Baseball Capsules (August 31, 2017)

NEW YORK (AP) — Trevor Bauer and Ryan Merritt shut down the Yankees' offense, leading the Cleveland Indians to a doubleheader sweep that damaged New York's chances to win the AL East.

Bauer (14-8) won his career-best seventh straight decision, Jose Ramirez tied his big league high with four hits and the Indians took advantage of Gary Sanchez's passed ball in a two-run first inning that stood up for a 2-1 win in Wednesday's opener.

Yandy Diaz hit a two-run single in a four-run first inning against rookie Jordan Montgomery (7-7) in the second game, and Edwin Encarnacion, Yan Gomes and Francisco Lindor added home runs in a 9-4 blowout that completed a three-game series sweep and extended the Indians' winning streak to seven games.

Defending AL champion Cleveland has won 16 of 20, opening a 7 1/2-game lead over second-place Minnesota in the AL Central and moving a season-high 20 games over .500 at 76-56.

Cody Allen struck out three of four batters for his 22nd save in 25 chances.

Jaime Garcia (1-2) gave up two runs, six hits and three walks in five-plus innings.

Merritt (2-0) began 16 of 22 batters with strikes, allowing one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

ANGELS 10, ATHLETICS 8

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout went 4 for 4 with a homer and scored four times in his return to the lineup, Albert Pujols connected twice and Cliff Pennington hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to rally Los Angeles past Oakland.

Pujols drove in four runs and scored three. His two homers moved him into a tie with Jim Thome for seventh place on the career list at 612.

Trout had a triple and two singles for the Angels, who erased a five-run deficit and won their third straight. They remained a game behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card.

Trout snapped an 0-for-17 slump that marked the second-longest hitless skid of his career. He missed the previous two games as a precaution with a stiff neck after crashing into the outfield wall Sunday trying to make a catch.

Matt Olson and Bruce Maxwell homered as the Athletics put up a season-high eight runs in the fourth to build an 8-3 lead. But the Angels scored two in the fifth and five in the seventh, capped by Pennington's first career slam.

Chris Hatcher (0-2) walked Luis Valbuena to load the bases with two outs before Pennington launched his third home run of the season.

Cam Bedrosian (4-3) worked a scoreless inning and Blake Parker got four outs for his fourth save.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, DODGERS 4

PHOENIX (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt homered for the third straight game, Robbie Ray struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings and Arizona handed Los Angeles its first four-game losing streak of the season.

Adam Rosales and Chris Herrmann also went deep for the Diamondbacks, who have won six straight and eight of nine to pull three games ahead of Colorado for the top NL wild card. They'll send Zack Greinke to the mound Thursday looking to become the first team to sweep a series from the Dodgers this year.

Ray allowed four hits and walked two. The left-hander topped 10 strikeouts for the seventh time this season. Fernando Rodney pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in two nights and 34th in 39 tries.

Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-7) lasted just four innings, giving up six runs and eight hits in his first loss since June 5. He had gone 2-0 in six starts since returning from the disabled list.

The Dodgers trailed 6-0 but got a solo homer from Curtis Granderson in the seventh and scored three in the eighth, two on Yasiel Puig's single.

Los Angeles had been the only team not to lose four straight this season. The Dodgers have dropped consecutive series for the first time since April.

ORIOLES 8, MARINERS 7

BALTIMORE (AP) — Welington Castillo went 4 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs, Jonathan Schoop singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Baltimore beat Seattle for its season-high seventh straight victory.

Schoop, Mancini and Craig Gentry also homered for the Orioles, who completed their first three-game sweep of Seattle since 2012. In this one, Baltimore fell behind 6-2 in the third inning before coming back.

Mitch Haniger homered and hit two doubles for Seattle, which completed an arduous 12-game East Coast trip with five straight defeats. After winning two of three in Tampa Bay and Atlanta, the Mariners went 1-2 at Yankee Stadium and came up empty against the sizzling Orioles.

After Baltimore went up 7-6 in the sixth on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Manny Machado, Seattle pulled even in the eighth when Haniger connected off Brad Brach (4-4).

In the bottom half, Castillo singled off Christian Bergman (4-5) and went to second base on a sacrifice bunt before being replaced by pinch-runner Caleb Joseph. Tim Beckham then hit a liner to short, and Joseph was called out on a relay to second. But a replay overturned the call, and Schoop followed an intentional walk to Machado with a single to center off Marc Rzepczynski.

Zach Britton pitched the ninth for his 13th save.

RANGERS 8, ASTROS 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Andrew Cashner pitched eight strong innings, Mike Napoli hit a three-run homer and Texas beat Houston in a game relocated to Florida because of Hurricane Harvey.

A crowd of 6,123 — up from 3,485 the previous night for the opener of a three-game series at Tropicana Field — watched Cashner (8-9) limit the AL West leaders to three hits, one after the second inning.

Napoli's homer off Dallas Keuchel (11-3) capped a six-run fourth inning for the Rangers, who've won two straight following a three-game skid.

Houston's third loss in four games was overshadowed by the announcement earlier Wednesday that the Astros will return to home after Thursday's finale to face the New York Mets this weekend.

After an unscheduled day off, the Astros will play a doubleheader Saturday and afternoon game Sunday against the Mets.

NATIONALS 4, MARLINS 0

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg tossed a complete game six-hitter and also homered, Wilmer Difo added a home run and Washington beat Miami to complete a three-game sweep.

Washington, which has won four in a row, extended its lead in the NL East to 15 games over the Marlins. Miami, which had won 13 of 16 prior to arriving in Washington, had not dropped three in a row since July 14-16.

The Marlins had no answer for Strasburg (11-4), who struck out eight. Strasburg threw 110 pitches. It was Strasburg's second complete game in 179 starts and his first since Aug. 11, 2013, against Philadelphia.

Strasburg is 1-1 with a 0.86 ERA in three starts since returning from a disabled list stint for right elbow nerve impingement.

Miami left-hander Adam Conley (6-6) made it through the first four innings unscathed before Strasburg launched the first pitch of the fifth to right-center for his second home run this season and third of his career.

RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 1

TORONTO (AP) — Mitch Moreland had a pinch-hit homer and drove in four runs, Hanley Ramirez added a solo shot and Boston beat Toronto to complete a three-game sweep.

Rick Porcello (9-15) allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings as the AL East-leading Red Sox moved 5 1/2 games ahead of the second-place New York Yankees, who were swept in a doubleheader by Cleveland. New York and Boston begin a four-game series at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

Ramirez connected for the second straight game as the Red Sox improved to 8-1 in Toronto this season. Boston is 10-3 overall against the Blue Jays with six meetings remaining at Fenway Park in September.

Pinch-hitting for Chris Young against right-hander Tom Koehler (1-7), Moreland hit a second deck drive in the seventh, his 18th. It was the third pinch-hit homer of Moreland's career.

BREWERS 6, CARDINALS 5

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Domingo Santana and Jonathan Villar homered in the sixth inning, and center fielder Keon Broxton made a leaping catch over the wall for the final out.

Corey Knebel pitched the ninth for his 30th save. Chase Anderson (8-3) gave up two hits — both homers — in six innings, three earned runs, struck out six and walked two to improve to 4-0 in nine starts at Miller Park this season.

Santana hit his 22nd homer of the season and Villar's was his 10th, giving Milwaukee a franchise-record nine players with at least 10 homers in a season.

