Jahmai Jones returns to MLB, delivers Brewers past Cubs
Newly signed Jahmai Jones hit a pinchhit, three-run double in his first big league appearance since 2021, helping the Milwaukee Brewers rally for an 8-6 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning, Jones hit a line drive on the first pitch from reliever Anthony Kay that one-hopped off the center field wall and scored Raimel Tapia, Christian Yelich and Owen Mill, tying the game at 6.
Milwaukee signed the 25-year-old Jones as a free agent before the game. His last appearance was with the Baltimore Orioles on Oct. 2, 2021. He also played for the Los Angeles Angels in 2020.
The Brewers completed their comeback from a sixrun deficit in the eighth inning with an RBI single by Willy Adames and a sacrifice fly by Miller — both off Mark Leiter Jr. (1-2) — to take an 8-6 lead.
Brewers All-Star reliever Devin Williams allowed a double by Nico Hoerner and a walk to Ian Happ in the ninth, and then struck out All-Star Dansby Swanson to earn his 18th save.
Joel Payamps (3-1) pitched a perfect eighth inning for Milwaukee.
The Brewers won their third straight game and moved a half-game ahead of Cincinnati in the NL Central. The Reds were scheduled to face Washington later Monday.
The Cubs have lost three straight and seven of their last eight.
REDS 3, NATIONALS 2 » Joey Votto hit a two-run home run to end an 0-for-21 slump, Ian Gibaut pitched out of a jam in the sixth inning and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.
Votto homered in the fourth off Jake Irvin, depositing the ball just inside the visiting bullpen in left-center field and driving in Elly De La Cruz. It’s his fourth home run in 12 games this season since returning in June.
The 2010 NL MVP missed the previous 10 months recovering from surgery to repair his left biceps and rotator cuff. The 39-year-old entered the game hitting .143.
Luke Weaver (2-2) picked up the win by allowing two earned runs on six hits in five-plus innings. He was spared a 10th consecutive no-decision — or worse — when Gibaut got through the sixth, allowing just one hit, striking out Corey Dickerson and inducing a flyout from Derek Hill.
Catcher Tyler Stephenson drove in the Reds’ other run with an RBI single in the second. Fresh off being named an All-Star for the first time, closer Alexis Díaz picked up his 24th save. ASTROS 12, RANGERS 11 » José
Abreu and Chas McCormick had back-to-back RBI doubles in the ninth inning and the second-place Houston Astros, after blowing an eight-run lead, closed out a series victory with a wild 12-11 win over the AL Westleading Texas Rangers on Monday.
Abreu and McCormick also homered earlier for Houston (47-38), which took three of four against their instate rival to move within three games of the division lead. It is the closest the Astros have been in a month after trailing by as many as 6 ½ games.