Mets slug 3 fast homers and Verlander earns 1st victory in practically 6 weeks in 4-1 win over Giants | Sports activities

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched seven steady innings for his first victory in nearly six weeks and slumping rookie Francisco Álvarez hit the first of three quick homers that powered the New York Mets past the San Francisco Giants 4-1 on Saturday.

Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor launched back-to-back shots as the Mets went deep three times in a span of four batters against Anthony DeSclafani (4-8) in the third.

Tommy Pham added an RBI double off Sean Manaea in the fourth, and New York (37-46) opened July with a much-needed win after going 6-19 in its previous 25 games.

The 40-year-old Verlander (3-4) gave up five hits, struck out six and didn’t allow an earned run for his 247th victory and first since May 21 against Cleveland.

The only run the Giants scored came on Thairo Estrada’s double-play grounder in the seventh following a throwing error by first baseman Pete Alonso — his second in two days.

San Francisco (46-37) fell to 14-5 in its last 19 games dating to June 11.

PHILLIES 19, NATIONALS 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alec Bohm homered twice and tied his career high with six RBIs, and Philadelphia scored its most runs in five years in winning for the sixth time in eight games and for the 12th time in 16.

Kyle Schwarber had a grand slam, and Nick Castellanos homered, singled and doubled with three RBIs for the Phillies, who scored their most runs since beating Miami 20-1 on April 7, 2018. Philadelphia had 18 hits, including four by Bohm, who matched his career best.

Zack Wheeler (7-4) won his fourth straight decision, giving up four runs and seven hits in five innings.

Bryce Harper doubled, had two hits and drove in two runs, and J.T. Realmuto also had two RBIs.

MacKenzie Gore (4-7) allowed seven runs, six hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. Amos Willingham, Joe La Sorsa and Thaddeus Ward gave up four runs each. Dominic Smith homered for Washington.

BRAVES 7, MARLINS 0

ATLANTA (AP) — Ronald Acuña and Ozzie Albies homered as part of a six-run first inning to lead Atlanta as Miami’s Luis Arraez, the major league batting leader, saw his average dip to .388.

Charlie Morton (8-6) struck out five in 5 2/3 innings and scattered four hits and one walk in winning his third consecutive start. Kirby Yates, Nick Anderson, Ben Heller, and Joe Jiménez completed the shutout for the Braves out of the bullpen.

Matt Olson went 2 for 4 with a run scored, and Austin Riley was 2 for 4 with two runs scored for the Braves, who have won 23 of their last 27 games and lead the second-place Marlins by eight games in the NL East.

Marlins rookie Eury Pérez (5-4) lasted just a third of an inning, giving up six runs and seven hits. He threw 35 pitches.

Arraez went 1 for 4. He is 3 for 16 over last four games and his .388 average is his lowest since June 17.

CARDINALS 11, YANKEES 4, 1ST GAME

YANKEES 6, CARDINALS 2, 2ND GAME

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Harrison Bader had a first-inning sacrifice fly in his return to St. Louis, rookie Anthony Volpe hit a go-ahead triple as part of his fifth straight multi-hit game and New York earned a doubleheader split by winning the nightcap.

St. Louis won the rain-interrupted opener behind Paul Goldschmidt’s go-ahead, three-run homer off Luis Severino in a five-run third. Jack Flaherty pitched six shutout innings, Goldschmidt had four RBIs and Nolan Gorman also homered for the Cardinals, who reached double-digit runs for the first time since May 21.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits in the second game as the Yankees won for the fifth time in their last seven.

Lars Nootbaar homered for St. Louis, which fell to a 34-48, its worst 82-game start since 1990. Nootbar hit a first-inning homer off opener Ian Hamilton as the Yankees went with a bullpen game because of Friday’s rainout.

Michael King (2-4) allowed one hit while pitching scoreless relief over a season-high 3 1/3 innings. Wandy Peralta, Tommy Kahnle and Clay Holmes followed with an inning each.

Flaherty (5-5) won his second straight start after going 0-1 in his previous five. He allowed four hits, struck out four and walked two after giving up six runs in each of his previous two outings.

