Red Sox get Cashner from Orioles for two minor leaguers

BALTIMORE » Locked in a desperate push to get back into the playoffs, the Boston Red Sox had no intention of waiting until the end of the month to upgrade their starting rotation.

Getting a jump on the July 31 trade deadline, the Red Sox obtained burly righthander Andrew Cashner from the Baltimore Orioles for two 17-year-old prospects.

The deal was announced Saturday after Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 2-1 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Cashner is 9-3 with a 3.83 ERA in 17 starts for the team with the worst record in the majors. He has gone at least six innings in his last five starts and has a 1.41 ERA since the beginning of June.

“He’ll be here (Sunday) and start on Tuesday,” Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski said. Better sooner than later. “We just felt that this makes sense for us, to get him right into the rotation,” Dombrowski said. “He’s excited to be here, excited to pitch, excited to join the club and be part of the pennant race.”

Cashner, 32, goes from the rebuilding Orioles to the defending World Series champion Red Sox, who had a 5041 record before hosting the Dodgers on Saturday. Boston began the day far back of AL East-leading New York but in the thick of the wild-card race after opening the season with 12 losses in 18 games.

“It’s definitely exciting. That’ll more kick in once you get there,” Cashner said. “You make a lot of relationships in this game. It’s just saying goodbye to a lot of people is maybe the toughest thing.”

Cashner has a lifetime record of 55-82 with a 4.00 ERA. He is in the final season of a two-year, $16 million contract. BLUE JAYS 2, YANKEES 1 » Toronto center fielder Randal Grichuk made a diving catch with the bases loaded and hit a two-run single as the Blue Jays held off New York.

The AL East-leading Yankees, who have not been shut out in more than a year, scored with two outs in the ninth inning on Aaron Judge’s fourth hit of the game, a single off third baseman Brandon Drury’s glove. ATHLETICS 13, WHITE SOX 2 » Franklin Barreto’s threerun homer capped a sevenrun first inning, and Oakland routed Chicago.

Matt Chapman had three hits and scored twice for the A’s, who have won nine of 11. Marcus Semien added two hits and Robbie Grossman drove in three runs.

CUBS 10, PIRATES 4 » Jon Lester homered, tied a career high with three RBIs and pitched into the seventh in Chicago’s win over Pittsburgh.

Willson Contreras had a three-run homer and Lester added a two-run single in the Cubs’ seven-run first inning.

Lester (9-6) allowed three runs on eight hits, while striking out six and walking none in 6.2 innings. ORIOLES 2, RAYS 1 >> Stevie Wilkerson hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to back an effective performance by Baltimore’s pitching staff.

One night after surrendering 16 runs to the Rays, Baltimore permitted only three hits — all in the third inning.