D-backs in pursuit of Machado

The D-backs have been the "most persistent" of the several clubs looking to trade for Orioles star third baseman Manny Machado, but the sides are not close to a deal, sources told MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal.

Arizona has been one of the many teams in pursuit of Machado since Baltimore began fielding offers for the 25-year-old infielder. While the Yankees and Red Sox have been two of the other clubs reportedly interested, Rosenthal notes it would likely be difficult for executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette "to sell owner Peter Angelos" on a deal to an American League East rival.

Rival executives see Machado opening the season in Baltimore, according to Rosenthal. The Orioles seem to be only willing to deal their former first-round Draft pick for a big return that would likely have to include multiple young starting pitchers.

Rosenthal discusses Machado06:3011:18 AM ET

Machado can be a free agent following the 2018 season. As Rosenthal noted, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones and relievers Brad Brach and Zach Britton are also eligible to hit the open market at the same time. Additionally, the contracts of Duquette and manager Buck Showalter are due to expire at the end of this season, meaning it could be Baltimore's final year with its current core group.

Machado is a .279/.329/.476 hitter with 138 home runs and 406 RBIs in 764 games over six Major League seasons, while also being regarded annually as one of the best defensive third basemen in the game.

A two-time Gold Glove Award winner, Machado has requested a move to shortstop, his natural position. It's a move that could increase his value even more as he looks to land a large contract next offseason.

D-backs outlast Rockies in NL wild-card game

(TSX / STATS) -- PHOENIX -- Even with a six-run lead through three innings, the Arizona Diamondbacks understood they had to keep scoring.

They know the division-rival Colorado Rockies too well.

Paul Goldschmidt and Daniel Descalso homered, Archie Bradley and A.J. Pollock had two-run triples, and the Diamondbacks advanced to the National League Division Series with an 11-8 victory over the Rockies in the NL wild-card game on Wednesday at Chase Field.

Neither team's ace lasted four innings.

"That was a wild game," Descalso said. "It felt like the team that scored last was going to win. That offense, they kept coming. They are not going to quit, just like we are not going to quit. That's a great game out there.

"You put Zack Greinke against Jon Gray, it could be a one-nothing, two-one type game. But anything can happen in a wild-card game."

Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Descalso added a two-run shot in the third for a 6-0 lead, but Colorado climbed back within one run in the seventh and eighth innings before Bradley and Pollock provided insurance.

Arizona advances to meet the Los Angeles in the best-of-five NL Division Series starting Friday at Dodger Stadium.

Jake Lamb had four hits, tying a franchise postseason record, and David Peralta and Ketel Marle had three hits apiece for Arizona, making its first playoff appearance since 2011.

Marte had two triples as the Diamondbacks became the first team with at least four triples in a playoff game since the Boston Americans had five twice in 1903.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not totally shocked," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.

Arizona knocked out Colorado starter Jon Gray (0-1) after he gave up four runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings. His only two 10-strikeout games in the regular season came against Arizona.

Greinke did not last much longer, leaving after giving up four runs and five hits in the fourth inning when the Rockies closed it to 6-4. It was 6-5 after Charlie Blackmon's RBI bunt in the seventh.

Bradley's two-out triple gave Arizona an 8-5 lead in the last of the seventh before Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story had bases-empty homers off Bradley in the eighth inning to make it 8-7.

Pollock's two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth off Greg Holland pushed the lead to 10-7, and Jeff Mathis' bunt single drove in another run.

Carlos Gonzalez singled home a run in the ninth inning off Fernando Rodney.

Arizona left-hander Andrew Chafin (1-0) retired the only batter he faced after relieving Greinke in the fourth inning for the victory.

Story, Gonzalez, Gerardo Parra and Jonathan Lucroy had two hits apiece for the Rockies.

"I don't think you could predict that game coming into this ballpark and in this scenario, with the way Jon Gray's been pitching and Zack Greinke's been pitching," Colorado manager Bud Black said.

"Right away, all hell broke loose, and from then on it was a heavyweight fight, going back and forth. It was a crazy game."

Arizona started immediately against Gray. Peralta and Marte singled before Goldschmidt homered on the seventh pitch of the first inning for a 3-0 lead.

