Mazara, Beltre lead Rangers past Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cole Hamels allowed one unearned run in 5¥ innings, Nomar Mazara and Adrian Beltre homered and the Texas Rangers defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-4 on Saturday night.
Hamels, who is 6-1 with a 2.24 ERA in his past nine starts, limited the Royals to five hits, struck out four and walked three. Hamels (112) lowered his ERA to 2.87, which is tied for third in the American League.
The Rangers picked up only their fifth victory in 20 games.
Mazara homered in the fourth with Jurickson Profar, who had walked, aboard, which was the first hit off Royals starter Yordano Ventura. Mazara, who tops all American League rookies with 25 games with multiple hits and 141 total bases, doubled to center in the fifth, scoring Delino DeShields.
Beltre, a career .363 hitter at Kauffman Stadium, hit a threerun homer in the Rangers’ fourrun seventh off Joakim Soria. Ian Desmond singled in the first run of the inning. Soria has allowed six runs in his past two outings and has a 9.72 ERA in his past nine relief appearances.
Ventura was struck in the right rib cage by a Beltre laser to end the fifth. After Ventura threw to first base, he collapsed to the ground in pain and was attended to by trainer Nick Kenney. X-rays were negative, but Ventura did not come out for the sixth. Ventura (68) gave up three runs on three hits and four walks while striking out five.
Cheslor Cuthbert doubled with one out in the first, extending his hitting streak to a career-best 12 games and took third on Mazara’s fielding error. Cuthbert scored on Eric Hosmer’s groundout for the only run off Hamels.
The Royals scored three runs in the ninth on four singles and a bases-loaded walk before Salvador Perez grounded into a double play to end the game.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pirates 7, Phillies 4 at Pittsburgh: Gregory Polanco and David Freese hit two-run singles during a five-run fifth inning to rally Pittsburgh past Philadelphia.
Polanco’s hit put the Pirates ahead 4-3 and chased starter Aaron Nola. Freese’s hit off Severino Gonzalez pushed the lead to three runs, and Francisco Cervelli capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to help Pittsburgh win for the fourth time in six games.
Nola (5-9) was tagged for six runs and six hits in four-plus innings with five strikeouts and two walks.
Brewers 6, Cubs 1 at Milwaukee: Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit two home runs, Zach Davies took a shutout into the seventh inning and Milwaukee beat Chicago.
Jonathan Lucroy also homered, giving Milwaukee the lead with a two-run shot in the first off John Lackey (7-7).
Davies (7-4) gave up one run and three hits in 6¥ innings. He struck out four and walked two.
Marlins 7, Mets 2 at Miami: Giancarlo Stanton homered and had his first four-hit game since 2012, driving in three runs to give Jose Fernandez all the support he needed, and Miami took down New York.
Miami rocked Jacob deGrom (6-5), who allowed 10 hits and five runs, both season highs, and lasted just 3¦ innings in his shortest outing since August.
Fernandez improved to 26-1 with a 1.47 ERA in 37 starts at Marlins Park.
Nationals 3, Padres 2 at Washington: Pinch-hitter Stephen Drew hit a game-ending RBI triple in the ninth inning to give Washington a win over San Diego.
Anthony Rendon opened the bottom off the ninth with a single off reliever Kevin Quackenbush (6-4). Drew entered with one out and drove a pitch off the centerfield scoreboard, and Rendon raced around the bases for the winning run.
Reds 6, Diamondbacks 1 at Cincinnati: Jay Bruce hit a three-run homer, and Cincinnati topped fading Arizona.
The last-place Reds have won three consecutive series for the first time this season.
The Diamondbacks have lost 17 of 21, falling from third place into the basement of the NL West.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Orioles 5, Indians 2 at Baltimore: Mark Trumbo hit his major league-leading 30th home run, Kevin Gausman pitched seven shutout innings and Baltimore bested Cleveland in a duel between first-place teams.
Pedro Alvarez also homered for the Orioles, who will seek to complete a three-game sweep of the AL Central leaders on Sunday.
Twins 11, Red Sox 9 at Boston: Miguel Sano homered and Eduardo Nunez drove in three runs, including two in a five-run seventh inning, as Minnesota rallied for a win over Boston.
Eddie Rosario had four singles for Minnesota, which won its second straight over Boston after losing the series opener Thursday.
Hanley Ramirez belted a threerun homer and Xander Bogaerts had four hits for the Red Sox, who lost for just the third time in 12 games. Jackie Bradley Jr. had three hits and two RBIs.
Mariners 14, Blue Jays 5 at Toronto: Hisashi Iwakuma pitched six innings to win his fifth straight start, Nelson Cruz hit his ninth career grand slam and homered twice, and Seattle routed Toronto.
Cruz hit his slam off R.A. Dickey in the third, then added a threerun drive off Drew Storen in the eighth for his 20th career multihomer game.
Astros 7, Angels 2 at Houston: Evan Gattis had two home runs and four RBIs in his return to the lineup, Collin McHugh threw six strong innings and Houston beat Los Angeles.
McHugh (7-6) allowed two runs on six hits with six strikeouts in six innings. He continued his string of solid outings, allowing two runs or fewer for the sixth time in his last seven starts.
Athletics 4, Rays 3 at Oakland: Ryon Healy hit a game-ending home run in the ninth inning two batters after Jake Smolinski tied it with a two-run homer, and Oakland rallied past Tampa Bay.
Both home runs came off Rays closer Alex Colome, who had recorded 21 consecutive saves before giving up three runs to the A’s.
Kendall Graveman (7-6) pitched a complete game for his sixth consecutive win. The right-hander allowed three runs with four strikeouts and one walk, throwing 102 pitches.
INTERLEAGUE
Giants 2, Yankees 1 at New York: Mac Williamson homered in the fifth inning and hit a tiebreaking single in the 12th, lifting San Francisco over New York for the Giants’ first victory since the AllStar break.
Trevor Brown hit an oppositefield double to right off Anthony Swarzak (1-1) leading off the 12th, and Williamson singled up the middle with one out, just past the glove of diving shortstop Didi Gregorius.