Carlos Martinez (10-10) allowed 10 hits, six runs — three earned — and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings.

CUBS 17, PIRATES 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit two home runs, Ian Happ and Anthony Rizzo also went deep and Chicago pounded Pittsburgh.

Chicago tied a season high for runs set against Philadelphia on Saturday and banged out 20 hits to match its highest total since May 12, 2014, at St. Louis. The Cubs (72-60) outscored the Pirates 27-5 in a three-game sweep and moved 12 games above .500 for the first time this year. They also remained 3 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee for the NL Central lead.

Javier Baez became the first Cubs player in seven years to steal home.

Jose Quintana (5-3) held Pittsburgh to three runs in six innings. He retired 14 in a row after giving up two runs in the first and also had an RBI single.

Ivan Nova (11-12) lasted just three innings in his shortest outing of the year.

TWINS 11, WHITE SOX 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jose Berrios pitched seven scoreless innings, Brian Dozier had four hits and Eddie Rosario homered twice as Minnesota defeated Chicago.

Berrios (12-6) tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, including seven of the last nine batters he faced. He walked one and gave up just four hits to win his seventh straight start at Target Field.

The Twins, with a slim lead for the second AL wild card, ran their August record to 19-10 — the most wins in the majors this month.

Mitch Garver and Ehire Adrianza each had three hits for the Twins. Adrianza tripled twice and drove in four runs, while Garver scored three runs and was a home run short of the cycle.

Derek Holland (7-14) gave up five runs in five innings. In six career starts at Target Field, he's 0-5 with a 7.98 ERA.

METS 2, REDS 0

CINCINNATI (AP) — Rafael Montero took a one-hitter into the ninth inning, and New York held on for a victory that extended its dominance over Cincinnati.

Montero (3-9) allowed only Joey Votto's single through the first eight innings. The Reds loaded the bases with one out in the ninth on two hits and an intentional walk to Votto. A.J. Ramos fanned Adam Duvall and Scooter Gennett for his 26th save in 28 chances.

Jose Reyes, Wilmer Flores and Kevin Plawecki doubled in the first inning for a 2-0 lead against Homer Bailey (4-7), setting up the Mets' 12th victory in their last 15 games at Great American Ball Park.

The Mets had won 14 straight against the Reds overall since 2014, a streak snapped by Cincinnati's 14-4 win Tuesday night.

TIGERS 6, ROCKIES 2

DENVER (AP) — Justin Verlander struck out nine over six commanding innings and aided his own cause by driving in his first career run.

Verlander (10-8) allowed one run and three hits. His only mistake was a curveball that Charlie Blackmon hit for a solo homer in the sixth. Verlander ignited the offense with an RBI single in the second.

Nicholas Castellanos added a solo homer and James McCann sealed the game with a three-run shot in the fifth to help Tigers take two of three from Colorado.

The Rockies finished August with a 12-15 record — their first losing month of the season. They saw their lead for the second NL wild card shrink to three games over Milwaukee.

Chad Bettis (0-2) struggled with his control in his fourth start since returning from treatment for testicular cancer. He allowed five runs in five innings.

RAYS 5, ROYALS 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Logan Morrison, Steven Souza Jr. and Adeiny Hechavarria homered to help Tampa Bay beat Kansas City for its latest series victory.

The Rays took two of three from the slumping Royals and have won three consecutive series. The Royals lost 18 of 28 games in August, including six of seven to end the month.

Morrison, born in Kansas City, has four homers, eight RBIs and six runs in the first six games of Tampa Bay's road trip. He hit his 33rd homer in the fifth against Jason Vargas (14-9). Souza hit his 29th earlier in the inning, snapping a 3-all tie.

Vargas, an All-Star this season, is 2-6 with a 7.20 ERA over his past 10 starts.

Jake Odorizzi (7-7) allowed three runs and four hits over five-plus innings. Alex Colome earned his major league-leading 40th save in 45 chances.

Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer for the Royals.

PADRES 5, GIANTS 0

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Travis Wood homered and pitched into the fifth inning, Jose Pirela also went deep and San Diego blanked San Francisco.

Wood hit a solo shot in the third and Pirela added one of his own in the sixth as the Padres defeated the Giants for the ninth time in 12 games.

After Pirela's homer, reliever Kyle Crick's wild pitch scored Wil Myers, putting the Padres up 3-0. Austin Hedges' RBI single made it 4-0.

Wood's pitch count reached 97 through 4 1/3 innings and he was pulled. Craig Stammen (2-2), the first of four San Diego relievers, worked 1 2/3 clean innings for the win. Brad Hand got four outs for his 14th save as the bullpen retired 14 of 16 batters.

Giants lefty Ty Blach (8-11) went 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits.

BRAVES 9, PHILLIES 1, First game

BRAVES 5, PHILLIES 2, Second game

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — David Freitas lined a go-ahead RBI double for his first career hit, Ender Inciarte had three hits and Atlanta beat Philadelphia to complete a doubleheader sweep.

Julio Teheran (9-11) allowed one run and five hits, striking out eight in 6 1/3 innings.

Inciarte was 3 for 5 with one RBI after going 5 for 5 with four RBIs to lead the Braves to a 9-1 victory in the opener.

Philadelphia's Game 2 starter, Mark Leiter Jr. (2-4), allowed three runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Braves starter R.A Dickey (9-8) struck out nine over eight innings in Game 1.

Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer off Jerad Eickhoff (4-8) in the first.

Baseball Capsules (August 30, 2017)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton tied a major league record with his 18th home run in August, but Anthony Rendon had four RBIs and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 8-3 on Tuesday night.

Stanton hit a long homer in the first inning off Edwin Jackson (5-3), his 51st this season, to open the scoring following a 26-minute rain delay. His August output matched the mark set by Rudy York with the Detroit Tigers in 1937. Sammy Sosa set the record for homers in a month when he hit 20 in June 1998, and Stanton has two games left this month to catch the former Cubs slugger.

Stanton added an RBI with a deep sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.

Rendon's three-run double in the seventh came after Washington's bullpen thwarted a rally earlier in the inning. Daniel Murphy also had a two-run single.

The Nationals, 16-7 since Aug. 6, had five runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings against Vance Worley (2-4).

RED SOX 3, BLUE JAYS 0

TORONTO (AP) — Chris Sale and two relievers combined on a four-hitter, Hanley Ramirez hit a solo home run and Boston beat Toronto.

Sale (15-6) fanned 11 in his major league-best 17th double-digit strikeout game, raising his league-leading total to 264. His 15 wins lead the AL.

Sale, who matched a season-worst by allowing seven runs in his previous outing, pitched seven innings. The left-hander has not allowed a run in 22 innings against the Blue Jays this season.

Craig Kimbrel finished for his 31st save in 35 chances.

Promoted from Triple-A Buffalo to make his first start for the Blue Jays, left-hander Brett Anderson (2-3) allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings.

ORIOLES 4, MARINERS 0

BALTIMORE (AP) — Dylan Bundy threw a one-hitter for his first career shutout, Manny Machado hit two of Baltimore's four solo homers, and the Orioles extended their winning streak to six games.

Bundy (13-8) allowed just a bunt single to Kyle Seager in the fourth inning and set a career high with 12 strikeouts. The right-hander has a 2.00 ERA in August and has struck out 10 or more in three of his last four starts.

Jonathan Schoop and Welington Castillo also went deep for the Orioles, who moved two games over .500 for the first time since June 10.

