Gibson in control, leads Twins past woeful Orioles
MINNEAPOLIS—Kyle Gibson recovered from a rough start to throw seven innings, and Max Kepler homered in his second straight game to lead Minnesota past Baltimore 5-4 on Saturday.
Bobby Wilson went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Twins, who won their third in a row.
Gibson (3-6) allowed three runs in the first inning—including a two-run homer by Chris Davis— but only gave up two hits after that while striking out nine. It was Gibson's highest strikeout total since fanning 10 batters on April 26 against the New York Yankees.
Kepler's solo shot off Kevin Gausman sparked a three-run fifth that tied it. Wilson's two-run double off Miguel Castro (2-5) in the sixth gave Minnesota the lead for good.
The team with baseball's worst record, meanwhile, lost its fifth in the row.
Trevor Hildenberger worked a scoreless eighth for the Twins. Jace Peterson's RBI double off Fernando Rodney pulled the Orioles to 5-4, but Rodney got Tim Beckham on a grounder to short to convert his 19th save in 24 chances.
CUBS 8, REDS 7
CHICAGO—Javier Baez homered and had four hits—including a game-tying infield single in the eighth—and Chicago rallied from a five-run deficit and over Cincinnati.
Anthony Rizzo's RBI groundout capped a four-run eighth inning for Chicago, which has come from behind in each of its last eight wins.
Eugenio Suarez homered and Billy Hamilton added three hits and three stolen bases for Cincinnati, which had its fivegame winning streak against the Cubs snapped.
Randy Rosario (4-0) allowed two hits in 2 1/3 innings to get the win. Brandon Marrow worked the ninth for his 20th save.
Jared Hughes (2-3) took the loss, part of three Reds relievers who allowed five runs in 2 1/3 innings.
PHILLIES 3, PIRATES 2
PITTSBURGH—Nick Williams, Scott Kingery and Jorge Alfaro drove in runs on consecutive at-bats in the seventh inning to help Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh and extend the first-place Phillies' winning streak to six games.
Jake Arrieta (6-6) worked around six hits with the help of eight strikeouts to hold the Pirates to two runs over seven innings.
Pirates starter Jameson Taillon (5-7) was charged with all three runs. He had allowed just two singles coming into the seventh. He struck out eight and walked none.
Starling Marte singled and scored in the first and homered in the second as part of a three-hit afternoon to stake the Pirates to an early lead.
Victor Arano worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his second save.
CARDINALS 3, GIANTS 2
SAN FRANCISCO—Carlos Martinez pitched seven effective innings for his third consecutive win and St. Louis beat San Francisco.
Martinez (6-4) allowed one run on six hits with three strikeouts and did not walk a batter for the third time this season. The righthander also drove in the Cardinals' first run with an RBI double in the third.
Jordan Hicks allowed a run in the eighth and Bud Norris retired three batters for his 17th save.
Brandon Belt had three hits and drove in both runs for the Giants. San Francisco has been held to two runs or fewer in five of its last six games.
Jeff Samardzija had an uneven outing in his first start since May 29. Activated off the disabled list before the game, Samardzija (1-5) gave up three runs in five innings and repeatedly pitched with runners on base.
BRAVES 5, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE—Anibal Sanchez pitched effectively into the seventh and Freddie Freeman added three hits, lifting slumping Atlanta over Milwaukee.
Sanchez (4-2) retired 19 in a row at one point to help snap Atlanta's season high four-game skid. He exited with two outs in the seventh after being hit by a liner on his right hip.
Atlanta got to Brewers spot starter Aaron Wilkerson (0-1) early to end Milwaukee's five-game winning streak. Wilkerson had taken the rotation turn of Brent Suter, who went on the 10-day disabled list with left forearm tightness on Friday.
Sanchez struck out six in a row at one point. But after two easy outs in the seventh, his day ended quickly following a walk to Hernan Perez.
YANKEES 8, BLUE JAYS 5
TORONTO—Luis Severino pitched five innings to earn his major league-leading 14th win, Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge each hit solo home runs, and New York beat Toronto.
Severino (14-2) won his fifth straight start, allowing three runs and five hits. Two of the hits were home runs, marking the first time this season that Severino has allowed more than one homer in a game. He has allowed three earned runs or less in 16 consecutive starts.
Jonathan Holder, David Robertson, Dellin Betances each worked one inning and Aroldis Chapman got the first out of the ninth before leaving with an apparent injury. Chasen Shreve finished for New York, giving up a solo homer to Aledmys Diaz.
J.A. Happ (10-5), a potential trade target for the Yankees, had a dreadful audition. He allowed six runs and four hits in 2 2-3 innings, his shortest start of the season.
ROCKIES 5, MARINERS 1
SEATTLE—Noel Cuevas hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning among his three hits to lead Colorado to a win against Seattle.
Carlos Gonzalez added a double and a run-scoring single for the Rockies, who have won five in a row.
Jean Segura homered for the Mariners, who came into the series having won nine of their last 10, but have now lost two in a row.
Seattle starter James Paxton (8-3) lost for the second time in three starts, allowing four runs and seven hits in seven innings. It was the third time in four starts Paxton allowed at least that many runs and hits.
Reliever Scott Oberg (2-0) earned the win by throwing a perfect sixth inning, striking out two.
ATHLETICS 6, INDIANS 3, 11 innings
CLEVELAND— St e p h e n Piscotty hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the 11th inning and Oakland Athletics past Cleveland.
Matt Chapman, who had a career-high four hits, scored later in the frame on Jonathan Lucroy's grounder to complete the A's comeback victory and make a winner out of closer Blake Treinen (5-1).
Oakland won for the ninth time in 11 games since June 25 and snapped the Indians' home winning streak at eight. Josh Tomlin (0-5), who was Cleveland's sixth pitcher, allowed all three runs in the 11th.
Corey Kluber tossed seven shutout innings, but was denied in his bid to become the first Indians pitcher with 13 wins before the All-Star break since Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry had 15 in 1974.