Cards rally for rare series sweep of Orioles
Brendan Donovan hit a two-run double as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the visiting Baltimore Orioles 5-4 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.
That snapped the Orioles’ streak of 106 series of two-plus decisions without being swept. The streak – the thirdlongest in National League/American League history – started in May 2022.
Masyn Winn had a double, a homer and two runs scored as the Cardinals erased a 3-0 deficit. St. Louis has won eight of its last 10 games.
Earlier Wednesday, the Cardinals defeated the Orioles 3-1 to finish a game suspended Tuesday night by rain.
Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Gibson allowed three unearned runs on five hits in four innings in Wednesday’s scheduled game. He struck out three batters and walked none.
John King (1-1) earned the victory with two scoreless innings and Ryan Fernandez earned his first save after allowing one run in the ninth.
Baltimore starting pitcher John Means threw three scoreless innings while allowing one hit and two walks. Cole Irvin (4-2) took the loss for the Orioles, who have dropped four of their last five games.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was ejected by home plate umpire Charlie Ramos in the third inning after protesting called strikes.
Braves 9, Cubs 2
Left-hander Max Fried continued his mastery of Chicago by throwing a complete game to lead visiting Atlanta to a win.
Fried, who pitched seven no-hit innings against the Mets on May 11, retired the first 15 Chicago batters before Ian Happ doubled to start the sixth. Fried (4-2) allowed two runs on three hits, no walks and nine strikeouts, and posted his second complete game of the season.
Fried improved his career record against Chicago to 6-0 with a 1.42 ERA in six starts.
Chicago’s Justin Steele (0-2) pitched 61⁄3 innings and allowed five runs on six hits and one walk. He had five strikeouts.
The teams have split the first two games of the three-game series.
Yankees 7, Mariners 3
Juan Soto hit two home runs and drove in three and Aaron Judge and Alex Verdugo also homered as host New York snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over Seattle.
It was the second multi-home run game in five games for Soto and the 19th of his career. He had a chance for his first three-homer game in the seventh inning when he came up with two outs and the bases loaded but Mariners reliever Cody Bolton struck him out.
Anthony Volpe extended his hitting streak to 15 games with two hits and also scored two runs for New York, which stretched its American League East lead to three games over the Baltimore Orioles.
Nestor Cortes (3-4) picked up the win allowing three hits over five shutout innings. He walked three and struck out six and left after throwing 97 pitches, 62 for strikes. It marked the 10th straight game a Yankees starter went five or more innings while allowing two or fewer runs.
Cal Raleigh hit a three-run home run, hot-hitting Dylan Moore doubled and had two hits and J. P. Crawford singled, walked twice and scored a run for Seattle, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Bryce Miller (3-5) took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.
Guardians 6, Mets 3
Rookie Johnathan Rodriguez delivered his first MLB hit, an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh that snapped a tie, as Cleveland rallied to nip and sweep visiting New York.
David Fry started the rally with a single off reliever Reed Garrett (5-1). Fry advanced to second on a one-out wild pitch before Rodriguez chopped a fastball between first and second for the goahead blow.
Hunter Gaddis (3-1) worked 11⁄3 scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win as Cleveland extended its winning streak to a season-high six games. Rookie Cade Smith pitched a scoreless ninth for his first MLB save.
Neither starter was involved in the decision.
New York’s Jose Quintana worked six innings, giving up four hits and three runs, with no walks and four strikeouts. Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie permitted five hits and three runs in five-plus innings, walking three and fanning five.
Giants 9, Pirates 5, 10 innings
Matt Chapman homered for the second straight game and LaMonte Wade Jr. reached base six times as visiting San Francisco rallied to beat Pittsburgh in 10 innings.
San Francisco trailed 5-0 after four innings before scoring nine unanswered runs. San Francisco tied the game with two outs in the top of the ninth inning on Wade’s run-scoring single against Colin Holderman.
