Segura homers as Phillies top Mets
NEW YORK — Jean Segura hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and drove in a career-best five runs, bailing out Philadelphia's abominable bullpen and helping the Phillies beat the the New York Mets 9-8 on Monday for a split of their four-game series.
The Mets erased a 6-0 deficit against former teammate Zack Wheeler and baseball's worst bullpen, taking a 7-6 lead on Jeff McNeil's three-run homer in the seventh inning.
Segura hit his fifth homer of the season with two outs in the 10th, lining a pitch from Miguel Castro (1-1) over the wall in left-center. Brandon Workman (1-1) got the win.
Héctor Neris allowed an RBI single to Brandon Nimmo in the bottom of the 10th but still completed his third save.
Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto homered for Philadelphia, which moved 3 1/2 games ahead of New York for second place in the NL East.
Cubs 5, Cardinals 1
CHICAGO — Kyle Hendricks went eight innings, helping the NL Central-leading Cubs to the victory.
The Cubs got just the sort of start they needed from Hendricks and closed out the five-game series on a winning note after losing three straight. They lead their longtime rivals by 2 1/2 games.
Hendricks (5-4) gave up a run and seven hits in his second straight win.
Javier Báez had three singles, helping the Cubs earn a split of the 10-game season series against the
Cardinals. Willson Contreras made it 5-0 with a two-run single against Johan Oviedo (0-2) in the fifth.
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina exited in the sixth with a bruised left elbow. Matt Wieters replaced the nine-time All-Star and drove in St. Louis' lone run with a seventh-inning single.
Nationals 6, Rays 1
WASHINGTON — Washington ace Max Scherzer cooled off Tampa Bay with seven scoreless innings.
Kurt Suzuki had an RBI double among his three hits and Michael A. Taylor drove in two runs for the last-place Nationals, who were missing several regulars.
Scherzer (4-2) allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked one in his second-longest outing of the season. Daniel Hudson got one out for his eighth save in 11 chances.
The Rays came in with a season-best 5 1/2-game lead in the AL East and had won 22 of 27.
In his second start since missing three weeks with shoulder inflammation, Tampa Bay right-hander Charlie Morton (1-2) threw 57 pitches in five innings, allowing three runs and four hits.
Indians 5, Royals 2
CLEVELAND — Zach Plesac won his second straight start since returning to Cleveland's rotation after a demotion for breaking team COVID-19 protocols, and the Indians handed the Royals their season-high seventh straight loss.
Plesac (3-1) permitted one run — Adalberto Mondesi's 458-foot homer in the seventh — and seven hits in seven innings. Brad Hand struck out the side in the ninth for his 12th save.
Tyler Naquin had two RBIs for the Indians against Brad Keller (3-2), who hung around until the seventh.
Cleveland moved into a tie for first in the AL Central with the idle Chicago White Sox.
Marlins 5, Braves 4, 10 innings
ATLANTA () — Miguel Rojas had four hits for Miami, including a go-ahead double in the 10th inning.
Atlanta's Adam Duvall led off the ninth with a tying pinch-hit homer off Brandon Kintzler (2-3), the closer's second blown save in 11 chances.
Garrett Cooper opened the 10th as Miami's designated runner at second and advanced on Jon Berti's sacrifice. A.J. Minter (1-1) intentionally walked pinch-hitter Brian Anderson, and Rojas doubled to right-center.
Nick Vincent got three straight outs for his third save.
Atlanta's NL East lead was cut to two games over second-place Philadelphia, while the third-place Marlins dropped 2 1/2 games behind the Phillies.
Twins 6, Tigers 2
MINNEAPOLIS — Ryan Jeffers hit his first major league homer to spark Minnesota's four-run third inning, and Michael Pineda stayed sharp in his return from suspension.
Pineda (1-0) pitched seven innings of two-run ball in his first victory since Sept. 1, 2019. After serving a 60-game penalty for taking a banned weight-loss drug, Pineda debuted last week with six innings and a no-decision as the Twins beat Chicago.