ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jonny DeLuca put the Rays in front with a two-run single in the seventh inning, and AL-best Tampa Bay rallied for a 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night to avoid a four-game sweep.
Yandy Díaz, Ryan Vilade and Jorge Mateo homered for Tampa Bay. Mateo’s two-run shot with two out in the fourth was his first for the Rays and gave them a 4-3 lead.
Coby Mayo hit a 468-foot homer, and Pete Alonso and Christian Encarnacion-Strand also went deep for Baltimore (61-64), which moved into the AL’s third wild-card spot by taking the first three games against its division rival at Tropicana Field.
Jonathan Aranda’s RBI single against Yennier Cano (2-3) got the Rays within 6-5 in the seventh. After Junior Caminero hit an infield single to load the bases, Josh Walker came in and gave up DeLuca’s go-ahead single to center, the last of four lead changes in the game.
All-Star Bryan Baker got the final five outs for his majors-leading 35th save. Left-hander Cam Booser (1-0) struck out the side in the seventh and earned his first win in a Rays.
PHILLIES 6, MARLINS 5
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cristopher Sánchez struck out six over six solid innings and became baseball’s first 16-game winner as Philadelphia outlasted Miami.
Sánchez (16-4) allowed one run on eight hits for the Phillies (68-58), who moved into the second NL wild-card spot, one game ahead of San Diego.
The Marlins scored two runs on an unusual play in the seventh inning that led to manager Clayton McCullough being ejected. With the bases loaded, Javier Sanoja hit a low, opposite-field line drive that landed on the foul line in the outfield grass just past first base.
The hit was initially declared foul. Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper didn’t field the ball, and all three runners crossed the plate. After a replay review, umpires ruled it fair but declared that only two runners scored, getting Miami within 4-3.
McCullough argued that the call cost the Marlins a run and was tossed. It was one of four times Miami moved within one run but could not take the lead. Brian Navarreto hit his first homer of the season, a solo shot off Brooks Raley in the eighth inning to get the Marlins within 5-4.
Phillies closer Jhoan Duran gave up an RBI single to Otto Lopez in the ninth but retired the next two batters for his 27th save.
TIGERS 8, PIRATES 5
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kevin McGonigle hit a two-run homer, and Detroit held off Pittsburgh and moved into a three-way tie for the final AL wild-card spot.
Brett Callahan and Hao-Yu Lee also drove in two runs as the Tigers built an 8-1 lead before Pittsburgh scored four times in the sixth.
Zach McKinstry and both hit RBI singles in the first, and McGonigle’s two-run shot in the second, his 13th of the season, made it 4-0.
McGonigle singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the sixth. Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez walked the next three batters, resulting in McGonigle scoring before Callahan hit a two-run single to make it 8-1.
Framber Valdez (8-8) pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and five hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Kenley Jansen struck out two in the final inning for his 15th save of the year.
RED SOX 11, DIAMONDBACKS 1
BOSTON (AP) - Willson Contreras and Mickey Gasper homered, all nine Boston starters drove in at least one, and the Red Sox dismantled Arizona in the first game of a three-game series.
Boston, which scored in six straight innings, did not have a strikeout in the game and finished with 16 hits to maintain a six-game lead for the second AL wild card.
Brayan Bello (5-6) worked 4 2/3 innings of relief, striking out three and allowing a run on three hits. Bello has a 0.85 ERA in 11 relief appearances (52 2/3 innings) this season.
Wyatt Olds made his major league debut for Boston and got his first career strikeout.
Boston jumped to a 4-0 lead after four innings as Eli White and Caleb Durbin drove in runs with singles, while Nick Sogard and Ceddanne Rafaela added RBI doubles.
METS 2, PADRES 1
NEW YORK (AP) — Right fielder Carson Benge threw out two San Diego Padres runners at home plate on consecutive plays in the first inning, fellow rookie A.J. Ewing cut down another from left field moments later, and New York held on for a victory.
Nolan McLean recovered from a shaky start to last six effective innings as the last-place Mets (57-69) won for the 10th time in 13 games since selling big at the trade deadline.
Bo Bichette had an RBI single in the first, Luis Robert Jr. added a sacrifice fly and New York cooled off the Padres, who began the night tied with Philadelphia for the final two National League playoff spots.
San Diego entered a major league-best 17-5 since July 24.
ROYALS 9, ATHLETICS 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. had a two-run homer, an RBI double and scored four times, leading Kansas City to a victory over the Athletics.
Witt’s 15th home run of the year was an estimated 390 feet to left-center field to give Kansas City a 5-1 lead. He added the double in the eighth inning.
After falling behind when Jeff McNeil homered on the first pitch of the game, the Royals went ahead when Maikel Garcia hit an RBI single and Salvador Perez added a two-run single to make it 3-1.
Jac Caglinone hit two RBI singles for the Royals, one in the sixth and the other in the eighth to make it 9-4. Kyle Isbel added one in the third.
Michael Wacha (6-8) pitched the first five innings for the Royals. He gave up six hits, four earned runs and struck out three. Steven Cruz earned his fourth save of the season, getting the Royals out of the game after Lucas Erceg failed to record an out and loaded the bases.
CARDINALS 2, REDS 1, 1ST GAME
REDS 6, CARDINALS 5, 10 INNINGS, 2ND GAME
CINCINNATI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz delivered his first career walk-off hit in the 10th inning after Dane Myers hit a tying pinch-hit homer in the ninth, and Cincinnati rallied past St. Louis to split a doubleheader.
Down to their final out in the ninth, the Reds went to the bench for Myers, who had homered in the opener. Myers delivered again, driving his fifth home run of the season into the left-center seats to tie the game at 5.
De La Cruz won the game an inning later, grounding a single into left field that was deflected off third baseman Blaze Jordan’s glove, allowing automatic runner Tyler Stephenson to score.
Emilio Pagán (5-1) pitched a hitless 10th inning while starter Rhett Lowder matched a career high with 6 2/3 innings pitched. He allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out five, helping the Reds snap a three-game skid.
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