MLB roundup: Arrieta, Happ lead Cubs past Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — Jake Arrieta pitched one-hit ball for seven innings without allowing a stolen base, and Ian Happ homered twice in the ballpark where he played as a college star, leading Chicago past Cincinnati.

Arrieta (8-6) was coming off a subpar performance that created friction and a surprise move. The Nationals stole seven bases off Arrieta during their 6-1 win on Tuesday, and catcher Miguel Montero complained afterward about the pitcher’s move to the plate with runners on base. Montero was cut loose the following day.

Back in the ballpark where he threw a no-hitter last season, Arrieta was back in form, allowing only Joey Votto’s first-inning single and a pair of walks — the Reds were never in position to try to steal.

Happ hit a two-run homer and a solo shot off Tim Adleman (5-5), and added an RBI single.

Anthony Rizzo also had a solo homer, and Javier Baez doubled home a run.

NATIONALS 7, CARDINALS 2

ST. LOUIS — Bryce Harper homered twice against Carlos Martinez, Max Scherzer struck out 12 over seven scoreless innings and Washington beat St. Louis.

Harper also doubled and had four RBIs to pace Washington, which snapped a three-game skid and had lost five of seven.

The Cardinals had won four straight and six of seven overall, including series victories over the Arizona Diamondbacks and Nationals.

Scherzer (10-5) allowed two hits and two walks while lowering his major league-leading ERA to 1.94. Scherzer’s double-digit strikeout performance was his 10th this season and 59th of his career.

Martinez (6-7) entered the game ranked fourth in the NL in ERA but allowed five runs in five innings.

ASTROS 8, YANKEES 1

HOUSTON — Yuli Gurriel finished a triple shy of the cycle, Carlos Correa tied a career-high with four hits and had three RBIs, and Houston handed New York its 14th loss in 19 games.

Marwin Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in a three-run second off Luis Severino (5-4) as the Astros improved the best record in the major leagues to 56-27. Houston had 14 hits, including seven doubles, and went 6 for 17 with runners in scoring position.

New York, which led the AL East by four games on June 13, lost two of three to the Astros and dropped three games behind division-leading Boston.

Chris Devenski (5-3) pitched two perfect innings in relief to get the win.

INDIANS 11, TIGERS 8

DETROIT — Jose Ramirez homered twice, and Cleveland snapped Justin Verlander’s decade-long streak of games with at least one strikeout, chasing the Detroit star in the fourth inning.

Verlander (5-5) had struck out a batter in 331 consecutive appearances and was tied with Curt Schilling for the sixth-longest streak since 1913. He hadn’t gone without a strikeout since April 28, 2007, when he lasted only three innings against Minnesota.

On Sunday, he allowed seven runs and nine hits with three walks in 3 1/3 innings.

Mike Clevinger (4-3) allowed a run and two hits in six innings. He walked five and struck out seven.

The Indians held on after Detroit scored six runs in the ninth inning, including homers by James McCann and Nicholas Castellanos. Cody Allen retired the final batter for his 16th save in 17 chances.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, ROCKIES 3

PHOENIX — Ketel Marte lined a run-scoring single in the ninth inning and Arizona overcame the first earned run allowed by Fernando Rodney in 21 games.

Rodney (2-2) had his hitless outings streak end at 11 with three straight singles in the ninth inning, including Charlie Blackmon’s tying hit. Rodney got a pair of pop ups with two on to end the inning.

Brandon Drury hit a one-out single in the bottom half and Chris Iannetta followed with a double off Adam Ottavino (1-3). Marte fell into a 1-2 hole against Chris Rusin before lining a one-hopper off the wall, sending the Diamondbacks rushing out of the dugout to mob him.

Chris Owings hit a two-run homer and Drury had three hits for Arizona, off to the best start in franchise history at 52-31.

Colorado has lost 10 of 11.

PADRES 5, DODGERS 3

SAN DIEGO — Jhoulys Chacin pitched five scoreless innings, Manuel Margot homered and drove in two runs, and San Diego got a rare victory over the Dodgers.

The Padres lost seven of the first eight meetings with the Dodgers this season but defeated Kenta Maeda (6-4) for the second time in 13 weeks.

San Diego went ahead 5-0 against Maeda while Chacin (7-7) was recording his second scoreless outing in 17 starts this year.

Chacin, who struck out six, retired cleanup hitter Cody Bellinger three times with a man on base, twice on strikes and once on a 2-0 pitch with two runners aboard.

Brandon Mauer got the last three outs for his 16th save.

BRAVES 4, ATHLETICS 3, 12 INNINGS

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kurt Suzuki led off the 12th inning with his second home run of the game, helping Atlanta complete a three-game sweep.

One inning after closer Jim Johnson got his sixth blown save, Suzuki lined a shot to left on a 3-1 pitch from John Axford (0-1). Suzuki also homered off starter Sean Manaea to begin the second.

It’s the third multihomer of Suzuki’s career and first since 2011 when he was with Oakland. The veteran catcher had not gone deep against his previous club until these homers helped Atlanta finish its six-game West Coast trip on a positive note after a rocky beginning.

Johnson (6-1) got the win despite three walks, and Arodys Vizcaino retired three batters for his second save. Vizcaino got Franklin Barreto to fly out with two runners on to end it.

PHILLIES 7, METS 1

NEW YORK — Nick Pivetta allowed one hit in seven impressive innings for his second major league win, and Philadelphia stopped the New York Mets’ four-game winning streak.

Maikel Franco had a two-run double in a four-run second aided by a pair of sacrifice bunts. Rookie catcher Andrew Knapp added an RBI single and dashed home from second on a wild pitch by Rafael Montero.

