Mariners head into All-Star break with 14-game win streak
The Seattle Mariners won their 14th straight game as rookie All-Star Julio Rodríguez hit a two-run double and Ty France (South Hills High) homered after joining him on the AL team to beat the Texas Rangers 6-2 on Sunday.
The Mariners moved closer to the team record of 15 consecutive wins during their most recent playoff season in 2001, when they went 116-46. The 14-game streak is the longest going into an AllStar break in major league history.
Cal Raleigh's two-run homer put the Mariners ahead for good in the fourth inning as they matched reigning World Series champion Atlanta's June streak for the longest this season. St. Louis had a 17-game winning string last year.
YANKEES 13, RED SOX 2 » Gerrit Cole brushed back Rafael Devers and struck out 12 over seven innings, Matt Carpenter drove in three more runs and New York pounded Boston after Red Sox ace Chris Sale broke his left pinkie finger in the first inning.
The Yankees reached double-digit runs for the 16th time — no other team has more than 10 such games — and cruised into the All-Star break with a major leaguebest record of 64-28. Their 64 wins matched the 2018 Astros for third-most prior to the break since the All-Star Game began in 1933.
Cole (9-2) dusted Devers off the plate with a low, 99 mph fastball on his first pitch to the third baseman after allowing two homers to him July 7 in Boston. Devers glared at Cole from the dirt, then struck out swinging at a high fastball.
WHITE SOX 11, TWINS 0 » Dylan Cease spun a one-hitter over seven innings in his latest masterful start, and Chicago walloped Minnesota and surged into the AllStar break by winning three out of four against the firstplace Twins.
Cease (9-4) allowed only a fifth-inning single to Alex Kirilloff and two walks. Andrew Vaughn had three hits and three RBIs to help bring the White Sox within three games of Minnesota in the AL Central. Cleveland is two games back.
GIANTS 9, BREWERS 5 » Logan Webb (9-3) pitched six strong innings for his ninth win to keep San Francisco rolling into the All-Star break with a victory over slumping Milwaukee.
LaMonte Wade Jr. hit a three-run home run. Brandon Belt also connected and drove in three runs as the Giants won their third straight against the Brewers after dropping the series opener. San Francisco has won seven of nine overall heading into the All-Star break after losing 14 of its previous 18.
The NL Central-leading Brewers are heading in the opposite direction with their eighth loss in 11 games.
BLUE JAYS 4, ROYALS 2 » Alejandro Kirk hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, sending Toronto over Kansas City.
Kansas City, in last place in the AL Central, was without 10 unvaccinated players, including All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi and infielder Whit Merrifield, during this four-game series in Toronto.
RAYS 7, ORIOLES 5 » Brett Phillips, Randy Arozarena and Francisco Mejía homered as Tampa Bay beat Baltimore despite losing hot-hitting Harold Ramírez to a broken thumb.
Rougned Odor and Austin Hays homered for Baltimore, which is 46-46 at the break after going 52-110 last season.
CUBS 3, METS 2 » Nico Hoerner hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning, and Chicago stopped a nine-game slide by topping New York.
Rowan Wick (2-5) pitched a scoreless inning for the win, and David Robertson got three outs for his 13th save.
NATIONALS 7, BRAVES 3 » Juan Soto and Victor Robles homered, and Washington beat Atlanta to snap a nine-game losing streak.
Soto, Washington's lone All-Star who could be traded by the end of the month, hit a solo shot in the eighth inning to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 26 games. The Nationals haven't dropped 10 in a row since an 11-game skid that spanned the 2008 and 2009 seasons. At 31-63, they have the worst record in the majors at the All-Star break.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, PADRES 1 » Merrill Kelly gave up one run in six innings and David Peralta hit a solo homer to lead Arizona over San Diego.
Kelly (9-5) kept the Padres off-balance by mixing his pitches and allowed six hits while striking out five. Mark Melancon retired the Padres in order in the ninth to earn his 13th save.
ATHLETICS 4, ASTROS 3 » Stephen Vogt hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and Oakland wrapped up a shaky first half by beating Houston.
PIRATES 8, ROCKIES 3 » Kyle Newman and Michael Chavis had three hits apiece, and Pittsburgh ended its 12-game road trip with a win over Colorado.
PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 0 » Aaron Nola struck out 10 and pitched scoreless ball into the ninth inning as Philadelphia beat Miami for a three-game sweep.