Kluber, Orioles beat Indians in 3-hit shutout
BALTIMORE — Corey Kluber pitched a three-hitter for his fifth career shutout, Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana homered and the Cleveland Indians overpowered the Baltimore Orioles 12-0 Monday night for their season-high sixth straight victory.
Santana and Austin Jackson had three RBIs apiece for the AL Central leaders, whose recent surge has lifted them to a season-best six games over .500 (37-31).
Cleveland batted around in the fourth and fifth innings and sent eight men to the plate in a three-run sixth that made it 11-0. The Indians banged out a seasonhigh 10 extra-base hits, including seven doubles.
Kluber (6-2) struck out 11 and walked none in his 12th career complete game and second shutout this season. The right-hander scattered three singles and struck out the side in the ninth.
• Marlins 8, Nationals 7 — At Miami: Marcell Ozuna singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning and Miami overcame an early six-run deficit to beat Washington.
Marlins slugger Justin Bour tied the game at 6 in the third with a grand slam, his 18th homer. Giancarlo Stanton also hit his 18th of the season to make it 7-all in the seventh.
Bryce Harper hit his 18th homer for the Nationals. Anthony Rendon also went deep before leaving in the fifth inning with a neck stinger he sustained diving for a grounder. He is day to day
• Royals 4, Red Sox 2 — At Kansas City, Mo.: Whit Merrifield drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer and Kansas City topped Boston for its eighth win in nine games.
Jason Hammel (4-6) pitched seven sharp innings before turning it over to Mike Minor, who loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth. No. 9 hitter Christian Vazquez grounded out to end the threat.
Kelvin Herrera worked the ninth for his 16th save.
• Blue Jays 7, Rangers 6 — At Arlington, Texas: Kendrys Morales hit a go-ahead single after a tying single by Josh Donaldson in the ninth inning, and Toronto edged Texas in a matchup of AL Division Series opponents the past two seasons.
The Blue Jays won despite blowing a 5-1 lead in their first visit to Texas since last postseason, when they won the first two games in a best-of-five sweep that was their second straight ALDS victory over the two-time defending AL West champs.
Donaldson’s single off closer Matt Bush scored Ryan Goins, who just beat the throw to second for a leadoff double. Morales’ hit to the gap in left-center scored Donaldson from second after a stolen base and a walk. It was the third blown save in 11 chances for Bush (2-2).
• Cubs 3, Padres 2 — At Chicago: Willson Contreras hit a tying homer, Javier Baez scored the go-ahead run on an error and Wade Davis worked out of a ninth-inning jam for Chicago against San Diego.
Anthony Rizzo thrived in the leadoff spot again, extending his career-high hitting streak to 13 games by going 2 for 3 with an RBI as the Cubs won their second straight to improve to 35-34.
Jose Pirela and Yangervis Solarte each had a solo homer for the Padres, although Pirela’s error in left field allowed the decisive run to score in the seventh.
• Pirates 8, Brewers 1 — At Milwaukee: Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer, Gerrit Cole pitched seven strong innings and Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee.
Travis Shaw’s leadoff homer in the second put the Brewers ahead 1-0 and set a franchise mark, with the Brewers scoring their 16th consecutive run via the long ball.
The Pirates took the lead in the third on Adam Frazier’s two-run single off starter Matt Garza (3-3).
• Reds 7, Rays 3 — At St. Petersburg, Fla.: Scott Schebler and Scooter Gennett homered and Joey Votto snapped an eighth-inning tie with an RBI single, helping Cincinnati end a season-high nine-game losing streak with a victory over Tampa Bay.
Schebler led off the fifth with his 19th homer, tying Votto for the team lead. Gennett went deep for the second consecutive day, his first homers since hitting four in a game against St. Louis on June 6.
• Mariners 6, Tigers 2 — At Seattle: Mike Zunino continued his torrid month with a pair of two-run home runs, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 6-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.
Beginning a stretch with 16 of 19 games at home prior to the All-Star break, the Mariners used a trio of homers to hand the Tigers their third straight loss and ninth in the last 13 games.
• Dodgers 10, Mets 6 — At Los Angeles: Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger launched two more home runs, setting a major league record with his powerful start, and Clayton Kershaw became the first 10-game winner in the National League despite giving up a career-high four long balls Monday night as Los Angeles held on for a 10-6 victory over the New York Mets.
Bellinger reached 21 homers in 51 career games — faster than any other player in big league history. Despite spotting the rest of the NL three weeks before he was called up from the minors, the first baseman leads the league in home runs.