Mets put end to Nats’ win streak
Yoenis Cespedes homered and doubled twice, David Wright hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning and New York ended Washington’s five-game winning streak Monday with an 8-5 victory over the Nationals to open a key NL East series.
Michael Conforto and Wilmer Flores also homered for New York, which increased its division lead to five games over the Nationals with 25 remaining. The teams play twice more in this series.
Dario Alvarez (1-0), pitching in the majors for the first time this season, faced only one batter — Bryce Harper — and struck him out to get his first major league win. Five Mets relievers combined for 5⅔ scoreless innings, with Jeurys Familia closing for his 37th save.
Wilson Ramos hit a grand slam for Washington.
Nationals ace Max Scherzer allowed five runs over six innings.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Reds 3, Pirates 1 at Cincinnati: Anthony DeSclafani pitched effectively into the eighth and Cincinnati took advantage of porous Pittsburgh defense to knock off the wildcard leader in the opener of a three-game series.
DeSclafani (8-10) didn’t allow a Pittsburgh runner past second base until the eighth. He didn’t walk a batter in 7⅓ innings, allowing seven hits with six strikeouts.
Diamondbacks 6, Giants 1 at Phoenix: Patrick Corbin threw six scoreless innings, Phil Gosselin and A.J. Pollock homered and Arizona snapped a fourgame losing streak.
Corbin (5-3), who missed all of last season after Tommy John surgery, scattered six hits, struck out five with no walks and had an RBI single.
Braves 7, Phillies 2 at Philadelphia: Atlanta ended its 12-game losing streak, beating the Phillies behind the hitting of Hector Olivera and the pitching of Williams Perez.
Atlanta also had lost 13 in a row on the road.
Olivera homered, doubled and drove in four runs. Freddie Freeman homered and Jace Peterson and Andrelton Simmons each got three hits for the Braves.
Perez (5-6) threw seven strong innings.
Rockies 6, Padres 4
at San Diego: Kyle Kendrick pitched five innings and hit his first major league home run as Colorado beat the Padres.
Kendrick (5-12) allowed three runs, seven hits and two walks as the Rockies won for the first time in seven games at Petco Park.
San Diego has lost four straight and six of its last seven.
Brewers 9, Marlins 1 at Miami: Hernan Perez had three hits and three RBIs and Zach Davies earned his first major league win as Milwaukee beat Miami.
Davies (1-0) pitched seven innings, allowing one run and four hits in his second start. He struck out four.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Twins 6, Royals 2 at Kansas City, Mo.: Tommy Milone pitched seven effective innings and Eduardo Escobar reached base four times and drove in three runs as Minnesota beat the Royals.
The Royals have been outscored 31-9 in dropping four straight, matching their longest losing streak of the season.
Milone (8-4) held the Royals to six hits and two runs, striking out four and walking one.
Athletics 10, Astros 9 at Oakland, Calif.: Pinchhitter Coco Crisp hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth after Oakland chased Mike Fiers, and the Athletics beat AL Westleading Houston to snap a five-game skid.
Fiers (2-1) allowed consecutive walks to start the inning before giving way to Josh Fields, who gave up Billy Butler’s single to load the bases for Crisp.
Pinch-hitter Jonathan Villar homered leading off the seventh for the Astros, then Carlos Correa added a three-run drive.
Rangers 3, Mariners 0 at Seattle: Adrian Beltre lined a two-run, basesloaded single in the sixth and Yovani Gallardo (129) pitched into the sixth as Texas beat the Mariners.
The Rangers’ go-ahead rally began with Delino DeShields drawing a oneout walk from Roenis Elias (4-8). Shin-Soo Choo followed with a single to center, and Elias then hit Prince Fielder with a pitch, loading the bases.
Beltre worked a full count, then punched a fastball to right, scoring DeShields and Choo.
Yankees 8, Orioles 6 at New York: Rookie Greg Bird hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer off Brian Matusz in the seventh, and New York rallied past reeling Baltimore.
Alex Rodriguez and John Ryan Murphy also homered for the Yankees (77-59), who overcame a 4-1 deficit and improved to 18 games over .500 for the first time since 2012.
Jonathan Schoop and Manny Machado homered for the Orioles (65-72), who have lost 15 of 18.
Red Sox 11, Blue Jays 4 at Boston: Jackie Bradley Jr. had four hits with a two-run home run and four RBIs, Rick Porcello pitched into the eighth inning and Boston outslugged AL East-leading Toronto.
The Blue Jays lost for just the fourth time in 16 games.
Josh Donaldson and Justin Smoak each hit solo homers for Toronto.
Porcello (7-12) allowed four runs — three earned — and eight hits over 7⅓ innings.
Tigers 5, Rays 4 at Detroit: Rajai Davis homered twice and Detroit beat Tampa Bay.
James McCann homered for the Tigers, who won for the fourth time in 17 games.
Evan Longoria and J.P. Arencibia homered for the Rays.
Indians 3, White Sox 2 at Chicago: Ryan Raburn hit a pair of solo home runs and Trevor Bauer pitched seven innings and gave up two hits as Cleveland ended the White Sox’s four-game winning streak.
Bauer (11-11) gave up two runs in seven innings.