Pujols inches closer to 700, Arenado lifts Cards over Bucs
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Albert Pujols hit his 696th home run, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5 Saturday night.
Pujols trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the all-time homer chart. The 42-year-old Pujols has 22 games left in his 22nd and final season in the big leagues.
With St. Louis down 3-1 in the sixth, Pujols connected on a first-pitch slider from JT Brubaker. He sent a two-run shot 418 feet into the left-field bleachers at PNC Park, launched with an exit velocity of 111.2 mph.
Pujols also doubled and singled for the NL Central leaders. His RBI single in the eighth made it 4-all.
Nolan Arenado broke the tie with a three-run double with two outs in the ninth off Wil Crowe (5-9).
Giovanny Gallegos (3-5) pitched a perfect eighth inning for the Cardinals. Ryan Helsley allowed a two-out RBI single by Bryan Reynolds in the ninth before getting Rodolfo Castro to ground out for his 15th save.
ANGELS 6, ASTROS 1
HOUSTON (AP) — Mike Trout homered in his sixth straight game to set an Angels franchise record, Shohei Ohtani threw five solid innings before exiting because of a blister and Los Angeles beat Houston.
Trout hit his 34th homer, a three-run drive to left field in the second inning. The three-time AL MVP broke the club mark of five games in a row with a homer set by Bobby Bonds in 1977.
Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly and Dale Long share the major league record of eight games in a row with a home run.
Ohtani (12-8) yielded one run on six hits with seven strikeouts until leaving just before the sixth inning with a blister on his right index finger.
The Angels jumped on Houston starter José Urquidy (13-6) for five runs in the first two innings. He allowed a career high-tying six runs on 10 hits in five innings.
DODGERS 8, PADRES 4
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Freddie Freeman drove in four runs on four hits, including a two-run homer, and Trea Turner hit a go-ahead, three-run double for Los Angeles, which beat San Diego and reduced its magic number to four for clinching the NL West.
The Dodgers are closing in on their ninth division title in 10 seasons. They continue to dominate the Padres, winning for the 11th time in 14 games this season and for the 21st time in their last 24 matchups.
Julio Urías (16-7) allowed two home runs to Manny Machado but otherwise quieted the Padres for seven innings to win his third straight start and for the 12th time in 13 decisions.
Padres lefty Blake Snell (6-9) allowed five runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.
YANKEES 10, RAYS 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Leadoff man Aaron Judge singled twice during a six-run first inning off Corey Kluber as New York started with seven straight hits for the first time since 1990 and routed Tampa Bay.
Josh Donaldson homered early and Giancarlo Stanton connected late off a lob pitch as both players returned to the lineup and helped the AL East-leading Yankees move 4 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay.
Judge, leading the majors with 55 home runs, hit three singles in raising his average to .307. He is the first Yankees player to reach base at least three times in seven straight games since Mickey Mantle in June 1957.
New York hit six singles on the first 21 pitches from Kluber (10-8). Judge’s RBI single with two outs in the first chased the two-time Cy Young Award winner after 32 pitches.
New York starter Jameson Taillon (13-4) gave up three runs and six hits in 7 1/3 innings and got his 50th career win.
Wander Franco hit an RBI single and Harold Ramírez added a two-run single as Tampa Bay lost for the second time in 11 games.
PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 5
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper ended the longest home run drought of his career and Kyle Schwarber hit his 37th homer of the year to help Philadelphia over Washington.
Harper homered for the fist time since June 5, a span of 102 plate appearances that also included a two-month stint on the IL with a broken thumb. Schwarber homered for the first time since Aug. 29 to keep the National League lead.
Brandon Marsh and Nick Maton also homered for Philadelphia. Ranger Suarez (9-5) earned the win, throwing 6 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits.
Erick Fedde (6-10) gave up four runs on five hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings.
MARINERS 3, BRAVES 1
SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Haggerty and Eugenio Suárez each hit a solo homer, George Kirby pitched into the seventh inning and Seattle snapped Atlanta’s eight-game winning streak.
A day after the World Series champion Braves took sole possession of first place in the NL East for the first time all season, they fell a half-game behind the Mets again after New York beat Miami earlier in the night.
Haggerty connected off Max Fried (13-6) in the fifth for his fifth home run. Suárez followed an inning later with his 28th of the season. It was the first time this year Fried allowed multiple home runs in a start.
In the 21st start of his rookie season, Kirby (7-3) struck out six and didn’t walk a batter. Over his past 11 starts, he has a 1.99 ERA.
WHITE SOX 10, ATHLETICS 2
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Elvis Andrus connected for a three-run homer against Oakland, which cut him last month, and Chicago had 20 hits in its fourth straight win.
AJ Pollock and Andrew Vaughn each had four hits, helping Lance Lynn (6-5) and the surging White Sox win for the ninth time in 11 games. Lynn allowed two unearned runs and three hits in six innings.
Andrus is 22 for 60 with five homers over his last 14 games.
A’s starter Adrián Martínez (4-4) was tagged for 14 hits in just 3 2/3 innings and gave up seven runs. He fell to the ground after being struck in his left, non-pitching shoulder by a line drive in the second, got the out to end the inning and stayed in the game.
METS 11, MARLINS 3
MIAMI (AP) — Francisco Lindor had three hits, including his 22nd home run, Mark Canha launched a grand slam to cap an eight-run fourth inning and New York took down Miami.
Eduardo Escobar also went deep among his three hits for the Mets, who moved back into first place in the NL East by a half-game over Atlanta. New York began the night trailing in the division for the first time since April 11.
