May record month for HRs

Major league batters set a record in May for most home runs in any month.

Batters hit 1,135 HRs in May, topping the previous mark of 1,119 in August 2017, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Blue Jays rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit No. 1,120 for the month Friday night. Four of the top five home run months have been in the last three years. June 2017 is third at 1,101, followed by May 2000 (1,069) and May 2017 (1,060).

The Brewers' Christian Yelich led the big leagues with 21 homers through the end of May, followed by the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger with 20 and Mets rookie Pete Alonso with 19.

Batters hit 2,279 home runs through May, a record average of 1.34 per team per game. At that pace, they would finish with 6,508, shattering the mark of 6,105 set two years ago — which topped the Steroids Era high of 5,693 in 2000. Home runs dipped to 5,585 last season.

Last year, there were 1,889 homers through May.

Hits topped strikeouts in May — 7,178 to 7,137 — but strikeouts were ahead 14,885 to 14,397 for the season through the month, according to Elias.

There were more strikeouts than hits for the first time last year, when the margin through May was 14,314 to 14,031.

The major league batting average was .249 through May. That is up one percentage point from last year's average, the lowest since 1972 — the year before the American League started using the designated hitter.

Marwin Gonzalez and Byron Buxton both homered and drove in two runs as the Twins kept scoring, beating the Rays 6-2 on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Twins, who own the best record in the majors at 39-18, have scored at least three runs in 25 straight games, setting a single-season franchise record. Kyle Gibson (6-2) allowed one unearned run and six hits over five innings for the Twins.

Twins:

Carlos Santana andLeonysMartinhomered and the Indians ended the White Sox's five-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory in Chicago. The Indians climbed back to .500 and prevented the White Sox from reaching the breakeven mark for the first time since April 5.

Brandon Belt drove in four runs, Buster Posey homered and San Francisco used a rare offensive outburst to breeze past the Baltimore Orioles 8-2. San Francisco built a 7-1 lead in the fifth inning and cruised to only its second win in 10 games. The Giants came in ranked last in the NL with a .221 batting average and had scored as many as seven runs only once in their previous 19 games.

Gerardo Parra hit a three-run homer that ended Tanner Roark's streak of keeping the ball in the park and Matt Adams added a solo shot, leading Washington to a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Washington has won nine of its last 10 at Great American Ball Park. Overall, the Nationals are 17-5 against the Reds since 2016.

Joey Gallo left the Rangers' home game against Royals in the fifth with tightness in his left oblique. Gallo, who homered earlier in the game, was pulled after visiting with manager Chris Woodward and trainer Matt Lucero while batting with a 3-2 count. He initially felt the injury in the outfield and then again on a check swing during that plate appearance.

Indians:

Giants:

Nationals:

Rangers:

Javier Baez was scratched from the Cubs' road game against the Cardinals because of a bruised right heel, an injury he first sustained May 19. Baez is hitting .303 with 13 HRs and 34 RBIs. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Baez could move to third base when he returns, which would cut down his lateral movement and the amount of times he has to hit the base. Baez has played 50 games at shortstop this season and one at third.

LHP Gio Gonzalez was placed on the 10day IL with arm fatigue. Manager Craig Counsell said Gonzalez isn't feeling pain but rather dealing with a dead-arm feeling. Gonzalez, 33, signed with the Brewers in late April and made his season debut April 28. He's 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA in 31 innings.

1B Steve Pearce was placed on the IL. The reigning World Series MVP left Friday night's road loss to the Yankees with a low back strain. Pearce, 36, who's hitting just .180 with one HR and nine RBIs in 29 games, started the season on the IL with a calf strain.

Cubs:

Brewers:

Red Sox:

The Phillies are in talks with the Mariners to acquire OF Jay Bruce, ESPN reported. Bruce, 32, is hitting .212 with 14 HRs and 28 RBIs this season.

Phillies, Mariners:

— News services