DeGrom, Mets outduel Nola, Phillies 1-0 in NL East showdown

New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
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NEW YORK — Jacob deGrom struck out 10 in six dominant innings and Edwin Díaz earned his 200th career save, helping the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 on Saturday night.

Pete Alonso hit an early RBI single as the NL East leaders improved to 31-9 following a loss and 10-4 in the season series with Philadelphia. Alonso leads the NL with 97 RBIs.

Díaz issued two walks in the ninth, and Philadelphia had runners on second and third when Nick Castellanos struck out swinging for the final out. It was Díaz’s 27th save of the season.

DeGrom (2-0) allowed two hits and walked none in his third start after spending the first part of the season on the injured list. It was deGrom’s second double-digit strikeout game since returning and his 55th in the regular season overall.

Philadelphia wasted a terrific performance by Aaron Nola (8-9), who allowed four hits in eight innings. The right-hander struck out eight and walked one. The Phillies finished with three hits.

DODGERS 13, ROYALS 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Max Muncy had a homer and four RBIs, Mookie Betts hit his team-leading 26th home run and Los Angeles extended its winning streak to 12 games with a win over Kansas City.

Muncy went 4 for 5, including his 14th homer of the season, a two-run shot to right field in the fourth inning. Betts led off the game with a homer as part of a five-run first inning. A season-high six Dodgers homered, including Joey Gallo, Cody Bellinger, Will Smith and Gavin Lux.

Andrew Heaney allowed two runs with five strikeouts in three innings. Dodgers relievers Caleb Ferguson, Chris Martin, Phil Bickford (2-1) and Reyes Moronta held Kansas City to a run.

Brad Keller (6-13) gave up a career-high tying eight runs in three innings, with three strikeouts and three walks.

YANKEES 3, RED SOX 2

BOSTON — Isiah Kiner-Falefa drove in the go-ahead run with a safety squeeze in the ninth inning and hit his first career homer with New York, sending the AL East-leading Yankees past Boston for their second win in 10 games and manager Aaron Boone’s 400th career victory with the Yankees.

Alex Verdugo had two hits for Boston, which had won its last two games, including a dramatic 3-2 win over New York in 10 innings on Friday night.

Andrew Benintendi sparked New York’s winning rally with a one-out double off the center-field wall against John Schreiber (3-2). Jose Trevino reached on an infield hit before Kiner-Falefa laid down a perfect bunt toward first base on the next pitch, with Benintendi scoring on a headfirst slide.

Aroldis Chapman (1-3) got four outs for the victory. Scott Effross worked a rocky ninth for his second save.

BLUE JAYS 2, GUARDIANS 1

TORONTO — Teoscar Hernández hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning, Matt Chapman also connected and Toronto ended Cleveland’s six-game winning streak.

Hernández and Chapman connected off Guardians starter Triston McKenzie, who has lost three of his past four decisions. McKenzie (8-9) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings as the AL Central leaders lost for the third time in 10 games.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extended his career-best hitting streak to 22 games with a double in the first as the Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing streak.

Anthony Bass (3-3) pitched one inning for the win as five Toronto relievers combined to pitch 4 1/3 shutout innings in relief of Mitch White. Jordan Romano earned his 26th save in 30 chances.

NATIONALS 4, PADRES 3

WASHINGTON — San Diego and new slugger Juan Soto repeatedly failed to come through in the clutch against his former club, and last-place Washington beat the wild-card-chasing Padres when the go-ahead run scored thanks to an overruled call on a play at the plate.

Playing their second game since learning of Fernando Tatis’ steroid suspension, the Padres built a 3-0 lead thanks in part to solo homers from Manny Machado and Trent Grisham. But Yu Darvish (10-6) gave away that edge on back-to-back deep balls off the bats of Yadiel Hernandez and Joey Meneses in the sixth.

With Luis García on in relief, Victor Robles smacked a single to right and César Hernández (three hits, stolen base) raced home.

