Cubs’ bats get team back on track
CHICAGO — Slumping sluggers Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber homered, rookie Ian Happ connected again and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-5 on Tuesday night.
Happ hit his second homer in his third major league game and Addison Russell also went deep as Chicago returned to .500 after a lackluster road trip. NL MVP Kris Bryant added two hits in his first appearance after missing three games with an illness.
The Cubs (19-19) had dropped seven of nine, including four of their last six at division leaders Colorado and St. Louis. Schwarber’s continued trouble in the leadoff spot and the shaky performance so far by the rotation had created some angst for a fan base expecting more of the same after Chicago’s historic World Series championship last year, but no one seemed a bit worried around the team.
Joey Votto, Zack Cozart and Tucker Barnhart homered for Cincinnati on a warm and windy night at Wrigley Field. But Bronson Arroyo (3-3) was hit hard in five innings, allowing five runs and eight hits.
RANGERS 5, PHILLIES 1
In Arlington, Yu Darvish struck out nine over seven solid innings and Texas beat Philadelphia to stretch the majors’ longest active winning streak to seven games.
Nomar Mazara had a solo homer in the first, and Mike Napoli hit a tworun shot in the eighth. Napoli, who came in hitting .165, went 3 for 3.
Darvish (4-2) allowed four hits and two walks. He preserved a two-run lead by striking out Brock Stassi with runners at first and second after he allowed his only run on an RBI single by Freddy Galvis in the seventh inning.
NATIONALS 8, PIRATES 4
In Pittsburgh, Bryce Harper belted his 13th home run, Ryan Zimmerman smacked a two-run double to add to his major leagueleading RBI total and Washington held off the struggling Pirates.
Harper’s laser to the last row of seats in right field in the ninth gave the 24-year-old star a home run in every ballpark in the National League. He finished with two hits to move ahead of Zimmerman for the major league-lead in batting average (.388).
Stephen Strasburg (4-1) allowed three runs in six-plus innings.
ROCKIES 7, TWINS 3
In Minneapolis, Charlie Blackmon hit a towering two-run homer during a four-run sixth inning and finished with three hits to lead Colorado over Minnesota.
Blackmon had three RBIs, Gerardo Parra added a solo homer and Kyle Freeland pitched six innings as first-place Colorado earned its 12th win in 17 road games.
RED SOX 6, CARDINALS 3
In St. Louis, Mookie Betts homered and drove in two runs, Jackie Bradley Jr. also went deep and Boston beat the Cardinals in the opener of a two-game interleague series.
Bradley had two of Boston’s six hits, and starter Eduardo Rodriguez (2-1) allowed three runs and five hits over six innings. Rodriguez walked two, struck out five and threw a season-high 110 pitches.
YANKEES 7, ROYALS 1
In Kansas City, Mo., Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer, Chris Carter added a two-run shot and CC Sabathia got back on track as New York rolled over the Royals.
Pitching on six days’ rest, Sabathia (3-2) went 6⅔ shutout innings to win for the first time since April 15.
RAYS 6, INDIANS 4
In Cleveland, Corey Dickerson hit two of Tampa Bay’s season-high five home runs in a victory over the Indians.
Dickerson hit solo home runs in the third and fifth off Danny Salazar (2-4). Colby Rasmus and Derek Norris also hit solo shots off Cleveland’s starter while Tim Beckham hit a two-run homer off Shawn Armstrong.
ASTROS 12, MARLINS 2
In Miami, unbeaten ace Dallas Keuchel became the first sevengame winner in the majors despite pitching only five innings, his shortest outing this season, and Houston beat the swooning Marlins.
Jake Marisnick tripled his season RBI total to six with a pair of two-run homers against his former team, both caroming off the home run sculpture at Marlins Park. Brian McCann also had four RBIs.
Keuchel allowed two runs, both in the first inning, and threw 70 pitches before departing with a 10-2 lead. His ERA rose to 1.84.
In Toronto, Dansby Swanson hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, Freddie Freeman also had a two-run shot and Atlanta beat the Blue Jays, sweeping their twogame series.
Swanson snapped a 5-all tie with a leadoff drive to center off Danny Barnes (0-1).