ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Avisail Garcia and Kevin Kiermaier each hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to power the Tampa Bay Rays past the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 on Wednesday night.
Kiermaier also made a rocket throw from center field to cut down Cody Bellinger at home plate, keeping the score tied 1-all in the sixth. Bellinger, who was aboard on a fielder's choice, failed to reach base safely for the first time in 46 starts this season. He went 0 for 4, dropping his major league-leading batting average to .394.
Tommy Pham hit his sixth homer for the Rays, and Brandon Lowe singled in the go-ahead run to spark a seven-run seventh. Emilio Pagan (1-0) got four outs in relief.
Garcia's eighth homer came off Dylan Floro, who entered with a 0.44 ERA -- best among NL relievers. Floro (1-1) pitched to four batters and got none of them out.
Kiermaier capped the big inning with his fourth home run off left-hander Caleb Ferguson.
Max Muncy tied it with a homer in the sixth off Rays reliever Yonny Chirinos.
Tampa Bay opener Ryne Stanek pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out two.
Royals 8, Cardinals 2, 1st game
Cardinals 10, Royals 3, 2nd game
ST. LOUIS -- Marcell Ozuna and Matt Carpenter went deep as part of a four-homer barrage and St. Louis split a doubleheader with Kansas City.
Brad Keller threw seven-plus innings of two-hit ball to snap a six-start winless streak and Jorge Soler hit a three-run homer as Royals won the opener.
Dexter Fowler and Kolten Wong also homered as St. Louis had as many home runs in the second game as it did hits in the opener.
Adam Wainwright (4-4) battled through control issues with 55 of his 103 pitches going for strikes. In five innings, he allowed three runs, six hits, walked four and struck out two.
John Gant, Andrew Miller, Carlos MartĂnez and John Brebbia combined for four scoreless innings of relief.
Homer Bailey (4-5) threw 66 pitches, but lasted just 1 2/3 innings and gave up five runs.
In the opener, Keller (3-5) snapped a six-start winless streak.
Soler's drive into the left field seats off Michael Wacha (3-2) capped a six-run third and made it 7-0.
Whit Merrifield had two hits, drove in a run and scored once. Nicky Lopez reached three times and scored twice and Hunter Dozier hit a pair of sacrifice flies.
Cubs 8, Phillies 4
CHICAGO -- Cole Hamels struggled in his first start against his original team, Albert Almora Jr. hit his first career grand-slam and Chicago rallied from an early three-run deficit with three homers in beating Philadelphia.
Almora broke a 3-all tie by launching Cole Irvin's changeup into the shrubs in the center-field batter's eye.
Anthony Rizzo hit his 12th homer, a mammoth shot in the third that struck the neon beer sign atop the right field scoreboard, tying the game at 3-all. Hamels escaped with a no-decision despite allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks through four innings. Javier BĂĄez added a solo shot in the seventh.
Tyler Chatwood (3-0) earned the win with four innings of one-run, three-hit relief.
Andrew McCutchen had three hits, including a solo homer. Jean Segura extended his hitting streak to 13 games as the Phillies dropped their second straight.
Irvin (2-1) was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits.
Rangers 2, Mariners 1
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Hunter Pence homered, Adrian Sampson had another impressive long outing for a victory after not starting, and Texas beat slumping Seattle to complete a three-game sweep.
The Mariners have lost 27 of 37 games to fall to the bottom of the AL West standings since starting the season 13-2.
Seattle lefty Marco Gonzalez (5-4) limited the Rangers to one earned run over seven innings, but dropped to 0-4 with a 4.56 ERA in five starts in May. He was 5-0 after his first seven starts this season.
Sampson (2-3) went 5 1/3 innings and gave up one earned run after the Rangers used a reliever to start the game. Jesse Chavez got the first five outs against the Mariners. Shawn Kelley worked the ninth for his fourth save in five chances.
Braves 9, Giants 2
SAN FRANCISCO -- Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman hit back-to-back homers in the second inning and Atlanta scored six unearned runs in the inning after San Francisco botched a double play.
Austin Riley also homered for the Braves. Max Fried allowed two runs in six innings for his third straight win and NL-leading seventh overall. Fried (7-2) also collected his first career RBI with a bases-loaded fielder's choice as part of Atlanta's big inning.
The two home runs came after Giants starter Jeff Samardzija (2-3) extended the inning with a pair of tosses that went awry. Samardzija had seven strikeouts and gave up four hits and two walks in six innings.
Buster Posey had an RBI single for San Francisco but was thrown out trying to reach second. Tyler Austin homered for the Giants.
White Sox 9, Astros 4
HOUSTON -- Eloy Jiménez homered twice and Chicago turned the first triple play in the majors this season in a win over Houston.
Charlie Tilson's first career homer was a grand slam in Chicago's six-run sixth inning. The White Sox got going early with Jimenéz connecting in the second and Jose Abreu adding a solo shot in the fourth.
The Astros got a homer from Alex Bregman in a three-run fourth to go on top before Chicago's six-run sixth inning.
Gerrit Cole (4-5) yielded seven hits and six runs while striking out seven in five-plus innings.
White Sox starter Ivan Nova (3-4) allowed 10 hits but just three runs in seven-plus innings.
Bregman's homer extended Houston's streak of games with at least one to 19, which ties the longest run in franchise history. The Astros also homered in 19 straight games in 2017.
