Astros winning streak at 6
Jose Altuve homered early, and Michael Brantley tripled in a two-run eighth to help the Houston Astros run their winning streak to a season-best six games with an 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
The win was manager Dusty Baker's 2,004th, passing Bruce Bochy (2,003) for 11th on the all-time list.
The Astros trailed 2-1 in the eighth when Altuve singled with one out and scored on a triple to right field by Brantley to tie it. The Tigers intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez with two outs before Michael Fulmer (1-1) walked Yuli Gurriel to load the bases. Another walk to Kyle Tucker scored Brantley to put Houston up 3-2.
Miguel Cabrera doubled in the third inning to join Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols as the only players in MLB history to have at least 3,000 hits, 500 homers and 600 doubles in their careers. TWINS 1, ATHLETICS 0 >> Jorge Polanco homered in the sixth inning and four Minnesota pitchers made it stand up, sending Oakland to its eighth straight loss. BLUE JAYS, GUARDIANS SPLIT >> Owen Miller delivered a two-run double and Franmil Reyes homered and had two RBI, helping Cleveland beat Toronto 8-2 and earn a doubleheader split.
Miller’s double was part of a three-run first. Reyes hit a solo shot in the third and singled home Amed Rosario in the fifth. In the opener, George Springer and Raimel Tapia each drove in three runs in the first four innings against ace Shane Bieber as Toronto won 8-3.
National League
DODGERS 7, CUBS 0 >> Clayton Kershaw dominated over seven innings and Los Angeles beat Chicago in the opener of a split doubleheader.
Freddie Freeman doubled three times and scored twice, helping the NL West leaders win for the 16th time in 21 games.
Kershaw (4-0) gave up five hits, struck out two and walked one, combining with two relievers on
Los Angeles' third shutout of the season.
BRAVES 3, BREWERS 2 >> Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a fifth-inning homer for the game’s first run, Max Fried outpitched Corbin Burnes and Atlanta held off Milwaukee. REDS 9, PIRATES 2 >> Pittsburgh emergency catcher Josh VanMeter had a rough time in his first try behind the plate since he was a teenager, and Cincinnati took advantage to end a nine-game losing streak in the opener of a doubleheader.
Pirates starting catcher Roberto Pérez was helped off the field with a left hamstring injury after falling while rounding second base in the top of the eighth. Backup catcher Andrew Knapp had been ejected in the bottom of the sixth.
Tyler Stephenson hit a tiebreaking, bases-loaded double in the eighth inning that fueled a sevenrun burst. Tyler Naquin drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double.