MLB roundup: Keuchel solid again to help Astros over A’s

HOUSTON — Evan Gattis hit a two-run homer to help Dallas Keuchel earn his eighth straight win, and the Houston Astros kept rolling with a 6-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday.

The Astros improved to an American League-best 27-14, giving them the best start through 41 games in franchise history. Sitting atop the AL West, this is the latest the Astros have led their division since May 22, 2004.

Keuchel (6-0) allowed six hits and no earned runs in seven innings to lower his ERA to 1.67. He’s won eight straight decisions dating back to last year, which is the longest streak by a starter in the majors. And his 6-0 mark this year is the best by an Astro since Roger Clemens opened the 2004 season at 9-0.

NATIONALS 3, YANKEES 2

WASHINGTON — Cleanup hitter Bryce Harper and manager Matt Williams were both ejected in the third inning, but Washington came back to beat New York on Denard Span’s tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh.

Harper, the NL Player of the Week twice in a row, entered with 10 homers in his previous 12 games.

In his second at-bat, he got into an argument with plate umpire Marvin Hudson after a first-pitch strike call and was tossed. Williams then came out of the dugout to move Harper out of the way and get in Hudson’s face, leading to the second ejection.

After getting kicked out, Williams went over and kicked dirt on home plate — with one swipe by each foot.

Span drove in an unearned, go-ahead run with a bases-loaded single off reliever Justin Wilson.

GIANTS 4, DODGERS 0

SAN FRANCISCO — Buster Posey hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning through a thick mist hovering above the field, Tim Lincecum won his third straight decision and San Francisco beat Los Angeles for its fifth straight victory.

Brandon Crawford had an RBI single among his three hits and Angel Pagan backed Lincecum with his glove by stealing an extra-base hit from Yasmani Grandal with a great catch at the wall in center field in the seventh. San Francisco matched its season-high winning streak and pulled within 2½ games of NL West-leading Los Angeles.

Lincecum (4-2) won a fourth straight home start for the first time since July 4-Aug. 1, 2009. He struck out four over seven innings to pass Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell for fourth place on the franchise all-time list with 1,680 Ks.

INDIANS 4, WHITE SOX 3

CHICAGO — Shaun Marcum won his first start in almost two years, Michael Brantley had a two-run double in the seventh inning, and Cleveland beat Chicago.

Recalled earlier Wednesday from Triple-A Columbus, Marcum went 6 2-3 innings and gave up two runs and four hits and struck out six for the Indians, who have won four of six.

Jose Ramirez had two hits and two runs and reached base four times in a game that began after a 31-minute rain delay.

Marcum (1-0) hadn’t started a game in the major leagues since July 6, 2013, for the New York Mets. He was later diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which involves nerves near the neck and caused tingling and numbness in Marcum’s right hand, eventually leading to shoulder surgery.

He’s made one appearance in relief this season, throwing five innings and allowing one run against Detroit on April 12.

CARDINALS 9, METS 0

NEW YORK — Matt Adams hit a long three-run homer, Jason Heyward also connected and St. Louis enjoyed a second consecutive offensive outburst, roughing up Bartolo Colon in a rout of New York.

Matt Holliday and Kolten Wong both had three hits to back Carlos Martinez (4-2), who pitched 6 1-3 innings of four-hit ball in ending his two-game skid. Following a 10-2 victory Tuesday night, the Cardinals improved the best record in the majors to 27-13.

Pitching four days before his 42nd birthday, Colon (6-3) finally began to show his age.

Trying again to become baseball’s first seven-game winner, he was hit hard all game and even walked two batters — one more than he had all season.

And coupled with Washington’s victory over the New York Yankees, the Mets’ loss dropped them out of first place in the NL East for the first time since April 14.

ROYALS 7, REDS 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeremy Guthrie pitched six shutout innings and Kansas City beat Cincinnati.

The Royals tied a club record with 24 consecutive scoreless innings, which was set June 9-12, 1976. That streak ended in the seventh when Brandon Phillips’ two-out double off reliever Ryan Madson scored Zack Cozart.

The Royals, who won for the fifth time in six games, improved to 26-14, the franchise’s best record after 40 games.

Guthrie (4-2) pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out predicament in the first inning and won his third straight start. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out three. Guthrie retired 13 on fly balls and two on grounders.

Reds right-hander Jason Marquis (3-4) was pulled after 3 2-3 innings, yielding four runs, four hits, two sacrifice flies, two walks and a wild pitch. In losing his past three starts, Marquis has surrendered 21 hits and 15 runs in 12 1-3 innings for a 15.33 ERA.

PHILLIES 4, ROCKIES 2

DENVER — Rookie Severino Gonzalez pitched five solid innings, Ryan Howard homered and Philadelphia Phillies beat Colorado for its seventh win in eight games.

Gonzalez (2-1), recalled prior to the game from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, allowed a run on five hits in his third big league start. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his 11th save in 11 chances.

The Phillies took a 2-0 lead at the outset against Eddie Butler (2-5), who labored to get through a 43-pitch first inning. He had a chance to escape unscathed but with two on and two outs, he short-hopped a throw to first on Maikel Franco’s comebacker for an error, allowing Howard to score from third. Jeff Francouer followed with an RBI single.

RANGERS 2, RED SOX 1

BOSTON — Phil Klein allowed one run in his first major league start, Robinson Chirinos hit a solo homer and Texas beat Boston.