Severino (1-3) gave up seven runs and nine hits over four innings. Jake Bauers hit a two-run homer off Drew VerHagen in a three-run ninth for the Yankees, who had won four of their previous five games.

PADRES 12, REDS 5

CINCINNATI (AP) — Juan Soto hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the sixth inning, Manny Machado followed three pitches later with the first of his two home runs and San Diego stopped a six-game losing streak.

Soto had four RBIs and Machado and Fernando Tatis three each for the Padres, who have not lost seven in a row since Sept. 24 to Oct. 1, 2021.

Michael Wacha (8-2), pitching on his 32nd birthday, won his third straight decision. Wacha allowed one run and five hits in five innings in his first outing since June 19, after missing a turn because of shoulder discomfort.

San Diego (38-45) had fallen eight games below .500 for the first time since ending 2019 at 70-92. Cincinnati (44-39), which has surged into the NL Central lead, lost for just the fourth time in 19 games.

RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 6

TORONTO (AP) — Rafael Devers hit his 20th home run, Justin Turner homered and scored three times as Boston spoiled Canada Day celebrations in Toronto.

Right fielder Alex Verdugo threw out Bo Bichette at home plate for the final out of the game after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an RBI single off Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen. George Springer scored on the play, but Bichette was tagged out by catcher Caleb Hamilton. Toronto’s challenge was unsuccessful.

Devers went 3 for 5 with three RBI and scored twice. Turner finished 3 for 5 with two RBI as Boston returned to .500 at 42-42. Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford (3-4) pitched 5 2/3 innings to win for the second time in three starts.

Matt Chapman hit a two-run home run, and Springer and Bichette had solo homers.

MARINERS 8, RAYS 3

SEATTLE (AP) — Jarred Kelenic hit a tiebreaking single off Tyler Glasnow in the sixth inning, Teoscar Hernández added a two-run double in a three-run seventh and Seattle beat Tampa Bay to halt a three-game skid.

George Kirby (7-7) allowed two runs and two hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts, and the Mariners backed him with 13 hits. Paul Sewald earned his 15th save in 18 chances.

Yandy Díaz doubled in the sixth for the Rays’ first hit and Luke Raley homered.

Glasnow (2-2) struck out 11 and allowed seven hits and three runs with a walk.

RANGERS 5, ASTROS 2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven scoreless innings to become the American League’s second 10-game winner and AL West-leading Texas beat second-place Houston.

Eovaldi (10-3) struck out five and limited the Astros to two singles, but also had a season-high four walks.

Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Josh Jung each drove in a run for Texas. Switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim had three hits and scored a run.

Rangers reliever Joe Barlow gave up Kyle Tucker’s two-run homer with two outs in the ninth. Will Smith then came on to get the final out for his 15th save in 16 chances.

TWINS 1, ORIOLES 0

BALTIMORE (AP) — Bailey Ober allowed two hits over seven innings, Joey Gallo homered and Minnesota extended Baltimore’s losing streak to a season-high four games.

Ober (5-4) gave up a second-inning single to Gunnar Henderson, hit Ryan O’Hearn with a pitch in the fourth and yielded a single to Anthony Santander in the seventh. Those were the only runners to reach base. as the right-hander struck out eight and did not allow a runner past first.

Griffin Jax worked the eighth and Jhoan Duran got three outs to complete the three-hitter and earn his 12th save in 14 chances.

Ober prevailed in a pitching duel with Kyle Bradish (4-4), who gave up one run and seven hits over six innings.

ATHLETICS 7, WHITE SOX 6, 10 INNINGS

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Tyler Wade slid into home with the winning run after second baseman Elvis Andrus misplayed a 10th-inning grounder, giving Oakland a victory over Chicago.

With Wade on second as the automatic runner, former A’s pitcher Kendall Graveman (3-4) got the first two outs of the 10th. JJ Bleday hit a routine grounder to Andrus. The ball bounced off the second baseman’s glove, and he retrieved the ball and threw too late to first as Bleday slid across the base. Wade kept on running and slid across the plate to beat the throw from first baseman Gavin Sheets.