Goldschmidt ended the regular season in an 0-for-17 slide, and he was 0-for-11 against Gray in his career.

Peralta singled and scored on Marte's triple in the second inning to make it 4-0 and knock out Gray. Lamb singled and Descalso hit a one-out homer off Tyler Anderson for a 6-0 lead.

In the Colorado fourth inning, Gonzalez, Story and Parra singled for one run. After the second run scored on a groundout, Lucroy and pinch hitter Alexi Amarista had RBIs hits to make it 6-4.

Greinke gave up six hits and four runs in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked one.

NOTES: This was the fourth meeting between teams from the same division in wild-card history, and the team with the best record in the season series has won all four. The first three were Pittsburgh over Cincinnati (2013), the Chicago Cubs over Pittsburgh (2015) and Toronto over Baltimore (2016). ... NL wild-card hosts had not scored since 2013, a span of 28 innings, until Arizona got three runs in the first inning. ... Colorado ended a seven-year postseason drought, the fifth-longest current streak. Seattle (2001) has the longest. ... Colorado swept Arizona in the 2007 NL Championship Series in the only other time the clubs met in the playoffs. ... Arizona honored former front office employee Christiana Duarte during a moment of silence before the game. She was among those killed in the recent Las Vegas shooting. ... The Diamondbacks won the season series with the Dodgers 11-8, winning the last six meetings.

A capsule look at the Rockies-Diamondbacks playoff game

Associated Press

A look at the National League wild-card playoff between the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks:

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Schedule: Wednesday, at Phoenix, 8:08 p.m. (TBS).

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Season Series: Arizona won 11-8.

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Projected Lineups:

Rockies: CF Charlie Blackmon (.331, NL batting champ, 37 HRs, 104 RBIs, 14 triples, 14 SBs), 2B DJ LeMahieu (.310, 8, 64), 3B Nolan Arenado (.309, 37, 130), RF Carlos Gonzalez (.262, 14, 57, 34 doubles), SS Trevor Story (.239, 24, 82, 191 Ks), 1B Mark Reynolds (.267, 30, 97), LF Ian Desmond (.274, 7, 40), C Jonathan Lucroy (.265, 6, 40 with Rangers and Rockies; .310, 2, 13 in 46 games with Rockies).

Diamondbacks: RF David Peralta (.293, 14, 57), SS Ketel Marte (.260, 5, 18 in 73 games), 1B Paul Goldschmidt (.297, 36, 120, 94 BBs, .966 OPS), LF J.D. Martinez (.303, 45, 104, 1.066 OPS with Tigers and Diamondbacks), 3B Jake Lamb (.248, 30, 105), CF A.J. Pollock (.266, 14, 49 in 112 games), 2B Daniel Descalso (.233, 10, 51 in 131 games), C Jeff Mathis (.215, 2, 11 in 60 games) or Chris Iannetta (.254, 17, 43, .354 OBP).

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Starting Pitchers:

Rockies: RH Jon Gray (10-6, 3.67 ERA in 20 starts, 110 1/3 IP).

Diamondbacks: RH Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20, 215 Ks in 202 1/3 IP).

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Relievers:

Rockies: RH Greg Holland (3-6, 3.61 ERA, 41/45 saves, tied for NL lead), LH Mike Dunn (5-1, 4.47), LH Jake McGee (0-2, 3.61, 3 saves), RH Scott Oberg (0-1, 4.94), RH Pat Neshek (5-3, 1.59 with Phillies and Rockies; 2-1, 2.45 in 28 games with Rockies), LH Chris Rusin (5-1, 2.65, 2 saves).

Diamondbacks: RH Fernando Rodney (5-4, 4.23, 39/45 saves, .200 opponents’ batting average), RH Archie Bradley (3-3, 1.73, 79 Ks in 73 innings), LH Andrew Chafin (1-0, 3.51), LH Robbie Ray (15-5, 2.89, 218 Ks in 28 starts), LH Patrick Corbin (14-13, 4.03 in 33 games, 32 starts), RH Zack Godley (8-9, 3.37, 165 Ks in 26 games, 25 starts), RH David Hernandez (2-1, 4.82), RH Jimmie Sherfy (2-0, 0.00 in 10 2/3 innings).