Schoop collected his 29th homer of the season and 500th career hit with a solo shot in the first off Erasmo Ramirez (5-5).

ROYALS 6, RAYS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield, Jorge Bonifacio and Eric Hosmer homered as Kansas City snapped a 45-inning scoreless streak on the way to a victory over Tampa Bay.

Merrifield's 16th home run with two outs in the third ended the Royals' drought, three innings shy of the major league record. The 1906 Philadelphia Athletics and 1968 Chicago Cubs share the mark with 48 scoreless innings.

Bonifacio homered with two outs in the sixth off Alex Cobb (9-9).

Cobb gave up a run on three singles and three wild pitches in the fourth. Hosmer scored on Mike Moustakas' single, but the Royals stranded runners at second and third.

Royals rookie Jake Junis (6-2) did not allow a hit until a one-out single in the fifth.

CUBS 4, PIRATES 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Arrieta continued his dominant second half with six innings of two-hit ball, Ben Zobrist homered and Chicago beat Pittsburgh.

Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 4 with an RBI, Alex Avila had an RBI single and Jason Heyward added a sacrifice fly for NL Central-leading Chicago.

Arrieta (14-8) struck out four and retired the last seven batters he faced, leaving after 97 pitches with a 3-0 lead. He hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his nine starts since the All-Star break, going 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA during that span.

Wade Davis got the final three outs for his 27th save in 27 chances to establish a new Cubs record for consecutive saves opportunities converted.

Chad Kuhl (6-10) allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

CARDINALS 10, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Matt Carpenter hit a two-run homer and Luke Voit drove in four runs, backing Luke Weaver's 10-strikeout night in a 10-2 win Tuesday over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Carpenter's shot to right in the fifth had added importance for the third baseman after he had pledged $10,000 for every home run that he hit the rest of the season to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. The Galveston, Texas native looked up and pointed two fingers toward the night sky as he touched the plate to extend the Cardinals' lead to 9-1.

St. Louis chased Matt Garza (6-8) with one out in the fourth. The right-hander walked five and allowed six runs, though only three were earned after the Brewers committed two errors in the third.

The loss dropped the second-place Brewers to 3 1/2 games back of the NL Central-leading Cubs, who won on Tuesday.

RANGERS 12, ASTROS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shin-Soo Choo homered and drove in four runs, helping Texas rout Houston in the opener of a series relocated to Florida due to flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Adrian Beltre of the Rangers drove in three runs to pass Hall of Famer Ernie Banks for 28th on the career RBI list with 1,637, and Joey Gallo hit a two-run homer off Mike Fiers (8-9) before an announced crowd of 3,485 at Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The three-game series that concludes Thursday was moved from Minute Maid Park because of flooding in the Houston area, with the Astros serving as the home team after the Rangers declined a proposal to play the games in Arlington, Texas.

It's only the fourth time in major league history that games have been relocated to neutral sites because of weather.

Martin Perez (10-10) pitched seven strong innings for the Rangers.

TWINS 6, WHITE SOX 4

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jorge Polanco homered twice and Ervin Santana struck out seven while pitching into the seventh inning, leading Minnesota past Chicago.

Eduardo Escobar drove in two runs for the Twins, who started the day with a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels in the crowded race for the second AL wild card. Santana (14-7) matched his highest total for wins since he was a 17-game winner 2010 with the Angels.

Matt Belisle pitched the ninth for his fifth save. James Shields (2-5) has not won for the White Sox in 10 starts.

DIAMODNBACKS 7, DODGERS 6

PHOENIX (AP) — A.J. Pollock hit a two-run homer and Arizona roughed up Rich Hill in his follow-up to a near no-hitter.

Hill (9-6) pitched nine no-hit innings against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, losing the no-hitter and the game on Josh Harrison's walk-off homer in the 10th.

The Diamondbacks scored 11 runs to complete a three-game sweep of San Francisco on Sunday and kept hitting after a day off, knocking around Hill in a five-run first inning.

Paul Goldschmidt homered and Fernando Rodney allowed a run-scoring single by Chris Taylor in the ninth before closing out his 33rd save. The wild card-leading Diamondbacks have won five straight.

Taylor hit a two-run homer and Yasiel Puig a solo shot off Zack Godley (6-7) for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who have lost three in a row for the first time since early June.

ROCKIES 7, TIGERS 3

DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado capped a four-run seventh inning with his 30th homer, and Colorado beat Detroit.

Arenado's three-run shot broke open a close game and helped the Rockies win for the fourth time in six tries. Colorado increased its lead to four games over Milwaukee for the second NL wild card.

Colorado went ahead 4-3 on singles by Jonathan Lucroy and Trevor Story, and a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Carlos Gonzalez off starter Michael Fulmer (10-12).

Charlie Blackmon reached on a fielder's choice. Warwick Saupold walked DJ LeMahieu, and Arenado followed with his three-run drive to reach 30 homers for the third straight season. He leads the majors with 111 RBIs.

Rockies starter German Marquez tied a career high with 10 strikeouts before leaving with one out in the seventh. Pat Neshek (2-1) got the last two outs of the inning.

ANGELS 8, ATHLETICS 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — C.J. Cron hit two homers, including a three-run drive in the first inning, and Los Angeles beat Oakland.

Ben Revere had two RBIs for the Angels, who have won three of four and are one game behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card.

Cron drove a three-run homer off Chris Smith (0-4) in the first inning and also had a solo shot in the eighth.

Jesse Chavez (7-10) threw four scoreless relief innings.

REDS 14, METS 4

CINCINNATI (AP) — Scott Schebler hit his first career grand slam, and Cincinnati ended its 14-game losing streak against New York.

The Reds hadn't beaten the Mets since Sept. 6, 2014. They'd dropped their last eight to New York at Great American Ball Park, where the Mets are 30-16 all-time — the best winning percentage by any NL team.

Cincinnati put it away with a seven-run eighth inning that featured Adam Duvall's three-run homer. Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki made his second appearance on the mound this season and induced a double-play grounder.

Reds rookie Sal Romano (4-5) made his third straight solid start, allowing three runs and six hits in six innings.

Schebler homered in the first off rookie Chris Flexen (3-3).

PADRES 6, GIANTS 3

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manuel Margot and Jabari Blash homered to back Luis Perdomo's six innings of solid pitching as San Diego beat San Francisco.

Perdomo (7-8) settled in after his pitch count climbed as he wiggled from jams in the first two innings. Brad Hand handled the ninth for his 13th save.

Matt Moore (4-13) was charged with five runs and eight hits, with a walk and a hit batter. He struck out two.

Baseball Capsules (August 29, 2017)

KANSAS CITY, MO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals extended their scoreless streak to a franchise-record 43 innings, getting shut out for a fourth straight game in a 12-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

The Royals haven't scored since the second inning of a 3-2 loss to Colorado last Thursday and were blanked three times over the weekend by Cleveland. The 1968 Chicago Cubs and 1906 Philadelphia Athletics hold the major league record at 48 scoreless innings, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The 1992 Cubs were the last team to be blanked in four straight games, and it hasn't happened in the AL since the 1964 Washington Senators — nine years before the adoption of the designated hitter. No team has been shut out in five straight games since at least 1913, according to information gathered from baseball-reference.com.

Austin Pruitt (7-4) pitched six one-run innings for Tampa Bay, and Matt Andriese allowed one more hit while getting a three-inning save, his first this season.

