Houston has a problem with the Sox
HOUSTON — Rick Porcello pitched well into the seventh, Mitch Moreland and Andrew Benintendi each homered and the Boston Red Sox beat the Houston Astros, 9-3, Sunday night to split the four-game series.
Boston slugger J.D. Martinez was pinch-hit for by Sam Travis in the ninth inning, and cameras showed him talking to a team trainer in the dugout and pointing to his lower back. There was no immediate word if Martinez was injured.
Porcello (8-2) allowed three runs — two earned — on five hits with five strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Porcello has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his 13 starts this season.
BLUE JAYS 8, TIGERS 4: Justin Smoak’s sixth-inning homer broke a scoreless tie and visiting Toronto ended its five-game losing streak.
TWINS 7, INDIANS 5: Eddie Rosario hit his third homer of the game, launching a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Twins.
ATHLETICS 5, ROYALS 1: Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the eighth to key Oakland’s road victory.
ANGELS 3, RANGERS pitched six scoreless innings of four-hit ball and Justin Upton homered in the Angels’ home win.
MARINERS 2, RAYS 1: In Seattle, Felix Hernandez (6-4) was in vintage form, allowing one run in eight innings, and run-scoring singles from Denard Span and Dee Gordon gave the Mariners a comeback 2-1 win.
DODGERS 10, ROCKIES 7: Max Muncy homered twice and Yasmani Grandal also went deep in a three-run ninth inning as the Dodgers rallied from five down to sweep the three-game series at Coors Field.
CARDINALS 5, PIRATES 0: Michael Wacha lost a no-hit bid in the ninth when pinch-hitter Colin Moran led off with a single for visiting Pittsburgh. This was the second time Wacha (7-1) had a no-hit try broken up in the ninth. As a rookie in 2013, he was one out away from a no-hitter when Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman got an infield single.
GIANTS 6, PHILLIES 1: Dereck Rodriguez earned his first big league win, giving up a home run to Jake Arrieta but outpitching the Phillies ace to lead San Francisco to a three-game home sweep. Rodriguez (1-0), the 25-year-old son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez, gave up five hits in six innings with two walks and six K’s.
BRAVES 4, NATIONALS 2: Pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson hit a game-ending two-run homer to lift host Atlanta. It was the second time this week that Culberson homered to win a game and marked Atlanta’s ninth win in its last at-bat.
D-BACKS 6, MARLINS 1: In Phoenix, Matt Koch allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings and the Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep, extending the Marlins’ losing streak to a season-long six games.
PADRES 6, REDS 3: Hunter Renfroe’s pinch-hit grand slam in the fifth inning lifted San Diego at home.
WHITE SOX 6, BREWERS 1: Daniel Palka and Adam Engel hit back-to-back homers in a three-run sixth inning in Chicago. 1: Tyler Skaggs