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Matchups:

It’s the second postseason meeting between the teams. Colorado swept Arizona in the 2007 NLCS. ... The current collection of Rockies has a .260 combined batting average against Greinke with 15 homers and 42 RBIs. Lucroy leads the way at .636 (7 for 11), while Gonzalez has five home runs. Reynolds and Story each have four homers against Greinke. Arenado and Blackmon have never homered off him. Desmond is 3 for 22. ... The Diamondbacks are hitting .295 against Gray with two homers and 11 RBIs. Martinez has both homers, and four RBIs. Goldschmidt is 0 for 11 with five strikeouts. ... Greinke is 13-1 at home with a 2.87 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 116 innings. He went 2-1 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts against the Rockies this season. ... If first-year Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo decides to go with Iannetta instead of Mathis at catcher, Iannetta would probably bat second. Mathis, a strong defender who normally catches Greinke when healthy, just returned from a broken right hand. ... Gray has allowed three or fewer runs in 13 consecutive starts. ... Goldschmidt ended the season in an 0-for-17 slump and batted .171 over the final month. ... Martinez hit .478 against Colorado with three homers, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored. ... Two of Rodney’s six blown saves came against the Rockies. ... Blackmon had only eight hits in 44 at-bats (.182) vs. the Diamondbacks. ... Arizona and Colorado split 10 games at Chase Field this season. ... The winner heads for Los Angeles to play the NL West champion Dodgers (104-58) in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Friday.

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Big Picture:

Rockies: Under new manager Bud Black, the surprising Rockies (87-75) got off to a fast start and hung on down the stretch to take the second NL wild card. This is their fourth postseason appearance and first since 2009. Colorado finished a game ahead of upstart Milwaukee, clinching baseball’s final playoff spot on the next-to-last day of the regular season when the Brewers blew a six-run lead in a 7-6 loss at St. Louis. That put Black in the postseason for the first time as a big league skipper. He managed the Padres for 8½ seasons from 2007-15 and was the 2010 NL Manager of the Year, but never took them to the playoffs. ... Colorado improved by 12 wins over last year and fashioned the third-best record in team history behind 2009 (92-70) and the 2007 team (89-73) that got swept by Boston in the World Series. ... Rockies had just one losing month, going 12-15 in August, and typically play solid defense. They are 65-40 when committing no errors and 22-35 when they make one or more. Arenado made one highlight reel after another at third base and is a favorite for his fifth straight Gold Glove. ... The biggest offseason signings were Desmond and Holland. Desmond has dealt with injuries this season, but Holland rebounded after missing 2016 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He matched the club record for saves in a season set by Jose Jimenez (2002). ... Blackmon is known for his bushy beard, mullet and sweet swing. He won the NL batting title and drove in 103 runs from the leadoff spot, most in major league history. He surpassed Darin Erstad, who knocked in 100 for the Angels in 2000. ... Gonzalez struggled most of the season but hit .377 in September. He’s the only holdover from 2009 when the Rockies were beaten by Philadelphia in the NLDS. ... Lucroy steadied a young pitching staff after arriving from Texas in a July 30 trade. ... Right-hander Chad Bettis has been a feel-good story in his return from testicular cancer. He had surgery last November and went through treatments during spring training and into the season before returning in August. ... Reynolds was signed to a minor league contract in the offseason. He joined Arenado and Blackmon in the 30-homer club this season.

Diamondbacks: Just like the Rockies, Arizona (93-69) also flipped its record after going 69-93 last year. Lovullo preached communication from the first day of spring training and repeatedly uses the word “love” to describe team chemistry. ... New general manager Mike Hazen chose not to overhaul the roster, saying he saw enough talent. Instead, he tinkered around the edges. ... Arizona got off to a 6-1 start and was 44-26 on June 18 after a seven-game winning streak. Although the Diamondbacks couldn’t keep up with the torrid pace set by Los Angeles in the NL West, they were in the playoff picture throughout. A franchise-record 13-game winning streak late in the season helped secure the No. 1 wild card. ... While the lineup was expected to be good, Arizona also got strong pitching. Only the Indians and Dodgers had a better ERA than the Diamondbacks (3.66). ... Goldschmidt led the offense most of the season but faded in September. That didn’t matter much because of the powerhouse performance by Martinez. Acquired from Detroit on July 18 for three minor leaguers, Martinez hit .302 with 29 homers and 65 RBIs in 62 games with the Diamondbacks. He was NL player of the month for September, when he batted .404 with 26 runs, eight doubles, 16 homers and 36 RBIs in 24 games.

