ST. LOUIS (AP) — Josh Palacios hit a pinch hit home run off Drew VerHagen in the top of the ninth inning to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 for their fifth straight win.
VerHagen (4-1) entered the game with one out in the ninth inning and hit Andrew McCutchen before Palacios, pinch hitting for Connor Joe, hit a 3-1 pitch into the right field seats for his seventh home run of the season.
Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar and Tyler O’Neill all homered for the Cardinals.
Cody Bolton (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth inning for his first major league win, and David Bednar surrendered a single to Tommy Edman and hit Walker with a pitch before retiring Masyn Winn, Nootbaar and Paul Goldschmidt for his 31st save.
ATHLETICS 2, ANGELS 1
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Brent Rooker hit his team-leading 23rd home run, Paul Blackburn pitched five innings for his second victory in six starts, and last-place Oakland beat Shohei Ohtani and Los Angeles.
Blackburn (4-4) allowed four hits and one run with four strikeouts, raising his season total to a career-high 90. Five relievers followed Blackburn and combined for four innings of two-hit ball, with Trevor May getting the final three outs for his 16th save.
Mike Moustakas had two hits for the Angels while Luis Rengifo extended his hitting streak to 10 games, matching his career high. Northern California native Kyren Paris got his first major league hit, a day after making his debut with Los Angeles.
Ohtani, the two-way Japanese star facing a possible second Tommy John surgery, leads the majors with 44 home runs but went 0 for 2 with three walks — two intentional.
Griffin Canning (7-5) struck out seven but allowed four hits and two runs in six innings for the Angels.
YANKEES 5, ASTROS 4
HOUSTON (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for the second consecutive game and the New York Yankees got a big effort from their bullpen.
Michael Brantley hit his first home run since June 2022 for the Astros, who fell a game behind first-place Seattle in the AL West. Brantley had a two-run shot in the second inning and scored on Yainer Diaz’s two-run homer in the fourth.
After starter Luis Severino lasted only four innings, three New York relievers combined to throw shutout ball the rest of the way.
Jhony Brito, Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes posted zeros the rest of the night.
Jhony Brito (6-6), a rookie who has a 1.27 ERA out of the bullpen this season, started the fifth and faced the minimum over 3 2/3 innings. Clay Holmes allowed a two-out infield single in the ninth, but froze pinch-hitter Jon Singleton with a 1-2 sinker to lock down his 17th save.
Hunter Brown (10-10) allowed five runs, three earned, over four-plus innings to go with four walks and five strikeouts.
GUARDIANS 7, RAYS 6, 11 INNINGS
CLEVELAND (AP) — Steven Kwan hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Bo Naylor with the winning run after Jose Tena tied the score with a single in the 11th inning to lift Cleveland.
Rays center fielder Jose Siri had an opportunity to cut down Naylor at the plate but his throw sailed wide and Chris Devenski (3-3) took the loss in his first appearance with the team.
Tampa Bay, which has a commanding lead atop the AL wild-card standings, lost for just the third time in its last 11 games. The Rays trail Baltimore by two games in the East.
Brandon Lowe gave Tampa Bay a 6-5 lead in the top of the 11th with a sacrifice fly off Sam Hentges (3-2).
Cleveland has won four in a row and moved within 4 1/2 games of first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.
Kwan forced extra innings with a two-out single in the ninth off closer Pete Fairbanks, scoring Myles Straw.
REDS 2, CUBS 1
CINCINNATI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz hit a tying single and newcomer Hunter Renfroe beat out a double-play ball to drive in the winner as Cincinnati rallied past Chicago with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for the second straight night.
In a matchup of National League playoff contenders, Javier Assad pitched a season-high eight shutout innings and Jeimer Candelario launched his career-best 20th homer to help the Cubs take a 1-0 lead into the ninth.
Jake Fraley led off with a double and the Reds loaded the bases against Mark Leiter Jr. (1-3) with nobody out before scoring twice to win it.
Sam Moll (1-3) worked a hitless inning for the victory.
In the second game of Friday’s doubleheader, the Reds erased a 2-1 deficit in the ninth against Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay to earn a split.
MARINERS 8, METS 7
NEW YORK (AP) — J.P. Crawford led off the ninth inning with a tiebreaking homer and Seattle beat New York to extend its slim lead in the AL West.