Lucas Duda, Wilson Ramos and Logan Morrison went deep for Tampa Bay, with Duda getting his 25th and Morrison his 32nd of the season. Evan Longoria and Morrison hit back-to-back doubles after Duda's shot in the third off Ian Kennedy (4-10).

INDIANS 6, YANKEES 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Corey Kluber outpitched Luis Severino in a marquee matchup of All-Stars, and slumping Jose Ramirez homered twice to power Cleveland past New York for its fifth straight victory.

Carlos Santana hit a tiebreaking homer off Severino in the seventh inning and Austin Jackson also went deep for the AL Central leaders, who increased their cushion to seven games over idle Minnesota.

Coming off three consecutive shutouts in a sweep of Kansas City, the defending AL champions ran their scoreless streak to 30 innings before Chase Headley homered against Kluber (13-4) leading off the third. The 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner went eight innings and allowed only three hits, rebounding from a loss to Boston last week that ended a five-game winning streak and marked his first defeat since July 4.

Severino (11-6) gave up four hits — three homers — in 6 2/3 innings and lost for only the second time in 10 starts.

RED SOX 6, BLUE JAYS 5

TORONTO (AP) — Christian Vazquez had four hits, including a two-run home run, Eduardo Nunez added a solo shot and Boston beat Toronto, snapping a four-game skid.

Boston also overcame the latest stellar defensive play from center fielder Kevin Pillar, who dived to make a sensational catch on the warning track and take a hit away from Mookie Betts in the sixth. The crowd of 35,630 gave Pillar a standing ovation.

The AL East-leading Red Sox avoided their first five-game losing streak of the season.

Drew Pomeranz (14-4) got the win and Craig Kimbrel gave up two runs before locking down his 30th save. Danny Barnes (2-5) took the loss.

CUBS 6, PIRATES 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Mike Montgomery pitched six-hit ball into the eighth inning and helped himself at the plate, leading the Cubs to the win.

Montgomery (5-6) struck out four and walked none in his second start since he was inserted into the rotation after Jon Lester was placed on the 10-day disabled list. The left-hander was pulled after Jordy Mercer snapped his 17 1/3-inning scoreless streak with a leadoff homer in the eighth.

Carl Edwards Jr. got three outs before Wade Davis finished the six-hitter as Chicago moved 2 1/2 games ahead of idle Milwaukee for the top spot in the NL Central.

Trevor Williams (5-7) hung in there with Montgomery, pitching five innings of two-run ball, but Pittsburgh lost for the 11th time in its last 16 games. Mercer went 3 for 3, David Freese had two hits and Andrew McCutchen singled for the Pirates.

NATIONALS 11, MARLINS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Max Scherzer overpowered Giancarlo Stanton, Howie Kendrick hit a three-run triple and the Nationals beat Miami.

Scherzer (13-5) allowed one run and five hits, including Christian Yelich's home run, and had 10 strikeouts in his return from the 10-day disabled list.

Stanton, named NL Player of the Week for the second time this month on Monday, went 0 for 3 against Scherzer with two strikeouts and a groundball double play.

Jayson Werth had a two-run homer off Jose Urena (12-6) in his first game with the Nationals since suffering a left foot contusion on June 5.

GIANTS 3, PADRES 0

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jeff Samardzija allowed just three singles in pitching his first shutout since 2015, and Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik homered to lead San Francisco over San Diego.

Samardzija (9-12) frustrated the Padres to beat them for the first time in four starts this year. He allowed infield singles to Wil Myers in the second and Yangervis Solarte in the fifth before Cory Spangenberg singled to right in the eighth. It was his fourth shutout and ninth complete game.

Crawford homered to right-center off Jhoulys Chacin (11-10) leading off the fourth, his 12th. Panik hit a two-run shot off the right-field foul pole off Phil Maton with one out in the eighth, his eighth. Crawford was aboard on a single.

TIGERS 4, ROCKIES 3

DENVER (AP) — Nicholas Castellanos had three hits, including a two-run triple, and Jordan Zimmermann rebounded from early trouble to help Detroit beat Colorado.

The Rockies stranded 11 baserunners as they began a nine-game homestand. Their lead for the second NL wild-card spot dwindled to three games over idle Milwaukee.

Zimmermann (8-11) went five innings and allowed three runs — all in the second inning. He settled down to move his career mark to 7-0 against the Rockies in 11 career starts.

Shane Greene struck out two of three in the ninth for his sixth save.

Antonio Senzatela (10-5) never found his command in allowing four runs over 3 2/3 innings.

ORIOLES 7, MARINERS 6

BALTIMORE (AP) — Adam Jones hit a milestone home run and Welington Castillo had three hits and two RBIs in the Orioles' fifth straight victory.

Chris Davis doubled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning for the resurgent Orioles, who climbed over .500 (66-65) for the first time since June 11. Baltimore jumped past Seattle (66-66) to within 1 ½ games of idle Minnesota for the final AL wild-card spot.

Jones' solo home run in the fifth inning gave him 25 for an Orioles-record seventh consecutive season. He shared the mark of six with Cal Ripken Jr.

With the score tied at 6, Trey Mancini led off the Baltimore seventh with a single off Emilio Pagan (1-3) and Davis followed with a liner into the right-field corner.

Donnie Hart (2-0) pitched the seventh for the win.

ANGELS 3, ATHLETICS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Andrew Heaney struck out a career-high 10, Martin Maldonado had three hits and scored twice and Los Angeles beat Oakland.

Heaney (1-0), making his third start since Tommy John surgery, struck out the side in the first and the sixth innings. He had his best outing since the surgery, allowing two hits in six innings. He walked three and gave up one home run but worked his way out of trouble behind a strong curveball.

Blake Parker pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save.

Daniel Gossett (3-7) allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings.

PHILLIES 6, BRAVES 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins ended his homer streak but did drive in the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning double, Aaron Nola pitched seven strong innings and Philadelphia beat Atlanta.

Cameron Rupp homered for the Phillies, who have connected in 10 straight games and totaled 21 homers over that stretch.

Rookie slugger Hoskins didn't go deep after homering in five straight games while becoming the fastest ever to reach 11 home runs, doing it in 18 games and 64 at-bats. His double just inside the left-field line scored Nick Williams to put the Phillies ahead 2-1.

That was enough for Nola (10-9), who rebounded from two straight subpar outings by allowing one run and five hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

Lucas Sims (2-4) allowed four runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Baseball Capsules (August 26, 2017)

NEW YORK (AP) — Yonder Alonso homered on a 100 mph fastball from demoted closer Aroldis Chapman in the 11th inning, and the Seattle Mariners outpitched the New York Yankees for a 2-1 victory Friday night.

Mike Zunino homered and had three hits for the Mariners, right in the middle of a crowded race for the second AL wild card. They used seven pitchers to hold down the Yankees, who lead the wild-card chase but trail first-place Boston by 4 1/2 games in the AL East.

Alonso entered as a pinch hitter in the ninth and sent a drive to center field with two outs in the 11th against Chapman (4-3), the $86 million reliever who recently lost his job as closer.

James Pazos (4-4) tossed a perfect inning against his former team and Edwin Diaz got three outs for his 30th save.

MARLINS 8, PADRES 6

MIAMI (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, increasing his major league-leading total to 49, and tied a career high with five RBIs, helping the Marlins climb above .500 for the first time since April.

Miami grabbed the lead for good on Marcell Ozuna's three-run drive in the seventh inning. It was Ozuna's 30th homer of the season.