The Giants erupted for four runs on four hits in the 10th inning. After Patrick Bailey and Jorge Soler delivered consecutive RBI singles against Carmen Mlodzinski (0-1), Bailey scored on Brett Wisely’s sacrifice fly and Luis Matos added a run-scoring single.
Soler drove in three runs and Patrick Bailey had three hits for the Giants, who bounced back from Tuesday’s 7-6, 10inning loss in the opener of the threegame series. Ryan Walker (4-2) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the win.
Twins 3, Nationals 2
Max Kepler homered, doubled and scored two runs and Carlos Correa also hit a home run to lead visiting Minnesota over Washington in the rubber game of their three-game series.
Steven Okert (1-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Simeon Woods Richardson, who was lifted after allowing just three singles over 42⁄3 scoreless innings. Okert retired all four batters he faced, striking out two. Jhoan Duran picked up his fourth save.
Joey Meneses homered, Ildemaro Vargas doubled and had two hits and Luis Garcia Jr. also had two hits for Washington.
Jake Irvin (2-5), a product of Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minn, who grew up attending Twins games, took the loss in his first career start against his hometown team. Irvin allowed two runs on five hits over 61⁄3 innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.
Angels 2, Astros 1
Tyler Anderson gave up one run in eight innings, Kyren Paris hit his first career major league home run, and Los Angeles beat host Houston.
The Angels took two of three in the series, ending Houston’s streak of eight consecutive series victories against Los Angeles.
Anderson (5-4) yielded an RBI double to Mauricio Dubon in the fifth inning for Houston’s only run. In all, Anderson struck out four and walked two while making 95 pitches.
The Angels scored their two runs on Paris’ homer off Astros starter Hunter Brown (1-5) in the top of the fifth. Angels reliever Luis Garcia threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save.
Royals 8, Tigers 3
Cole Ragans struck out a career-high 12 batters, Freddy Fermin drove in three runs, and host Kansas City completed a three-game series sweep by downing Detroit.
Ragans (4-3) gave up just one hit and walked three in six scoreless innings. Bobby Witt Jr. supplied a two-run double and Nelson Velazquez had a solo homer for the Royals. Maikel Garcia had two hits and scored two runs.
Detroit starter Tarik Skubal (6-1) gave up four runs and six hits in five innings with six strikeouts. Andy Ibanez led the offense with a two-run double.
The Royals broke through in the second inning. Velazquez drew a one-out walk before Fermin ripped a double off the left-center field wall, allowing Velazquez to score. After a strikeout, Garrett Hampson lofted a double to the warning track in left to score Fermin.
Marlins 1, Brewers 0
Jesus Luzardo pitched eight scoreless innings and Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered as host Miami defeated Milwaukee in the rubber match of a three-game set.
The Marlins, who at 17-34 have more losses than any other team in the National League, have won three straight series – against the Detroit Tigers, New York Mets and Brewers.
Tanner Scott worked around a twoout single in the ninth to earn his sixth save of the season.
Luzardo (2-3) retired 16 batters in a row at one point, a streak that started in the third. His eight innings were a career high, and he allowed three hits – all singles – while striking out four. Luzardo didn’t issue a walk.
Padres 7, Reds 3
Luis Arraez opened the game with his first homer and finished with four hits while Michael King allowed three runs over 62⁄3 innings as visiting San Diego beat Cincinnati.
San Diego wasted no time snapping a 19-inning scoreless streak when Arraez drove a 3-2 fastball from Cincinnati’s Nick Martinez (1-3) over the wall in right for his first homer of the season, coming in his 16th game since being acquired by the Padres from the Miami Marlins.
Jeimer Candelario homered and singled while Tyler Stephenson added a two-run double for the Reds, who lost for the 19th time in 25 games.
The Reds tied the game in the bottom of the first when Candelario countered with his fifth homer, a solo shot of his own off King.
King (4-4) returned to form on Wednesday, allowing just the Candelario home run over the first five innings before the Reds rallied for two on the Stephenson double in the sixth.
