Quick-rising rookie helps Yanks end skid
On a day when the New York Yankees learned they would be without catcher Gary Sanchez until after the All-Star break, they also learned a little more about Jonathan Loaisiga.
A 23-year-old righthander who was pitching in Class A at the end of April, Loaisiga was brilliant on Monday night in Philadelphia, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning as the Yankees ended their three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Phillies.
The Yankees, whose offense was largely held in check for the fourth time in five games, got their only runs against starter Vince Velasquez on two swings — a lunging, run-scoring bloop double by Gleyber Torres and a screaming liner by Aaron Judge that just cleared the wall down the left-field line for a solo homer.
They added two more in the eighth against the Phillies’ bullpen, when Giancarlo Stanton’s bases-loaded chopper bounced inches over the outstretched glove of a drawn-in Scott Kingery at short.
It was plenty for the Yankees, thanks to Loaisiga and their increasingly daunting bullpen. The win eased the immediate pain of losing Sanchez, who will miss three to four weeks with a Grade 1 groin strain.
Rays 11, Nationals 0: Blake Snell took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Kevin Kiermaier hit a grand slam for host Tampa Bay. Snell walked Trea Turner and Bryce Harper to open the game before retiring 18 straight, striking out five in a row at one point.
Dodgers 2, Cubs 1: Kenta Maeda threw seven shutout innings and Kenley Jansen gave up a run but picked up his 20th save as host Los Angeles held on to win its fourth straight and move within a game and a half of first place. Braves 5, Reds 4: Ozzie Albies led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a towering home run off Dylan Floro as Atlanta outlasted Cincinnati. The rookie sensation also had two doubles. Blue Jays 6, Astros 3: Curtis Granderson homered in consecutive at-bats against Justin Verlander for visiting Toronto, and Randal Grichuk added a two-run shot in the eighth and a huge defensive play in the ninth. Granderson’s leadoff shot in the fifth tied it 3-3. He connected again with two out in the seventh, an oppositefield drive off Verlander.
Mariners 5, Orioles 3: Dee Gordon’s slick seventh-inning bunt was the lone hit in a two-run uprising that put Seattle ahead for good, and host Seattle beat Baltimore for just its second win in eight games. Denard Span homered for the Mariners, who benefited from 10 walks and a pivotal wild pitch to get back on track after losing successive series at Yankee Stadium and in Boston.
Cardinals 4, Indians 0: Spot starter John Gant pitched one-hit ball over a career-high seven innings and Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run double as host St. Louis snapped Cleveland’s seven-game winning streak. It was the 10,000th regular-season win for the Cardinals franchise.
Marlins 9, Diamondbacks 5: Brian Anderson and Cameron Maybin each drove in two runs for host Miami to help spoil Shelby Miller’s return to the mound after missing over a year following Tommy John surgery. Dan Straily pitched well while appealing a fivegame suspension for throwing a pitch at Buster Posey on June 19.
Pirates 6, Mets 4: Josh Bell and Gregory Polanco homered and Pittsburgh took advantage of some dreadful defense by host New York to snap a five-game losing streak. In a series opener between tumbling teams, Pittsburgh built a 5-0 lead and held on to hand the Mets their seventh straight defeat.
Royals 2, Angels 0: Brad Keller pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and Lucas Duda and Rosell Herrera drove in the only runs for host Kansas City. Wily Peralta earned his first career save in 136 career big-league games. It was a makeup of a game that was frozen out in April.
Rangers 7, Padres 4: ShinSoo Choo extended his careerbest on-base streak to 38 games with three hits for host Texas. San Diego reached the midpoint of its season with its eighth loss in nine games.