MLB: Braun becomes Brewers’ career home run leader in win over Marlins
MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun became the Brewers’ career home run leader with his 252nd home run and Khris Davis hit two home runs to help Milwaukee avoid a sweep with an 8-7 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.
Braun hit a 2-1 pitch from former Brewers starter Chris Narveson to lead off the sixth. Braun broke the tie with Hall of Famer Robin Yount with a blast off the railing of the second deck in right.
Davis teed off on the first pitch from Marlins starter Tom Koehler (8-11) in the second for a two-run homer and then did it again in the third to tie the game at 5-5 with a three-run homer. It was his fourth multi-homer game this season and fifth of his career.
Martin Maldonado put Milwaukee 7-6 ahead with a two-run single off Koehler. One batter later, Narveson relieved with the bases loaded, one out and stranded the three runners.
Wily Peralta (4-7) picked up the win.
YANKEES 4, TWINS 3
NEW YORK — Rookie Greg Bird hit a pair of soaring two-run drives for his first major league homers, supporting an overpowering effort by Nathan Eovaldi and leading the Yankees to a victory over the Twins for a three-game sweep.
Eovaldi (13-2) did not allow a baserunner until Chris Hermann singled with one out in the sixth. Topping 100 mph on the scoreboard radar a handful of times, Eovaldi was touched for three runs in the inning when he lost command of his secondary pitches.
In seven electric innings, Eovaldi gave up four hits and struck out eight. He walked three in improving to 8-0 in his last 11 starts since June 20.
ANGELS 1, WHITE SOX 0
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jered Weaver pitched five-hit ball into the seventh inning, and Carlos Perez homered in the Angels’ third straight victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Weaver (5-9) earned his first victory since May 30, striking out five without a walk in his third start back from a seven-week injury absence. The Angels’ longtime ace showed command and deception that made up for his velocity, and eventually left to a standing ovation.
Perez delivered the game’s only run with his third homer of the season — and first since May 30 — in the sixth.
ATHLETICS 5, DODGERS 2
OAKLAND, Calif. — Jesse Chavez struck out six over eight innings to win for just the second time in six starts, and the Athletics beat the National League West-leading Dodgers for a two-game sweep.
Billy Burns hit a tying double for Oakland in the sixth then scored the go-ahead run on Danny Valencia’s double-play grounder two batters later.
After the low-budget A’s won 5-4 in 10 innings Tuesday night, they beat baseball’s biggest spender again to win consecutive games following a seven-game skid on a recent road trip through Toronto and Baltimore.
Back home in the East Bay, Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer in the third, but that wasn’t enough as Los Angeles dropped back-to-back contests for the first time since Aug. 9-10.
RANGERS 7, MARINERS 2
ARLINGTON, Texas — Derek Holland won in his return from the disabled list, and Texas hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning as the Rangers beat the Mariners.
Holland (1-1) scattered eight hits, struck out six and walked none over 6 1-3 innings. He was activated from the DL on Wednesday following a shoulder injury suffered in his season debut on April 10.
Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus each had three RBIs and hit homers that sandwiched Mike Napoli’s 446-foot blast to center off Joe Beimel.
PADRES 3, BRAVES 2
SAN DIEGO — Yangervis Solarte drove in two runs, and Tyson Ross pitch six solid innings as the Padres beat the Braves to complete a three-game sweep.
Solarte, who had three hits, homered in the sixth and added a run-scoring double in the seventh.
In the seventh, Melvin Upton Jr. singled off Matt Marksberry (0-2), stole second and advanced to third on Clint Barmes’ groundout. Austin Hedges followed with a double to left-center field, scoring Upton for a 2-1 lead.
Ross pitched six innings, allowing a run on six hits. He walked three and struck out five.
Shawn Kelley (2-2) got the win after striking out the side in the seventh. Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 35th save in 37 chances.
Atlanta’s Julio Teheran allowed a run and struck out seven over six innings.
It was only the Padres’ second three-game sweep of the season.
ORIOLES 5, METS 4
BALTIMORE — Henry Urrutia broke a ninth-inning tie with his first major league home run, and Baltimore ended a nine-game losing streak against the Mets.
Jonathan Schoop and Adam Jones also homered for the Orioles, who hadn’t defeated the Mets since June 18, 2009.
Baltimore rallied from 3-1 and 4-3 deficits before Urrutia led off the ninth with a drive into the seats in left field off Carlos Torres (4-5). That gave the Orioles a split of the two-game series and their fifth win in six games.
Zach Britton (4-0) worked the ninth for Baltimore.
Daniel Murphy and Wilmer Flores both homered and had two RBIs for the first-place Mets, who have lost four of five.
PHILLIES 7, BLUE JAYS 3
PHILADELPHIA — Rookie Aaron Altherr homered, doubled and drove in three runs and Adam Morgan pitched seven strong innings for Philadelphia.
Jeff Francoeur and Andres Blanco also homered for Philadelphia, which snapped a four-game losing streak.
