Gurriel, Fiers lift Astros over Orioles
Cardinals cool off Cubs, Pirates ease past Rockies, Royals beat White Sox in 10th inning
>> BALTIMORE: Astros rookie Yuli Gurriel had a career-high four hits, including a home run, and Houston received a gritty pitching performance from Mike Fiers in a tight 8-7 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Friday night baseball.
Colin Moran hit his first major league homer and first triple for Houston, and Brian McCann also went deep.
The Astros took an 8-2 lead into the ninth before Adam Jones hit a two-run double off James Hoyt, and Jonathan Schoop homered with two on against Chris Devenski.
After Chris Davis was thrown out trying to bunt against the shift, Ken Giles struck out Mark Trumbo to earn his 21st save.
Working in 90-degree temperatures on a steamy night at Camden Yards, Fiers (7-4) threw 105 pitches over seven innings. The right-hander struck out nine, including Jones three times, and allowed one run.
Coming off a four-game sweep of Texas, the Orioles hoped to continue their surge against baseball’s other team from the Lone Star State. Instead, Baltimore fell behind 5-0 in the second inning and dropped four games under .500.
Ubaldo Jimenez (4-6) gave up six runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Houston finished with 16 hits, at least one from every starter.
In Chicago, Paul DeJong hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in St Louis’ nine-run eighth inning as the Cardinals cooled off Chicago 11-4.
The Cubs carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth, looking for their seventh consecutive win. But St Louis sent 14 batters to the plate in its highestscoring inning of the season, taking advantage of a combined six walks by three relievers while improving to 4-4 since the All-Star break.
Carl Edwards Jr (3-2) was pulled after the first three batters reached. Hector Rondon then walked Jedd Gyorko, tying it at 3, and DeJong followed with a drive into the ivy in rightcentre for a ground-rule double.
Carson Kelly hit a two-run double in his first game since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Tommy Pham’s two-run single made it 11-3 as 11 consecutive batters reached safely to begin the inning.
Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer for Chicago, and Jake Arrieta pitched six effective innings. Third baseman Kris Bryant sat out with a sprained left little finger.
Randal Grichuk homered for the Cardinals in his return from a lower back injury. Matt Bowman (2-3) got the final out of the seventh.
In Denver, Pittsburgh rookie Josh Bell had a career-high four hits, Andrew McCutchen had three hits and reached base five times as the surging Pirates beat Colorado 13-5.
Rookie starter Trevor Williams (4-4) overcame a rough first to pitch 6 2/3 solid innings for his first win in more than a month. Pittsburgh has won a season-best six straight and 12 of 14 to move a game above .500 for the first time since opening 3-2.
The Pirates (49-48), who tied a season high with 18 hits, are within two games of first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central.
Pittsburgh jumped on Rockies starter Jeff Hoffman (6-2) and chased him three batters into the fourth. Bell had an RBI single in the first and a three-run double in the second to finish with a season-high four RBIs.
In Kansas City, Whit Merrifield’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning lifted Kansas City over skidding Chicago 7-6.
Merrifield’s game-ending fly scored Alcides Escobar, who led off the inning with a single.
The Royals, who trailed 5-1 after two innings, got their third walk-off victory in five days. The White Sox have lost seven straight and 10 of 11.
Alex Gordon had three hits and drove in three Royals runs, while Merrifield also had a two-run double in the fourth. Mike Moustakas hit his 26th home run.