Yankees back at .500, thrash Blue Jays 6-0 behind Eovaldi
Strasburg wins again as Nats beat Mets
NEW YORK, May 25, (AP): For the first time since the second week of the season, the New York Yankees are back at .500.
A resurgent Nathan Eovaldi combined with his bullpen on a two-hitter to win his fifth straight decision, and the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-0 Tuesday night to extend their winning streak to six games.
Carlos Beltran homered off knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (2-6) and drove in New York’s first two runs. The Yankees (22-22) won for the 13th time in 18 games and evened their record for the first time since they were 4-4 on the morning of April 15.
Eovaldi (5-2) improved to 5-0 with a 2.92 ERA in his last six starts and has allowed one run and three hits over 12 innings in his last two outings. He gave up two hits over six-plus innings in this one.
Astros 3, Orioles 2, 13 Innings
In Houston, Carlos Correa’s RBI single in the 13th inning lifted Houston past Baltimore.
Rookie Tony Kemp hit his first career triple off Dylan Bundy (0-1) with no outs to start the 13th. The Orioles then intentionally walked George Springer and Jose Altuve to bring last year’s rookie of the year Correa to the plate.
Correa snapped an 0-for-15 skid with a single into shallow center that scored Kemp and ended a four-game losing streak for the Astros.
Michael Feliz (2-1) struck out the side in the 13th for the win.
Rays 4, Marlins 3
In Miami, Jake Odorizzi allowed two hits in five shutout innings, Hank Conger hit a two-run single and Tampa Bay held on to beat Miami.
Odorizzi (2-2) struck out seven and walked three, plus delivered an RBI single for his first career hit. Logan Morrison had three hits and Brad Miller had two hits and two stolen bases for the Rays, who ended a three-game slide.
BASEBALL
Giancarlo Stanton hit his 12th home run for Miami, snapping a 6-for-57 drought. Marcell Ozuna doubled twice and reached for the 31st consecutive game, while Justin Bour and Derek Dietrich added two hits for Miami.
Alex Colome got a two-inning save for the Rays, his 12th of the season.
Indians 6, White Sox 2
In Chicago, Josh Tomlin beat Chris Sale in a one-sided matchup of unbeaten pitchers and Francisco Lindor had three hits to lead Cleveland.
Tomlin pitched eight innings of tworun ball to become the first Indians starter to reach 7-0 since Dennis Martinez won his first nine decisions in 1995. Sale (91) was knocked out in the fourth, ending his bid to become the first pitcher to win his first 10 starts in a season since Andy Hawkins for San Diego in 1985.
It was baseball’s first matchup of 6-0 or better pitchers since 1988, and only the fourth time in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Chris Gimenez homered for Cleveland, which had lost three in a row before Monday’s 5-1 victory at Chicago in the second game of a doubleheader. Jose Ramirez walked twice and scored twice, and Mike Napoli drove in two runs.
Tigers 3, Phillies 1
In Detroit, Justin Verlander struck out 10 in eight scoreless innings, and Francisco Rodriguez held on for his 400th save as Detroit beat Philadelphia.
Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs for Detroit. Since losing 11 of 12 earlier this month, the Tigers have now won eight of nine.
Verlander (4-4) has allowed only four runs over his last four starts. He gave up three hits and two walks in a 108-pitch effort Tuesday.
Cabrera hit an RBI double in the first and a run-scoring groundout in the sixth. Rodriguez allowed a run in the ninth but closed the game out for his 14th save in 15 chances this year. He is the sixth pitcher to reach 400 career saves.
Rangers 4, Angels 1
In Arlington, Texas, Martin Perez finally got a win after another strong May start and rookie Nomar Mazara homered in his home park for the first time, leading Texas past Los Angeles.
Perez (2-4) was winless for the month despite a 2.59 ERA in four starts coming in, and the left-hander dropped that number to 2.08 with six strikeouts in six shutout innings.
Mazara pulled his seventh homer into the upper deck in right field off Jhoulys Chacin (0-1) in the sixth inning. Mazara had three hits and reached base all four times.
The 21-year-old’s two-run shot put Texas ahead 3-0 after Perez escaped the top of the sixth by getting through the middle of the order after putting runners at first and third with no outs.
Nationals 7, Mets 4
In Washington, Steven Strasburg remained unbeaten with an 11-strikeout performance, and Washington hit three of their season-high five home runs off struggling New York Mets starter Matt Harvey.
Strasburg (8-0) gave up two runs and four hits over 6 2/3 innings in defeating Harvey and the Mets for the second time in six days. Strasburg has five games this season with at least 10 strikeouts and 26 over his seven-year career.