Chase Utley was not in the starting lineup but was in uniform in the Phillies dugout. The Dodgers and Philadelphia announced a deal after the game that had the six-time All-Star second baseman going to Dodgers for two minor leaguers.
PIRATES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1
PITTSBURGH — J.A. Happ allowed two hits in six shutout innings for Pittsburgh.
Happ (5-7), acquired at the trade deadline from Seattle, struck out three and walked two to earn his first National League victory in more than three years. Sean Rodriguez had three hits and an RBI for the Pirates. Starling Marte added two hits and Gregory Polanco chipped in an RBI single off Robbie Ray (3-9).
Mark Melancon struck out three straight batters in the ninth for his 38th save. Pittsburgh improved to 16-3 against teams from the NL West and is 57-31 since May 9, the best record in the majors.
RED SOX 6, INDIANS 4
BOSTON — David Ortiz hit his 492nd career homer, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Ryan Hanigan connected on consecutive pitches, and Joe Kelly went six strong innings for Boston.
Travis Shaw also homered following Ortiz’s solo shot for the Red Sox, who have won four of six.
Boston’s homers all came off Corey Kluber (8-13), last season’s AL Cy Young Award winner.
Yan Gomes hit a three-run shot for the Indians, who have lost four of five.
Kelly (6-6) gave up one unearned run and five hits, striking out three and walking three to win his fourth straight start. Junichi Tazawa worked the ninth for his first save.
ROYALS 4, REDS 3
CINCINNATI — Lorenzo Cain had a tiebreaking RBI single in the second inning, Ben Zobrist had four hits, and Kansas City benefited from a Cincinnati baserunning gaffe to complete a two-game sweep.
Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie left in the fifth with the 4-3 lead and the bases loaded and one out. Luke Hochevar (1-0) got Jay Bruce to pop up along the first base line. Bruce was out under the infield fly rule, but Jason Bourgeois tried to score when the ball dropped, and Hochevar threw to catcher Drew Butera, who easily tagged out Bourgeois to end the inning.
CARDINALS 4, GIANTS 3
ST. LOUIS — Yadier Molina’s 100th career home run in the bottom of the eighth inning snapped a tie for St. Louis.
Molina added an RBI single in the first and rookie Stephen Piscotty homered in the third for St. Louis, which took two of three from the NL West-contending Giants. The Cardinals are 77-43 overall and 46-19 at home, both tops in the majors.
Kevin Siegrist (5-0) allowed a walk in the eighth and Trevor Rosenthal earned his 38th save in 40 chances, striking out pinch-hitting pitcher Madison Bumgarner to end it. Siegrist won both of the games in the series and the Cardinals wrapped up a 6-3 homestand with three 2-1 series wins and have won six consecutive series overall.
Molina led off the eighth by lining an 0-1 breaking ball from Hunter Strickland (2-3) for his fourth homer of the year.
TIGERS 15, CUBS 8
CHICAGO — Pitcher Daniel Norris homered in his first career plate appearance, Nick Castellanos went deep twice, one a grand slam, and Detroit pounded Jon Lester.
The Tigers set season highs in runs and hits (21) and tied one with five homers — three off Lester. It was the second time this season they reached double digits in scoring in consecutive games, after winning 10-8 on Tuesday.
The Cubs dropped their third straight after winning nine in a row and 15 of 16, with Lester (8-9) making his earliest exit of the season. The Cubs’ ace lasted just 2 2-3 innings in his shortest outing since 2012 while allowing a season-high seven runs.
ASTROS 3, RAYS 2, 13 innings
HOUSTON — Rookie Carlos Correa homered and his RBI single in the 13th inning gave Houston the win.
Colby Rasmus walked with one out in the 13th and advanced to third on a single by Jose Altuve off Matt Andriese (3-3), who was called up from Triple-A Durham on Wednesday. Correa’s grounder to right field with two outs in the inning scored Rasmus to give Houston the victory.
NATIONALS 4, ROCKIES 1
DENVER — Stephen Strasburg pitched seven strong innings and Jayson Werth hit a tiebreaking triple in the eighth for Washington.
Strasburg (7-6) allowed two hits, struck out five and didn’t walk a batter in his third straight solid start since coming off the disabled list. Since returning to the rotation on Aug. 8, the right-hander has allowed three earned runs, struck out 25 in 20 innings and lowered his ERA from 5.16 to 4.22.
The Nationals tied it in the seventh when reliever Gonzalez Germen allowed a two-out double to Bryce Harper and walked two straight to load the bases. Germen then threw a wild pitch to Ryan Zimmerman and Harper scored easily to tie it at 1.
Washington again mounted a two-out rally off Rafael Betancourt (2-4) in the eighth. Wilson Ramos singled, pinch-hitter Clint Robinson walked and Werth lined a triple over the glove of right fielder Carlos Gonzalez to make it 3-1.
Werth finished with two hits.
Zimmerman added an RBI single in the ninth and Jonathan Papelbon got the final three outs for his 20th save and third with Washington.