Marlins complete sweep of Nationals to move 10 games over .500 for 1st time since 2011
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jesús Luzardo earned his first victory in three career starts at Nationals Park and the Miami Marlins beat Washington 4-2 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep and move 10 games over .500 for the first time in 12 years.
The Marlins improved to 41-31 and are off to the second-best start in franchise history through 72 games, behind the 1997 team that was 43-29 and went on to win the World Series. Miami, 10 games over .500 for the first time since May 28, 2011, has swept the Nationals in three of its four trips to Washington since the start of last season.
Lane Thomas homered and Patrick Corbin (4-8) took the loss for Washington, which has lost three in a row and 11 of 13. The Nationals are an NL-worst 27-43 and are a season-high 16 games under .500.
Luzardo (6-5), who was drafted by Washington in 2016, allowed five hits and two runs over six innings while striking out five. Andrew Nardi picked up his second save.
PADRES 5, RAYS 4
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado drove in two runs, Joe Musgrove worked six solid innings and Fernando Tatis Jr. and catcher Austin Nola teamed up to punch out a potential tying run at home plate as San Diego beat MLB-leading Tampa Bay to take the three-game series.
The Padres were ahead 5-4 in the top of the eighth inning when Tatis threw a near-strike to Nola at the plate to get Manuel Margot, who was trying to tie the game by scoring from second base on a single to right field by Christian Bethancourt.
Musgrove (5-2) lasted six innings, allowing two runs and six hits with one strikeout. Josh Hader worked a scoreless ninth for his 18th save.
Machado drove in solo runs in the third and fifth innings on a sacrifice fly and a single.
Rays starter Yonny Chirinos (3-2) went 4-2/3 innings, giving up five runs, three earned, and six hits. Randy Arozarena had three hits in the loss.
GUARDIANS 12, DIAMONDBACKS 3
PHOENIX (AP) — Josh Naylor had four hits and three RBIs, and Cleveland pounded out 16 hits and avoided a three-game sweep.
The Guardians cruised through the series finale, scoring two runs in the first, three in the second and six more in the fourth for an 11-1 lead. Right-hander Tanner Bibee (3-2) gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out six and walking three.
Steven Kwan scored four times and drove in three runs. Myles Straw, Will Brennan, Amed Rosario and Tyler Freeman all had two hits.
Arizona’s Christian Walker hit a solo homer. Zach Davies (1-3) gave up nine runs, including eight earned, over 3 2/3 innings. He surrendered nine hits, walked one and struck out two.
REDS 9, ASTROS 7
HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie Elly De La Cruz and Jake Fraley drove in runs in a three-run 10th inning as Cincinnati extended the longest active winning streak in the majors to eight games/
It’s Cincinnati’s longest string of wins since winning 10 straight in July 2012.
Nick Senzel started the 10th as the automatic runner and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. The Reds took the lead when Senzel scored on an error. Seth Martinez (1-3) plunked Jonathan India before an RBI single by De La Cruz made it 8-6. Fraley grounded out to score another run and pad the lead.
Alex Bregman cut the lead to 9-7 with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the inning. But Alex Young retired Kyle Tucker for his first save.
ANGELS 5, ROYALS 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout hit back-to-back home runs, helping Los Angeles defeat Kansas City in the finale of a three-game series.
It’s the sixth time this season, and 28th overall, that Ohtani and Trout have homered in the same game. Jared Walsh led off the ninth with a solo home run.
Tyler Anderson (4-1) surrendered two runs on six hits in five innings to earn the win. Carlos Estevez notched his 19th save in 19 tries.
ORIOLES 6, CUBS 3
CHICAGO (AP) — Adam Frazier and Jorge Mateo each had an RBI single in Baltimore’s three-run sixth inning in a win over Chicago.
Anthony Santander homered for Baltimore, and Ramón Urías drove in two runs. Austin Hays had three of the team’s 14 hits.
The Orioles, winners of six of seven when they arrived in Chicago, dropped the first two of the weekend series by a combined score of 13-5.
Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer (8-3) struck out seven while working five innings of three-run ball. Félix Bautista pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 23 chances.