Carlos Asuaje and Jabari Blash homered for San Diego. Kirby Yates (3-5) got the loss.

Dustin McGowan (8-1) got five outs for the win and Brad Ziegler pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save, all this month.

PHILLIES 7, CUBS 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins hit another homer and Cesar Hernandez ripped a three-run triple to back Jerad Eickhoff, helping Philadelphia to the victory.

Called up from the minors too late to get a nickname on the back of his uniform for Players Weekend, Hoskins has put on a tremendous power display. He has nine homers and 21 RBIs in 16 games. No player in major league history has reached nine homers that quickly, according to MLB.com.

Eickhoff (4-7) allowed one run and five hits in five innings. He has won four straight decisions.

Jose Quintana (4-3) gave up six runs and nine hits in five innings, tying his worst start in eight outings since the Cubs acquired him from the White Sox.

Kyle Schwarber hit a solo homer in the first for NL Central-leading Chicago.

METS 4, NATIONALS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — New York ace Jacob deGrom had 10 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings against Washington's makeshift lineup.

DeGrom (14-7) allowed one run and five hits. He upped his strikeout total to 201 this season by fanning the side in the seventh.

But the Mets lost outfielder Yoenis Cespedes in the first inning with a right hamstring strain that could end his season based on the schedule.

A.J. Cole (1-4) allowed one run and four hits over six innings for Washington.

Adam Lind homered in the ninth off New York's AJ Ramos, who then loaded the bases with one out on a hit and two walks. Ramos retired Howie Kendrick and Andrew Stevenson to earn his 24th save in 26 opportunities.

ORIOLES 16, RED SOX 3

BOSTON (AP) — Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis homered, and the Orioles used a seven-run fifth inning to pull away for the victory.

The Orioles have won three of four as they try to stay in the mix for an AL wild card. Trey Mancini led Baltimore with four RBIs.

Jeremy Hellickson (8-7) pitched seven innings of three-run ball for his second win in an Orioles uniform.

Boston committed a season-high five errors. Rick Porcello (8-15) was charged with 11 runs, four earned, and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

DODGERS 3, BREWERS 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yasmani Grandal hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the fifth for Los Angeles, and Yasiel Puig and Logan Forsythe homered.

Grandal drove in Justin Turner with a single to center against Chase Anderson (7-3). Puig tacked on a solo drive in the sixth for his 23rd homer.

Domingo Santana hit his 21st homer for Milwaukee, which has dropped three of four. Anderson allowed six hits in five innings.

The Brewers stayed three games back of NL Central-leading Chicago, which lost 7-1 at Philadelphia.

Santana connected against Kenta Maeda (12-5) in the second, but that was Milwaukee's only hit of the night. Maeda struck out seven in six innings and Kenley Jansen got three outs for his 35th save.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, GIANTS 3

PHOENIX (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer for Arizona, and Zack Greinke got his 15th win of the season.

Greinke (15-6) allowed three runs, two earned, and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He improved to 12-1 at home this season and Arizona pulled 1 1/2 games ahead of Colorado for the NL's top wild-card slot.

Fernando Rodney pitched a perfect ninth for his 31st save in 36 tries.

Brandon Crawford doubled twice, singled and scored twice for San Francisco. Ty Blach (8-10) was charged with four runs and six hits in five innings.

RAYS 7, CARDINALS 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Corey Dickerson had four hits, including two doubles, and Tampa Bay won for the fourth time in five games.

Adeiny Hechavarria added three hits and two RBIs. Steven Souza Jr. homered, Kevin Kiermaier also drove in two runs and the Rays finished with 16 hits.

Sergio Romo (2-1) earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief of Jake Odorizzi, who allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings. The Rays' bullpen combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

St. Louis right-hander Michael Wacha (9-7) was charged with five runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. The Cardinals have dropped five of six and eight of 11.

WHITE SOX 3, TIGERS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Yolmer Sanchez drove in Tim Anderson with a game-ending single, and the White Sox earned their third straight win.

Anderson had a game-ending hit Wednesday against Minnesota. This time, he hit a leadoff double and scored easily on Sanchez's single off Joe Jimenez (0-2).

Jose Abreu homered and went 2 for 2 with two intentional walks for Chicago. Juan Minaya (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.

Detroit starter Justin Verlander allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings.

INDIANS 4, ROYALS 0

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Ryan Merritt pitched a career-high 6 2/3 innings and Cleveland recorded its AL-leading 13th shutout.

Merritt (1-0) was called up from Triple-A Columbus before the game to take the injured Danny Salazar's spot in the rotation. The 25-year-old left-hander scattered seven hits for his second career win, both coming against Kansas City.

Francisco Lindor hit a two-run drive for Cleveland, and three relievers finished the eight-hitter.

Kansas City left-hander Jason Vargas (14-8) allowed four runs in five innings. He has dropped four of his five August starts.

ASTROS 2, ANGELS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif (AP) — Rookie J.D. Davis homered for Houston, and George Springer scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

Astros right-hander Collin McHugh (2-2) allowed one run in six innings. Ken Giles pitched the ninth for his 25th save.

Right-hander Parker Bridwell (7-2) went seven innings for the Angels, allowing two runs and six hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out five.

The Angels fell 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the final AL wild card.

TWINS 6, BLUE JAYS 1

TORONTO (AP) — Minnesota right-hander Bartolo Colon pitched 6 2/3 innings for his second straight win, and Byron Buxton had three hits and two RBIs.

Joe Mauer had three hits and scored twice as Minnesota snapped a seven-game losing streak north of the border. The Twins, who began the day a half-game ahead of Kansas City and Los Angeles for the second AL wild card, had not won in Toronto since June 11, 2014.

Justin Smoak hit his 35th homer for Toronto, but the Blue Jays lost for the sixth time in seven games. J.A. Happ (6-10) yielded five runs and eight hits in six innings.

Colon (6-10) allowed nine hits and walked one while improving to 4-1 in August.

BRAVES 5, ROCKIES 2

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Kemp and Kurt Suzuki homered for Atlanta, and Julio Teheran won at home for the first time in four months.

Teheran (8-11) allowed two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings while stopping an Atlanta record streak of nine straight home losses. Arodys Vizcaino pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

Kemp and Suzuki each hit first-pitch homers off Chad Bettis (0-1). Kemp hit a two-run shot in the first and Suzuki led off the second with a line drive over the left-field wall.

Mark Reynolds hit his 27th homer in the seventh for Colorado.

REDS 9, PIRATES 5

CINCINNATI (AP) — Reds rookie Robert Stephenson fanned a career-high 11, and Scott Schebler drove in three runs with a homer and his first triple of the season.

Stephenson (2-4) stymied Pittsburgh with sharp-breaking pitches in his fifth start and 19th overall appearance, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander fanned the first six batters for a modern Reds record, according to information from the Elias Sports Bureau provided by the team.

Pittsburgh's Josh Bell hit a three-run homer off Tim Adleman in the seventh, one of his four hits. Ivan Nova (11-11) gave up seven runs — matching his season high — in five innings.

ATHLETICS 3, RANGERS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Khris Davis homered twice for Oakland, including a tiebreaking leadoff drive in the seventh.

Kendall Graveman (4-4) improved to 3-0 at home in his fifth start back from a stint on the disabled list. He allowed one run and nine hits in seven innings.

Blake Treinen worked the ninth for his sixth save since coming to the A's in a July 16 trade with the Nationals.

