MLB: Ohtani sparkles for Angels; Romo starts again for Rays

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani struck out nine while throwing 7 2/3 innings of excellent six-hit ball in his seventh career start, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their five-game skid with a 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Martin Maldonado homered and drove in two runs, and Zack Cozart drove in two more runs on sacrifice flies as the Angels wrapped up a disappointing 11-game homestand with only four victories — including both games started by Ohtani (4-1).

Los Angeles’ rookie two-way sensation had another strong outing in the longest start of his stateside career. Ohtani retired 12 straight Rays after yielding rookie Johnny Field’s homer leading off the third. Blake Parker pitched the ninth for his second save.

While Ohtani threw 110 pitches, reliever Sergio Romo started for Tampa Bay for the second consecutive day. He faced the Angels’ first six batters and got four outs while becoming the first pitcher in 38 years to last at least one inning in back-to-back starts. The reliever gave way to Matt Andriese (1-2), who gave up two unearned runs in the fourth.

YANKEES 10, ROYALS 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyler Austin hit a pair of two-run homers, Sonny Gray (3-3) allowed four hits in eight innings and New York won its eighth consecutive series for the first time since 1998.

Miguel Andujar and Austin Romine added back-to-back homers in the ninth for the Yankees, who have won 14 of their last 15 against the AL Central.

Eric Skoglund (1-4) gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings.

RED SOX 5, ORIOLES 0

BOSTON — J.D. Martinez had hit first multihomer game for Boston and drove in three runs, and Andrew Benintendi had a two-run homer among his three hits. Boston is 6-1 against Baltimore this season.

Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1) scattered nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Baltimore lost for the 15th time in 16 road games. David Hess (1-1) gave up five runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in his second major league start.

ATHLETICS 9, BLUE JAYS 2

TORONTO — Daniel Mengden (4-4) allowed two hits over seven shutout innings to win his second straight start as Oakland completed a four-game sweep.

Marcus Semien hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs, and Matt Chapman had three hits.

Toronto designated hitter Kendrys Morales had two of Toronto’s four hits and made his first big league pitching appearance with a scoreless ninth.

Joe Biagini (0-3) allowed four runs — three earned — and six hits in four-plus innings. He has lost eight straight decisions.

CUBS 6, REDS 1

CINCINNATI — Yu Darvish (1-3) recovered from a shaky start for his first win with the Cubs, allowing one run and two hits in six innings.

In his second outing since coming off the disabled list Tuesday, the four-time All-Star overcame a 39-pitch first inning and finished six for the third time this season. It was Darvish’s first start with Chicago since signing a $126 million, six-year contract in the offseason.

Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer, and Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist each had a solo shot off Tyler Mahle (3-6).

METS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1

NEW YORK — Amed Rosario hit his first two home runs of the season and pinch-hitter Asdrubal Cabrera connected for a go-ahead drive, leading Noah Syndergaard and the Mets over the Arizona Diamondbacks for a surprising sweep.

The Mets hadn’t won back-to-back games in more than a month before rolling past the NL West leaders for their first three-game sweep at home since September 2016 vs. Minnesota. Arizona has lost four in a row and 10 of 11.

Pitching in the majors for the first time in over a year, Clay Buchholz blanked the Mets on one hit until Rosario led off the sixth with his first home run, tying it at 1. Cabrera batted for Syndergaard with two outs in the seventh and launched a two-run shot off Jorge De La Rosa (0-2).

Syndergaard (4-1) gave up one run, on a groundout, and struck out seven. Robert Gsellman got five outs for his first big league save.

BRAVES 10, MARLINS 9

ATLANTA — Dansby Swanson’s two-run single capped a six-run ninth inning, and the NL-leading Braves rallied to stun the Miami Marlins.

Ronald Acuna Jr. drove in two runs in the seventh and another in the ninth as the Braves moved 11 games over .500 for the first time since July 5, 2014. Atlanta has won nine of its last 12.

Miami led 6-0 after four innings and 9-4 to begin the ninth. Lewis Brinson’s first career grand slam highlighted a six-run fourth, and Miguel Rojas homered twice and drove in four runs for the last-place Marlins, who have lost three of four.

Atlanta started the ninth with three runs off closer Brad Ziegler on Acuna’s single, a throwing error by first baseman Justin Bour and a single by Nick Markakis. Taylor Guerrero (0-2) came on with two outs and allowed four straight batters to reach base.

A.J. Minter (3-0) allowed Rojas’ homer in the ninth, but benefited from the rally.

DODGERS 7, NATIONALS 2

WASHINGTON — Kike Hernandez and Yasiel Puig each hit two-run homers, and the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Nationals.

Hernandez’s blast off Stephen Strasburg in the fifth inning put the Dodgers up 3-2. Yasmani Grandal also homered off Strasburg (5-4), who allowed three runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts.

