WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper homered on his first swing since coming off the disabled list, and his Washington Nationals teammates quickly joined in, beating the slumping Milwaukee Brewers 10-5 on Monday night. WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper homered on his first
WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper homered on his first swing since coming off the disabled list, and his Washington Nationals teammates quickly joined in, beating the slumping Milwaukee Brewers 10-5 on Monday night.
After missing 31 games with bursitis in his left knee — the most lingering fallout from his collision with the Dodger Stadium wall — Harper energized the Nationals and sparked their second rout in two days. After toying with .500 for the entire month of June, Washington moved two games above the break-even mark for the first time since late May.
Jayson Werth had five RBIs, and even pitcher Jordan Zimmermann was an offensive juggernaut with a team-high three hits, including a double to start a five-run third inning and a single to open a two-run fourth.
Working with an 8-0 lead, Zimmermann (12-3) pitched six innings and allowed four runs to tie unbeaten Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers for the major league lead in wins.
Harper launched the second pitch he saw from Yovani Gallardo (6-8) into the visitors’ bullpen beyond left field for an opposite-field homer that drew a thumbs-up curtain call. The Nationals improved to 26-19 when Harper plays; they are 16-21 when he doesn’t.
The 20-year-old slugger finished 1-for-4 with a walk.
The Brewers, missing injured Ryan Braun, have lost six straight.
REDS 8, GIANTS 1 (6)
CINCINNATI — Todd Frazier homered and drove in four runs, leading Cincinnati out of its offensive slump to a victory over San Francisco in a game shortened to six innings because of rain.
Frazier had an RBI single and a three-run homer off left-hander Mike Kickham (0-3), who has been hit hard in each of his three major league starts.
Bronson Arroyo (7-6) gave up a pair of hits in six innings, including Brandon Belt’s homer.
Rain halted the game after the sixth. The umpires waited 1 hour, 28 minutes before calling it.
MARLINS 4, PADRES 0
MIAMI — Jose Fernandez struck out 10 and allowed only two hits in a career-high eight innings as Miami beat San Diego to match a season high with its third consecutive victory.
Jeff Mathis delivered the big hit for the second game in a row, raising his batting average to .154. He hit a three-run double in the sixth, when the Marlins scored four unearned runs off Jason Marquis (9-4), who issued a career-high seven walks in 6 1/3 innings.
Mathis’ ninth-inning grand slam beat the Padres on Sunday.
The Marlins began the week with the worst record in the majors, but since June 1 they’re 16-10, and they’ve won six of their past seven games. They’ve allowed three runs in the past three games.
San Diego lost for the seventh time in nine games. Padres shortstop Pedro Ciriaco made an errant throw that led to the unearned runs.
Fernandez (5-4) walked one and equaled a career high in strikeouts. Steve Cishek entered with two on and got the final out for his 15th save in 17 chances, completing a three-hitter.
Fernandez improved to 3-1 with an ERA of 1.34 over his past six starts.
Blue Jays 8, Tigers 3
TORONTO — R.A. Dickey won again, Jose Reyes and Mark DeRosa homered, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the slumping Detroit Tigers on Monday for their seventh straight home win.
The Blue Jays delighted a sellout crowd of 45,766 on Canada Day with their 11th victory in 13 games at Rogers Centre.
Coming off his two-hit shutout against Tampa Bay, Dickey (8-8) was sharp and won for the third time in four starts. The knuckleballer allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out four and walking one.
Reyes hit a leadoff shot in the third against Tigers rookie Jose Alvarez (1-2). For Reyes, it was his third homer of the year and second in two days.
DeRosa added a three-run drive in the fourth off reliever Luke Putkonen.
Prince Fielder and Omar Infante hit solo homers for the Tigers. Detroit lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Infante went 4-for-4 with a two-out homer in the ninth. Tigers star Miguel Cabrera, who came in with an AL-leading .373 batting average, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
YANKEES 10, TWINS 4
MINNEAPOLIS — Robinson Cano homered twice, and Andy Pettitte broke Whitey Ford’s club record for career strikeouts to help New York snap a five-game skid with a victory over Minnesota.
Zoilo Almonte had three hits and two RBIs as the slumbering Yankees offense woke up with seven runs in the last two innings to reach double digits for the first time since May 10.
Struggling reliever Jared Burton (1-6) gave up three runs and three hits while getting only one out for the Twins, who coughed up another eighth-inning lead. Ryan Doumit had two hits and two RBIs.
Cano also had a double, a walk and three RBIs for the Yankees, who totaled 13 runs during their losing streak.
Pettitte allowed four runs in five innings. Joba Chamberlain (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
RAYS 12, ASTROS 0
HOUSTON — Matt Moore allowed two hits in seven innings for his 11th win and Ryan Roberts homered twice to lead Tampa Bay over Houston.
Moore (11-3) won his third straight decision, and Cesar Ramos pitched two perfect innings to complete the two-hitter and help the Rays win their third in a row.
Roberts made it 3-0 with a two-run homer in the third off Dallas Keuchel (4-5) and tacked on another run with a solo shot in the eighth inning.
