NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer to break Lou Gehrig’s American League record for RBIs, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 Wednesday to finish a three-game sweep. ADVERTISING NEW YORK — Alex
NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer to break Lou Gehrig’s American League record for RBIs, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 Wednesday to finish a three-game sweep.
Michael Pineda (6-2) rebounded from consecutive losses and Brian McCann hit a solo shot for the Yankees, who outscored the AL champions 23-4 in their first home sweep of at least three games against Kansas City since August 2007.
Chris Young (4-1) gave up both Yankees home runs, and the slumping Royals have dropped four straight for the first time since Aug. 28-31.
MARINERS 3, RAYS 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Felix Hernandez pitched a four-hitter to become the major’s first eight-game winner, Nelson Cruz hit his AL-best 18th homer to snap a scoreless tie in the ninth inning and the Mariners completed a three-game sweep by beating the Rays.
Hernandez (8-1) got four double plays in his second shutout this season.
Brad Boxberger (2-3) relieved after Chris Archer pitched two-hit ball for eighth innings, and Boxberger walked Seth Smith and Robinson Cano with two outs before Cruz connected.
Archer tied a career high with 12 strikeouts for the Rays, who have lost five in a row. The right-hander had stretches where he retired 12 and 11 batters in a row.
INDIANS 12, RANGERS 3
CLEVELAND — Carlos Santana capped and eight-run third inning with a three-run homer, leading the Indians past Texas to end the Rangers’ seven-game winning streak.
Carlos Carrasco (6-4) allowed only Robinson Chirinos’ solo homer in the fifth while pitching eight sharp innings. The right-hander held Texas to five hits and struck out eight.
Texas starter Colby Lewis (4-3) allowed 10 runs and 11 hits in 2 2-3 innings. He was chased in the third when the Indians sent 12 men to the plate.
The lopsided loss ended Texas’ seven-game winning streak.
Josh Hamilton singled in the seventh for his first hit since returning to the Rangers on Monday.
TWINS 6, RED SOX 4
MINNEAPOLIS — Aaron Hicks homered for the first time in more than a year and the Twins extended their winning streak to five games with a victory over the Red Sox.
Eddie Rosario also homered for Minnesota, which has won nine of 11. The Twins swept Boston for the first time since June 13-15, 2006.
Dustin Pedroia homered twice for the Red Sox, who have lost six of eight.
Minnesota starter Phil Hughes (4-4) allowed four earned runs in 6 2-3 innings.
Rick Porcello (4-4) allowed six earned runs in seven innings for Boston.
NATIONALS 3, CUBS 0
CHICAGO — Bryce Harper hit his 18th home run, Max Scherzer struck out a season-high 13 to outduel Jon Lester and Washington beat Chicago.
The top two free-agent pitchers on the market last offseason, Scherzer and Lester (4-3) faced off in a memorable matchup in the finale of the three-game series. Scherzer (6-3), who signed a seven-year deal worth $210 million with Washington, was better than his counterpart, throwing seven scoreless innings while allowing five hits and one walk to win his fifth straight start.
Scherzer and three relievers combined to shut out the Cubs and take two of three from Chicago. Drew Storen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 16th save in 17 attempts.
CARDINALS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3
ST. LOUIS — Jason Heyward atoned for a critical error with a game-tying homer leading off the ninth inning and St. Louis scored the winning run on catcher Jordan Pachecho’s throwing error, completing a three-game sweep with a victory.
Mark Trumbo homered for Arizona, which has lost nine of its past 10 against the Cardinals.
Pacheco replaced Tuffy Gosewisch, who jammed his left knee on a groundout in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, Arizona third baseman Yasmany Tomas threw home for a force out on Jhonny Peralta’s grounder against Brad Ziegler (0-1). Pachecho tried for a double play, but threw well above first baseman Paul Goldschmidt’s head and Matt Carpenter scored.
Seth Maness (1-0) earned the win for the Cardinals.
WHITE SOX 5, BLUE JAYS 3, 10 INNINGS
TORONTO — Adam LaRoche singled in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and the White Sox beat Toronto to avoid a three-game sweep.
Jose Abreu had three hits with two RBIs and scored the winning run as Chicago won for the second time in nine games. The White Sox avoided what would have been their first sweep in Toronto since 2009.
David Robertson (4-1), who blew the save in Tuesday’s 10-9 loss when Blue Jays slugger Josh Donaldson hit a walkoff homer, got burned again when Donaldson tied it at 3 with a solo homer into the second deck in the ninth.
Chicago answered when Abreu opened the 10th with a triple off Roberto Osuna (1-1) and scored on LaRoche’s single. Two outs later, Gordon Beckham’s double made it 5-3.
GIANTS 3, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE — Ryan Vogelsong allowed one run in six innings to win his third straight start, Joe Panik hit a two-run homer and the Giants completed a three-game sweep in Milwaukee.
