Versatile Romo helps hold off Yanks in win
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Sergio Romo relieved in the eighth inning, shifted to third base when Jonny Venters replaced him in the ninth, then struck out Brett Gardner to end the game with two on and give the Tampa Bay Rays a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees on Wednesday.
Scheduled Rays starter Nathan Eovaldi was traded to AL Eastleading Boston about two hours before game time, and six pitchers combined on a seven-hitter.
New York has lost just two series since May, and both are against the Rays. Tampa Bay swept three games in late June, took two of three this week and has won six of its past seven against the Yankees. New York, 14-14 over its past 28 games, acquired reliever Zach Britton from Baltimore late Tuesday but said he will not report until Thursday’s homestand opener against Kansas City.
Neil Walker hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning, but the Rays took a 3-1 lead in the sixth when Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run homer off Luis Cessa (1-2) and C.J. Cron added a solo drive against Jonathan Holder.
Diego Castillo (2-1), the second Rays reliever, worked two scoreless innings.
PHILLIES 7, DODGERS 3
PHILADELPHIA—Scott Kingery homered and Carlos Santana hit a three-run triple in Philadelphia’s five-run fifth inning, leading the Phillies over Los Angeles.
Rhys Hoskins also went deep for the Phillies, who increased their lead in the NL East to 1½ games over the idle Atlanta Braves.
Jake Arrieta (8-6) allowed two earned runs and five hits in six innings for the victory.
Max Muncy homered and Joc Pederson and Alex Verdugo had a pair of hits for Los Angeles. Walker Buehler (4-3) allowed five runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
The game started less than 11½ hours after the final out of the Phillies’ 7-4, 16-inning win that started Tuesday night and lasted 5 hours, 55 minutes, ending at 1:14 a.m. Wednesday.
Seranthony Dominguez recorded the final four outs for his 10th save in 11 chances.
NATIONALS 7, BREWERS 3
MILWAUKEE—Bryce Harper tied for the NL lead with his 25th home run, Tanner Roark pitched eight scoreless innings to end a seven-start winless streak and Washington beat Milwaukee.
Harper hit a three-run homer in the fifth against Freddy Peralta (4-2) for a 6-0 lead, matching Milwaukee’s Jesus Aguilar, Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter for the NL home run lead.
Roark (4-12), the NL leader in losses, allowed three hits, struck out a season-high 11 and walked one, helping the Nationals avoided being swept in the three-game series. He had been 0-6 in seven starts since beating Tampa Bay on June 6.
CUBS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1
CHICAGO—Jon Lester bounced back from his worst start of the season with six strong innings and the Cubs scored the go-ahead run in the eighth on Arizona shortstop Nick Ahmed’s throwing error and Chicago edged Arizona.
Chicago mounted the winning rally against Arizona reliever T.J. McFarland (2-2) without getting a ball out of the infield. Pinchhitter Javier Baez led off the eighth by squibbing a single toward the mound. McFarland threw wide of first, and Baez advanced to second.
After pitcher Tyler Chatwood ran for Baez, who didn’t start because of a sore left knee, and Ian Happ walked, pinch-hitter Jason Heyward bounced to second baseman Ketel Marte. Marte flipped to Ahmed for a force at second, but Ahmed’s throw to first sailed over Paul Goldschmidt as he tried to complete a double play.
Reliever Carl Edwards Jr. (3-1) pitched a hitless seventh and eighth. Pedro Strop tossed a scoreless ninth for his fourth save in seven chances as NL Central leading Chicago bounced back after losses to Arizona in the first two games of the four-game series.
REDS 7, CARDINALS 3
CINCINNATI—Eugenio Suarez homered for the third straight game, Tucker Barnhart added a two-run shot and Cincinnati powered to a win over St. Louis.
Adam Duvall also homered for the Reds. Sal Romano (6-8) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings to give the Reds consecutive series wins over St. Louis for the first time since 2011.
Paul DeJong and Yadier Molina hit solo homers for the Cardinals, who went 3-5 on their eight-game road trip. DeJong homered in the third inning and Molina hit his 14th of the season in the seventh inning.
Jack Flaherty (4-5) allowed three runs, four hits, two walks with eight strikeouts in five innings.
TIGERS 8, ROYALS 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Mike Moustakas had two hits, including a run-scoring double, in what might have been his final home game for Kansas City.
A key member of the Royals’ 2015 World Series championship team, Moustakas became a free agent after last season, then signed a one-year contract with the Royals in March that includes a mutual option for 2019. With the Royals last in the AL Central at 31-70, he could be dealt before Tuesday’s deadline for trades without waivers.
Jose Iglesias hit a three-run homer in a four-run fourth inning against Danny Duffy (6-9). Victor Martinez had three hits, including a pair of RBI singles.
Matthew Boyd (5-9) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking none.
METS 6, PADRES 4
NEW YORK—Rookie Corey Oswalt beat his hometown Padres for his first major league win, pitching three-hit ball over five innings and New York beat San Diego for its first series win in two months.
A 24-year-old right-hander who made his big league debut in April, Oswalt took the mound hours after the Mets announced slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes will have operations to remove calcifications in both of his heels, surgeries that are expected to have a recovery time of at least 8-to-10 months.
Oswalt (1-2) made his fifth big league start and sixth appearance. He allowed two runs and two walks while striking out four, leaving after 62 pitches.
Tim Peterson got four outs, Robert Gsellman finished the seventh and Anthony Swarzak pitched two innings for his fourth big league save, his second this year.
Clayton Richard (7-10) allowed six runs, five hits and two walks in five-plus innings.