Ohtani hits milestone 32nd homer, Angels pip Red Sox
Rays sweep DH
ANAHEIM, Calif., July 8, (AP): Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 32nd homer, a season high by a Japanese player in the major leagues, helping the Los Angeles Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4.
Fellow All-Star Jared Walsh homered twice for the Angels, who won for the sixth time in seven games and took two of three from the AL-leading Red Sox.
Ohtani topped Hideki Matsui’s total with the 2004 Yankees by hitting a 433foot shot to right off Eduardo Rodríguez (6-5), putting the Angels ahead to stay in the fifth inning. The two-way star has 15 homers in his past 20 games.
Rays 8, Indians 1, 1st Game Rays 4, Indians 0, 2nd Game
In St. Petersburg, Fla., five Tampa Bay pitchers combined for seven hitless innings to finish a doubleheader sweep.
Collin McHugh (two perfect innings), Josh Fleming (7-4 after allowing one walk in 2 2/3 innings), Diego Castillo (one out), Matt Wisler (one inning) and Pete Fairbanks (one inning) combined in a game that will not go into the official list of no-hitters because shortened to seven innings under pandemic rules.
Taylot Walls put the Rays up 2-0 in Game 2 on two-out RBI singles off Sam Hentges (1-4) in the second and fourth.
Mets 4, Brewers 3, 1st Game
Brewers 5, Mets 0, 2nd Game
In New York, Jacob deGrom allowed home runs to Luis Urías on his fourth pitch and another to Jace Peterson in the fifth. His ERA up to 1.08, deGrom said he will skip the All-Star Game.
DeGrom allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks - his seventh start with double-digit strikeouts this season.
Pinch-hitter José Peraza tied the score with a home run in the seventh off Josh Hader, who had converted 24 consecutive save chances.
Cubs 8, Phillies 3
In Chicago, Anthony Rizzo, Joc Pederson and Nico Hoerner each had two hits and an RBI to help Chicago snap an 11-game losing streak with a win over Philadelphia.
The Cubs raced to an early five-run lead off Wheeler and then added on to halt their skid.
Braves 14, Pirates 3
In Pittsburgh, pinch-hitter Abraham Almonte had a go-ahead, two-run single off Kyle Crick (1-1) in a five-run sixth inning and added a two-run home run as Atlanta avoided a series sweep.
BASEBALL
Drew Smyly (7-3) overcame giving up a three-run home run to Jacob Stallings in the first inning to win his fifth straight start.
Yankees 5, Mariners 4
In Seattle, Aaron Judge capped New York’s early offensive outburst against Seattle All-Star Yusei Kikuchi with his 20th home run of the season, and the Yankees held on for the win.
For the second straight game, the Yankees scored a flurry of runs in the first two innings. This time they had to withstand Seattle’s late rally.
Judge’s two-run homer was clubbed into the second deck of the left field seats and gave New York a 5-1 lead. Luke Voit had a two-out RBI single and Gleyber Torres followed with a two-run single as the Yankees scored three in the first inning for the second straight game.
Nationals 15, Padres 5
In San Diego, All-Star Juan Soto warmed up for the Home Run Derby by hitting a three-run shot in the first inning and Washington pounded Chris Paddack and San Diego.
Paddack (4-6) allowed nine runs, eight earned, and nine hits on 75 pitches in two-plus innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Tigers 5, Rangers 3
In Arlington, Texas, pinch-hitter Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead infield single off the glove of reliever Joely Rodriguez in the seventh inning, overcoming two homers by Joey Gallo off Casey Mize.
Kyle Funkhouser (3-0) worked two scoreless innings. Gregory Soto, Detroit’s only All-Star pick, got six outs for his seventh save.
White Sox 6, Twins 1
In Minneapolis, Lance Lynn (9-3) allowed one run over six innings in his first start since earning a spot on the AL AllStar team and took over the AL ERA lead at 1.99.
Before the game, the White Sox cut outfielder Adam Eaton.
Reds 5, Royals 2
In Kansas City, Mo., Sonny Gray (24) gave up two runs and seven hits over seven innings, and Jonathan India hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh off Scott Barlow (2-3).
Art Warren stranded the bases loaded in the eighth by retiring Hunter Dozier on an inning-ending flyout, and Heath Hembree pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save.
Blue Jays 10, Orioles 2
In Baltimore, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits and drove in two runs to increase his major league-leading RBI total to 73, Bo Bichette homered and Toronto breezed past Baltimore.
Guerrero hit RBI singles in the first and fourth innings to help Toronto build a 6-0 lead. He also singled in third inning and finished 3 for 4. Bichette drove in three runs and had three hits, including a two-run drive into the left-field seats.
Marlins 9, Dodgers 6
In Miami, Jesús Aguilar hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth in
ning and Miami beat Los Angeles for the third straight game.
Aguilar drove the sinker from Dodgers reliever Edwin Uceta (0-3) over the wall in left for his 14th homer of the season and first at home.
Zack McKinstry hit a one-out solo homer in the ninth against Miami reliever Anthony Bender (1-0) to tie it at 6-all.
Astros 4, Athletics 3
In Houston, Jose Altuve hit a threerun homer and Kyle Tucker’s tiebreaking solo shot in the seventh inning lifted Houston over Oakland. The victory was the Astros’ sixth straight.
There was one out in the seventh when Tucker connected off Sean Manaea (66) on his home run to right-center to put Houston on top.
Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 4
In Phoenix, Eduardo Escobar had a three-run homer among his three hits and Arizona beat Colorado.
The Diamondbacks, owners of the worst record in the majors at 25-63, won consecutive games for the first time since May 10-11, when they beat the Miami Marlins in back-to-back games.
Escobar’s team-leading 19th homer broke open a 3-1 game in the bottom of the seventh inning.