The Giants bullpen finished off the last-place Brewers with three hitless innings, capped by Santiago Casilla’s 1-2-3 ninth for his 14th save.
The Giants stranded six runners through the first four innings, but they finally broke through on Panik’s shot to right for a 2-1 lead in the fifth off starter Mike Fiers (1-5).
Vogelsong (4-2) allowed just Elian Herrera’s RBI single with two outs in the fourth.
METS 7, PHILLIES 0
Noah Syndergaard pitched six-hit ball into the eighth inning and connected for his first major league home run, Lucas Duda homered twice and the Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies.
Syndergaard (2-2) struck out six in 7 1-3 innings to become the first rookie in Mets history to strike out at least five batters in each of his first four starts. He also went 3 for 3 at the plate, tying a franchise record for hits in a game by a pitcher.
Michael Cuddyer also homered for New York.
Sean O’Sullivan (1-4) allowed the four homers.
PIRATES 5, MARLINS 2
PITTSBURGH — Jung Ho Kang capped a late rally with a two-run single and the Pirates ran their winning streak to six games with a win over the Marlins.
Josh Harrison and Pedro Alvarez added RBI singles during Pittsburgh’s five-run seventh as the Pirates won for the first time this season when trailing after six innings. Gerrit Cole (7-2) struck out seven in seven efficient innings.
The Pirates spent five innings getting handcuffed by Miami starter Brad Hand but jumped on relievers Mike Dunn and Sam Dyson (2-2).
ROCKIES 6, REDS 4
CINCINNATI — Nolan Arenado hit a three-run homer and Kyle Kendrick pitched into the eighth inning for his first win since opening day, leading the Rockies over the Reds.
The Rockies won for the fourth time in five games, taking two of three in the series. The Reds have lost 10 of 11.
Arenado hit his 10th homer in the first inning off Mike Leake (2-4) and added a single. In the past four games, the third baseman is 9 for 16 with three homers, one triple and 10 RBIs.
Kendrick (2-6) gave up five hits, including solo homers by Todd Frazier and Tucker Barnhart, in 7 1-3 innings.
TIGERS 3, ATHLETICS 2
OAKLAND, Calif. — Yoenis Cespedes homered with two outs in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie against his former team and six Detroit pitchers combined on an six-hitter to lead the Tigers over the Athletics.
Cespedes hit a three-run home run off Oakland reliever Dan Otero (2-3) after Ian Kinsler doubled to end an 0-for-22 drought and Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked.
Kyle Ryan (1-0) pitched three innings of relief for the win. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus was forced to juggle his pitching staff after Alfredo Simon was placed on the bereavement list when he flew to the Dominican Republic to be with his ailing father following Tuesday night’s loss to the A’s.
ORIOLES 5, ASTROS 4
BALTIMORE — Chris Davis hit two homers, including a go-ahead solo shot in the eighth inning, to lead the Orioles to a victory over the Astros.
Evan Gattis had three hits, including his 10th homer of the season.
After Brad Bach (3-0) pitched a perfect eighth, Davis got his first multihomer game in more than a year with a towering shot to center off Tony Sipp (2-2).
BRAVES 3, DODGERS 2
LOS ANGELES — Andrelton Simmons had two hits and scored the go-ahead run on Adam Liberatore’s wild pitch in the eighth inning, Cameron Maybin homered to continue his hot month and the Braves beat the Dodgers to avoid a three-game sweep.
With the game tied 1-1, Simmons led off the eighth with a single against Chris Hatcher (1-4) and, after making his way to third base, came home when Liberatore uncorked a wild pitch over the head of catcher A.J. Ellis with two outs.
Maybin had two hits to raise his average to .306 in May and Nick Markakis added an RBI double in the eighth for the Braves (23-23). Juan Uribe went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in his Atlanta debut.
Jim Johnson (2-2) pitched a perfect eighth for the win and Jason Grilli pitched around an Alex Guerrero homer in the ninth for his 14th save.
PADRES 5, ANGELS 4
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Justin Upton and Matt Kemp hit two-out RBI singles in the seventh inning and Will Middlebrooks had a two-run homer to help give run-starved Andrew Cashner all the support he would need as the Padres beat the Angels.
Cashner (2-7) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings and struck out six in the rubber game of the interleague series. The right-hander, making his Angel Stadium debut, had received only three total runs of support in his previous six starts since beating the Chicago Cubs 5-2 on April 19.
Cashner handed a 5-3 lead to Brandon Maurer, who gave up a sacrifice fly to Kole Calhoun in the eighth before Craig Kimbrel got three outs for his 12th save in 13 attempts.
Garrett Richards (4-3) was charged with five runs and eight hits over 6 2-3 innings.
