PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Orlando Arcia hit a pair of solo homers, the first one as part of back-to-back shots with Sean Murphy in the third inning, to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.
While both teams are about a lock to reach the playoffs, a split of the first two games of a four-game weekend set between the NL East rivals moved the Braves within five games of the division-leading Phillies with 27 games left in the season.
Reynaldo López (8-4) won his second straight start and has seemingly rebounded from an 0-3 June. López gave up one run and tossed four-hit ball over six innings. He struck out six.
BREWERS 5, REDS 4, 1ST GAME
BREWERS 14, REDS 0, 2ND GAME
CINCINNATI (AP) — DL Hall worked seven scoreless innings in the best start of his career, Willy Adames and Rhys Hoskins each homered and drove in three runs, and Milwaukee scored 10 runs in the ninth inning to pound Cincinnati and sweep a doubleheader.
The NL Central-leading Brewers won the opener 5-4 when automatic runner Eric Haase scored on a double play in the 10th inning, and Devin Williams made it stand up.
Making his sixth start of the season and seventh of his career, Hall (1-1) worked past the sixth inning for the first time in his first scoreless start. The 25-year-old left-hander, acquired in the offseason trade that sent ace Corbin Burnes to Baltimore, made his second appearance since returning from a left knee sprain that sidelined him in April.
Hall was in command throughout, allowing four hits and one walk and throwing just 83 pitches. He struck out nine Reds batters in 4 2/3 innings in his previous start on Aug. 11.
RED SOX 7, TIGERS 5, 10 INNINGS
DETROIT (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran homered in the 10th inning as Boston rebounded after squandering a four-run lead and beat Detroit.
The Tigers trailed 4-0 heading in the eighth inning, but rallied and forced extra innings by scoring three times in the eighth and once in the ninth.
But, Rafaela’s 14th homer off Shelby Miller (6-8) scored Nick Sogard and made it 6-4 with one out in the 10th. Duran, who doubled in his first two at-bats, hit Tyler Holton’s first pitch 431 feet into the right-field stands to make it a three-run game at 7-4.
Chris Martin pitched the 10th for Boston, allowing the automatic runner Riley Greene to score on a groundout before earning his second save.
CUBS 7, NATIONALS 6
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cody Bellinger homered to cap a seven-run second inning, and the Chicago Cubs held on to defeat Washington in the opener of a three-game series.
Chicago, which has scored 80 runs in its last eight games, improved to 6-1 on its three-city road trip. The Cubs have won 18 of 26 since July 31.
Dylan Crews homered for the second consecutive game for Washington, which was denied its first three-game winning streak since July 19-21.
Washington pushed three runs across in the ninth inning against relievers Tyson Miller and Drew Smyly, but Keegan Thompson entered to strike out Crews and record his second save.
YANKEES 6, CARDINALS 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Wells hit two-run homers in the third and eighth innings, powering the New York Yankees to a victory over St. Louis.
Wells hit a two-run shot in a three-run third off Erick Fedde (8-8) to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead. He connected again later off Riley O’Brien for a 6-3 lead.
It was Wells’ first career multihomer game and the rookie catcher is hitting .346 (28 for 81) with five homers and 21 RBIs in 20 games as New York’s cleanup hitter.
Marcus Stroman (10-6) allowed two runs and nine hits in seven gritty innings for his third straight win. Stroman completed seven innings for the first time since May 31 and is 3-0 in his last four outings.
GUARDIANS 10, PIRATES 8
CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Jhonkensy Noel hit a two-run homer and Andrés Giménez followed with a solo shot in the fifth inning, leading Cleveland to a win over the Pittsburgh.
Emmanuel Clase became Cleveland’s career saves leader, notching his 150th — and 40th this season — by working the ninth. Clase gave up a leadoff homer to Andrew McCutchen before getting three outs and passing Cody Allen on the club list.
Clase has a legitimate Cy Young case with an ERA under 1.00 and by converting 27 straight save opportunities since May 20.
Noel’s 450-foot blast off Carmen Mlodzinski (2-5) came after the Pirates had scored six in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead.