Verlander tames Yankees as Astros roll to victory

NEW YORK — Justin Verlander tamed the Yankees again, slowing down the highest-scoring team in the majors and pitching the Houston Astros past New York 5-1 Monday.

Verlander exited in the seventh inning with a major league-best 1.11 ERA. J.D. Davis hit an early three-run homer and Jose Altuve had a solo drive, helping Houston win for the sixth time in eight games.

Closer Ken Giles, tagged Sunday as the Astros blew a five-run lead in the ninth at Cleveland, pitched the final inning and worked around a leadoff single.

Facing the only club in baseball that hasn't been shut out this season, Verlander (7-2) blanked the Yankees until Greg Bird hit a leadoff home run in the seventh.

As he left, Verlander took off his cap and waved it toward a solid contingent of Astros fans wearing bright orange behind the dugout.

Verlander has done this before against the Yankees, especially lately. He was the MVP of the AL Championship Series last October, going 2-0 and limiting New York to one run in 16 innings while striking out 21.

Earlier this month, Verlander pitched eight shutout innings against the Yankees and fanned 14. This time, Verlander allowed five hits in 62/3 innings, fanning five without a walk.

In 12 starts this year, the big righty has permitted only 10 earned runs.

TWINS 8, ROYALS 5 Miguel Sano belted a two-run homer, Eddie Rosario hit a three-run double and the Minnesota Twins snapped a fourgame skid with a victory over the Kansas City Royals. Lance Lynn (3-4) pitched six effective innings to win his second consecutive start after a dreadful stretch in his first season with the Twins. MARINERS 2, RANGERS 1 Marco Gonzales pitched into the seventh inning and did not allow an earned run for a third consecutive start, helping Seattle top Texas. Seattle won for the ninth time in 10 games and reached 13 games above .500 for the first time since late in the 2014 season. RED SOX 8, BLUE JAYS 3 Andrew Benintendi hit a three-run homer to cap a five-run fourth inning, J.D. Martinez added a solo homer and Boston coasted. Benintendi also had a triple and single, and Jackie Bradley Jr. added an RBI double, scored twice and made a spectacular catch in center field. Boston won for the seventh time in nine games. NATIONAL LEAGUE

BREWERS 8, CARDINALS 3 Jonathan Villar and Christian Yelich homered, while Ryan Braun had three hits to lead Milwaukee. Milwaukee starter Brent Suter (5-3) allowed three runs in five innings, but hit a two-run double in the fourth that gave Milwaukee a 4-0 lead. Milwaukee won for the 10th time in 12 games.

CUBS 7, PIRATES 0 Mike Montgomery pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning, Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs, and the sleep-deprived Cubs beat slumping Pittsburgh. Montgomery (1-1), starting for the first time this season in place of injured Yu Darvish, retired the first 13 batters before giving up a sharp single to Corey Dickerson with one out in the fifth. Monday’s games NATIONAL LEAGUE Chicago Cubs 7, Pittsburgh 0 Atlanta 4-(n), New York Mets 3-(n) Milwaukee 8, St. Louis 3

Arizona 12, Cincinnati 5

Miami 7, San Diego 2

Colorado 6, San Francisco 5, 10 innings LA Dodgers 5, Philadelphia 4 AMERICAN LEAGUE Boston 8, Toronto 3 Houston 5, New York Yankees 1 Detroit 9, LA Angels 3

Tampa Bay 1, Oakland 0, 13 innings Cleveland 9, Chicago White Sox 6 Seattle 2, Texas 1 Minnesota 8, Kansas City 5 INTERLEAGUE Washington 6, Baltimore 0