Thames homers again
CHICAGO — Eric Thames homered in his club record-tying fifth straight game as the Milwaukee Brewers turned back the Chicago Cubs, 6-3, Monday night.
Milwaukee never trailed after Thames, who played in Korea the last three years, hit an opposite-field homer to snap a 3-3 tie in the third inning. Jeromy Burnitz became the first and last Brewers player to homer in five straight games in August, 1997.
Ryan Braun and Jeff Bandy also went deep for Milwaukee, the only team to hit as many as three homers in a game off Chicago starter John Lackey (1-2) last season.
The Cubs lost for a fourth straight time, their worst stretch since a five-game skid from July 5-9 last season.
BRAVES 5, PADRES 4: Dansby Swanson hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth and host Atlanta, boosted by Freddie Freeman’s two home runs, completed a four-game sweep.
RED SOX 4, RAYS 3: Andrew Benintendi hit a go-ahead, two-run single as host Boston scored three unearned runs following a dropped throw by second baseman Brad Miller and won its annual Patriots’ Day game. Boston won its third straight.
INDIANS 3, TWINS 1: Danny Salazar (1-1) struck out seven over six innings and retired 15 of his last 18 batters for visiting Cleveland.
ASTROS 3, ANGELS 0: Charlie Morton and three relievers combined for a five-hitter as host Houston won its fifth straight.
CARDINALS 2, PIRATES 1: Lance Lynn (1-1) pitched seven shutout innings as host St. Louis stopped a three-game skid. Ivan Nova (1-2) gave up five hits and no walks in eight innings while striking out three.
MARINERS 6, MARLINS 1: Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz hit consecutive first-inning homers as host Seattle won its fourth straight. Former Mariner Ichiro Suzuki was honored before the game for getting his 3,000th hit last season, then got another ovation before his first at-bat in the third inning. He went 0-for-3.
RANGERS 7, A’S 0: A.J. Griffin (2-0) pitched six scoreless innings in his return to Oakland Coliseum.
D-BACKS 4, DODGERS 2: Jake Lamb broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run in the eighth for visiting Arizona.