Keuchel, Bregman lead Astros in shutting out Tigers

HOUSTON — Dallas Keuchel pitched six strong innings, three relievers completed the seven-hitter and Alex Bregman provided the offense by setting a career high with his 20th homer to give the Houston Astros a 3-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

Keuchel (7-8) allowed six hits and struck out four to win his fourth straight decision after dropping the previous three. Tony Sipp and Brad Peacock pitched the seventh and eighth innings before Hector Rondon walked one in the ninth for his eighth save.

The Astros got to former teammate Mike Fiers (6-6) early. George Springer hit a leadoff single before the two-run shot by Bregman, which bounced off the wall above the Crawford Boxes in left field, made it 2-0.

Bregman, Jose Altuve and Yuli Gurriel hit consecutive singles with no outs in the third to push the lead to 3-0.

Fiers, who played for the Astros from 2015-17, yielded nine hits and three runs in six innings for the loss.

Ronny Rodriguez had two hits for the Tigers, who went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position to lose their fifth straight game.

Bregman, who was named to his first All-Star game on Sunday, has 10 doubles, 12 homers and 30 RBIs in his last 27 games.

Rodriguez and Jeimer Candelario hit back-to-back singles to start the third for Detroit’s first hits. But Keuchel escaped the jam by retiring the next three batters.

The Tigers had a single in the fourth and fifth innings, but Houston turned double plays in both innings to help Keuchel out.

John Hicks singled with one out in the sixth before Nicholas Castellanos walked. The Tigers loaded the bases when James McCann singled on a ball that sailed just over shortstop Marwin Gonzalez’s head. Keuchel left them empty-handed when Mikie Mahtook popped out before Victor Martinez grounded out.

Houston had a chance to pad the lead in the eighth when the team had runners at the corners with no

outs, but closer Shane Greene retired the next three batters to end the inning.

RANGERS 5, ORIOLES 4 Ryan Rua had a tiebreaking, pinch-hit three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Texas Rangers held on to beat the Baltimore Orioles to snap a three-game losing streak. Cole Hamels (5-8) won for the first time in almost a month, allowing four runs and five hits with three strikeouts and one walk over 61/3 innings in a matchup of last-place teams.

INDIANS 6, YANKEES 5 Rookie righthander Shane Bieber pitched into the eighth inning and Cleveland’s shaky bullpen narrowly closed things out, lifting the Indians over the New York Yankees. Bieber (5-1) was removed after Tyler Wade’s leadoff double in the eighth and Cleveland leading 6-3.

BLUE JAYS 13, RED SOX 7 Kevin Pillar had four hits and Justin Smoak had three, including a pair of homers, and they drove in four runs apiece to help the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Red Sox and snap Boston’s 10-game winning streak. Dwight Smith Jr. also homered for Toronto, which won for the second time in six games.

WHITE SOX 9, ROYALS 6 Leury Garcia had three hits and three RBIs, All-Star Jose Abreu homered for the first time in July, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals. Garcia doubled in two runs in the first, singled in the third and connected for a solo drive in the sixth.

TWINS 11, RAYS 8 Joe Mauer homered and drove in four runs, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a win against the Tampa Bay Rays. Jake Cave had three hits and a pair of RBIs, and Robbie Grossman added three hits for Minnesota, which has won eight of nine games on its homestand. Trevor Hildenberger (2-2) struck out the side in the seventh to pick up the win in relief of starter Jake Odorizzi.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PIRATES 7, BREWERS 3 Josh Bell tied a career with four hits, Gregory Polanco homered and both drove in two runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The fourth-place Pirates have won five of their last six. First-place Milwaukee has lost four of five and its lead has been cut to a half-game over the Chicago Cubs. Nick Kingham (4-4) tied a career high with nine strikeouts and allowed three runs over 6 1 /3 innings.

REDS 9, CARDINALS 1 Scooter Gennett and Dilson Herrera homered, Matt Harvey tossed five solid innings and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals. Jesse Winker reached base four times and drove in three runs for the Reds, who won their second in a row against St. Louis after breaking a 13-game losing streak to the Cardinals on June 10. PHILLIES 2, MARLINS 0 Aaron Altherr drove in his first run of July and later started a sensational relay to protect the lead, helping Jake Arrieta and the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies top the Miami Marlins. Arrieta pitched seven innings of three-hit ball. DIAMONDBACKS 2, BRAVES 1 Nick Ahmed hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh after Zack Godley allowed a run over six innings, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves. Both teams began the week in first place but have since fallen out. METS 4, NATIONALS 2 Noah Syndergaard pitched out of trouble in a rusty return from the disabled list and helped himself with an RBI single as the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals. Amed Rosario tripled and doubled, both times over Bryce Harper’s head in center field, and the Mets won for only the sixth time in their last 26 home games.