Cardinals go on home run spree to defeat Phillies

Nolan Arenado sparked a record barrage of four straight home runs by St. Louis in the first inning, then hit a tiebreaking drive in the ninth that sent the visiting Cardinals over the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 Saturday.

With two outs in the first, Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carlson homered off Kyle Gibson. It was the first time in major league history a team connected for four homers in a row in the first inning.

The Cardinals tied the MLB record for any inning with four in a row. It was the first time they had done it, and the 11th time overall in big league history.

It was 6-all when Arenado led off the ninth by clearing the wall in left field off Seranthony Domínguez (4-2) for his 17th home run. Arenando hit for the cycle on Friday night in the Cardinals' 5-3 defeat to the Phillies.

ASTROS 9, ANGELS 1 >> Martín Maldonado homered twice and Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick added a home run each as host Houston routed Los Angeles.

José Urquidy (7-3) yielded two hits and a run with eight strikeouts in six innings to improve the Astros' starters to 7-0 in the last nine games.

YANKEES 13-6, GUARDIANS 4-1 >> Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton blasted consecutive two-out homers in the fourth, Nestor Cortes shut Cleveland down for six innings and New York continued its torrid winning pace with a victory in Game 2 to complete a road doubleheader sweep.

Matt Carpenter homered twice and Gerrit Cole brushed off giving up back-to-back home runs in New York's romp in the opener. The Yankees are 25-6 since May 31. Cortes (7-3) allowed a homer in the first to Amed Rosario and little else. The left-hander gave up one run and three hits and struck out six, including José Ramírez three times.

At 58-21, New York has the second-best record after 79 games of any team in 93 years. Only the 1998 Yankees (59-20) were better.

Cole (7-2) was tagged for consecutive homers in the second inning by Josh Naylor and Franmil Reyes but the right-hander allowed Cleveland just one other hit and struck out six. RANGERS 7. METS 3 >> Kole Calhoun homered twice and drove in four runs, Martín Pérez won his seventh straight decision and visiting Texas topped New York.

Starling Marte launched an early two-run homer and Eduardo Escobar also went deep against Pérez (7-2).

But the lefty yielded nothing else, permitting seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He is 7-0 in his last 11 starts.

BRAVES 4, REDS 1 >> Spencer Strider allowed one hit over six innings and matched a career high with 11 strikeouts, Austin Riley homered for the second straight game and drove in two runs and Atlanta beat host Cincinnati.