Alex Wood (1-4) pitched six innings, allowing just three hits and two earned runs. Wood came out to start the seventh, but returned to the clubhouse after showing some discomfort during his warm-up tosses. Josh Fields recorded the final four outs for his second save.

Trea Turner homered for Washington. Juan Soto, at 19 the youngest active player in the majors, made his debut in the eighth as a pinch-hitter and struck out against Erik Goeddel.

MARINERS 3, TIGERS 2, 11 INNINGS

SEATTLE — Mitch Haniger hit a tying two-run homer in the ninth inning and Jean Segura’s RBI single in the 11th gave the Mariners the victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Minnesota starter Francisco Liriano took a no-hitter into the seventh but closer Shane Greene blew his third save of the season, giving up Haniger’s 11th home run on an 0-2 pitch with one out.

Dee Gordon led off the 11th with a single against Buck Farmer (0-3), stole second, then scored on Segura’s single down the right-field line. Nick Vincent (2-1) picked up the win in relief.

WHITE SOX 3, RANGERS 0

CHICAGO — Reynaldo Lopez allowed only two hits in a career-high eight innings and the White Sox beat the Texas Rangers for their first home series win this season.

Lopez (1-3) struck out eight and walked two in his first victory since Sept. 22 against Kansas City. Jace Fry pitched a perfect ninth for his first career save.

Leury Garcia had two hits and two RBIs, and Welington Castillo homered as the major league-worst White Sox (13-30) took three of four against last-place Texas. They won consecutive games for the first time since winning three in a row at Kansas City from April 26-28.

Mike Minor (3-3) struck out nine in five innings, but was charged with three runs and six hits. Texas was shut out for the first time this season.

CARDINALS 5, PHILLIES 1

ST. LOUIS — Jack Flaherty struck out a career-high 13 to earn his first major league win and Tyler O’Neill homered for the Cardinals.

Making his ninth big league start, Flaherty (1-1) gave up just two hits and walked one in 7 2/3 dominant innings. He also singled in the third for his first hit.

Jordan Hicks got four outs to finish the two-hitter and threw the fastest pitch in the majors this season, according to Statcast — a 105 mph fastball to Odubel Herrera in the ninth. Hicks hit 105 mph twice and 104 three times against Herrera, the five fastest pitches in the big leagues this year.

O’Neill, who had three hits, homered for the second time in two games. His solo shot off Aaron Nola (6-2) in the sixth made it 3-1.

Rhys Hoskins homered off Flaherty for the Phillies. Herrera went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, ending his on-base streak at 45 games.

GIANTS 9, ROCKIES 5

SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Belt snapped a seventh-inning tie with a three-run homer for the Giants.

Nick Hundley added a solo shot later in the seventh for the Giants, who salvaged a four-game split after dropping the first two games of the series. Gorkys Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the fifth.

Belt connected for his 12th home run this season and fifth in seven games to give San Francisco an 8-5 lead. He came to the plate with Hernandez aboard on a leadoff single and Evan Longoria on following a one-out walk by reliever Bryan Shaw (1-2).

The Rockies trailed 5-4 going into the seventh before Nolan Arenado singled home a run off winner Sam Dyson (2-0).

PADRES 8, PIRATES 5

PITTSBURGH — Freddy Galvis drove in the go-ahead run in a four-run ninth inning with San Diego’s second successful squeeze bunt of the game, and the Padres rallied for their third win of the four-game series.

Pittsburgh took a 5-4 lead into the ninth, but Jose Pirela and Christian Villaneuva singled to start the comeback against Felipe Vazquez (2-1), who blew a save for the first time in 10 chances this season.

Kirby Yates (3-0) allowed a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth to Josh Harrison, but got the win. Brad Hand worked around a pair of walks in the ninth for his 13th save.

TWINS 3, BREWERS 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Logan Morrison hit a two-run single, and four relievers worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings to lift the Twins over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Addison Reed (1-3) struck out one batter in one hitless inning. Fernando Rodney fanned the side in the ninth for his ninth save.

Taylor Williams (0-2) walked Brian Dozier to lead off the eighth. Boone Logan entered and walked Max Kepler. Eddie Rosario was out on a swinging bunt that moved the runners to second and third, and Eduardo Escobar was intentionally walked to load the bases in front of Morrison.

ASTROS 3, INDIANS 1

HOUSTON — Lance McCullers allowed one hit over seven innings and Brian McCann hit a two-run homer to lead the Astros past the Cleveland Indians.

With the game still scoreless in the seventh inning, McCann sent the ball over the Astros’ bullpen in right-center field off an 87 mph changeup from Indians starter Carlos Carrasco (5-3). The homer brought home Yuli Gurriel, who led off the inning with a single.

The defending champion Astros had recently struggled against Cleveland, entering Sunday as losers of six of their previous seven meetings. But McCullers (6-2) was perfect through five innings. Jason Kipnis led off the sixth with a single on a 2-2 count, but the Indians were unable to get much else going against McCullers. Ken Giles earned his eighth save of the season.