AROUND THE HORN
Royals, Athletics: Salvador Perez tied Hall of Famer Johnny Bench’s record for homers in a season by a catcher with his 45th, but Chad Pinder’s two-run single spurred a third-inning rally and the A’s held off the Royals 7-2 on Thursday in Kansas City, Missouri. Perez hit a two-run HR in the first inning, matching Bench’s total from 1970 for the most by a player who played at least 75% of his team’s games at catcher. Perez’s 45 HRs and 112 RBIs both lead the majors this season. Pinder delivered a two-out hit during a four-run third in which the A’s had seven runners reach base — with just two hits. The A’s also scored three runs in the ninth on just one hit. The Royals had the tying runs on base with less than two outs in the sixth and eighth but couldn’t score. Paul Blackburn (1-2) battled through five-plus innings for the A’s, yielding two runs on six hits. Daniel Lynch (4-5) took the loss. He left the game in the third with left calf tightness with the bases loaded and a full count on Matt Olson. He gave up three runs (one earned) on two hits in two-plus innings. He also walked one and hit two batters. Perez is three HRs away from matching Jorge Soler’s team record from 2019. Soler extended the Royals’ record by 10. Perez also tied Mike Sweeney for second on the club’s all-time list with 197. Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett holds the club record with 317.
Angels: Alex Cobb pitched five scoreless innings, Luis Rengifo and Jose Rojas hit HRs, and the Angels coasted to a 9-3 road win over the White Sox. Cobb was activated from the 10-day IL after suffering right wrist inflammation and allowed two hits in his first start since July 23. The Angels (72-74) won their second consecutive game. The White Sox (83-63) lost for the fifth time in eight games. The AL Central leaders have dropped six consecutive series against the Angels dating to 2016, and they’re 4-15 in their last 19 games against them. Cobb (8-3) allowed only two baserunners to advance as far as second base, and he induced inning-ending double plays in the second and fourth. Reynaldo Lopez (3-3) allowed a season-high seven runs in taking the loss in his seventh start of the season. Lopez had allowed two HRs in his previous 30 innings prior to surrendering HRs to Rengifo and Rojas.
Reds: Tyler Mahle cruised through six innings, Asdrúbal Cabrera hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the seventh, and the Reds avoided a three-game sweep by edging the host Pirates 1-0. Mahle (12-5) allowed five hits — all singles — and struck out four with a walk as the Reds salvaged the finale of a nine-game road trip that saw them lose a little bit of ground in the chase for the second NL wild-card spot.
Padres: LHP Blake Snell was placed on the 10-day IL on Wednesday due to a left adductor groin strain. Snell, 28, injured his groin in the first inning of Sunday’s 8-0 loss to the Dodgers. After retiring his first two batters, Snell was facing Trea Turner when he suddenly left the mound with a 2-1 count. He was removed from the game and limped slightly as he walked off the field. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, is 7-6 with a 4.22 ERA.