Blue Jays 9, White Sox 2
Bo Bichette had a two-run home run and finished with three RBIs, Chris Bassitt pitched seven scoreless innings and Toronto defeated visiting Chicago.
The victory in the rubber match of the three-game set gave the Blue Jays their first series win since April 19-21, when they took two of three games against the host San Diego Padres.
Bassitt (4-6) allowed five hits and two walks. The right-hander struck out four.
Tommy Pham hit a solo home run for the White Sox, who completed a 1-5 road trip.
Chicago starter Nick Nastrini (0-3) allowed nine runs (eight earned) and seven hits in 31⁄3 innings.
Phillies 11, Rangers 4
Edmundo Sosa hit a three-run home run, J.T. Realmuto added a solo shot, a single and three RBIs and host Philadelphia defeated Texas.
Bryce Harper also hit a solo home run, Alec Bohm contributed a two-run double and Brandon Marsh had two hits for the Phillies, who have won five in a row. Kyle Schwarber walked three times.
Philadelphia starter Taijuan Walker tossed 42⁄3 innings, giving up three runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out five. Matt Strahm (3-0) earned the win in relief.
Corey Seager had two hits, including a solo home run, Leody Taveras also went deep and Josh Smith added two hits and two RBIs for the Rangers, who have dropped three straight.
Red Sox 8, Rays 5
Wilyer Abreu and Connor Wong each drove in a pair of runs as Boston completed a three-game sweep of host Tampa Bay.
Rob Refsnyder’s leadoff single was the lone Boston hit through four innings against Tampa Bay starter Ryan Pepiot, but a five-run, five-hit fifth inning against three pitchers flipped the script of the game for good.
Abreu hit a two-run home run in the big inning. Refsnyder matched him with a 2-for-4 performance. Ceddanne Rafaela crossed the plate twice.
Brayan Bello (5-2) struck out six across six innings of four-hit, three-run ball to earn the win for the Red Sox, who secured their first road sweep of the Rays since April 2019.
Diamondbacks 6, Dodgers 0
Ketel Marte and Christian Walker hit a home runs, Corbin Carroll hit a tworun triple and visiting Arizona finished off a series victory over Los Angeles.
Marte extended his career-best hitting streak to 21 games, while right-hander Ryne Nelson (3-3) followed an opener with five scoreless innings as the Diamondbacks continued their recent success at Los Angeles.
In addition to taking two of the three games in the just-completed series, Arizona won both games at L.A. on their way to a three-game sweep in last year’s National League Division Series.
Tyler Glasnow (6-3) gave up three runs on four hits over five innings while losing his second consecutive start after opening his Dodgers tenure with a 6-1 record. Los Angeles went 7-6 during a stretch of 13 games in 13 consecutive days.
While Marte extended his hit streak with a first-inning single, neither team scored over the first four innings. The Diamondbacks broke through in the fifth when Carroll laced a two-run triple to right center, scoring Gabriel Moreno and Kevin Newman.
Rockies 4, Athletics 3, 12 innings
Ryan McMahon smacked a two-run home run in the top of the 12th inning as visiting Colorado outlasted Oakland to snap a four-game losing streak.
After Oakland’s Zack Gelof had extended the contest with a two-out RBI single in the last of the ninth, neither team scored until McMahon connected off Kyle Muller (0-1) for his ninth homer, scoring ghost runner Jake Cave ahead of him.
Nick Mears (1-3), who struck out the side with the potential tying run at second base in the 11th, saw the A’s draw within 4-3 on a double play grounder by Gelof in the last of the 12th, then walked Tyler Nevin with two outs.
That brought on reliever Matt Koch, who was promoted from the minors on Sunday and made his season debut on Wednesday.
He walked Kyle McCann on four pitches to move the potential tying run into scoring position before retiring Max Schuemann on a fly to right to lock down his first save of the year.