Davis homers, has three RBIS as Jays avoid sweep with a 6-4 win over Baltimore
TORONTO (CP) — Rajai Davis had a home run and three RBIs as the Toronto Blue Jays avoided being swept by the Baltimore Orioles with a 6-4 win on Wednesday night.
The Jays (61-75) snapped a four-game skid after being shut out in their last two games.
Baltimore fell out of a firstplace tie in the AL East with the New York Yankees, who were in Tampa Bay playing division-rivals the Rays.
The O’s (76-60), who are in the hunt for their playoffs berth since 1997, will open a four-game home stand against the Yankees starting Thursday in what’s turned into a close race to win the division. The Rays are 1 1/2 games back.
Right-hander Steve Delabar (41) took over in the seventh for Brandon Morrow and retired three straight Baltimore batters.
Morrow earned the no decision after 92 pitches and six innings of work. He allowed two earned runs — one homer — and three hits while walking three and striking out six. He’s 1-1 in three starts since coming off the DL after a lengthy absence.
Yankees 6, Rays 4 ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.
(AP) — New York went ahead with help from a key Tampa Bay error, Russell Martin homered and had three RBIs, and the Yankees regained sole possession of first-place in the AL East with a 6-4 win over the Rays on Wednesday night.
Eliot Johnson’s errant throw to home plate that led to two runs in the seventh inning helped New York win for just the fifth time in 15 games.
New York sat atop the division standings by itself for 84 consecutive days — its longest streak since 2004 — until Tuesday night’s 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay dropped the Yankees into a tie with Baltimore. They moved back into first place when the Orioles lost to Toronto 6-4. New York leads the Rays by 2 1-2 games.
Andruw Jones and Steve Pearce singled to start the seventh off Matt Moore (10-9) before Jayson Nix moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Derek Jeter, who had hits in his previous three at-bats, hit a grounder to Johnson.
Nationals 9, Cubs 1 WASHINGTON
(AP) — Bryce Harper hit two homers and the Washington Nationals went deep six times for the second consecutive game, sending Gio Gonzalez to his 18th victory in a 9-1 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.
Adam LaRoche kept up his tear at the plate with three hits for the Nationals, who have won four straight and own the best record in the majors at 84-52. They maintained a 7 1/2-game lead over Atlanta in the NL East.
For the second game in a row, Washington tied a franchise record with six home runs. LaRoche has hit three of those 12 long balls, and his streak of reaching base in nine consecutive plate appearances was snapped by a seventh-inning strikeout.
LaRoche also has four singles and two walks in the past two games. MIAMI (AP) — Rickie Weeks homered twice and drove in four runs to help Wily Peralta win his first major league start and lead the surging Milwaukee Brewers over the Miami Marlins 8-5 on Wednesday night.
Corey Hart also homered and drove in four runs for Milwaukee, which has won 13 of 16 to climb within 6 1/2 games of St. Louis for the second NL wild card spot.
Peralta (1-0) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and five hits. The 23-year old righthander struck out three and walked four.
John Axford pitched the ninth for his 25th save in 33 chances.
Nathan Eovaldi (4-11) surrendered the first home run to Weeks to left field in the third inning.
Brewers 8, Marlins 5