Harvey (3-7) stumbled through a third straight ineffective start, allowing five runs and eight hits over five rocky innings. The right-hander has yielded 16 earned runs and 31 hits over his last three outings.
Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon hit successive solo shots to put Washington ahead in the fourth inning, and Daniel Murphy added a two-run drive off his former teammate in the fifth for a 5-1 lead.
Red Sox 8, Rockies 3
In Boston, David Price scattered five hits over seven innings and Jackie Bradley Jr. had two hits to extend his streak to 28 games in Boston’s win over Colorado.
David Ortiz had a two-run double and a two-run single, and Dustin Pedroia added three hits to help Boston win its third straight game. Price (7-1) allowed three runs, walking one and striking out six to earn his third consecutive win.
Colorado lost for the fifth time in six games.
Jorge De La Rosa (1-4) made his first start after spending almost a month on the disabled list with a left groin strain. He gave up two runs in the first, two more in the second and left with one out in the fourth with two on and one run already in.
Brewers 2, Braves 1
In Atlanta, Scooter Gennett’s tiebreaking single in the eighth inning helped Milwaukee spoil Brian Snitker’s home debut as Atlanta’s interim manager.
With two outs in the eighth, Bud Norris (1-6) walked Jonathan Villar, who stole second base. Gennett then lined a single to right field. Villar scored as Nick Markakis’ throw to the plate from right field was up the third-base line.
Ryan Braun’s eighth homer gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead in the fourth.
Atlanta’s Julio Teheran set a personal high with 12 strikeouts while allowing one run in seven innings.
Royals 7, Twins 4
In Minneapolis, Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer, Lorenzo Cain had four hits and two RBIs, and Kansas City picked up where its bats left off the night before.
Wade Davis worked a wobbly ninth inning for his 12th save in 13 attempts, preserving the seventh win for the Royals in their last nine contests. They raised their two-game total in Minnesota this week to 30 hits and improved to 5-0 against the Twins this season.
After going 5 for 5 in the series opener, missing the cycle by a home run, Perez went deep just one day and a couple of innings too late. The three-time All-Star catcher followed a leadoff walk by Kendrys Morales in the second inning with a soaring drive off his 2013 teammate Ervin Santana.
Mariners 6, Athletics 5
In Seattle, Leonys Martin hit a gamewinning, two-run homer in the ninth inning to rally Seattle past Oakland.
The Mariners trailed 5-2 after seven innings but got a two-run homer from Robinson Cano in the eighth inning.
Oakland closer Ryan Madson (2-1) came on in the ninth and got two quick outs before Norichika Aoki punched a double down the left-field line.
Martin then drove a 1-2 pitch deep over the wall in right-center for his ninth home run.
Giants 8, Padres 2
In San Francisco, Brandon Crawford drove in four runs and Jarrett Parker homered to lead Jeff Samardzija and streaking San Francisco past San Diego.
Buster Posey and Denard Span each knocked in a run for the Giants, who have won four straight and 12 of 13.
John Jay homered for the Padres, who lost their third in a row and fell to 0-8 against the Giants this season. Hector Sanchez also drove in a run.
Samardzija (7-2) has won three consecutive decisions and six of seven after giving up a run and six hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked three.
Dodgers 8, Reds 2
In Los Angeles, Joc Pederson doubled in the tying run and then scored the goahead run on a throwing error in the fourth inning, helping Los Angeles hand Cincinnati its season-high ninth straight loss.
The Dodgers’ eight-game winning streak against the Reds is their longest active run against any opponent and their most since beating the Reds nine straight times in 2008-09.
Mike Bolsinger (1-1) allowed two runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings of a spot start, having been brought back from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday in
place of injured Chin-hui Tsao, who went on the 15-day disabled list. Bolsinger struck out six and walked one.
Cubs 12, Cardinals 3
In St. Louis, Jason Hammel pitched 7 1/3 stingy innings and had a two-run double in Chicago’s six-run first as the Cubs went on to rout St. Louis.
Michael Wacha (2-5) gave up a careerworst eight runs in four innings and has lost five consecutive decisions for the first time. The 24-year-old right-hander was a 17-game winner last season and the NL championship series MVP as a rookie in 2013, but this season has a 5.04 ERA.
Jorge Soler drew a bases-loaded walk in the first and hit a two-run home run in the fifth.
Pirates 12, Diamondbacks 1
In Pittsburgh, Gregory Polanco hit a three-run homer and drove in a careerbest five runs as Pittsburgh rolled past Arizona.
Polanco’s shot to the concourse in right-center field off Shelby Miller (1-6) in the first inning gave Pittsburgh an early boost. Francisco Liriano (4-3) scattered two hits in 5 2/3 innings and added an RBI single as the Pirates improved to 6-2 during a 10-game homestand.