CLEVELAND (AP) — Gunnar Henderson singled in Alex Jackson with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Charlie Morton matched his longest start of the season, helping the Baltimore Orioles to a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday afternoon.
Henderson’s liner to right came against Erik Sabrowski, giving the loss to Guardians starter Logan Allen (6-9). The Orioles won for the second time in nine games and avoided a four-game series sweep.
Morton (6-8) went 6 2/3 innings and threw a season-high 107 pitches, giving up three runs while striking out seven. Gregory Soto tossed a clean ninth for his first save, filling in for injured closer Félix Bautista, who is on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort.
Steven Kwan hit a pair of solo homers and Nolan Jones had a sacrifice fly for Cleveland, which is 11-3 since July 7 and wrapped up its homestand with five wins in seven contests. The Guardians’ current surge came immediately after they lost 10 straight.
BLUE JAYS 11, TIGERS 4
DETROIT (AP) — Ernie Clement and Joey Loperfido hit back-to back hit home runs in the fifth inning to help surging rout slumping in a matchup of first-place teams going in opposite directions.
The AL East-leading Blue Jays have won 19 of their last 24 games, and the AL Central-leading Tigers have lost 10 of 11.
Clement’s three-run home run gave Toronto a 4-1 lead and Loperfido followed with a soaring, solo shot to right field.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a game-tying double in the sixth to bring home the first of five runs in the inning. Guerrero’s RBI double in the four-run seventh helped the Blue Jays pull away with a 9-1 lead.
The Blue Jays didn’t let up, going ahead 11-1 in the eighth on Nathan Lukes’ two-run homer.
ATHLETICS 5, ASTROS 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Luis Severino struck out eight in seven innings and Luis Urias homered to lead the Athletics to a victory over AL West-leading Houston.
Severino (4-11) allowed four hits and two earned runs as the A’s snapped a four-game skid. Mason Miller earned his 20th save.
Urias hit his eighth homer in the sixth inning and finished with two hits. Nick Kurtz went 3 for 5 with an RBI double in the two-run fourth inning. Max Schuemann also knocked in a run in the inning on a fielder’s choice grounder.
Christian Walker drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right field and Victor Caratini scored on a groundout by Cam Smith — all in the seventh inning — for the Astros, who had their four-game winning streak halted.
Jason Alexander (1-1), a former member of the Athletics who was claimed off waivers in May, allowed five earned runs and 11 hits in six innings. The 32-year-old right-hander finished with three strikeouts and two walks.
CARDINALS 9, PADRES 7
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras hit three-run homers in the second inning and St. Louis beat San Diego in the opener of a four-game series.
Willson had with four RBIs and Donovan finished with three hits. Iván Herrera had three hits and two RBIs, including a solo homer in the sixth.
Sonny Gray (10-4) gave up seven runs — six earned — on 11 hits with five strikeouts in five innings. Ryan Helsley pitched a scoreless ninth for his 20th save.
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado each had three hits for San Diego. Tatis led off the third with a home run and Machado added a two-run shot that made it 7-5.
