Freeman, Braves spoil Darvish’s return, top Padres
ATLANTA >> Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth.
The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly.
Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer.
Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings.
Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Atlanta, which hasn’t been over .500 this year, moved to 46-47. San Diego fell to 55-42.
NATIONALS 6, MARLINS 3 >> Josh Bell hit his 100th career home run and Washington rallied past Miami for its third straight win.
Miami lost its fourth in a row.
After Adam Duvall’s three-run homer gave the Marlins a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth, the Nationals quickly answered in the bottom half.
Tres Barrera doubled and scored the tying run on a two-out single by pinch-hitter Yadiel Hernandez off Richard Bleier (2-1). After Alcides Escobar was hit by a pitch, Trea Turner and Juan Soto followed with RBI singles off Anthony Bender.
Kyle Finnegan (4-2) pitched one inning and Brad Hand worked a perfect ninth for his 20th save. RAYS 9, ORIOLES 3 >> Francisco Mejía had a homer and five RBIs, Randy Arozarena also homered and Tampa Bay spoiled John Means’ return from a left shoulder strain with a win over Baltimore.
Means (4-3), making his first start since June 5, allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out two in a 78-pitch outing.
Mejía also had a threerun triple during a fourrun eighth off Shaun Anderson that made it 9-3.
Tampa Bay won for the ninth time in 12 games and moved within a game of AL East-leading Boston.
Joey Votto and Aristides Aquino homered on consecutive pitches, Wade Miley worked effectively into the seventh inning and Cincinnati snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over New York.
Jonathan India hit his first leadoff homer, and pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson delivered a key sacrifice fly in the seventh as the Reds kept New York from its first three-game winning streak since June 1416 against the Cubs. ROYALS 5, BREWERS 2 >> Ryan O’Hearn and Jorge Soler homered as Kansas City beat Milwaukee in a game that began early to give local fans a chance to watch their team in the NBA Finals.
Mike Minor (7-8) allowed one earned run and five hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked one. Greg Holland got his sixth save.
Hunter Strickland (01) took the loss. Avisail Garcia had three hits and Manny Pina added a tworun single for the Brewers. YANKEES 6, PHILLIES 4 >> Aroldis Chapman allowed a run in the ninth inning before recording his first save in over a month, and New York hit four homers to power past the Phillies. ASTROS 9, INDIANS 3 >> Jose Altuve celebrated the 10th anniversary of his major league debut with a leadoff homer, and made the milestone twice as nice with a second shot on his next atbat, leading Houston over Cleveland.
Altuve went 1 for 5 with a single in his debut for the Astros in a 3-2 victory over Washington on July 20, 2011, as a baby-faced 21 year old.
WHITE SOX 9, TWINS 5 >> Jose Abreu doubled and tripled early, then homered to cap a five-run rally in the eighth inning that vaulted the White Sox over Minnesota. TIGERS 4, RANGERS 1 >> Robbie Grossman and Eric Haase homered as Detroit extended its winning streak to five games with a rain-delayed win over Texas.
CUBS 7, CARDINALS 6 >> Javier Baez and Ian Happ triggered a six-run rally in the ninth inning and Chicago beat St. Louis. MARINERS 6, ROCKIES 4 >> Marco Gonzales earned his first win in three months and Dylan Moore homered to lead Seattle over Colorado.
Gonzales (2-5) had not won since beating Baltimore on April 15. He’d been 0-4 in eight starts since then and also spent a month on the injured list with a strained left forearm.
Gonzales allowed two runs in five innings and posted the victory 65 miles from where he grew up in Fort Collins. He got the better of All-Star Germán Márquez, who lost at Coors Field for the first time since May 4.