CHICAGO (AP) — and two RBIs, Shota Imanaga pitched six innings of one-run ball and the Chicago Cubs extended their winning streak to nine games with an 8-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.
The Cubs completed a four-game sweep of the Reds and won their 15th straight game at Wrigley Field for their longest home winning streak since 1935.
The Cubs (26-12) seized control by scoring seven runs in the fourth inning. Reds starter Rhett Lowder left the game in the inning with what the team said was right shoulder tightness. The Reds (20-18) lost their seventh straight.
Imanaga (4-2), who threw seven scoreless innings in his previous start, extended that run to 12 innings before Sal Stewart hit a solo homer in the sixth. The 32-year-old left-hander allowed four hits and three walks while striking out 10 for his fifth career double-digit strikeout game.
Lowder (3-3) walked the first two batters of the fourth before leaving with a 1-0 count to Michael Busch. Reliever Connor Phillips allowed both inherited runners to score as the Cubs pushed seven runs across for their highest scoring inning of the season.
Conforto, in the lineup to give Seiya Suzuki a day off in right field, hit his second home run of the season off Lowder in the bottom of the second. He also slammed into the wall to make an inning-ending catch in the fifth with two runners on base.
Ian Happ walked in the bottom of the fourth to extend his on-base streak to 28 games, the second-longest active streak in MLB.
YANKEES 9, RANGERS 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Trent Grisham hit a go-ahead, three-run double in a six-run sixth inning, and New York beat Texas for its 16th win in 19 games on an afternoon the Rangers misplayed four balls in a difficult sun.
after crashing into the wall while catching Brandon Nimmo’s drive leading off the first. Domínguez went for an MRI of his left shoulder and was put into a concussion protocol.
AL-best New York won its sixth straight series while sending the Rangers to their seventh loss in 10 games.
Yankees scheduled starter Ryan Weathers was scratched because of illness, Paul Blackburn pitched the first and 27-year-old right-hander Brendan Beck allowed two runs, two hits and three walks in three innings-plus of his major league debut.
Brent Headrick (3-0) pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings. Grisham and Cody Bellinger had three hits each.
Max Schuemann made his first start this season at shortstop and doubled in the seventh for his first Yankees hit and RBI.
NATIONALS 7, TWINS 5
WASHINGTON (AP) — Keibert Ruiz homered, doubled twice and drove in four runs to lift Washington to a victory over Minnesota.
Ruiz’s solo shot off John Klein (0-1) broke a 5-all tie in the seventh, and Curtis Mead added an RBI single later that inning. PJ Poulin (3-0) won in relief, and Gus Varland got four outs for his fourth save.
Ryan Jeffers homered for Minnesota.
Brooks Lee opened the scoring with a two-run single for the Twins in the second, but Kody Clemens was thrown out at home by center fielder Jacob Young when he tried to score on Tristan Gray’s flyout. That was one of several crucial mistakes by Minnesota.
With two out in the third, Austin Martin rounded third too far on Jeffers’ double, getting caught in a rundown for the third out. Then Washington tied it when Ruiz doubled home Young and scored on Nasim Nuñez’s sacrifice fly.
Gray put the Twins up 3-2 with a run-scoring single in the fifth, but Ruiz hit a two-run double in the bottom half, and with the bases loaded and one out, second baseman Luke Keaschall and right fielder Matt Wallner let Mead’s popup fall between them, enabling another run to score.
Jeffers’ solo shot in the sixth made it 5-4, but reliever Orlando Ribalta struck out Byron Buxton with the bases loaded to keep Washington ahead. After pinch-hitter Josh Bell tied it with an RBI double in the seventh, Ruiz and the Nats answered with two quick runs.
GUARDIANS 8, ROYALS 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bo Naylor hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning and Kyle Manzardo a two-run double that opened the scoring in the first to lead Cleveland over Kansas City.
The Guardians greeted Seth Lugo with five hits in a three-run first inning highlighted by Manzardo’s double to the wall in right-center.
Petey Halpin got his first career RBI with a third-inning single, extending Cleveland’s lead to 4-0.
In the sixth, Halpin walked, stole second and scored on Carter Jensen’s passed ball for a 5-1 lead.
Naylor’s homer into the right-field bullpen cemented the victory.
In 5 1/3 innings, Slade Cecconi (2-4) limited the Royals to two runs on six hits while walking three and striking out three.
Cecconi walked two in the first, but escaped a bases-loaded situation as the Royals twice left the bases full. Kansas City left 10 runners on base, six in scoring position.
Cade Smith struck out two to earn his 10th save.
