Verlander, Castro lead Astros to win
Justin Verlander pitched two-hit ball for eight innings, light-hitting backup catcher Jason Castro lined a two-run homer in the ninth and the Houston Astros beat the host Mets 2-0 Wednesday to send New York to its first threegame losing streak this season.
Verlander (10-3) became the majors' first 10game winner, striking out six and walking one.
Taijuan Walker allowed four hits in 7 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and two walks.
Castro began the day hitting .095 with one RBI in 74 at-bats. Kyle Tucker singled off Drew Smith (1-2) leading off the ninth, and with two outs Castro drove a slider into the right-field seats. APPEL DEBUTS >> Former Stanford standout Mark Appel, the No. 1 overall pick by the Astros in the 2013 draft, made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.
The 30-year-old right-hander pitched a scoreless ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves, allowing one hit and striking out one. PIRATES 8, NATIONALS 7 >> Bryan Reynolds hit a career-high three homers and drove in six runs, leading Pittsburgh to a victory at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak.
Reynolds had a two-run homer in the first inning off Paolo Espino and a solo drive in the sixth off Carl Edwards Jr. (2-2).
Edwards exited with two runners on base in the seventh, giving way to Kyle Finnegan.
Reynolds launched Finnegan's elevated sinker into the visitors' bullpen in left-center for a three-run homer that put the Pirates up 8-6. PADRES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 0 >> Mike Clevinger outpitched Madison Bumgarner by throwing one-hit ball for six innings, leading San Diego over host Arizona.
Jake Cronenworth broke out of a 0-for-26 skid with two doubles and a single, driving in two runs and scoring once.
Clevinger (2-0) struck out six and walked one while Bumgarner (3-8) allowed one run and four hits in five innings.
ROYALS 2, RANGERS 1 >> Zach Greinke allowed one run on four hits, helping Kansas City avoid a three-game sweep by beating visiting Texas.
Greinke (2-4) made his 500th career start, the 48th pitcher in MLBhistory to do so and the only active pitcher to reach that milestone. He went six innings and walked one.