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Watch For:

— MVP! MVP! MVP! Three top contenders for NL MVP are in this game: Goldschmidt, Blackmon and Arenado. Goldschmidt finished runner-up for the award in 2013 and 2015. Arenado hit 18 home runs on the road this season and 19 at home. Blackmon’s 37 homers were the third-most by a leadoff hitter, trailing Alfonso Soriano’s 38 in 2002 with the Yankees and 39 in 2006 with the Nationals.

— Ray in Reserve. The hard-throwing lefty had a breakout season and would figure to start Game 1 against the Dodgers if Arizona advances. Lovullo, however, said he wouldn’t hesitate to use Ray for an inning or two in the wild-card game if needed.

— Wacky Wednesday. The Rockies have a winning record on every day of the week except one. They are 10-14 on Wednesdays, while the Diamondbacks are 15-10.

— Surging Center Fielder. Pollock came on strong at the end of the season after a subpar year at the plate. He batted .363 in September.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Aaron Judge & J.D. Martinez Voted Players of the Month

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been voted the Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month for September, as well as AL Rookie of the Month for the final month of the regular season. Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez has been voted the Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month for September. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

Judge posted a slash line of .311/.463/.889 with 29 runs scored, 28 hits, seven doubles, 15 home runs, 31 RBI, 28 walks and two stolen bases over 27 games played to claim his second career AL Player of the Month Award (also June 2017), as well as his fourth rookie honor of the season. Aaron is the first AL player to earn four rookie honors in a single season since All-Star outfielder Mike Trout accomplished the feat during his AL Rookie of the Year Award-winning 2012 campaign. Among qualified AL leaders, the 25-year-old finished the month first in runs scored, home runs, RBI, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and matched All-Star infielder José Ramírez of the Cleveland Indians for the most extra-base hits (22).

On September 20th against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium, Judge went 1-for-3 with a homerun and his 100th RBI of the season. The Fresno State University product became the second rookie in Major League history to record at least 100 runs scored, 100 RBI and 100 walks in a single season, joining Hall of Famer Ted Williams (1939). In addition, the slugging outfielder became the eighth Yankee in team history to accomplish the feat, joining Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle, as well as Charlie Keller, Jason Giambi, Bernie Williams and George Selkirk. Against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 22nd, the Linden, California native notched his second home run in as many days as part of a multi-hit effort. The first-inning solo shot extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one run scored to 12 contests, dating back to September 9th. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only two other rookies in the past 65 years have posted a longer such streak - eventual Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols (13) of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001 and Trout (15) in 2012. Additionally, Judge logged the longest such streak by a Yankees hitter since Johnny Damon's 12-game streak in 2007. Posting a career-high 15 home runs in the final month of the 2017 regular season campaign, the AL MVP candidate finished his outstanding rookie season with 52 round-trippers, establishing a new Major League record for home runs hit by a rookie in a single season.
                      
The aforementioned Ramírez (.393, 21 R, 12 2B, 9 HR, 21 RBI) also posted a strong month of September for the AL Central Division Champion Indians. The 2017 All-Star finished his breakout season with 56 doubles and 29 home runs on the season, becoming just the sixth player since at least 1901 to reach both of those marks in a single season, joining Garret Anderson (2002), Todd Helton (2000) and Carlos Delgado (2000), as well as Hall of Famers Joe Medwick (1937) and Chuck Klein (1930). Others receiving votes for AL Player of the Month included outfielder Mitch Haniger (.365, 17 R, 15 XBH, 14 RBI) of the Seattle Mariners and third baseman Nicholas Castellanos (.368, 11 2B, 7 HR, 25 RBI) of the Detroit Tigers.