Canha opened the fourth with a walk against starter Pablo López and polished off the outburst by connecting against reliever Andrew Nardi for his first career slam to put the Mets ahead 9-1.
Carlos Carrasco (14-6) pitched six innings of one-run ball. The right-hander retired 11 straight before Jon Berti’s one-out double in the sixth.
López (8-10) gave up eight runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He has allowed 14 runs and 22 hits in his last two starts against New York.
GUARDIANS 6, TWINS 4
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Triston McKenzie pitched seven shutout innings, Amed Rosario hit a two-run homer and AL Central-leading Cleveland held off Minnesota.
José Ramírez went 3 for 4 with two runs, a walk and an RBI for Cleveland, which improved to 13-5 in its last 18 road games and stayed 1½ games ahead of Chicago in the three-team division race. Minnesota dropped 3½ games back and fell to .500 for the first time since April 24.
The Twins trailed 6-0 before a four-run ninth that got tense enough for All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase to be summoned for the final out. He earned his 33rd save.
McKenzie (10-11) won for the first time in four starts and gave up six hits.
Twins starter Chris Archer (2-8) lasted only two innings because of tightness in his right pectoral muscle, and the game spiraled out of control when Cole Sands relieved for the third.
RED SOX 17, ORIOLES 4
BALTIMORE (AP) — Rafael Devers hit a first-inning grand slam, Kiké Hernández had four hits and Boston slugged its way to a lopsided win over Baltimore.
Jordan Lyles (10-10) couldn’t make it out of the fourth in his first start this month, and the Orioles lost for the fifth time in seven games. Lyles allowed eight runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Baltimore fell five games behind Seattle for the final AL wild card.
Christian Arroyo hit a two-run homer in the fifth for the Red Sox, who had already broken the game open by then. Boston snapped a four-game losing streak, and Michael Wacha (11-1) extended his unbeaten run to 11 starts, and gave up three runs and six hits in six innings.
Boston finished with 21 hits.
BLUE JAYS 11, RANGERS 7
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Danny Jansen homered and matched a career high with four hits, Santiago Espinal tied career bests with three hits and three RBIs, and Raimel Tapia hit a three-run homer as Toronto’s bottom of the order led an early onslaught in a win over Texas.
All 11 Blue Jays runs came in the first four innings, helping Kevin Gausman to his fourth consecutive win. The Blue Jays are a season-best 18 games over .500 and pulled within one-half game of AL wild-card leader Tampa Bay.
Gausman (12-9) allowed five runs on two homers. He went 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine, which is one short of his season high.
The Jays batted around twice in the first three innings against Kohei Arihara (1-3), who also gave up a two-run homer to Jansen in the fourth. Tim Mayza earned his first save of the season.
GIANTS 5, CUBS 2
CHICAGO (AP) — Joey Bart and David Villar each homered, doubled and drove in two runs, helping San Francisco top Chicago and end a five-game losing streak.
Logan Webb (13-8) allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings, while striking out six and walking none. The 25-year-old right-hander retired 17 of his last 19 hitters, and extended his career highs for wins and innings pitched.
John Brebbia tossed a scoreless eighth. Camilo Doval worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 21st save.
Ian Happ doubled twice and drove in a run for the Cubs, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games. Chicago starter Marcus Stroman (3-7) yielded four runs and seven hits over four innings.
BREWERS 5, REDS 1
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Willy Adames and Andrew McCutchen each hit a two-run homer, Adrian Houser allowed one hit in six innings and Milwaukee beat Cincinnati.
Houser (6-9) permitted a leadoff double by José Barrero in the third and a sacrifice fly by TJ Friedl — but nothing more. The right-hander turned a 2-1 lead over to the bullpen, and the Brewers easily held on.
Taylor Rogers pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, Matt Bush struck out the side in the eighth and Brad Boxberger handled the ninth for Milwaukee, which is three games behind San Diego for the final National League wild card.
Adames connected off Chase Anderson (0-3) in the first inning for his 27th home run, tying Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers for most in the majors by a shortstop.
ROCKIES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1
DENVER (AP) — C.J. Cron hit a three-run home run, José Ureña gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings and Colorado beat Arizona for its fourth-consecutive victory.
Cron’s 457-foot shot to center field off Madison Bumgarner (6-14) was his team-high 28th home run of the season and his fourth in the past seven games. It came one day after he launched a 504-foot blast to left field that was the second-longest home run since tracking began in 2015.
Rockies reliever Justin Lawrence (3-1) threw 1 2/3 shutout innings to earn the win. Daniel Bard pitched a perfect ninth to notch his 29th save of the season.
Ureña struck out five batters.
Arizona designated hitter Ketel Marte, who drove in his team’s lone run, and manager Torey Lovullo were ejected in the seventh inning for arguing against a called strike that Marte believed was too low.
TIGERS 8, ROYALS 4, 8 INNINGS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —Victor Reyes drove in three runs, and Detroit beat Kansas City in a rain-shortened game.
Javier Báez and Harold Castro each had two hits and two RBIs as Detroit earned its third straight win. Matt Manning (2-2) pitched 6 1/3 innings of three-hit ball.
The Tigers went ahead to stay with three runs in the third against Jonathan Heasley (3-8). Reyes snapped a 1-1 tie with an RBI triple. Báez doubled in Reyes and then scored on Castro’s single.
Heasley was charged with seven runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.
Salvador Perez had two hits for Kansas City and drove in a run.
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