Athletics 7, Indians 2
CLEVELAND -- Frankie Montas pitched six scoreless innings, Mark Canha homered and drove in three runs and Oakland extended its winning streak to six games with a win over Cleveland.
Nick Hundley had three hits, including a solo homer and two RBIs. Robbie Grossman also drove in a pair of runs as Oakland swept the three-game series and reached the .500 mark for the first time since April 26.
The Athletics completed a 6-2 trip and have won 10 of their last 14.
Montas (6-2) struck out nine and gave up five hits, four of them over the first two innings, in lowering his ERA to 2.40.
Canha, filling in for injured designated hitter Khris Davis, hit his seventh home run and a double.
Jefry Rodriguez (1-4) allowed four earned runs in four innings. Cleveland trailed 7-0 in the eighth when Jake Bauers hit a two-run homer off Fernando Rodney.
Yankees 7, Orioles 5
BALTIMORE -- Gleyber Torres hit two of New York's five home runs off Baltimore's beleaguered pitching staff, and survived a shaky outing from CC Sabathia.
Torres homered leading off the third and fifth innings to help New York take a 7-2 lead. Gary Sanchez hit his ninth homer against the Orioles this season, and DJ LeMahieu and Thairo Estrada also connected.
Baltimore has lost five in a row to sink to 15-34, the worst record in the majors.
Sabathia (3-1) allowed five runs and six hits, including two home runs, in five innings.
Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances.
Richie Martin hit his first big league homer and Renato NĂșñez added a two-run shot for Baltimore.
Brewers 11, Reds 9
MILWAUKEE -- Yasmani Grandal homered during a big rally and started a bizarre double play on a pitch that got past him and bounced to the backstop, helping Milwaukee outlast Cincinnati.
Grandal hit a two-run homer as the Brewers scored five times in the sixth for an 11-8 lead.
The pitching matchup between the Brewers' Zach Davies and Luis Castillo turned out to be the shortest outing of the season for both. Davies gave up six runs in three innings and Castillo allowed four in 2.
Josh Hader finished it, earning his 12th save in 12 chances.
Tyler Barnhart's fourth homer capped a five-run second that put the Reds up, 5-0. Dietrich hit his 12th in the third for a 6-1 lead.
The Brewers made it 6-all in the fourth on a two-run single by Eric Thames. Keston Hiura and Mike Moustakas also homered for Milwaukee.
Milwaukee reliever Junior Guerra (2-0) earned the win. Wandy Peralta (0-1) took the loss.
Padres 5, Diamondbacks 2
SAN DIEGO -- Left-hander Eric Lauer pitched seven strong innings for his first win in seven starts and Greg Garcia had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run as San Diego beat Arizona to complete a three-game sweep.
Lauer (3-4) held the Diamondbacks to one run and four hits, struck out seven and walked none to win for the first time since April 8 at San Francisco. Kirby Yates got the final three outs for his major league-leading 20th save.
The Padres roughed up rookie Merrill Kelly (4-5) for four runs and five hits in 1 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out none.
Marlins 6, Tigers 3
DETROIT -- Garrett Cooper hit his first major league home run in the sixth inning, leading a comeback as Miami won its fifth straight by beating Detroit.
The Tigers led 3-0 before Cooper's solo shot. The Marlins then scored three runs in the seventh, and Brian Anderson added a two-run homer in the eighth.
Detroit has dropped eight in a row -- and Sunday's game was suspended with the Tigers trailing Oakland in the seventh inning.
Detroit starter Daniel Norris was solid before giving way to Buck Farmer (2-3).
José Ureña (2-6) allowed two earned runs in six innings for the Marlins. Sergio Romo pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.
Detroit scored a run in each of the first three innings. Niko Goodrum hit an RBI single, Gordon Beckham drove in a run with a groundout, and Christin Stewart added a run-scoring double.
Mets 6, Nationals 1
NEW YORK -- Juan Lagares hit a go-ahead, three-run double off Washington closer Sean Doolittle, Rajai Davis capped the six-run eighth inning with a three-run homer in his first at-bat for the Mets and New York rallied for the victory.
Max Scherzer stranded seven runners in six shutout innings, and Adam Eaton homered on Jacob deGrom's fourth pitch in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners.
Adeiny HechavarrĂa doubled with one out in the eighth off Kyle Barraclaugh (0-1).
Mets star Robinson CanĂł was sent for an MRI after straining his left quad running to first base when he grounded out in the third following J.D. Davis' two-out double.
Drew Gagnon (3-0) pitched a perfect eighth for the Mets. Tyler Bashlor finished the three-hitter.
New York (23-26) won its third straight and stretched its home winning streak to six.
Rockies 9, Pirates 3
PITTSBURGH -- Josh Bell reached the Allegheny River on the fly for the second time in two weeks, the only notable blemish for Colorado in its win over Pittsburgh.
Daniel Murphy hit a three-run homer to put Colorado ahead 3-0 in the first inning. Bell then sent a changeup from Jon Gray 454 feet over the Clemente Wall in right field, making it 3-1 in the second. It was the fifth home run to splash into the river on the fly since PNC Park opened in 2001.
The only sustained pressure against Gray (4-4) ended after Kevin Newman cut it to 3-2 with a double later in the second. Gray went seven innings, giving up three runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts.
Sports on 05/24/2019