak to six as the Angels moved into the second spot in the AL wild-card race.
C.J. Cron homered and Martin Maldonado had a tworun single for the Angels. Ariel Miranda (7-6) walked a career-high six and allowed four runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.