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Rangers beat Orioles 11-2, Langford hits for Major League’s first cycle of season

 The Associated Press  |    Jun 30th, 2024 10:51pm EDT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Texas rookie Wyatt Langford became the first major leaguer to hit for the cycle this season, and the Rangers routed the Baltimore Orioles 11-2 on Sunday night to snap a six-game skid.

Derek Hill homered twice and Andrew Heaney (3-9) struck out 10 in seven innings for the Rangers, who had dropped the first three games of the series to fall nine games under .500. The defending World Series champions never trailed Sunday, scoring multiple runs in the second, fourth, fifth and eighth innings.

Langford tripled in the fourth, doubled in the fifth and singled in the sixth. Then the 22-year-old outfielder hit a drive down the left-field line in the eighth for a three-run homer to make it 11-2.

It was the first career four-hit game for Langford, who was drafted last year by the Rangers with the No. 4 overall pick and made a swift rise to the majors to make Texas’ opening-day roster this season.

Cole Irvin (6-5) allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings for the AL East-leading Orioles. Irvin was impressive to begin the season but has failed to make it through five innings in three consecutive starts for a Baltimore staff that has lost Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells to season-ending injuries.

Hill opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the second. The Orioles answered with Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI single, but the Rangers extended their lead in the fourth when Nathaniel Lowe, Andrew Knizner and Josh Smith hit RBI singles.

KANSAS CITY 6, GUARDIANS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Seth Lugo struck out 10 in six shutout innings to earn his major league-high 11th win, and Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer as Kansas City beat Cleveland.

Bobby Witt Jr. had a run-scoring triple among his three hits for the Royals, who took three of four from the AL Central leaders. Vinnie Pasquantino also had three hits and an RBI.

Lugo (11-2) allowed four hits and one walk in his third straight start with eight or more strikeouts. It was his third double-digit strikeout game of the season.

Perez had an RBI groundout in the first inning and added a two-run shot to left field that made it 6-0 in the seventh. He leads the Royals with 14 home runs.

Logan Allen (8-4) lasted 4 1/3 innings for the Guardians, giving up three runs and six hits with three strikeouts.

PIRATES 4, BRAVES 2

ATLANTA (AP) — Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez each hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and Pittsburgh beat Atlanta to avoid a three-game sweep.

Bryan Reynolds’ 25-game hitting streak ended with two strikeouts and two groundouts in his four at-bats. It was the longest streak in the majors this season and the Pirates’ longest since Kenny Lofton’s 26-game streak in 2003.

The Pirates’ four-run fifth began with a successful challenge resulting in Jack Suwinski being hit by a pitch from Spencer Schwellenbach (1-4). With two outs, Cruz lined a homer that traveled 452 feet to the right-field seats. Cruz’s 12th homer had an exit velocity of 117.3 mph.

Schwellenbach walked Edward Olivares before Tellez hit his fourth homer off the right-field foul pole.

Pittsburgh left-hander Bailey Falter (4-6) issued four walks in five innings, but he was charged with one run and two hits. Falter struck out the side in the second and had five strikeouts overall.

RAYS 5, NATIONALS 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Taj Bradley tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, Isaac Paredes homered and Tampa Bay beat Washington.

Bradley (3-4) allowed three hits and walked two over 5 2/3 innings in his fifth consecutive strong start. The right-hander has allowed four earned runs in 29 innings over the stretch.

Colin Poche, Jason Adam, Garrett Cleavinger and Phil Maton completed a three-hitter. The Rays finished with 16 strikeouts.

Paredes, who had two hits in 23 at-bats over his previous seven games, went 3 for 4 and scored two runs. He needed a single for the cycle when he flied out against Tanner Rainey in the eighth.

José Caballero and Randy Arozarena also homered for the Rays, who returned to the .500 mark for the 17th time. Tampa Bay hasn’t been over .500 since May 21.

RED SOX 4, PADRES 1

BOSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers hit a two-run homer, Jarren Duran added a solo shot and Boston ended San Diego’s five-game winning streak with a victory.

The Red Sox, who were outscored 20-3 in the series’ first two games, snapped a three-game skid.

Jackson Merrill had three hits for the Padres, and Ha-Seong Kim added an RBI double. San Diego had won nine of its previous 10 games.

Making his first start since being recalled from Triple-A on Tuesday, Boston right-hander Josh Winckowski (2-1) gave up four hits over five scoreless innings.

Kenley Jansen, the fourth reliever, got the final three outs for his 16th save this season and 436th of his career.

