Cubs win but suffer a key loss
Closer Strop injured while running bases
WASHINGTON — The Chicago Cubs got nearly everything they wanted out of their day trip to Washington to face the Nationals, and Javier Baez was in the middle ofnearlyallofit.
Reliever Pedro Strop’s hamstring injury while running the bases was a notable exception.
Baez delivered the go-ahead run with a bunt single in the 10th inning as Chicago beat Washington 4-3 in a makeup of a postponed game. Baez, an MVP candidate, also homered and totaled three RBIS. He has 31 homers and leads the National League with 103 RBIS.
Chicago stretched its lead in the NL Central to 1½ games over Milwaukee.
Strop (6-1), who pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, was set to pitch the 10th after the Cubs took the lead and was allowed to bat with the bases loaded and one out. In his second at-bat of the season, he hit a sharp double-play grounder to third and pulled up while running to first.
At New York, Michael Conforto and Todd Frazier hit consecutive home runs off Kyle Barraclough (0-6) with two outs in the ninth to lift New York in the opener. Conforto drove in three runs in the second game to help cap the Mets’ sweep.
At Denver, Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered to back Kyle Freeland (15-7), who pitched into the seventh, as Colorado stayed 1½ games ahead of Los Angeles atop the NL West and moved 4½ games up on Arizona.
At St. Louis, Manny Machado homered and totaled three RBIS to back Clayton Kershaw (8-5), who struck out eight in six innings, as Los Angeles moved within one game of
St. Louis for the final NL wild card.
Mets 4-5, Marlins 3-2 — Rockies 10, Diamondbacks 3 — Dodgers 9, Cardinals 7 — American League Orioles 5, Athletics 3 —
At Baltimore, Dylan Bundy (8-14) allowed two runs and struck out eight over six innings in his first win since July 29, halting Oakland’s six-game win streak and dropping the A’s 3½ games behind Houston atop the AL West and 1½ back of New York for the top AL wild card.
At Boston, J.D. Martinez hit his
41st home run for Boston, which scored the go-ahead run on an error in the eighth, capped a threegame sweep and decreased its magic number to six for clinching the AL East.
At Kansas City, Mo., Salvador Perez and Jorge Bonifacio hit consecutive home runs in Kansas City’s fourrun sixth to back rookie Heath Fillmyer (3-1), who allowed four runs over 7 1/3 innings.
At Anaheim, Calif., Mike Leake (10-9) allowed one run on four hits over seven innings in his second win since June 23, and Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer.
Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 3 — Royals 6, Twins 4 — Mariners 8, Angels 2 —