PIRATES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2
PHOENIX (AP) — Brandon Lowe had three hits, including his 10th homer, and Joey Bart also went deep to back Mitch Keller, and Pittsburgh beat Arizona.
Keller (4-1) went six-plus innings, retiring 10 straight between Corbin Carroll’s solo home run in the third and Ildemaro Vargas’ single leading off the seventh. That hit ended Keller’s day after 84 pitches. He gave up four hits and two runs, walked two and struck out four.
Ryan O’Hearn and Spencer Horwitz delivered two-out RBI singles in the fifth inning to put Pittsburgh ahead 3-2. The Pirates won two of three in the series.
Gregory Soto retired the side in order the ninth for his third save.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen (1-3) pitched six innings, allowing six hits and four runs, walking two and striking out five.
ROCKIES 6, METS 2
DENVER (AP) — Jake McCarthy hit a grand slam and matched a career-high with five RBIs as the Colorado Rockies snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over New York.
By ending their skid, the Rockies avoided just the third winless homestand of at least six games in franchise history.
The eighth-inning grand slam snapped a 2-2 tie and was the second home run in as many days for McCarthy, who had entered the series without a homer in his previous 22 games with at least one at-bat.
The homer, which snuck just inside the foul pole in right field, was upheld after being reviewed by umpires.
McCarthy, who is hitting .354 since April 5, had previously tied the game in the sixth inning with an RBI double to center field.
Antonio Senzatela (2-0) threw two scoreless innings to earn the win. Colorado’s bullpen shut out the Mets across 3 1/3 innings, a stretch in which they allowed just one hit.
Craig Kimbrel (0-2) took the loss after allowing McCarthy’s grand slam, a swing that ballooned his ERA from 3.68 to 7.56.
ATHLETICS 12, PHILLIES 1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — J.T. Ginn pitched eight stellar innings, Zack Gelof homered, tripled and drove in three runs, and the Athletics cruised to a win over Philadelphia to avoid a three-game sweep.
Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson also went deep for the AL West leaders. Nick Kurtz extended his on-base streak to 31 games with a first-inning walk.
Kyle Schwarber homered for the Phillies, who lost for just the second time in 10 games under interim manager Don Mattingly.
Ginn (1-1), making his sixth start after being elevated from the bullpen, allowed one run on four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.
Every starter in the batting order had a hit for the A’s, who finished with 13.
Langeliers and Rooker each hit a two-run shot off rookie Andrew Painter (1-4) in a four-run first inning. Wilson made it 7-0 in the third with another two-run drive against Painter, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Rooker’s RBI single in the fourth upped the advantage to 8-0.
Painter, the No. 13 overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2021 amateur draft, gave up eight runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 6.89.
MARLINS 4, ORIOLES 3
MIAMI (AP) — Joe Mack scored the winning run in the ninth inning on a throwing error by third baseman Coby Mayo, and Miami beat Baltimore to avoid a series sweep and snap a four-game losing streak.
Mack, called up from the minors on Monday, hit a two-out double off Andrew Kittredge (0-1) before Javier Sanoja sent a grounder to third. Mayo bobbled the ball and then made a wild throw to first base, allowing Mack to score.
Pete Alonso tied it for Baltimore in the eighth with a run-scoring single that stretched his season-high hitting streak to eight games. He finished the series in Miami with four hits, six RBIs and a homer.
Calvin Faucher (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.
Liam Hicks gave the Marlins their first lead of the three-game series with his ninth home run — a 386-foot drive against Cade Povich in the first that drove in Connor Norby and gave Hicks a major league-leading 34 RBIs.
Norby added a run-scoring single in the third.
Povich exited with left forearm discomfort after three innings. He allowed three hits and three runs with one strikeout before being relieved by Yennier Cano.
RAYS 8, RED SOX 4
BOSTON (AP) — Pinch-hitter Chandler Simpson broke a sixth-inning tie with a two-run single and Tampa Bay won its seventh straight game by beating Boston.
Simpson added an RBI triple in the eighth for the Rays, who have won 13 of 14 overall. Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer in the ninth, his 10th of the season, and Yandy Díaz got his 1,000th career hit.
Tampa Bay used four relievers to cover the final five innings. Hunter Bigge (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
Making his second major league start, Boston left-hander Jake Bennett (1-1) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead in the third behind RBI singles from Ben Williamson and Cedric Mullins and a sacrifice fly by Díaz. Boston tied it in the bottom half as Ceddanne Rafaela and Caleb Durbin produced run-scoring hits. The Rays also committed an error that led to a run.
Wilyer Abreu drove in a run for Boston, which was coming off a three-game sweep of Detroit on the road.
Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax gave up three runs (two earned) and four hits in four innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked one.