Crawford connected off Adam Ottavino (1-5) for the Mariners, who squandered a four-run lead but still improved to 39-16 since July 1 — the best record in the majors during that span.
Seattle moved a game ahead of second-place Houston in the division standings.
Justin Topa (5-4) got the final four outs for the Mariners. He gave up two hits in the ninth, but Daniel Vogelbach was thrown out trying to stretch a leadoff single.
Teoscar Hernandez homered and finished with three RBIs. Pinch-hitter Dominic Canzone had a two-run homer and Julio Rodríguez hit an RBI triple.
Jeff McNeil finished a homer shy of the cycle for the Mets and tied the game with a run-scoring triple in the eighth. DJ Stewart hit a three-run shot — his ninth homer in the last 15 games. Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos also went deep.
BRAVES 4, DODGERS 2, 10 INNINGS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. homered for the third straight night at Dodger Stadium and Orlando Arcia hit a three-run shot in the 10th inning that sent streaking Atlanta to a victory over Los Angeles.
Bryce Elder pitched six effective innings and the Braves (90-45) won their sixth consecutive game, becoming the first major league club to reach 90 wins this season.
Acuña once again outshined Dodgers star Mookie Betts in their chase for NL MVP.
In the third inning, Acuña launched a 454-foot homer to center field that came off his bat like a rocket at an astounding 121.2 mph. It was the 32nd homer this year and third of the series for Acuña, the first player in big league history with 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a season.
In the 10th, Sean Murphy drew a two-out walk from Alex Vesia (0-5) to put two runners on. Arcia drove the next pitch to left-center to give Atlanta a 4-1 lead.
Raisel Iglesias allowed Max Muncy’s sacrifice fly before finishing for his 28th save. Michael Tonkin (6-2) worked a hitless inning for the win.
Betts went 0 for 4 with a walk and scored once. He struck out three times, including with the bases loaded to end the fourth.
ROCKIES 8, BLUE JAYS 7
DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle hit a three-run triple in a four-run fifth inning, Charlie Blackmon had three hits and three RBIs on his bobblehead night, and Colorado beat Toronto.
Doyle’s two-out triple gave the Rockies a 7-5 lead and Blackmon followed with an RBI single as the Rockies broke a four-game losing streak and won for just the second time in their last 12 games.
Kevin Kiermaier homered and Whit Merrifield and Santiago Espinal had two hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who remained 1 1/2 games behind Texas for the third AL wild card. Toronto had won four of six.
George Springer walked to open the ninth for Toronto and Davis Schneider tripled off Justin Lawrence as the Jays closed to 8-6. Lawrence got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a short fly out and struck out Merrifield before Schneider scored on a wild pitch. Alejandro Kirk and Cavan Biggio walked and Daulton Varsho was hit on a 1-1 pitch to load the bases. Tyler Kinley replaced Lawrence and struck out pinch-hitter Spencer Horwitz for his first save in two chances.
The Blue Jays scored four runs on six hits in the first inning, and Kiermaier’s seventh homer leading off the second made it 5-0 against Colorado left-hander Ty Blach (2-1), who gave up only two singles after that homer and pitched six innings.
Colorado chipped away with four unearned runs off Blue Jays’ starter Yusei Kikuchi (3-5), two in the second inning and two in the fourth following a pair of errors by shortstop Ernie Clement.
BREWERS 7, PHILLIES 5
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Carlos Santana had a two-run homer, Mark Canha doubled twice and Milwaukee withstood a late comeback attempt to beat Philadelphia.
The Phillies lost their third straight even though Trea Turner tied a franchise record by homering in a fifth consecutive game. Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a homer for the second straight night and J.T. Realmuto also went deep.
The Phillies had runners on third and second in the ninth when Devin Williams struck out Turner swinging at a 3-2 pitch to end the game and earn his 32nd save in 36 opportunities.
Milwaukee’s William Contreras, Brice Turang and Andruw Monasterio had two hits each as the Brewers extended their NL Central lead to 4 1/2 games over the Chicago Cubs.
Andrew Chafin (3-3) earned the win with one inning of scoreless relief.
Aaron Nola (12-9) allowed seven earned runs – a season high and one off his career high – and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked three.
TWINS 9, RANGERS 7, 10 INNINGS
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Carlos Correa and Max Kepler had RBI singles in the 10th inning, leadoff hitter Donovan Solano matched a career high with four hits, and AL Central-leading Minnesota beat Texas.
