MLB Wrap: Arraez raises MLB-leading batting average to .403, Marlins beat Royals 6-1
MIAMI (AP) — Luis Arraez singled twice to raise his major league-leading batting average to .403 and help the Miami Marlins beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Wednesday night.
Jesús Sánchez homered, singled twice and had four RBI for the Marlins, who won their sixth straight. The consecutive three-game series sweeps over the Royals and Oakland Athletics are the first by the Marlins at home since winning six straight against Washington and Houston in 2008.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera’s one-run outing ended after throwing his warm-up pitches to begin the sixth. Manager Skip Schumaker and a Marlins trainer approached the mound and spoke with the right-hander, who was then removed.
Cabrera (5-4) gave up two hits, walked two, struck out four and hit a batter. Left-handers Steven Okert, Tanner Scott, Andrew Nardi and A.J. Puk relieved Cabrera and threw an inning each to complete the three-hitter.
Jordan Lyles (0-10) allowed five runs, six hits, walked one and struck out two.
REDS 8, DODGERS 6
CINCINNATI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz hit a 458-foot drive for his first major league homer, Will Benson hit a game-ending home run in the ninth and Cincinnati handed Los Angeles its season-high fourth straight loss.
De La Cruz hit an 0-1 fastball from Noah Syndergaard in the first inning that left the bat at 114.8 mph and landed into the last rows of the right-field stands at Great American Ball Park. The two-run shot tied it a 2.
A day after making his big league debut, the 21-year-old switch-hitter tripled on a curveball in the third as part of a 2-for-4 night, a drive that went to the wall in right-center on four hops. He reached third in 10.83 seconds, the fastest time in the major leagues this season, according to Statcast.
Cincinnati overcame a 6-2 deficit in a four-run third on Jonathan India’s sacrifice fly, Spencer Steer’s RBI single and Tyler Stephenson’s two-run homer.
TJ Hopkins reached on an infield single in the ninth and Benson homered off Evan Phillips (1-2), giving Cincinnati its second straight walk-off win and a three-game winning streak. Alexis Díaz (2-1) struck out two in a perfect ninth.
CARDINALS 1, RANGERS 0
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Alec Burleson pulled a first-pitch homer to right field in the eighth inning and St. Louis beat Texas, ending Rangers infielder Marcus Semien’s hitting streak at 25 games.
Semien was 0 for 4 to stop the longest streak in the major leagues this season and the longest of his career. The streak tied for the second longest in club history, behind Gabe Kapler’s 28-gamer in 2000.
St. Louis also snapped a five-game losing streak and ended the surging Rangers’ five-game winning streak.
Jordan Hicks (1-3) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the victory, and Ryan Helsley finished for his seventh save in 11 attempts. Jon Gray (6-2) pitched the second complete game of his career in a losing effort.
RAYS 2, TWINS 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Randy Arozarena homered leading off ninth inning to lift major league-best Tampa Bay past AL Central-leading Minnesota.
After Minnesota tied it in the top of the inning, Arozarena sent an 0-1 pitch from Jhoan Duran (1-2) to the opposite field into the stands in right-center field.
Jason Adam (1-2) blew his fourth save opportunity in 13 chances when the Twins rallied in the ninth.
Adam hit Donovan Solano with one out and walked Max Kepler after pinch-runner Michael A. Taylor stole second. Taylor then swiped third before Royce Lewis tied it with an RBI single.
Minnesota loaded the bases when Will Castro was hit by a pinch, but third baseman Isaac Paredes started a nifty double play with a tumbling throw to second on Ryan Jeffers’ grounder.
Paredes also homered, and six Rays pitchers combined on a three-hitter.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, NATIONALS 2
WASHINGTON (AP) — Zach Davies earned his first victory in more than a year, Corbin Carroll homered and NL West-leading Arizona beat Washington.
The surprising Diamondbacks have won eight of 10, lead the National League with 37 victories and hold a two-game advantage over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division.
Davies (1-1) had not won since May 13, 2022, going 24 starts without one. But the 30-year-old right-hander was largely in control against the struggling Nationals, allowing only three runners to get into scoring position over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight.
Rookie star Carroll was 4 for 5 with his 11th homer, two RBIs and 18th stolen base.
Former Arizona pitcher Patrick Corbin (4-6) was the loser. The Nationals have lost four in a row and seven of nine to fall to a season-high 11 games under .500.
ATHLETICS 9, PIRATES 5
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Oakland won back-to-back games for just the third time season as Ryan Noda homered and reached base four times against Pittsburgh.
Oakland’s first seven batters reached against Roansy Contreras (3-5). All seven scored to give Oakland its second road victory in two days following a 15-game slide away from home.
