Rodriguez, Mariners win 14th straight
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Seattle Mariners won their 14th straight game as rookie AllStar Julio Rodríguez hit a two-run double and Ty France homered after joining him on the AL team to beat the Texas Rangers 6-2 on Sunday.
The Mariners moved closer to the team record of 15 consecutive wins during their most recent playoff season in 2001, when they went 116-46. The 14-game streak is the longest going into an All-Star break in major league history.
Cal Raleigh’s two-run homer put the Mariners ahead for good in the fourth inning as they matched reigning World Series champion Atlanta’s June streak for the longest this season.
St. Louis had a 17-game winning string last year.
With Seattle leading 2-1 in the fourth, reliever Ryan Borucki (2-0) walked his first two batters to load the bases with two outs before getting rookie leadoff hitter Josh Smith on a groundout. The left-hander retired Semien, All-Star Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe in order in the fifth.
Texas starter Glenn Otto (4-6) dropped to 0-4 in five starts since spending 15 days on the COVID-19 list.
YANKEES 13, RED SOX 2
In New York, Gerrit Cole brushed back Rafael Devers and struck out 12 over seven innings, Matt Carpenter drove in three more runs and the Yankees pounded Boston after Red Sox ace Chris Sale broke his left pinkie finger in the first inning.
The Yankees reached double-digit runs for the 16th time — no other team has more than 10 such games — and cruised into the All-Star break with a major league-best record of 64-28. Their 64 wins matched the 2018 Astros for third-most prior to the break since the All-Star Game began in 1933.
Cole (9-2) dusted Devers off the plate with a low, 99 mph fastball on his first pitch to the third baseman after allowing two homers to him July 7 in Boston. Devers glared at Cole from the dirt, then struck out swinging at a high fastball.
Carpenter had an RBI groundout in a three-run first inning and added a two-run double in an eight-run fourth. Carpenter drove in 10 runs over the final two games of the first half and has 34 RBIs in 31 games since joining the Yankees on May 26.
Aaron Hicks hit a pair of RBI singles, including the hit that fractured Sale’s left pinkie. Sale yelled in pain and exited after attempting to field Hicks’ 106.7 mph liner.
Sale (0-1) was making his second start since returning from a fractured right rib that he sustained working out on his own during the major league lockout.
WHITE SOX 11, TWINS 0
In Minneapolis, Dylan Cease spun a one-hitter over seven innings in his latest masterful start, and Chicago walloped the Twins and surged into the All-Star break by winning three out of four against first-place Minnesota.
Cease (9-4) allowed only a fifth-inning single to Alex Kirilloff and two walks. Andrew Vaughn had three hits and three RBIs to help bring the White Sox within three games of Minnesota in the AL Central. Cleveland is two games back.
The White Sox had 16 hits, including home runs by Yoán Moncada, Vaughn and Josh Harrison in the seventh inning.
GIANTS 9, BREWERS 5
In San Francisco, Logan Webb (9-3) pitched six strong innings for his ninth win to keep the Giants rolling into the All-Star break with a victory over slumping Milwaukee.
LaMonte Wade Jr. hit a three-run home run. Brandon Belt also connected and drove in three runs as the Giants won their third straight against the Brewers after dropping the series opener. San Francisco has won seven of nine overall heading into the All-Star break after losing 14 of its previous 18.
The NL Central-leading Brewers are heading in the opposite direction with their eighth loss in 11 games.
BLUE JAYS 4, ROYALS 2
In Toronto, Alejandro Kirk hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, sending the Blue Jays over Kansas City.
Kansas City, in last place in the AL Central, was without 10 unvaccinated players, including All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi and infielder Whit Merrifield, during this four-game series in Toronto.
Both teams scored a pair of runs in the first few innings, but that was the extent of the offense until Kirk’s homer off Wyatt Mills (0-1).
RAYS 7, ORIOLES 5
In St. Petersburg, Fla., Brett Phillips, Randy Arozarena and Francisco Mejía homered as Tampa Bay beat Baltimore despite losing hot-hitting Harold Ramírez to a broken thumb.
Ramírez, who was batting .329 in 77 games as a first baseman/outfielder, was hit in the right thumb by a pitch from Jordan Lyles (6-8) in the first. Ramírez stayed in the game, scored a run and exited the next inning. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Rougned Odor and Austin Hays homered for Baltimore, which is 46-46 at the break after going 52-110 last season.
CUBS 3, METS 2
In Chicago, Nico Hoerner hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Cubs stopped a nine-game slide by topping New York.
Christopher Morel sparked Chicago’s winning rally with a leadoff infield single against Drew Smith (1-3). Morel advanced to third on Willson Contreras’ single and scored on Ian Happ’s tapper to the right of the mound.
After Seiya Suzuki popped out, Hoerner’s liner into center drove in Contreras from second for a
3-2 lead. Hoerner finished with three hits.
NATIONALS 7, BRAVES 3
In Washington, Juan Soto and Victor Robles homered, and the Nationals beat Atlanta to snap a nine-game losing streak.
Soto, Washington’s lone All-Star who could be traded by the end of the month, hit a solo shot in the eighth inning to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 26 games.
The Nationals haven’t dropped 10 in a row since an 11-game skid that spanned the 2008 and 2009 seasons. At 31-63, they have the worst record in the majors at the All-Star break.
The Nationals did much of their damage against starter Spencer Strider (4-3) in the second. Ehire Adrianza lined a two-run single to center. Robles followed with his second homer of the season, a fly to left that just sailed into the visitor’s bullpen.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, PADRES 1
In San Diego, Merrill Kelly gave up one run in six innings and David Peralta hit a solo homer to lead Arizona over the Padres.
Kelly (9-5) kept the Padres off-balance by mixing his pitches and allowed six hits while striking out five. Mark Melancon retired the Padres in order in the ninth to earn his 13th save.
San Diego’s Luke Voit knocked Kelly out of the game with a homer to left in the seventh inning, his second in two games. The Padres concluded their first half by losing six of their last nine games.
ATHLETICS 4, ASTROS 3
In Houston, Stephen Vogt hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and Oakland wrapped up a shaky first half by beating the Astros.
Ramón Laureano homered for the A’s, who went into the All-Star break at 32-61, the worst record in the AL. Kyle Tucker and Jeremy Peña homered for Houston, which holds the second-best record in the AL at 59-32.
Vogt, who had a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the sixth, had a two-out single down the right field line in the eighth off Rafael Montero (3-1).
PIRATES 8, ROCKIES 3
In Denver, Kyle Newman and Michael Chavis had three hits apiece, and Pittsburgh ended its 12-game road trip with a win over the Rockies.
Jason Delay and Jason Marisnick also had two hits and Tyler Beede (1-1) pitched two innings of relief for the Pirates.
Elías Díaz doubled and tripled for Colorado, which had its fivegame winning streak snapped. Brendan Rodgers and C.J. Cron had two hits each and Austin Gomber allowed three runs in five innings of work for the Rockies.
PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 0
In Miami, Aaron Nola struck out 10 and pitched scoreless ball into the ninth inning as Philadelphia beat the Marlins for a three-game sweep.
Yairo Muñoz homered to help Philadelphia head into the All-Star break at 49-43. Even minus injured star Bryce Harper, the Phillies showed a dramatic turnaround after manager Joe Girardi was fired on June 3, going 27-14 under Rob Thomson.