Nats remain hot, sweep Marlins
WASHINGTON — Anthony Rendon hit his 20th homer and knocked in the go-ahead run to help the Washington Nationals finish off a three-game sweep of the last-place Miami Marlins with a 5-2 win Thursday.
Washington has won eight of nine and 13 of 16 to climb to a season-best four games over .500.
Kurt Suzuki homered in the second inning to extend the Montreal Expos/Nationals franchise record for consecutive games with a home run to 18. Rendon hit a solo shot in the fourth off Elieser Hernandez and drove in Gerardo Parra with a single in the fifth.
CUBS 11, PIRATES 3: Kris Bryant hit his 17th homer and Chicago erupted following manager Joe Maddon’s fourth-inning ejection, routing host Pittsburgh to stop a four-game skid. Maddon watched the final 5½ innings from the Chicago clubhouse after getting tossed following an exchange with the Pittsburgh dugout that ended with Maddon being restrained by home plate umpire Joe West. Maddon appeared to take exception with Lyles pitching up and in to All-Star Javier Baez.
RANGERS 9, ANGELS 3: Lance Lynn matched the major league lead with his 11th win, and host Texas avoided a series sweep with a victory over grieving Los Angeles in the Fourth of July game that the late Tyler Skaggs had been scheduled to start.
YANKEES 8, RAYS 4: DJ LeMahieu hit a tiebreaking two-run single, Gary Sanchez had a long three-run homer in the 10th inning, and AL East-leading New York overcome a ninth-inning blown save by closer Aroldis Chapman to win at second-place Tampa Bay in the opener of a four-game series.
DODGERS 5, PADRES 1: Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed six scoreless innings to earn his 10th win, and Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy homered as Los Angeles beat visiting San Diego.
BRAVES 12, PHILLIES 6: Dansby Swanson hit two homers, and Atlanta rallied from a first-inning, fourrun deficit to beat visiting Philadelphia.
INDIANS 8, ROYALS 4: Francisco Lindor drove in three runs, Jose Ramirez homered twice, and Cleveland won at Kansas City to complete a three-game sweep.
ATHLETICS 7, TWINS 2: Marcus Semien hit a grand slam in the eighth after his tying solo homer leading off the fifth, and host Oakland defeated Minnesota.
TIGERS 11, WHITE SOX 5: Niko Goodrum hit a two-run homer during Detroit’s five-run sixth inning, and Matthew Boyd matched a career high with 13 strikeouts as the Tigers won at Chicago.
REDS 1, BREWERS 0: Luis Castillo struck out nine while pitching one-hit ball into the eighth inning, and Cincinnati shut out visiting Milwaukee.
RED SOX 8, BLUE JAYS 7: Pinch-hitter Marco Hernandez hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning, and Boston beat host Toronto.
CARDINALS 5, MARINERS 4: Matt Wieters and Dexter Fowler homered, and St. Louis won at Seattle.