Urshela, Yanks outslug Jays
Gio Urshela hit two home runs for the second straight game and the New York Yankees outslugged rookie Bo Bichette and the Blue Jays 12-6 last night in Toronto to extend their winning streak to a season-best nine games.
Playing in Toronto for the first time, Bichette became the first player in major league history to double in nine consecutive games. He also homered, giving him an unprecedented 13 extra-base hits in his first 11 career games. Bichette is the first rookie to have an extra-base hit in nine straight games since Ted Williams in 1939, according to STATS.
The Yankees have hit a record 19 homers over their last four games, including at least five in each win during a three-game sweep at Baltimore this week. Mike Tauchman also homered last night to give New York three connections.
The Yankees have homered in 12 consecutive games, hitting two or more in a season-high seven straight. New York is an ALbest 51-7 when hitting two or more homers this season.
Domingo Germán (15-2) pitched five innings to win his sixth consecutive decision for New York. The right-hander allowed four runs, three earned, and eight hits, improving to 9-0 against AL East opponents. He is unbeaten since June 7 at Cleveland.
New York improved to 7639 and leads the AL East by 10½ games for the first time since September 2009.
Urshela hit two-run homers in the first and third innings. Tauchman also had a two-run shot during the six-run third.
Both of Urshela’s homers came off left-hander Thomas Pannone (2-5), who matched a career worst by giving up seven runs in 2⅓ innings. Tauchman connected off right-hander Zach Godley, who was making his Toronto debut after being claimed on waivers from Arizona on Wednesday.
Chad Green worked the sixth and Luis Cessa pitched the final three innings for his first save.
Blue Jays catcher Reese McGuire had a career-high four hits, including a solo homer off Cessa in the eighth. Derek Fisher also homered, his second in four starts since being acquired from Houston last month.
Earlier in the day, Major League Baseball announced the Yankees and Chicago White Sox will play next summer at the site in Iowa where the movie “Field of Dreams” was filmed. The game is set for Aug. 13 in Dyersville, which is about 200 miles west of Chicago.
A temporary 8,000-seat stadium will be built on the site to accommodate the first major league game played in Iowa.
National League
Marlins 9, Braves 2 — Brian Anderson homered twice to lead host Miami to a victory over Atlanta.
Elieser Hernandez pitched six shutout innings as the Marlins snapped a six-game losing streak and beat the NL East-leading Braves at home for the first time this season after six previous losses. Hernandez (2-4) allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked two. The right-hander retired 11 consecutive batters before Ronald Acuña’s leadoff single in the sixth.
Hernandez also got his first career hit with a single in the fifth.
Starling Castro had two hits and drove in three runs, and Jon Berti went 3-for-5 with two RBI for Miami.
Elsewhere in baseball — Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber pitched three innings in a minor league rehab start yesterday, the most significant outing since a line drive broke his right forearm three months ago.
Kluber, who was hit May 1 in Miami, allowed two home runs and threw 41 pitches for Triple-A Columbus in a game against Pawtucket. He struck out two, walked one and retired the final five batters he faced.
The two-time Cy Young winner remains hopeful he can return to Cleveland’s rotation this season.
The 33-year-old righthander threw another 14 pitches in the bullpen after he was pulled from the game.