Texas right-hander Nick Martinez (3-5), called up from Triple-A Round Rock to make the start, struck out seven in seven innings and allowed three runs.

LEADING OFF: New jerseys across the Majors, Jones back in Boston

A look at what's happening all around the majors today:

---

BRIGHT IDEA

Uniforms, bats and spikes will have a different look across the big leagues this weekend. Major League Baseball has relaxed the rules for a few days, so players can put nicknames on their jerseys. It'll be "Bringer of Rain" for Toronto slugger Josh Donaldson, "Kiiiiid" for Angels star Mike Trout and "Nerd Power" for Milwaukee infielder Eric Sogard. MLB wants players to show their personalities, so fans will also see bright colors for bats, cleats and catcher's masks. At Yankee Stadium, this marks quite a break from tradition - the pinstriped uniforms never include any names on the back. Now, it will be "All Rise" for rookie Aaron Judge, and a lot more when New York hosts Seattle.

BACK IN BOSTON

Orioles star Adam Jones plays for the first time at Fenway Park since a tense series in early May during which he was the target of racial taunts by fans. The Red Sox organization apologized to Jones, and the center fielder was later given a standing ovation by the Boston crowd. Earlier this week, Commissioner Rob Manfred said Major League Baseball planned to issue a policy for fan behavior at all stadiums next season.

ROOKIE RIPS

Phillies newcomer Rhys Hoskins has become just the third player in major league history to hit eight home runs in his first 15 games. The 24-year-old joined Carlos Delgado and Trevor Story to accomplish the feat. Next up for Hoskins will be Jose Quintana and the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park.

FEELING BETTER?

The Mets will place All-Star outfielder Michael Conforto on the disabled list and are considering surgery after he dislocated and suffered a tear in his left shoulder while swinging at a pitch. Asked if Conforto's season was over, manager Terry Collins said: "I can't go out there and predict that," but that was before an MRI revealed a tear in the posterior capsule of the shoulder. Conforto is hitting .279 with 27 home runs and 68 RBIs as New York gets set for a series at Washington.

GETTING CLOSER

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana has missed three straight starts because of tightness in his back. Manager Terry Francona hopes Santana can play when the AL Central leaders host Kansas City. Santana is hitting .250 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs.

Asuaje's RBI single in 9th lifts Padres past Cardinals

(TSX / STATS) -- ST. LOUIS -- In the middle of a seventh straight losing season, the San Diego Padres are in developmental mode.

One of the things that has become clear is their team speed ranks up there with anyone.

It clearly affected the texture of Thursday night's game with the St. Louis Cardinals, especially in the last two innings. After using fleet feet to keep a rally at bay in the bottom of the eighth, San Diego employed its quickness in the ninth to take extra bases that proved vital to the winning rally in a 4-3 decision.

The result secured the Padres' first series win in Busch Stadium since the opening weekend of the 2011 season. They were 4-14 the past five years, including series sweeps in 2012 and 2016.

"Regardless of what has happened, the biggest thing for us is to do our job every night," left fielder Jose Pirela said through an interpreter. "Take every game like it matters and let the rest take care of itself."

Pirela put his footprints on both key sequences. He raced to the gap in left-center to cut off Paul DeJong's leadoff smash, turning a potential double into a single. That meant DeJong could only reach second on Dexter Fowler's subsequent single.

That kept the double play in order. Reliever Kirby Yates (3-4) induced St. Louis' fourth one of the night, a 4-6-3 bouncer off Yadier Molina's bat, and whiffed Jedd Gyorko on a 3-2 slider. That kept the game tied at 2.

It was then time for San Diego (57-70) to turn its speed loose offensively. Pinch-hitter Jabari Blash greeted Sam Tuivailala (3-2) with a single and then advanced to third on a hit-and-run single from Manuel Margot. When center fielder Dexter Fowler missed the cutoff man, an alert Margot took second.

Carlos Asuaje poked Zach Duke's second pitch under the diving Gyorko at first for an RBI single to snap the deadlock. Pirela then lofted a sacrifice fly to right, Margot barely beating Randal Grichuk's accurate throw home for what proved to be the winning run.

"It turned out to be pretty big, especially Manny taking that extra base on the throw from center field," Padres manager Andy Green said. "We can impact the game that way. We have that type of speed, so it's good to see it utilized."

In a different way, speed colored San Diego's two-run sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, St. Louis pitcher Carlos Martinez fetched a one-hopper from Cory Spangenberg that appeared to be a 1-2-3 double play.

But Martinez rushed his throw home and airmailed Molina, allowing Margot to score. When Matt Szczur beat out a slow bouncer to third, Asuaje scurried home with a 2-1 Padres lead.

"When it came time to throw it, I just lost control," Martinez said through an interpreter. "Those are the errors that will cost you a win. That's on me."

It was the only time San Diego got to Martinez, who allowed seven hits and one earned run over seven innings. He walked two and fanned six, but was denied his fourth straight win.

Padre starter Luis Perdomo matched Martinez during his six innings, scattering seven hits and yielding two runs. He walked two and fanned two while inducing a pair of double plays to give him 24 for the year.

Gyorko drilled an RBI double off Perdomo in the fourth to initiate scoring. Molina lined a two-out single down the left field line in the sixth that tied the game at 2.

Grichuk lined his 16th homer of the year to start the ninth against closer Brad Hand. The tying run didn't get out of the batter's box, though. Hand whiffed two hitters and bagged his 12th save.

"Last night was an ugly game, but I thought we were resilient tonight," Green said.

NOTES: St. Louis 1B Matt Carpenter (virus) didn't play for the second straight game but was available for pinch-hitting duty if needed. Carpenter, the team's usual leadoff hitter, wasn't at the ballpark for Wednesday night's game. ... San Diego RHP Jhoulys Chacin (hand) is considered day-to-day after being injured while fouling a pitch off Wednesday night. Chacin became the first player in MLB history to hit four batters and collect two hits in the same game during his 6-2 loss. ... Cardinals INF Jedd Gyorko had homered in six straight games against the Padres before failing to hit one Wednesday night.

Cubs brush off loss to Reds

(TSX / STATS) -- CINCINNATI -- The Thursday night loss was a tough one to swallow for the Chicago Cubs, but they maintained the usual positive spin.

"We're the team in first place," Chicago starter Jake Arrieta said. "We won five in a row, lost a tough one tonight. We go into Philly still feeling pretty good about where we're at."

The Cubs led by a run through seven innings, but Jose Peraza drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with a pinch-hit, bases-loaded double in the eighth, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-2 victory at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds avoided a sweep in the three-game series.

With two outs in the eighth and Pedro Strop (3-4) on the mound for the Cubs, Eugenio Suarez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Peraza crushed a ball to center that eluded Ian Happ and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, driving in two runs to put Cincinnati ahead.

"He's a really good pitcher with a good fastball," Peraza said of Strop. "I worked in the cage getting ready for an at-bat. Just trying to see the ball and get a good swing."

Rather than double-switch for a more adept center fielder in Albert Almora Jr., Cubs manager Joe Maddon chose to keep Happ in center. Replays indicated that Peraza's drive would have been a tough catch for anyone.

"It would have been a tremendous play," Maddon said. "Two outs and nobody on, and (Strop is) throwing the ball great. That was the last thing we saw coming."

Suarez later scored on Strop's wild pitch to give the Reds a two-run cushion.