Leadoff man Daniel Nava had three hits and two RBIs to help the major league-worst Phillies prevent a three-game sweep and finish their 4-5 road trip on a positive note. Philadelphia outhit the Mets 12-2.

Making his 10th major league start, Pivetta (2-4) permitted only T.J. Rivera’s home run on an 81 mph slider with one out in the fifth. He struck out four and walked four.

ORIOLES 7, RAYS 1

BALTIMORE — Manny Machado hit a three-run homer, Kevin Gausman pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and Baltimore avoided a three-game sweep.

Mark Trumbo also homered and Seth Smith had two RBIs for the Orioles, playing their final home game until July 14.

Gausman (5-7) struck out nine and walked two in the finest of his 18 starts this season. The right-hander allowed only one runner past first base in lowering his ERA from 6.07 to 5.61.

Jesus Sucre ended Baltimore’s shutout bid with an eighth-inning homer off Mychal Givens.

Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb (6-6) gave up seven runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings.

RED SOX 15, BLUE JAYS 1

TORONTO — Mookie Betts hit two home runs and matched a career-high with eight RBIs to help Boston rout Toronto.

Betts went 4 for 6 as AL East-leading Boston won for the sixth time in seven games, completing the three-game sweep. He hit an RBI single in the second, a three-run homer in the fourth, a two-run blast in the sixth, and a two-run single in the seventh. It was the second multihomer game of the season for Betts, who also hit two at Philadelphia on June 14. Betts had eight RBIs against Arizona on Aug. 14, 2016.

Drew Pomeranz (8-4) pitched six innings for his third straight road win.

Hanley Ramirez had three hits, including a two-run homer, as the Red Sox collected a season-high 21 hits.

Joe Biagini (2-8) took the loss as he was chased in the sixth inning by Betts’ second homer.

GIANTS 5, PIRATES 3

PITTSBURGH — Brandon Belt started San Francisco’s comeback with an RBI single in a three-run seventh inning, then added a two-run homer in the eighth as the Giants got their season-high sixth straight win.

Jordy Mercer’s two-run homer in the third off Jeff Samardzija (4-9) put the Pirates ahead.

Trevor Williams took a two-hit shutout into the seventh, when Hunter Pence walked leading off and Buster Posey doubled. Belt and Brandon Crawford hit consecutive run-scoring singles off left-hander Tony Watson (4-2), and Kelby Tomlinson’s sacrifice fly gave San Francisco a 3-2 lead.

Belt homered in the eighth off Edgar Santana, his 16th this season.

ROYALS 6, TWINS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alcides Escobar had two hits and two RBIs and Scott Alexander picked up his first major league victory for Kansas City.

The Royals have won 15 of 21 games to move a game above .500 and into a tie with the Twins for second place in the American League Central.

Escobar went 7-for-16 with four extra-base hits, including a home run, with seven RBIs and scored four runs in the four-game series to raised his average 50 points since June 13.

Travis Wood, making his first start since Sept. 19, 2015, after 108 relief appearances, was removed in the fifth after facing three batters and retiring none. Brian Dozier and Robbie Grossman had RBI-singles in the inning.

Alexander (1-2) replaced Wood and induced Eduardo Escobar to ground into an inning ending double play with the bases loaded.

Hector Santiago (4-8) was charged with four runs and four hits, a hit batter and a walk in 3 1/3 innings.

MARLINS 10, BREWERS 3

MILWAUKEE — Marcell Ozuna hit two home runs — the second moments after having his bat thrown out for having too much pine tar on it — and Miami beat Milwaukee.

The sticky situation began in the seventh, when Brewers second baseman Jonathan Villar had his bat tossed from the game for the same issue by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.

Wendelstedt also checked Ozuna’s bat to start the eighth and told him to get a new one. Ozuna did, and deposited his 22nd homer of the season into the bleachers in left.

Marlins starter Dan Straily (6-4) allowed solo home runs to Eric Thames and Orlando Arcia. Derek Dietrich also homered for Miami.

Brewers starter Junior Guerra (1-3) took the loss.

WHITE SOX 6, RANGERS 5

CHICAGO — Yolmer Sanchez hit a two-run home run with two outs in the eighth to rally Chicago past Texas.

The Rangers had the bases loaded in the ninth, but David Robertson (4-2) struck out Carlos Gomez to end the game.

Todd Frazier walked with one out in the eighth and, two batters later, Sanchez drove the ball to right-center off Texas reliever Jose Leclerc (1-2) for his fourth homer of the season. It handed the Rangers bullpen its American League-leading 17th blown save.

Jonathan Lucroy had given the Rangers a 5-4 lead with a two-run single in the fifth.

Melky Cabrera also homered for Chicago, and Mike Napoli hit his 16th for Texas.

MARINERS 5, ANGELS 3

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Robinson Cano hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning and James Paxton retired the first 16 hitters he faced in Seattle’s win over Los Angeles.

Paxton (6-3) continued his career-long dominance of the Angels, throwing 6 1/3 innings of two-hit ball in his best start since missing most of May with a forearm strain. The left-hander has a career 2.04 ERA against the Halos, the second-best among active pitchers.

Jean Segura had four hits and drove in two runs as the Mariners took two of three from their AL West rivals.

Danny Espinosa got the Angels’ first hit off Paxton in the sixth, and Yunel Escobar chased him with an RBI single in the seventh inning of Los Angeles’ third loss in four games.

Jesse Chavez (5-9) yielded just four hits and two runs over five innings in his fifth consecutive winless start for the Angels.