Soto’s throw reached home just as Hernández did — and the immediate on-field ruling was that the runner was out. But Washington challenged, saying catcher Austin Nola blocked the plate, and the appeal succeeded, meaning the run counted and the Nationals snapped the 3-all tie.

Washington’s Kyle Finnegan (4-2) threw a scoreless seventh, and Carl Edwards Jr. worked the ninth for his second save of the season.

BREWERS 3, CARDINALS 2, 10 INNINGS

ST. LOUIS — Hunter Renfroe tripled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and St. Louis wasted a magnificent start by Adam Wainwright.

Milwaukee moved within a half-game of NL Central-leading St. Louis, ending the Cardinals’ nine-game home winning streak.

Wainwright took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and ended up finishing nine, allowing one run on three hits with eight strikeouts in his 109-pitch outing.

Corbin Burnes allowed one run on four hits in seven innings for the Brewers.

Milwaukee tied it 1-1 on Luis Urías’ eighth-inning homer, and Devin Williams (4-2) retired the side in order in the ninth.

Renfroe led off the 10th with a triple to right against Giovanny Gallegos (2-5), scoring automatic runner Andrew McCutchen. He later scored on Kolten Wong’s sacrifice fly.

Matt Bush allowed Dylan Carlson’s sacrifice fly in the 10th but struck out the next two batters for his third save.

BRAVES 6, MARLINS 2, 2ND GAME

BRAVES 5, MARLINS 2, 1ST GAME

MIAMI — Ronald Acuña homered on the first pitch of the game, Matt Olson hit his 24th homer and Atlanta completed a doubleheader sweep of Miami.

Rookie Vaughn Grissom also went deep for the surging Braves, who won their fifth straight after losing four of five to the NL East-leading New York Mets.

In the first game, Chadwick Thompson doubled twice, singled and drove in three runs to lead Atlanta.

Acuña’s shot over the wall in center was his 26th career leadoff homer. He also has 10 career blasts on the first pitch, four against Miami.

Braves starter Ian Anderson (10-6) scattered two runs in six innings, giving up five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The Marlins have lost 12 of 13 at home and scored 23 runs total through their first 12 games in August.

Jesús Aguilar homered for the Marlins. Tommy Nance (0-1) pitched the first three innings of the planned bullpen game for Miami, allowing one run and two hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

In the opener, Matt Olson homered and Acuña and Robbie Grossman had two hits each for the Braves. Kyle Muller (1-1) scattered two runs and three hits in five innings, striking out five and walking one

Jesús Luzardo (3-5) allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out six and walking two for the Marlins.

RAYS 8, ORIOLES 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — All-Star Shane McClanahan stopped a two-start losing streak, working six solid innings as Tampa Bay moved in front of Baltimore in the AL wild-card race.

McClanahan (11-5) gave up two runs, seven hits and three walks, and had five strikeouts. Jose Siri had three hits and scored three runs, including on Taylor Walls’ two-run homer in the eighth.

DL Hall (0-1) allowed five runs, five hits and three walks along with six strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings in his major league debut as the Orioles lost for the third time in 11 games, falling one-half game behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and wild-card standings.

ASTROS 8, ATHLETICS 0

HOUSTON — Lance McCullers Jr. pitched six shutout innings in his season debut, Alex Bregman homered and Trey Mancini had three hits as Houston blanked Oakland.

McCullers, an All-Star in 2017, allowed two hits, struck out five and walked four, tossing 47 of his 81 pitches for strikes. It’s his first shutout since August 31, 2021. The 28-year-old McCullers (1-0) pitched for the first time in 305 days for Houston, last going for the Astros in Game 4 of the 2021 AL Divisional Series against the Chicago White Sox. McCullers went on to miss the 2021 ALCS and World Series for the Astros due to a right flexor tendon strain.

Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick each had an RBI triple for Houston.

Oakland starter Zach Logue (3-6) gave up six runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out two in 5 1/3 innings.

