Freeman homers as Braves beat Blue Jays 10-6
TORONTO — Freddie Freeman hit his 13th homer, Nick Markakis had three RBIs and the Atlanta Braves snapped Toronto’s five-game win streak with a 10-6 victory over the Blue Jays on Monday night.
Matt Kemp had four hits and scored three times for the Braves, who have won three of four.
Freeman matched Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman and Milwaukee’s Eric Thames atop the NL home run leaderboard with a three-run shot off Leonel Campos. Freeman’s long drive to center was the big blow in Atlanta’s four-run sixth.
Freeman has connected against all 10 opposing teams Atlanta has faced this season.
Bartolo Colon (2-4) allowed three runs, two earned, in five innings to win for the first time since April 16. Colon allowed fewer than four runs for the third time in eight starts this season.
Kemp singled and scored in the first, singled in the third, then doubled and scored in the fifth and sixth. He walked in his final plate appearance.
Markakis hit a two-run single in the first and singled home a run in the fifth.
Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia had two RBIs and scored twice. Shortstop Dansby Swanson also had two RBIs.
Making his second start of the season, Blue Jays right-hander Mike Bolsinger (02) allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Toronto’s Justin Smoak hit a two-run homer off Josh Collmenter in the ninth.
Devon Travis had two RBI doubles for the Blue Jays and Jose Bautista also doubled home a run. Catcher Mike Ohlman delivered an RBI single in the fourth for the first hit of his career.
Blue Jays pitchers set a franchise record by hitting five batters.
Astros 7, Marlins 2
MIAMI — Short on sleep, the Houston Astros finally stirred in the sixth inning Monday night when Yuli Gurriel hit a grand slam to help beat the Miami Marlins.
The Astros arrived at their hotel at 5 a.m. after a doubleheader in New York against the Yankees, and were listless and hitless against Dan Straily until the fifth inning.
Josh Reddick doubled in the sixth off Junichi Tazawa (1-1), and after a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases, Gurriel pulled a 94 mph fastball over the fence with two out for a 4-1 lead.
It was the Astros’ second grand slam of the year, and their second in two games. Alex Bregman hit one in Sunday night’s win at Yankee Stadium.
Jose Altuve homered into the Marlins Park home run sculpture in the ninth and drove in three runs.
Joe Musgrove (3-3) allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings for the Astros (27-12), who climbed 15 games above .500 for the first time since 2005. They have the best record in the majors and are off to the best start in franchise history.
Indians 8, Rays 7
CLEVELAND — Indians starter Carlos Carrasco left early with an injury, but five relievers kept the lead and helped the Indians hold off the Tampa Bay Rays.
Carrasco was pulled because of tightness in his left pectoral muscle after giving up an RBI single to Brad Miller. The righthander allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings and left with Cleveland ahead 7-4.
Boone Logan (1-0), who entered in the fifth, retired both batters he faced. Andrew Miller allowed his first run of the season in the eighth, and Cody Allen gave up a solo homer to Peter Bourjos in the ninth before recording his 10th save.
Lonnie Chisenhall hit a three-run homer when Cleveland scored five times in the first off Chris Archer (3-2). Francisco Lindor added a solo homer in the eighth.