With Tito hospitalized, Tribe blow out Padres
Edwin Encarnacion homered and matched a career high with four hits, All-Star Jose Ramirez hit a home run and had three RBI, and the Indians, playing their third straight game without manager Terry Francona, defeated the San Diego Padres, 11-2, last night in Cleveland.
Francona remained hospitalized at the Cleveland Clinic, where he has been undergoing tests to resolve the causes of him becoming light-headed over the past month. The 58-year-old was hospitalized twice last month and doctors admitted him Tuesday, about one week after he began wearing a heart monitor.
Bench coach Brad Mills filled in again for Francona.
Josh Tomlin allowed two runs in seven-plus innings. The right-hander retired the first 12 hitters before San Diego scored twice in the fifth.
Encarnacion was 4-for-5, including a leadoff homer in the fifth and an RBI double in the sixth. He also singled in the third and eighth.
Tigers 6, Giants 2 — Anibal Sanchez pitched six strong innings to get his first victory since Aug. 23, and Dixon Machado hit his first career home run to lift host Detroit over San Francisco.
Chris Stratton allowed five runs and six hits in 62⁄ innings in his first career start. He took the mound after the Giants scratched right-hander Johnny Cueto before the game because of an inner ear infection.
Earlier, the Tigers put lefthander Daniel Norris on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left groin.
American League
Blue Jays 7, Astros 4 — Russell Martin had three hits, including a solo home run, as host Toronto used a five-run fifth inning to defeat Houston and win its third straight.
Kendrys Morales added an RBI double and scored twice for the Blue Jays, and Francisco Liriano threw sixplus innings of three-run ball, striking out four, to get the win.
Lance McCullers Jr. gave up six runs (five earned) to take the loss for the Astros, who had their four-game win streak snapped. Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman each had three hits for the Astros, with Altuve adding two RBI.
Twins 6, Orioles 4 — In Minneapolis, Eduardo Escobar’s two-run triple highlighted a six-run third inning as Minnesota rallied to beat Baltimore.
Jose Berrios gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings. Tyler Duffey, Taylor Rogers and Brandon Kintzler each pitched a scoreless inning with Kintzler getting his 23rd save. Athletics 7, Mariners 4 — Khris Davis hit a threerun homer, Paul Blackburn pitched one-run ball into the eighth inning for his first major league victory and visiting Oakland beat slumping Seattle.
National League
Brewers 11, Cubs 2 — Ryan Braun homered to ignite a seven-run third inning and Milwaukee beat Chicago for its fourth straight victory.
Domingo Santana had four hits and two RBI and Jesus Aguilar added three hits and an RBI for the Brewers.
Reds 6, Rockies 3 — In Denver, Sal Romano tossed five innings to earn his first major league win, and Cincinnati beat Colorado.
Romano, called up before the game to make his second career start, scattered six hits and allowed two runs to help the Reds split the four-game series. Adam Duvall hit his 20th home run and drove in two runs and Eugenio Suarez had three hits for Cincinnati. Cardinals 4, Marlins 3 — Luke Voit homered and drove in three runs and host St. Louis beat Miami.
Voit, who also doubled, third baseman Jedd Gyorko each had two hits, while Michael Wacha allowed two runs and six hits in 52⁄ innings, 3 striking out nine and walking two. Pirates 6, Phillies 3 — Gregory Polanco had four hits with a home run and two RBI, and Josh Bell homered, doubled and drove in three runs to lead Pittsburgh over host Philadelphia and their third straight win.
Andrew McCutchen added three hits with two doubles for the Pirates, while Chad Kuhl allowed three runs (two earned) and six hits in a career-high seven innings. Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 4— Chris Taylor singled in the winning run in the bottom of a four-run ninth inning, helping NL Westleading Los Angeles rally for three-game sweep of visiting Arizona.
Taylor’s bases-loaded single off T.J. McFarland eluded the desperate stab of left fielder Ray Fuentes and scored Logan Forsythe.
Fernando Rodney (3-3) took the loss, having given up a bases-loaded walk to Forsythe that left the Dodgers trailing 4-2 with no outs. Braves 5, Nationals 2 — Kurt Suzuki hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth, Freddie Freeman drove in two, and visiting Atlanta beat Washington in a game delayed for 3 hours, 5 minutes despite negligible rain.