CUBS 7, REDS 2

CINCINNATI — Ian Happ, Willson Contreras and Franmil Reyes homered, powering the Cubs to their third straight win.

Happ hit an RBI single in the fifth inning and a three-run shot in the seventh, continuing his long run of success at Cincinnati. The All-Star outfielder has 16 career homers at Great American Ball Park.

Reyes’ two-run drive in the fourth was his first homer since he was claimed off waivers from Cleveland on Monday.

Kyle Farmer had two RBIs for last-place Cincinnati, which has dropped five straight. Graham Ashcraft (5-3) was charged with four runs, three earned, and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

The Cubs and Reds resumed their series in Cincinnati after playing in Thursday night’s “Field of Dreams” game in Dyersville, Iowa.

Sean Newcomb (1-0) pitched two innings for the win.

WHITE SOX 6, TIGERS 4

CHICAGO — Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning for the second consecutive night, AJ Pollock homered in the eighth and Chicago handed Detroit its sixth straight loss.

Vaughn had three hits for the White Sox, who moved within 2 1/2 games of AL Central leader Cleveland. His single off Joe Jiménez (3-2) gave the White Sox a 5-4 lead in the seventh.

Lucas Giolito (9-6) overcame a rough second inning, allowing four runs and eight hits in seven innings.

Liam Hendriks worked the ninth for his 25th save in 28 chances.

RANGERS 7, MARINERS 4

ARLINGTON, Texas — Corey Seager matched a career high with his 26th homer and rookie Bubba Thompson drove in a run with a sacrifice squeeze bunt as Texas snapped a nine-game losing streak to Seattle.

Texas trailed 3-0 before a four-run outburst in the fourth inning against Marco Gonzalez (7-12). That was capped by Thompson’s bunt pushed to the right side as Charlie Culberson crossed home plate.

Eugenio Suárez homered and had a sac fly for the Mariners, who dropped a half-game behind Toronto for the American League’s top wild card.

Brett Martin (1-7) got the win after facing only one batter. The left-hander got an inning-ending double play grounder in the fifth after replacing Dane Dunning.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, ROCKIES 0

DENVER — Zac Gallen pitched two-hit ball over seven innings, Emmanuel Rivera went deep twice for his first career multi-homer game, and Arizona beat Colorado.

Gallen (8-2) struck out six and extended his shutout streak to 14 innings over his past two starts. He retired 13 of his last 14 batters.

Alek Thomas made a great catch on the last play of the game to preserve the shutout, leaping and reaching over the wall in center to take away a likely two-run homer by C.J. Cron.

Rivera homered in the first and third innings against José Ureña (1-4).

GIANTS 2, PIRATES 0

SAN FRANCISCO — Logan Webb struck out nine in eight sparkling innings, and San Francisco beat Pittsburgh.

Webb (11-5) allowed five hits and walked two in his second straight win. Camilo Doval got three outs for his 17th save.

LaMonte Wade Jr. hit a solo homer, helping San Francisco to its fifth win in seven games. Wade also doubled and scored on Joc Pederson’s double in the first.

Rodolfo Castro had two hits in Pittsburgh’s fifth loss in six games. Tyler Beede (1-2) allowed two runs and three hits in three innings while serving as the opener for the Pirates.

ANGELS 5, TWINS 3, 11 INNINGS

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani hit a homer in the eighth inning to get the Angels’ offense started, and Taylor Ward hit a game-ending two-run blast to right-center in the 11th inning as Los Angeles rallied to beat Minnesota.

It was Ward’s second career game-ending hit as the Angels won for the fourth time in five games.

Carlos Correa hit a home and Luis Arraez had three hits for the Twins, who blew a three-run lead in the eighth inning and remained 1 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.

Emilio Pagan (3-6) gave up Ward’s home run in the 11th. Six Angels pitchers combined to record 15 strikeouts, with Ryan Tepera (3-2) earning the win.