No-hitter for Astros

Aaron Sanchez looked like a reinvented pitcher in his Houston debut, throwing six stellar innings to start the Astros on a combined no-hitter Saturday night in their 9-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Sanchez (4-14) was replaced by Will Harris to start the seventh after throwing 92 pitches. Harris and Joe Biagini, also obtained from the Blue Jays in the same deal that netted Sanchez, each worked one inning before Chris Devenski tossed a perfect ninth.

ASTROS 9, MARINERS 0

HOUSTON — Aaron Sanchez looked like a reinvented pitcher in his Houston debut, throwing six stellar innings to start the Astros on a combined no-hitter Saturday night in their 9-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Sanchez was an All-Star in 2016 and led the American League in ERA, but he’s struggled badly this season and had lost 13 straight decisions to lead the majors with 14 losses. Three days after he was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline, the 27-year-old righthander teamed with Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski to shut down Seattle.

“Just trying to have a good first impression,” Sanchez said.

It was the second time in less than a month the last-place Mariners were no-hit by multiple pitchers. The Los Angeles Angels used two pitchers in a combined no-hitter July 12 against Seattle on a night when they honored late left-hander Tyler Skaggs by all wearing his No. 45 in their first home game since his death.

After throwing 92 pitches, Sanchez (4-14) was replaced by Harris to start the seventh.

Sanchez kept the Mariners off balance with a steady stream of fastballs in the low-to-mid 90s (mph) coupled with slow curveballs that often froze batters for strikes as he worked with veteran catcher Martin Maldonado, picked up by Houston in a trade with the Chicago Cubs earlier in the week.

Harris and Joe Biagini, also obtained from the Blue Jays in the same deal that netted Sanchez, each worked one inning before Devenski tossed a perfect ninth. He retired All-Star slugger Daniel Vogelbach on a routine fly for the final out, setting off an Astros celebration on the field after the club’s 12th no-hitter.

Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, who threw one of his record seven no-hitters for Houston, was at Minute Maid Park to see this one.

“This is awesome,” Sanchez said, adding: “You can’t write it up any better than this.”

Sanchez struck out six, walked two and hit a batter with a pitch in his first victory since April 27 for Toronto. He had been winless in 17 consecutive starts.

Houston manager AJ Hinch patted Sanchez on the chest after he finished the sixth, and pitching coach Brent Strom offered a hearty handshake.

ORIOLES 6, BLUE JAYS 4

BALTIMORE — Trey Mancini homered and drove in four runs, Jonathan Villar also went deep and the Baltimore Orioles beat Toronto 6-4 Saturday night to end the Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak.

After Toronto pulled even with two runs in the top of the seventh, Baltimore restored its lead in the bottom half. The first two batters reached against Buddy Boshers (0-1) before Hanser Alberto hit an RBI single off Justin Shafer and Mancini added a run-scoring groundout.

INDIANS 7, ANGELS 2

CLEVELAND — Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis homered during Cleveland’s five-run fifth

inning, and the Indians beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-2 on Saturday night.

Carlos Santana added a solo shot in the eighth, helping Cleveland to its third win in four games.

The Indians didn’t have a hit through four innings, but quickly broke open a scoreless tie to keep the pressure on first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.

YANKEES 9-6, RED SOX 2-4

NEW YORK — DJ LeMahieu hit a pair of home runs off an enraged Chris Sale in the opener, Mike Tauchman had a tiebreaking, two- run single against Matt Barnes in the seventh inning of the nightcap and the New York Yankees swept a doubleheader from the reeling Boston Red Sox 9-2 and 6-4 on Saturday.

Boston’s losing streak reached seven, its longest since 2015, as the Red Sox fell 13½ games behind the AL East-leading Yankees and 5½ games back of second-place Tampa Bay. Boston is 59-54, with as many losses as its World Series champions last year (108-54).

INTERLEAGUE RAYS 8, MARLINS 6

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Eric Sogard homered twice and finished with a career-high five RBIs, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Miami Marlins.

Willy Adames and Austin Meadows also connected as Tampa Bay won for the seventh time in eight games. Nick Anderson (3-4), who was acquired in a trade with Miami on Wednesday, pitched a perfect eighth for the win, and Emilio Pagan finished for his ninth save.

PHILLIES 3, WHITE SOX 2

PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Nola pitched seven strong innings, Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins homered and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 on Saturday night.

Nola (10-2) allowed one run and three hits with 10 strikeouts and two walks. He lowered his ERA to 1.91 over his last eight starts while reaching double-digits in strikeouts for the 12th time in his career, including the fourth this season.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CUBS 4, BREWERS 1

CHICAGO — Cole Hamels pitched five shutout innings after spending five weeks on the injured list, Albert Almora Jr. hit a tiebreaking home run and the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 on Saturday.

The Cubs lost All-Star catcher Willson Contreras to an apparent hamstring injury. There was no immediate word on the severity of the setback.

Out since June 28 because of a strained left oblique, Hamels allowed four singles, walked none and struck out six.

The four-time All Star picked up where he left off before his injury. In five starts before getting hurt in a game at Cincinnati, the 35-year-old lefty pitched at least seven innings and was 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA.

METS 7, PIRATES 5

PITTSBURGH — Marcus Stroman’s debut with the New York Mets didn’t quite go as planned. Wilson Ramos made sure it didn’t matter, hitting a go-ahead tworun home run in the eighth inning and adding a three-run double in the ninth to lift the Mets to a 7-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

Stroman, acquired in a trade with Toronto last Sunday, allowed three runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 sometimes shaky innings but received a no decision when the Mets pounced on Pittsburgh’s bullpen.

BRAVES 5, REDS 4, 10 INNINGS

ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. hit an RBI single off Robert Stephenson with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Atlanta Braves recovered from blowing two leads to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Saturday night.

The Braves thought they had the game just about won in the eighth when Acuña drew a tiebreaking, bases-loaded walk from Michael Lorenzen.