Shintaro Fujinami (4-7) worked around a hit batter in the top of the 10th, striking out two.

Seth Brown homered for the A’s and Bleday had two RBIs.

Eloy Jiménez hit his 11th home run and drove in two runs for Chicago. Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal added two hits each but Anderson had a grand slam erased by video review in the eighth inning. Yasmani Grandal had an RBI single and Carlos Perez added a run-scoring double.

BREWERS 11, PIRATES 8

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Corbin Burnes carried a perfect game into the sixth inning, Christian Yelich hit his 10th home run and Milwaukee survived a late rally to end Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak.

Burnes (6-5) retired the first 15 batters he faced before walking Jared Triolo leading off the sixth. A walk and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs and Jack Suwinski ended Burnes’ shot at a no-hitter with a clean two-run single to right field.

It was the only hiccup for Burnes, who struck out seven against two walks in seven innings to win for just the second time since May 12.

Yelich hit a three-run homer in the second off Johan Oviedo (3-9) to break it open. Raimel Tapia had two hits, including his third home run, for Milwaukee. Willy Adames, Blake Perkins and Brian Anderson had two hits apiece for the Brewers.

ROYALS 6, DODGERS 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City rudely welcomed Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías back from the injured list by scoring five times in the first inning and holding on for a rain-delayed win over Los Angeles.

Daniel Lynch (2-3) nearly gave all his support back when he allowed three runs in the second. But the left-hander settled down, eventually throwing 108 pitches to get through five innings. He allowed five hits and three walks with four strikeouts, helping the Royals beat the Dodgers for just the second time in their last 10 meetings.

The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the eighth when Yonny Hernandez struck out and Freddie Freeman grounded out, and Scott Barlow got the final four outs for his 10th save while capping four innings of one-run ball by the Kansas City bullpen.

Urías (5-5) scuffled through his first game since hurting his hamstring on May 18. He lasted three innings and allowed six hits and two walks.

TIGERS 4, ROCKIES 2, 10 INNINGS

DENVER (AP) — Zach McKinstry hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the 10th inning, lifting Detroit past Colorado.

With Jonathan Schoop at second as the automatic runner, Eric Haase singled off Pierce Johnson (1-4) to put runners at the corners. McKinstry followed with his sixth homer, a 400-foot drive over the right-center fence and into the Rockies bullpen.

Kris Bryant hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom half off Alex Lange (5-2), as Detroit sealed its 21st come-from-behind win this year.

Six Tigers combined on a six-hitter as both teams went with bullpen games.

Colorado’s Ezequiel Tovar hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth to extend his career-best hitting streak to 14 games.

DIAMONDBACKS 3, ANGELS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryne Nelson worked 7 1/3 strong innings and Dominic Fletcher and Jake McCarthy had RBIs as Arizona beat Los Angeles.

The Diamondback scored all their runs against the Angels’ bullpen and clinched first series win since taking two of three against Cleveland in mid-June.

Nelson (5-4) was catalyst for Arizona, giving up one run, three hits and one walk while striking out six.

On Sunday, the Diamondbacks will go for their first series sweep since taking three games from Detroit on June 9-11.

Anthony Rendon hit his second home run of the season for Los Angeles, which has lost four in a row. Shohei Ohtani was hitless in four at-bats and Mike Trout went 0 for 3.

GUARDIANS 6, CUBS 0

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Tanner Bibee and three relievers combined on a five-hitter, and Cleveland blanked Chicago.

Bibee (5-2) tossed three-hit ball into the sixth while outpitching Marcus Stroman, and the Guardians came out on top in a game delayed 2 hours, 45 minutes at the start because of rain.

Amed Rosario lined a two-run single in the third. Andrés Giménez chased Stroman (9-6) with an RBI single in a four-run sixth, and the Guardians bounced back after getting pounded 10-1 the previous night. The Cubs had matched a season high with their five straight losses after winning 11 of 13.

Bibee went 5 2/3 innings and matched a season high with nine strikeouts while walking two. Sam Hentges, Nick Sandlin and Eli Morgan combined to finish Cleveland’s seventh shutout.

Stroman lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs and five hits.

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