ATLANTA (AP) — Bryce Elder pitched seven brilliant innings in a combined one-hitter, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Marcell Ozuna went deep and the Atlanta Braves cruised past the reeling New York Yankees 5-0 on Tuesday night.
The Braves wasted no time jumping on Luis Severino (2-8), whose dismal season has been marred by atrocious numbers in the first inning.
That trend didn’t change against the Braves. With two outs, Ozuna launched his 24th homer of the season over the center-field wall for a three-run shot. The homer extended Ozuna’s hitting streak to 13 games and gave the Braves a major league-best 120 first-inning runs.
The last-place Yankees dropped to 12-22 since July 4, falling to .500 (60-60) for the first time since they were 15-15.
Elder (9-4) allowed only DJ LeMahieu's single in the second. He was erased on one of four double plays New York hit into. Three were against Elder, who faced just one hitter above the minimum. A.J. Minter and Kirby Yates finished with a hitless inning apiece for the Braves’ 12th shutout of the season.
GUARDIANS 3, REDS 0
CINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Logan Allen allowed four hits in six innings, Kole Calhoun hit a two-run single in the first and Cleveland won consecutive games for the first time in three weeks.
Allen (6-5) struck out seven and walked three for the Guardians, who had not strung together wins since three in a row from July 25-27. Emmanuel Clase pitched a one-hit ninth for his 32nd save in 41 chances.
Cincinnati's Graham Ashcraft (6-8) allowed all three runs seven hits in seven innings.
José Ramírez returned from a two-game suspension for fighting with Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson and went 2 for 4 in the first Ohio Cup matchup this year.
BLUE JAYS 2, PHILLIES 1
TORONTO (AP) — Cavan Biggio was hit in the foot by a pitch from Seranthony Dominguez (2-3) with the bases loaded pitch in the eighth inning to force in the tiebreaking run, and Toronto beat Philadelphia.
Jordan Hicks (2-7) struck out all three batters he faced as Toronto won its second straight after losing the previous three.
Activated off the injured list earlier Tuesday after missing 16 games because of a sore back, All-Star closer Jordan Romano finished for his 29th save in 32 chances.
Philadelphia has lost three in a row.
ASTROS 6, MARLINS 5
MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Tucker hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and Houston rallied past Miami.
Tucker connected on the first pitch from reliever A.J. Puk (5-5). The Astros, who dropped the first game of the series at Miami and trailed 3-0 in this one, have won six of nine and hold the second NL wild-card spot.
The Marlins’ three-game winning streak ended.
Hunter Brown (9-8) pitched two scoreless innings in his first relief appearance of the season. Ryan Pressly allowed a one-out double by Jesús Sánchez in the ninth but held on for his 28th save in 32 opportunities.
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