The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Elvis Andrus after singles by Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland. They made it 2-0 in the third when Chirinos hit his fourth homer of the season.

Klein, called up Wednesday from Triple-A Round Rock, allowed four hits through four scoreless innings before giving up a leadoff homer to Xander Bogaerts, his second of the year, in the fifth.

Texas won for only the second time in six games and split the first two games of the three-game series.

Klein (1-0), who has 23 relief appearances in his career, left with runners at first and second and one out in the sixth.

CUBS 3, PADRES 2

SAN DIEGO — Left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada struck out nine in 4 2-3 innings in his season debut and Kris Bryant drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth to lead Chicago to a victory against San Diego.

Wada opened the season on the disabled list with a left groin strain and made six rehab starts. He struck out seven of the first nine Padres batters.

His only mistake was allowing a two-run homer to Justin Upton to straightaway center field to give the Padres a 2-1 lead with two outs in the fourth. It was his team-leading 11th, and Derek Norris was aboard on a one-out single.

The Cubs retook the lead in the fifth against Tyson Ross (2-4). Wada drew a leadoff walk and scored on Dexter Fowler’s triple to right, just beating the relay throw by Jedd Gyorko. Fowler came in on Bryant’s sac fly to left.

ANGELS 4, BLUE JAYS 3

TORONTO — Marc Krauss hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning and Los Angeles rallied to beat Toronto for its seventh win in nine games.

Mike Trout hit a solo homer and Jered Weaver pitched seven innings to win his third straight start. The Angels have rallied to win in five of their past six victories.

Krauss’s key hit came one inning after he replaced Albert Pujols, who left after being hit on the left hand by a pitch from Toronto’s Drew Hutchison. The Angels said Pujols suffered a contusion.

Weaver (3-4) allowed three runs and four hits.

Joe Smith worked the eighth and Huston Street finished for his 14th save.

Toronto lost for the ninth time in 11 games.

BRAVES 2, RAYS 1

ATLANTA — Williams Perez gave up one run over five innings in his first major league start and fellow rookie Todd Cunningham drove in the tiebreaking run with a groundout as Atlanta beat Tampa Bay.

The Braves bullpen threw four scoreless innings to close out the win for Brandon Cunniff (2-0). Jason Grilli picked up his 12th save to ensure a split of the two-game series.

Freddie Freeman scored the go-ahead run after reaching on a ground-rule double in the sixth inning. He advanced to third on Nick Markakis’ single and scored on Cunningham’s grounder.

Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi (3-4) allowed two runs and four hits over six innings. It was the eighth time this season the Rays have scored two runs or less in one of his starts.

TWINS 4, PIRATES 3, 13 INNINGS

PITTSBURGH — Joe Mauer hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot off Antonio Bastardo in the 13th inning to help Minnesota to a victory over Pittsburgh.

Mauer’s fly ball to right reached the first row of seats, his first home run since Aug. 17, 2014. Torii Hunter went 3 for 5 with three RBIs for the Twins, who improved to an AL-best 13-5 in May.

Brian Duensing (2-0) picked up the win. Glen Perkins worked the last inning for his major league-leading 15th save.

Josh Harrison went 3 for 6 for the Pirates. Andrew McCutchen had three hits, including a solo home run off Blaine Boyer in the eighth but the Pirates fell to 0-6 in extra-inning games when Bastardo (0-1) let Mauer go deep.

Pittsburgh has lost six of seven and moved a season-worst four games under .500.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, MARLINS 1

MIAMI — Chase Anderson allowed four hits in a career-high eight innings and Arizona dealt Miami its sixth straight loss.

David Peralta drove in three runs and A.J. Pollock had three of the Diamondbacks’ six stolen bases. He had three hits and scored four times.

Anderson (1-1) picked up his first win of the season in eight starts. He walked one while striking out two. Anderson pitched into the ninth and left the bases loaded with nobody out, but Brad Ziegler was able to finish off the Marlins allowing just one run to score.

The Marlins have lost nine of 10 overall and all three games under new manager Dan Jennings.

David Phelps (2-1) allowed four runs, five hits, and three walks in five innings.

MARINERS 4, ORIOLES 2

BALTIMORE — Roenis Elias took a four-hitter into the eighth inning, Justin Ruggiano homered and Seattle beat Wei-Yin Chen and Baltimore.

Elias (1-1) allowed one run, six hits and no walks in 7 2-3 innings. The left-hander did not permit a runner past first base until the seventh inning and at one point retired 10 in a row.

Although Elias didn’t give up more than three runs in any of his previous four starts this season, the Mariners scored only six runs while he was in the game.

Ruggiano turned things around this time, scoring twice and driving in two runs. He came in batting .213 with one homer and one RBI in 26 games.

Carson Smith got the last out in the eighth and Fernando Rodney got his 10th save.

TIGERS 5, BREWERS 2

DETROIT — Nick Castellanos hit a bases-loaded triple with two out in the eighth inning to lift Detroit to a victory.

The Tigers avoided a sweep in the three-game series thanks to a rally in their final at-bat. With two out, nobody on and the score tied at 2, Jonathan Broxton (1-1) allowed consecutive singles by J.D. Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes and a walk to Tyler Collins.

Castellanos’ line drive down the line dropped in, then skipped past right fielder Gerardo Parra to clear the bases.

Blaine Hardy (2-0) struck out the only batter he faced for the win, and Joakim Soria pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 13 chances.

Ryan Braun homered for the Brewers.