YANKEES 8, BLUE JAYS 1

TORONTO (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 31st home run, Gerrit Cole pitched five innings for his first win of the season and New York beat Toronto to split their four-game series.

Juan Soto was a late addition to New York’s lineup after sitting out Saturday’s loss because of a bruised right hand. The three-time All-Star and 2020 NL batting champion went 1 for 3 with an RBI and two walks.

DJ LeMahieu and Trent Grisham each had two hits and two RBIs for the Yankees. Ben Rice scored twice and drove in a run.

Gleyber Torres went 2 for 5, his third straight multihit game since a two-game benching last week.

New York finished a 2-4 trip that started with two losses in Queens against the Mets.

BREWERS 7, CUBS 1

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brice Turang hit Milwaukee’s fifth grand slam in its last eight games as part of a seven-run fourth inning, as they rolled to a victory over Chicago.

Freddy Peralta (6-4) and Jakob Junis combined on a two-hitter to help the NL Central-leading Brewers win their ninth straight home series. Milwaukee hasn’t dropped a series at American Family Field since the New York Yankees took two of three from April 26-28.

Milwaukee’s highest-scoring inning of the season backed up a sparkling performance from Peralta, who worked seven innings and retired his last 14 batters.

After Nico Hoerner sent Peralta’s second pitch of the game over the left field wall, the right-hander bore down and struck out eight while allowing only two hits and two walks. Junis walked one over the final two innings.

Christian Yelich hit a 422-foot, two-run homer in the fourth to put Milwaukee ahead. With one out, Cubs right fielder Ian Happ misjudged a fly ball from Rhys Hoskins, who was credited with a single. Sal Frelick followed with an RBI base hit, and with two outs, Turang sent his drive over the right-field wall to end Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks’ day.

CARDINALS 2, REDS 0

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lance Lynn pitched six sparkling innings, and St. Louis beat Cincinnati for a split of their four-game series.

Lynn (4-3) allowed two hits, struck out six and walked one.

Pedro Pagés had a career-high three hits for St. Louis, which closed out a 7-3 homestand.

Cincinnati infielder Jonathan India extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a double in the third. He has at least one double in each of his last eight games.

Stuart Fairchild singled in the fifth to account for the Reds’ only other hit. He stole second but was stranded when Will Benson lined to right and Luke Maile struck out swinging.

The Cardinals went ahead to stay in the bottom half against Hunter Greene (5-4). Pagés singled and moved up on Masyn Winn’s one-out single. Pagés scored on Alec Burleson’s single to right.

PHILLIES 7, MARLINS 6

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alec Bohm homered, Trea Turner hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the seventh inning and Philadelphia rallied for a victory over Miami.

Nick Castellanos doubled, had two singles and drove in three runs for the Phillies, who upped their MLB-best record to 55-29. Philadelphia played its third straight game without injured All-Star Bryce Harper.

Bryan De La Cruz homered for Miami, which trails the Phillies by 25 games in the NL East.

Philadelphia went in front in the seventh. Andrew Nardi (1-1) walked the first two batters, and they advanced on Rafael Marchán’s sacrifice bunt. Nardi got Bryson Stott to fly out to shallow right field for the second out and then was relieved by Anthony Bender. Turner then sent the Phillies in front with a liner into left field that emptied the bases.

Seranthony Dominguez (3-2) tossed a scoreless seventh, and Jeff Hoffman finished it for his sixth save.

The Phillies won despite making five errors.

ROCKIES 5, WHITE SOX 4, 14 INNINGS

CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan McMahon scored on Michael Toglia’s sacrifice fly in the 14th inning, and Colorado stopped a five-game slide by topping Chicago.

McMahon began the 14th on second as the automatic runner. He advanced on Sam Hillard’s sacrifice bunt.

Toglia then hit a flyball to center, and McMahon narrowly beat the throw home by center fielder Luis Robert Jr. The call on the field was upheld following a video review.

Jalen Beeks (5-4) pitched two innings for the win. He retired the White Sox in order in the 14th.

The Rockies (28-55) also got a big lift from Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle, who made a terrific diving catch to rob Tommy Pham of a game-winning hit in the 12th.

Chicago right-hander Michael Soroka (0-8) allowed two unearned runs and one hit in four innings in the team’s longest game since August 2019.

GIANTS 10, DODGERS 4

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matt Chapman homered and drove in three runs, and San Francisco hit a season-high 10 doubles to rout Los Angeles in front of a sellout crowd of 40,428 at Oracle Park.

