Mets’ Walker stumps Chicago
Strikes out 12 and walks none
Taijuan Walker struck out a career-high 12 and Pete Alonso drove in three runs and the surging New York Mets threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory against the visiting Chicago Cubs (3829).
Walker ( 6- 2) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, and he walked none for the third time. Walker had struck out 11 seven times previously, all before he had Tommy John surgery on April 25, 2018. After signing a $23 million, threeyear contract with the Mets as a free agent, Walker has a 2.12 ERA, and the Mets are unbeaten in his six home starts.
Javier Baez put the Cubs ahead 2-0 in the third with his 15th home run, driving a sinker to the opposite field in right-center. Alonso hit a two-run single in the bottom half and a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Seth Lugo got six outs for his first save since returning on June 2 from elbow surgery, and the NL East-leading Mets (34-25) won for the fifth time in six games to move nine games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2019 season.
Chicago, which began the night tied with Milwaukee for the NL Central lead, lost its second in a row to the Mets after winning seven in a row at Citi Field going back to 2018.
Other games Yankees 6, Blue Jays
5: Clint Frazier snapped an eighth-inning tie with a pinch-hit double and New York hit three solo homers in a much- needed win against Toronto (33-32) in Buffalo, N.Y. The Yankees ( 34- 32) completed a comeback from a 5-2 deficit and won for the third time in 10 games.
Indians 7, Orioles 2: Eddie Rosario hit a two-run double and Bobby Bradley homered as Cleveland ( 36- 28) beat Baltimore (22-44), the Orioles’ 17th consecutive road loss. The Orioles made four errors and moved closer to the major league record of 22 consecutive road losses, shared by the 1943 Philadelphia Athletics and 1963 New York Mets.
Red Sox 10, Braves 8: Alex Verdugo hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer off Chris Martin in the eighth inning and Rafael Devers added a three-run homer and drove in four runs, as visiting Boston (41-27) beat Atlanta (3034). Boston improved to 36-4 when scoring at least four runs.
White Sox 3, Rays 0: Dallas Keuchel pitched seven innings of crisp fourhit ball to win his fifth decision in a row, leading Chicago (42-25) past Tampa Bay (43-25).
Tigers 4, Royals 3: Casey Mize turned in his eighth quality start in his past nine games and Miguel Cabrera got two more hits as Detroit (28-39) beat Kansas City (30-36), the Royals’ fifth loss in a row. Gregory Soto pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Cardinals 2, Marlins 1: Paul Goldschmidt’s walkoff home run in the ninth gave the Cardinals (34-33) the win against Miami (2938). Goldschmidt was 2 for 4 with two RBIs in the win.