Seth Brown had three hits to help the A’s match their season high with 17. Jace Peterson followed up a five-hit night with two more hits, including a two-run double that helped break things open in the first.
Hogan Harris (1-0) worked five innings to pick up his first major league victory after making a handful of appearances in relief. The 26-year-old allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts as an Oakland starter won for just the fourth time this season. Trevor May got two outs for his first save this season.
Rodolfo Castro homered and drove in three runs for Pittsburgh, which followed up a three-game sweep of NL Central rival St. Louis by becoming just the third team this season to lose a series to the major league-worst A’s, who at 14-50 are on pace to finish 35-127.
BRAVES 7, METS 5
ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II hit a two-run, tiebreaking homer off Adam Ottavino in the eighth inning and Atlanta rallied to beat New York for its fourth straight victory.
The third-place Mets wasted a three-run lead for the second straight night. They have lost five straight for the first time since 2021 and, at 30-32, dropped 7 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East.
New York slugger Pete Alonso was hit on the left wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning. The Mets said Alonso, who leads the major leagues with 22 homers, has a bruise and will get a CT scan on Thursday.
Mets co-ace Max Scherzer gave up five runs and 11 hits, one shy of his career high, in 5 2/3 innings.
Nick Anderson (4-0) pitched a one-hit eighth and A.J. Minter got three straight out for his eighth save in 11 chances. Brooks Raley took the loss.
PADRES 10, MARINERS 3
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Juan Soto had a career-high five hits with four RBIs, Gary Sánchez hit his fourth home in nine games since joining San Diego to help the Padres rout Seattle.
Soto had four singles and a double, raising his average to .265 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs as the Padres tied their season high with 17 hits. Soto had an RBI single in the fourth, a two-run single in the three-run fifth and an RBI double that boosted the lead to 10-0 in the seventh. Every San Diego starter except Trint Grisham had a hit.
Matt Carpenter put San Diego ahead with a run-scoring single in the second, giving him 26 RBIs, and Sánchez hit a three-run homer in the third off George Kirby (5-5).
Michael Wacha (6-2) allowed two hits in six scoreless innings.
ANGELS 6, CUBS 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout homered, Mickey Moniak had a three-run double and Luis Rengifo hit a tying homer and a tiebreaking RBI single in Los Angeles’ victory over Chicago.
Trout and Moniak also made stellar defensive plays for the Halos, who are on their first three-game winning streak in two weeks after taking the first two games from the Cubs to open their homestand.
Hard-throwing reliever Ben Joyce (1-0) earned his first major league victory for the Angels with an eventful sixth inning. The 6-foot-5 right-hander threw 20 of his 27 pitches faster than 100 mph, but walked the bases loaded before escaping on Trey Mancini’s groundout.
Jameson Taillon (1-4) was the loser.
GUARDIANS 5, RED SOX 3
CLEVELAND (AP) — Amed Rosario and Josh Naylor each had three hits and an RBI, Josh Bell drove in a run for the sixth consecutive game and Cleveland beat Boston.
Rosario singled twice against Kutter Crawford (1-3), then had an RBI double off Justin Garza as the Guardians scored two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to erase a 2-1 deficit.
Bell drove in a pair to give him eight RBIs during the streak that began May 28. Naylor had two singles and a double for Cleveland, which has split the first two games of the series.
Rookie Tanner Bibee (2-1) pitched five innings, allowing one earned, for his first victory at Progressive Field. Emmanuel Clase worked a hitless ninth for his MLB-best 20th save.
GIANTS 5, ROCKIES 4
DENVER (AP) — Austin Slater had a pinch-hit RBI single in a three-run seventh inning and drove in another run in a two-run eighth to help San Francisco beat Colorado after being held hitless into the sixth inning.
Taylor Rogers (2-2) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief, and Camilo Doval got three outs for his 15th save.
Nolan Jones hit a solo homer for the Rockies, who build a four-run lead through six innings and yet still lost their 10th straight to the Giants.
Colorado rookie Connor Seabold didn’t allow a hit until LaMonte Wade Jr. singled cleanly to left field with one out in the sixth. The 27-year-old right-hander struck out four and walked two, but didn’t figure in the decision.
Justin Lawrence (2-3) took the loss.
BLUE JAYS 3, ASTROS 2
TORONTO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, Bo Bichette and Brandon Belt hit solo home runs and Toronto beat Houston.
Chris Bassitt (7-4) gave up two runs and four hits with five strikeouts and no walks over eight innings in winning consecutive starts. Jordan Romano closed for his 16th save in 19 chances for the Blue Jays. They have won nine of 12.
The game was played under a closed roof at Rogers Centre due to air quality concerns due to wildfires.
Hector Neris (3-2) was the loser.