Raisel Iglesias blanked the Cubs in the ninth for his 24th save.

Michael Lorenzen (8-2) struck out three in a scoreless top of the eighth to earn the victory. Lorenzen was hit hard in two of his previous three outings.

"Good to see him back out there being the vintage Lorenzen," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Happ homered for Chicago (68-58), which had its five-game winning streak snapped. The Cubs lead the second-place Milwaukee Brewers by three games in the National League Central heading into a three-game weekend series against the Phillies.

"We still won the series, we've won five of six," Maddon said. "We did a lot of good things again tonight and they got us at the end."

With two outs in the sixth, the Reds chose to intentionally walk Happ after Reds starter Sal Romano fell behind three balls and no strikes. However, Javier Baez came through with a sharp single to left, driving home Kris Bryant to put Chicago ahead 2-1.

Cincinnati (54-74) nearly tied the score in the bottom of the sixth when Zack Cozart singled and sprinted toward home on Joey Votto's double. A perfect relay from Baez nabbed Cozart at home for the first out of the inning.

Romano retired the Cubs in order on only nine pitches in the first inning.

With one out in the second, Happ launched Romano's first pitch into the right field seats, putting the Cubs ahead 1-0. Happ, a University of Cincinnati product, has 19 home runs in 83 games during his rookie season.

Romano yielded two runs, six hits and three walks while striking out seven in seven innings. The bullpen then helped set up a much-needed victory for Cincinnati.

"He was on the attack," Price said of Romano. "He was very aggressive in the zone. He got clipped for a solo homer but was really good after that. Had a nice feel for the changeup and breaking ball."

Arrieta struck out the first four batters he faced and had six through three innings.

There were a couple hard-hit balls in the span. Bryant made a diving catch on Suarez's line drive to end the second inning. Jesse Winker's drive to left field in the third pushed Kyle Schwarber back to the wall.

Arrieta's no-hit bid lasted until the fourth when Votto's one-out RBI single drove home Zack Cozart, who reached second on Bryant's error at third base. The hit tied the score 1-1.

Arrieta allowed one run (unearned), four hits and three walks while striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings.

"Jake was really good tonight," Maddon said. "Stropie was perfect until it all fell apart."

NOTES: Cubs LHP Jon Lester remains on schedule to throw a bullpen session Friday in Philadelphia. He has been on the disabled list with lat tightness and shoulder fatigue. ... Cubs 3B Kris Bryant returned to the lineup after missing the Wednesday game. He was hit on the left hand by a pitch in the ninth inning Tuesday. On Thursday, Bryant went 1-for-3 with a walk and a double. ... Reds C Stuart Turner is expected to go on the paternity list Friday when his wife is scheduled to be induced. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto has reached base in 28 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the major leagues.

Ryu impresses as Dodgers beat Pirates and get 90th win

(TSX / STATS) -- PITTSBURGH -- Yasmani Grandal hit one of three Los Angeles homers Thursday, but he was more impressed with starter Hyun-Jin Ryu's performance in a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park that gave the Dodgers 90 wins.

"He attacked the zone, started pitching in the strike zone and all of a sudden he's into the sixth inning and cruising," Grandal said. "I think we've seen a couple of things from him, from the beginning of the year till now, that allowed him to get to where he's at right now. It's allowed him to go longer in the outing.

"Later in the game he's still throwing his best pitches and I think he's just going to get stronger from here on out."

Ryu (5-6) remained undefeated in his past nine starts, a stretch in which he is 3-0. He gave up one run and four hits in six innings.

"My second half of the season, I'm getting a feel for the game, commanding more pitches. I still have some things to work on," Ryu said. "I think I've developed my command a little bit more so I can pitch six or seven innings."

Brandon Morrow pitched a perfect ninth for his first save since May 10, 2009.

Curtis Granderson and Adrian Gonzalez also hit solo homers as Los Angeles became the fastest team in franchise history to reach 90 wins.

A day after Rich Hill flirted with a perfect game and lost a no-hitter on the Pirates' walk-off win in the 10th, the Dodgers (90-36) avoided much drama, avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time since July 21-22 and became the first team to 90 wins this season.

Pittsburgh (61-67) has lost nine of its past 12.

Pittsburgh starter Chad Kuhl (6-9) was trying try to bounce back from his worst start of the season, but again struggled. He gave up two runs and six hits in four innings, with five walks and two strikeouts, needing 93 pitches -- the same as Ryu, but in two fewer innings.

"Had some rough innings where the pitch count got up. Misfiring. Didn't get some calls," said Kuhl, who was visibly agitated about his pitches. "They were everywhere. Out, up, in. Just really bad. A lot of missed calls, and then misfires from me."

Kuhl got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first when he struck out Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig, although he needed 28 pitches in the inning.

He pushed hit pitch count to 63 through two innings, and the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead on Chris Taylor's two-out RBI single.

Pittsburgh tied it 1-1 in the bottom of the second on Jordy Mercer's two-out RBI single.

Granderson pushed Los Angeles to a 2-1 lead with a towering two-out homer in the fourth down the right-field line that cleared the stands and bounced into the Allegheny River.

That gave Granderson nine homers in August and three in six games since joining the Dodgers.

Los Angeles made it 3-1 in the seven on another two-out RBI when Enrique Hernandez singled.

Adam Frazier's RBI double off former Pittsburgh left-hander Tony Watson closed it to 3-2 for the Pirates in the seventh.

Grandal and Gonzalez increased it to 5-2 with one-out solo homers in the eighth.

"I missed a lot of (hits) earlier in the series," Grandal said.

The two homers came on consecutive pitches off of reliever Angel Sanchez, who entered at the top of the inning for his major league debut. It was Gonzalez's 100th homer as a Dodger.

"I was probably a little too excited, missing some pitches," Sanchez said. "They got a good swing on it."

It was something the Dodgers didn't do with great proficiency. They pounded out 14 hits but stranded 15 runners.

"I think that at times we could probably put forth a batter at-bat, but there are other times in those situations we might line out and not cash in," manager Dave Roberts said. "For us, it's more about having that quality at-bat. You can always get better."

NOTES: Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle was ejected by plate umpire Paul Emmel in the seventh after arguing a pitch call. ... Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli (left wrist inflammation) was eligible to come off DL but did not. ... Pittsburgh is working to get 3B Jung Ho Kang (in South Korea after DUI charge) to winter ball in the Dominican Republic, according to multiple reports. ... Los Angeles returns home for three games against Milwaukee before hitting the road again. ... Pittsburgh embarks on a six-game road trip, the first of 28 straight games against National League Central clubs. ... After Pittsburgh and St. Louis played in MLB Little League Classic on Sunday, Little League World Series teams from Italy, Venezuela and Japan attended Thursday's game.

Stanton hits major league-leading 47th homer as Marlins rally past Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- In the thick of the wild-card chase, the Miami Marlins couldn't afford a four-game split with the MLB-worst Philadelphia Phillies.

And staring down a five-run deficit after four innings on the road, the Marlins' offense woke up at the right time to keep them in the chase.

Giancarlo Stanton hit his major league-leading 47th homer as the Miami Marlins rallied from a five-run deficit and reached the .500 mark with a 9-8 victory over the Phillies on Thursday.

"The boys hung in today," said Marlins skipper Don Mattingly, whose team swept a doubleheader Tuesday before getting drilled 8-0 on Wednesday. "I think it changes our trip, honestly. You're in a position that you can't afford, we sweep a doubleheader, get a little momentum, and then get beat up last night.