Every starter had a hit for the Giants, and San Francisco finished with a season-high 11 extra-base hits to take the rubber game for its first series win at home against the rival Dodgers since June 2022.

Los Angeles starter James Paxton (7-2) allowed a career-high nine earned runs and 12 hits in four innings, losing for the first time in four career starts against the Giants.

Jorge Soler, David Villar, Heliot Ramos and Patrick Bailey all had run-scoring doubles as San Francisco scored in each of the first four innings to build a 9-0 lead.

Bailey added another RBI double in the eighth.

Spencer Bivens (2-1) impressed in his first career start, limiting the Dodgers to one run and four hits with three strikeouts and no walks in five innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 5, ATHLETICS 1

PHOENIX (AP) — Brandon Pfaadt pitched six innings of one-run ball and Blaze Alexander hit a two-run single during Arizona’s three-run seventh inning, helping them beat Oakland.

Alexander, batting for Joc Pederson, drove in Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll with a bases-loaded grounder into left field off Austin Adams. Carroll was batting .196 with 23 strikeouts in 97 at-bats against left-handers before hitting a one-out double off T.J. McFarland (1-1).

Christian Walker followed Alexander’s clutch swing with a single that drove in Ketel Marte for a 4-1 lead.

Joe Mantiply (3-1), Ryan Thompson and Paul Sewald held Oakland hitless over the final three innings

Oakland has lost 12 of its last 13 road games. The A’s went 7-20 in June for their 11th consecutive month with a losing record — longest in franchise history.

TIGERS 7, ANGELS 6

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Justyn-Henry Malloy hit an inside-the-park homer in the fourth inning, Carson Kelly added a three-run homer and Detroit snapped their four-game losing streak with a victory over Los Angeles.

The Angels trailed 7-1 entering the ninth inning before Zach Neto hit a three-run homer and Jo Adell added a two-run shot, all with two outs against Shelby Miller.

Tyler Holton came on and calmly struck out Nolan Schanuel to secure his second save and Detroit’s third victory in nine games, while the Angels’ six-game winning streak ended.

Miller’s disastrous ninth inning started when he hit leadoff batter Taylor Ward in the helmet with a 93-mph fastball. Ward, who appeared to be fine on the field, left the game as a precaution. Ward was hit in the face by a pitch from Alek Manoah last June, and he didn’t play again in 2023.

Casey Mize (2-6) pitched scoreless three-hit ball into the sixth inning for the Tigers, earning his first victory in 12 starts since April 21. Mize left abruptly with a leg injury, but Detroit still prevented Los Angeles from sweeping a homestand of at least seven games for the first time in 20 years.

TWINS 5, MARINERS 3

SEATTLE (AP) — Trevor Larnach hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning to extend Minnesota’s home run streak to 19 games and lift them to a win over Seattle.

Minnesota set a franchise record for consecutive games with a longball, but it took until the late innings. Larnach drove an 0-1 pitch from reliever Ryne Stanek (5-2) to right-center field for his eighth home run.

Minnesota’s 19-game streak is the second-longest in the majors this season behind Baltimore’s 22-game home run streak earlier in June. Larnach also had an RBI single in the first inning, while Austin Martin’s RBI double and Jose Miranda’s RBI single plated a pair in the fifth.

The Twins took two of three to end Seattle’s run of winning series at home. The Mariners had won nine straight series at T-Mobile Park dating to mid-April.

Minnesota starter Joe Ryan struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings, his second time this season reaching double figures strikeouts. Ryan allowed six hits and one earned run. Jhoan Durán pitched the ninth for his 12th save and the Twins finished their road trip 6-3.

ASTROS 10, METS 5, 11 INNINGS

NEW YORK (AP) — Houston moved over .500 for the first time this season, beating New York for their ninth win in 10 games as Jake Myers hit a tiebreaking single in a five-run 11th inning.

Houston star Jose Altuve was ejected in the seventh after he threw his bat and helmet when umpires called him out on what appeared to be a foul ball.

Brandon Nimmo hit his 100th career homer for the Mets, a tying two-run drive in the seventh off Bryan Abreu.

With just a few thousand fans left at Citi Field after a 2-hour, 47-minute rain delay in the middle of the ninth, Chas McCormick put the Astros ahead 5-4 with an RBI single in the 10th off Adam Ottavino.

Nimmo responded with a tying double starting the bottom half against Tayler Scott (4-2), who stranded the potential winning run at third when Mark Vientos grounded out.

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The Associated Press