Judge hits No. 44, Yankees beat Mariners 9-4 to stop skid

SEATTLE — Aaron Judge hit his 44th homer, Josh Donaldson also went deep and drove in three runs, and the New York Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Seattle Mariners 9-4 on Monday night.

Donaldson doubled twice and Andrew Benintendi also had two doubles and three RBIs as the Yankees hammered Seattle pitching. But it wasn’t a perfect night — Matt Carpenter broke his left foot when he fouled off a pitch in the first inning.

Donaldson and Benintendi got it started as New York knocked around starter Logan Gilbert for seven earned runs and 10 hits — six for extra bases. That was plenty for Jameson Taillon (11-2), who scattered three hits over seven innings.

New York manager Aaron Boone held a team meeting ahead of the series opener in Seattle after the Yankees were swept in St. Louis last weekend. His message was mostly a reminder the Bronx Bombers are arguably the most talented team in the American League and following the trade deadline have the pieces to make this a special season.

Message received.

Donaldson had a two-run single in his first at-bat, launched his 11th home run with two outs in the third and hit the first of three consecutive doubles in the fifth that ended Gilbert’s night.

Benintendi’s two-out double in the third inning scored Gleyber Torres, and his double over the head of left fielder Jesse Winker in the fifth scored two and was the final batter for Gilbert.

Seattle’s young right-hander gave up a season high in runs and hits. It was the first time in 23 starts this season that Gilbert (10-5) failed to pitch at least five innings.

Taillon gave up solo home runs to Mitch Haniger in the first and Cal Raleigh in the seventh, but otherwise avoided major damage. J.P. Crawford worked an 11-pitch, bases-loaded walk in the fourth to plate a run, and Raleigh followed with a long fly ball that had home run distance but was pulled slightly foul.

Otherwise, Taillon cruised. He walked three and struck out six in winning his first start since beating Boston on July 16.

Judge connected in the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: 1B Anthony Rizzo was out of the lineup for the fourth straight game due to an ongoing back issue. Boone said the hope is Rizzo will have improved enough to return to the lineup Tuesday. Rizzo missed time in July with the same lower-back issue.

Mariners: Winker left in the fifth due to back spasms. He was replaced by Jake Lamb. … LHP Ryan Borucki exited in the ninth in the middle of an at-bat with an apparent injury after throwing a pitch to Benintendi. … Manager Scott Servais said CF Julio Rodriguez was going to take additional swings before Monday’s game to get a gauge on where he’s at with his wrist injury. Rodriguez could get activated Wednesday or Seattle could use Thursday’s off day and bring him back Friday. … INF/OF Dylan Moore (back spasms) is expected to come off the injured list Wednesday. … LHP Matthew Boyd (elbow) threw live batting practice as he continues his recovery from elbow surgery last September. Boyd’s next step is expected to be a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (9-4, 3.56 ERA) looks to rebound from his last start in which he allowed six runs in the first inning against Seattle. Cole is 6-3 with a 2.48 ERA in 10 career starts against the Mariners.

Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (5-4, 2.95) makes his first start at home since being acquired from Cincinnati. Castillo allowed three runs and struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings last week at Yankee Stadium in his first start for Seattle.

METS 5, REDS 1

NEW YORK — Chris Bassitt scattered eight hits over eight innings and Starling Marte hit a two-run homer in the first, leading the New York Mets to a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.

With their 13th victory in 15 games, the Mets extended their NL East lead to seven games over idle Atlanta.

Bassitt (9-7) allowed an unearned run and struck out eight. He threw 114 pitches, most by a Mets starter this year and two shy of his career high set in August 2019.

Reds starter and former Mets prospect Justin Dunn (0-1) permitted three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He was pitching in the majors for the first time since June 2021.

Daniel Vogelbach had an RBI single in the fourth and ex-Reds outfielder Tyler Naquin added a two-run triple in the eighth. Naquin was acquired from Cincinnati in a July 28 trade.

GIANTS 1, PADRES 0

SAN DIEGO — Alex Wood held San Diego to three singles in 6 1/3 innings and San Francisco benefited from an overturned call at the plate to beat the sputtering Padres.

Giants reliever Camino Doval retired the heart of San Diego’s order in the ninth — Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Josh Bell — to earn his 15th save.

It was the fifth straight loss and second consecutive shutout for the Padres, who fell to 1-5 since obtaining Soto and Bell in a blockbuster trade last Tuesday. Their streak of scoreless innings reached 23 dating to Saturday.

San Diego’s lead over Milwaukee for the NL’s third wild card is down to one game.

Wood (8-9) struck out five and walked none.

Blake Snell (4-6) allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings, striking out eight.

ORIOLES 7, BLUE JAYS 4

BALTIMORE — Ramón Urías hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays also went deep to lift Baltimore over Toronto.

The Orioles, who entered the day two games behind Seattle and Tampa Bay for the final two wild cards in the American League, pulled within three of Toronto for the first wild card. This was the first of 15 meetings down the stretch between the Blue Jays and Orioles.

Baltimore starter Jordan Lyles (9-8) yielded two runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Félix Bautista got four outs for his fifth save.

Cavan Biggio and Matt Chapman homered for the Blue Jays. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extended his hitting streak to 19 games, longest in the AL this year.

Yusei Kikuchi (4-6) allowed five runs and six hits in five-plus innings.

Baltimore has won six of seven.

CUBS 6, NATIONALS 3

CHICAGO — Keegan Thompson pitched six effective innings, and rookies Nelson Velázquez and Christopher Morel homered in the third as Chicago beat skidding Washington.

Thompson (9-5) gave up five hits and didn’t walk a batter. Luke Voit homered in the sixth to end the shutout bid.

Pinch-hitter Joey Meneses launched a two-run homer for the Nationals in the eighth. Rowan Wick pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.

Velázquez’s homer highlighted the first three-hit game of his career.

The Nationals (36-75) dropped their sixth straight and have been outscored 51-20 during that span. Anibal Sanchez (0-5) pitched five-plus innings, the longest outing by a Nationals starter during their losing streak.

ANGELS 1, ATHLETICS 0

OAKLAND, Calif. — José Suarez struck out eight in seven superb innings to outpitch fellow lefty Cole Irvin in Los Angeles’ victory over Oakland.

Luis Rengifo homered in the first and it held up. Suarez (4-4) gave up two hits while earning his second straight win against the Athletics. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 18 innings.

Aaron Loup pitched the eighth and Ryan Tepera finished for his second save to close out the two-hit shutout in just 2 hours, 14 minutes.

Irvin (6-9) permitted five hits in eight innings and struck out six. He also lost to the Angels last week despite allowing only two runs in six innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 3, PIRATES 0

PHOENIX — Zac Gallen pitched seven dominant innings, Ketel Marte hit a two-run single in the eighth and Arizona blanked Pittsburgh.

Gallen (7-2) gave up three hits and two walks while striking out eight on 89 pitches. The seven innings matched a career high he’s reached 13 times.

Joe Mantiply worked a perfect eighth and Ian Kennedy handled the ninth for his seventh save.

Pirates reliever Manny Bañuelos (0-1) took the loss.