Correa and Kepler got their hits off hard-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman (5-4), who got the last two outs of the ninth before coming back out for the 10th. Ryan Jeffers added a sacrifice fly, his second RBI of the game, after Chapman was gone.
Brent Headrick (3-0), the eighth Twins pitcher, tossed a perfect ninth. Jhoan Duran finished it for his 24th save in 29 chances, working around an RBI single by Robbie Grossman in the 10th.
Solano had a solo homer and a two-run single when the Twins, after being behind 4-0, went ahead 6-4. He was then playing second base in the eighth when he had a tremendous running catch in short right with his back to the infield, preventing another run right after Texas had tied the game.
Adolis Garcia and Sam Huff hit early two-run homers for the Rangers, who lost for the 12th time in 15 games.
ORIOLES 7, DIAMONDBACKS 3
PHOENIX (AP) -- Cedric Mullins started a six-run fourth inning with a three-run blast, Kyle Bradish threw six solid innings and Baltimore beat Arizona end a two-game skid
Adley Rutschman hit his 17th homer of the season, a solo shot in the seventh inning, and added an RBI single as the Orioles improved to an AL-best 84-51 for the season.
Bradish (10-6) gave up two runs on four hits over six innings, walking three and striking out six. It was the right-hander’s fourth consecutive quality start.
Slade Cecconi (0-1) gave up six runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings. Ketel Marte had two of the D-backs’ five hits. Gabriel Moreno hit a solo homer in the ninth.
RED SOX 9, ROYALS 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Triston Casas hit a two-run homer and Alex Verdugo finished a homer short of hitting for the cycle as Boston beat Kansas City.
Six Boston batters drove in a run and all but one Red Sox starter had a hit. Boston snapped a five-game skid with the win after allowing four runs for the 12th time in 13 games.
Tanner Houck (4-8) worked five innings and allowed four runs and seven hits while walking one and striking out five.
Royals starter Alec March (0-8) was knocked out of the game early after allowing six runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out one in 2 ⅔ innings.
Kansas City has lost 11 of its last 13 games.
PADRES 6, GIANTS 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Blake Snell lowered his major league-leading ERA from 2.60 to 2.50 and struck out eight in six scoreless innings, and Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts, Gary Sanchez and Garrett Cooper homered to carry San Diego.
Snell (12-9), who won the AL Cy Young Award while with Tampa Bay in 2018, is building a case to become the sixth player to win the trophy in both leagues. He has 201 strikeouts, the most in a single-season by a Padres left-hander and the second time he’s had more than 200.
Snell held the Giants to three hits and allowed two baserunners in each of his final two innings but got through unscathed.
Giants rookie Kyle Harrison (1-1) allowed all four Padres home runs. He allowed six runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, struck out five and walked two.
MARLINS 11, NATIONALS 5
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jake Burger hit two of Miami’s four home runs, Johnny Cueto struck out four in his return from a viral infection and the Marlins won their third straight.
Jesús Sánchez and Bryan De La Cruz each hit a three-run home run off Washington starter Trevor Williams (6-9). Burger’s two gave him 30 homers this season and five since arriving in a trade Aug. 1 from the Chicago White Sox.
Cueto (1-3) allowed two solo home runs in five-plus innings, including one to Lane Thomas in the sixth that ended his afternoon after allowing three earned runs on 77 pitches.
De La Cruz and NL-batting leader Luis Arraez each went 4 for 5. Arraez, making a rare start at first base, picked up his first four-hit game since July 15 to raise his average to .355.
TIGERS 10, WHITE SOX 0
CHICAGO (AP) -- Andre Lipcius’ first hit in the major leagues was a two-run homer in a four-run first inning, Miguel Cabrera had four hits and three RBIs and rookie Reese Olson pitched seven scoreless innings as Detroit routed Chicago.
Spencer Torkelson went 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. Kerry Carpenter and Akil Baddoo added three hits apiece as Detroit pounded out 18 total hits in its third straight win.
Olson (3-6) struck out one and allowed just four singles to listless Chicago in his longest of 15 starts this season.
Mike Clevinger (6-7) took the loss as the White Sox dropped their second straight after chairman Jerry Reinsdorf promoted Chris Getz to general manager on Thursday.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