"If it happened again today, that kind of takes the wind out of your sails a little bit, but the fact that we were able to win a series, the last two, we go home, get a chance to do it, hopefully we set the tone tomorrow in the first game."

Prior to Thursday, the Marlins (63-63) hadn't been .500 for the first time since April 27. Getting back there also puts them right back in the wild-card hunt.

With 36 games to play, Miami is exactly 5 1/2 games back of Colorado (69-58) for the final playoff spot in the National League. Milwaukee (66-62) and St. Louis (64-62) are also in the way.

"We need all the wins we can get right now, that was a big one for us," said center fielder Christian Yelich, who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. "Credit to the guys for battling the whole game and grinding it out. That was a good team win, team effort from everybody. It was a good way to cap the road trip."

Stanton hit his latest homer in the third inning off Jake Thompson before the Phillies took an 8-3 lead.

A.J. Ellis started the comeback with a two-run homer in the fifth, Yelich hit a solo homer in the sixth and J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run inside-the-park homer to tie the game in the sixth.

Realmuto's homer hit off the angled center-field wall and rolled away from two Philadelphia outfielders.

After hitting his second career inside-the-park homer, Realmuto drove in the tiebreaking run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth off Luis Garcia (1-4).

"(The inside-the-park home run) was nice," Mattingly said. "And actually the next one he hit, the line drive to score the run, if that ball gets by, that might have been another one right there."

Miami's bullpen was strong in relief of Vance Worley, who gave up eight runs in four innings of work. Five different relievers threw an inning each, limiting the Phillies offense to three hits and no runs.

Jarlin Garcia (1-2) threw a perfect seventh inning, striking out two, for his first major league win. Brad Ziegler pitched the ninth for his eighth save of the season, all of which have come this month.

Rookie Rhys Hopkins drove in three runs and hit his eighth homer for the Phillies. Tommy Joseph also homered and drove in three runs while rookie Nick Williams drove in the other two runs for Philadelphia.

"Great to see the guys swinging the bats and score runs the way they did, but pitching's the name of the game, we didn't see good pitching today," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Thompson allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings after being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley before the game. He was sent back down immediately afterwards.

The Marlins took a 1-0 lead when Stanton scored on a ground-rule double by Marcell Ozuna after Williams lost the ball in center field. That was the second issue Williams had in the frame, after allowing Stanton's pop-up to drop in front of him.

"The first one he misplayed, the second one, he got lost in the sun," Mackanin said. "They scored a run, it happens."

Stanton put the Marlins up 2-1 when he homered to center field. The Marlins went up 3-1 on an RBI single by Derek Dietrich.

NOTES: To make room for RHP Jake Thompson on the roster, the Phillies optioned RHP Ricardo Pinto to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ... Phillies LF Rhys Hoskins hit his eighth home run, tying him for the MLB record amongst all players in their first 15 games. ... The Phillies next welcome the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs to town for a three-game series Friday. Philadelphia RHP Jerad Eickhoff (3-7, 4.46 ERA) will face Chicago LHP Jose Quintana (8-10, 4.27) in the series opener. ... The Marlins will head home for a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Friday night has Miami LHP Adam Conley (6-5, 4.93) against San Diego LHP Travis Wood (3-4, 5.81).

Ray pitches five strong innings as Diamondbacks beat Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- A comebacker off Robbie Ray's calf in the fourth inning Thursday afternoon provided closure on a scary chapter in what has otherwise been an upbeat season for Ray and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The sight an inning later of Michael Conforto hobbling off the field with a dislocated shoulder suffered following a swing and a miss offered more proof for the New York Mets that the end to their misery is nowhere in sight.

Ray, pitching less than a month after he was hit in the head by a 108 mph line drive, was activated from the disabled list Thursday and tossed five strong innings as the Diamondbacks edged the Mets, 3-2, in the finale of a four-game series at Citi Field.

Ray (10-5) suffered a concussion and needed three staples to close a wound on the left side of his head when he was hit by a ball off the bat of St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Luke Voit on July 28. He said he didn't feel any extra nerves Thursday, when Ray allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out nine.

"There hasn't really been any issues getting back up on the mound," Ray said. "I was just trying to go out there and put up zeroes like I know how to."

Ray struck out the side on 12 pitches in the first inning and didn't allow a hit until the fourth, when Yoenis Cespedes broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff homer.

Two batters later, Amed Rosario hit a sharp one-hopper that bounced off Ray's left calf. Ray recovered to throw out the speedy Rosario.

"I think we were all kind of holding our breath," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "But I know there's a series of things that happen that lead you to the end of the story; that is telling you he's going to be OK. And I think that was the final piece of the puzzle."

Lovullo and a trainer visited Ray, who threw a pitch before remaining in the game.

"It's going to happen, comebackers are part of baseball," Ray said. "Luckily, this time, it hit me in the calf and I made the play."

The Diamondbacks took the lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Gregor Blanco and a sacrifice fly by Ketel Marte, after which the Mets received yet another reminder that losing players to injury has been an inescapable part of their star-crossed season.

With two outs and two on, Conforto, the Mets' lone All-Star this year, swung and missed at a 2-0 pitch. He immediately crumpled to the ground clutching his left shoulder and remained there for a couple minutes. Conforto eventually got up, still holding his left shoulder, and walked slowly into the dugout with a trainer.

The Mets announced the dislocated diagnosis less than 20 minutes later, an unusually quick announcement that may not bode well for Conforto, who underwent an MRI exam after the game. Conforto was 0-for-2 Thursday and is batting .279 with 27 homers and 68 RBIs in his first full major league campaign.

"Just kind of makes you feel depressed," Mets rookie first baseman Dominic Smith said. "A lot of people have been going down all year, so it just (stinks) to see another player go down."

Conforto's injury may be the most jarring one suffered this season by the Mets, who have used the disabled list 28 times for 21 players.

"It turns your stomach," said Mets manager Terry Collins, whose postgame press conference lasted barely two minutes and consisted of seven questions about Conforto. "A young player who's having a tremendous year, really making a name for himself to go down like that, with that kind of injury, it's tough to watch."

Brandon Drury had an RBI single in the sixth for the Diamondbacks (70-58), who took three of four from the Mets to move into the first wild card spot in the National League, a half-game ahead of the Colorado Rockies.

Four relievers combined to strand seven Mets baserunners over the final four innings, with Fernando Rodney earning his 30th save by stranding runners at the corners in a scoreless ninth.

Brandon Nimmo, who replaced Conforto, delivered an RBI groundout in the seventh for the Mets (55-71), who went 2-6 on an eight-game homestand. Cespedes and Kevin Plawecki had two hits apiece.

Mets right-hander Rafael Montero (2-9) took the loss after allowing the three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over 5 1/3 innings.

NOTES: To make room on the 25-man roster for LHP Robbie Ray, the Diamondbacks optioned RHP Matt Koch to Triple-A Reno. ... Diamondbacks SS Nick Ahmed (broken right hand) is scheduled to play his fourth rehab game for the rookie-level Arizona League Diamondbacks on Thursday night. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said it could be the final game for Ahmed before he is moved to Reno. ... The Mets announced RHP Zack Wheeler (shoulder) will not pitch again this season and that RHP Tyler Pill (elbow) underwent elbow surgery Wednesday. ... Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard (torn right lat) is scheduled to throw batting practice at the team's spring training complex in Florida on Friday.