Martinez batted .404 (40-for-99) with 26 runs scored, eight doubles, 16 home runs, 36 RBI and a stolen base over 24 games to claim his first career Player of the Month Award, and the first for a Diamondbacks position player since Martín Prado in August 2013. Earlier this month, the 30-year-old became the first player since MLB began awarding Player of the Week in 1973 (1975 in the AL) to claim four weekly awards in a single season, following his back-to-back weekly honors for the periods ending September 11th and September 18th. Among qualified NL hitters, Martinez finished his award-winning month first in batting average, extra-base hits (24), runs scored, home runs, RBI and slugging percentage (.970); second in hits; fourth in on-base percentage (.439); and tied for sixth in doubles.

On September 14th against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field, Martinez went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a solo home run. With the productive contest, Martinez tallied at least one RBI in seven consecutive games dating back to September 8th. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, his impressive streak was the longest active streak in the Majors, as well as the third-longest streak in Club history. Luis Gonzalez (June 2002) and J.D.'s All-Star teammate Paul Goldschmidt (June 2013) posted eight-game streaks to share the team record. Over a 12-game span from September 1st-14th, Martinez hit .451 (23-for-51) with 18 runs scored, 10 homers and 20 RBI. The right-handed-hitting slugger became the fifth player in MLB history to post that many runs, homers and RBI across a 12-game stretch, joining Hall of Famers Hank Greenberg (1940), Willie Mays (1958) and Frank Robinson (1962), as well as Bryce Harper (2015). In Arizona's road tilt against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on September 17th, the seven-year veteran notched his 40th round-tripper on the season. Per Elias, the 2015 AL All-Star became the fifth player in Baseball history to post a 40-homer season while playing for multiple teams, joining Greg Vaughn in 1996 (Milwaukee Brewers/San Diego Padres), Mark McGwire in 1997 (Oakland Athletics/St. Louis Cardinals), David Justice in 2000 Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees) and Adam Dunn in 2008 (Cincinnati Reds/ Arizona). Additionally, with 16 homers, J.D. matched Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner (1949) for the most home runs hit in the month of September in NL history.

Others receiving votes for NL Player of the Month included two-time All-Star first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (.329, 13 R, 13 XBH, 20 RBI) of the Washington Nationals and three-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado (.333, 18 R, 11 XBH, 19 RBI) of the Colorado Rockies.

The Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month, Aaron Judge, and the Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month, J.D. Martinez will each receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for their accomplishments.

Stanton, Marlins knock off Diamondbacks

(TSX / STATS) -- PHOENIX -- Giancarlo Stanton hit his 57th home run to lead the Miami Marlins to a 12-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

The Marlins slugger went 3-for-6 and was a triple shy of the cycle. Stanton drove in four runs and became Miami's single-season RBI leader with 124, breaking the previous mark of 120 set by Preston Wilson in 2000.

Justin Bour homered for the fourth consecutive game as his two-run, opposite-field shot in the eighth gave Miami an 11-6 lead. Bour's shot bounced off the left-field foul pole for his 25th of the season.

Miami (73-81) took the lead for good with a five-run third inning and withstood home runs from Arizona's J.D. Martinez and Paul Goldschmidt. Martinez now has 43 homers and Goldschmidt connected for the 36th time this season.

The loss kept Arizona (89-66) within one game of clinching a wild card berth.

Brian Ellington (1-1) pitched two innings of relief for the win. Ellington struck out three around Martinez's solo home run.

Neither starter reached the fifth inning. Arizona's Taijuan Walker (9-9) allowed six runs and six hits, walked three and struck out six in 3 2/3 innings.

Despite enjoying four- and three-run leads, Miami's Dillon Peters was lifted for a pinch hitter after four innings. Peters surrendered five runs and six hits, walked three and struck out one.

Martinez's solo homer off Ellington in the fifth pulled Arizona within 7-6. Stanton leaped and attempted to catch Martinez's opposite-field shot before it landed over the wall in right-center field.

Stanton's solo homer and Justin Bour's RBI single in the fourth gave Miami a 7-4 lead.

Bour's single to shallow center scored Christian Yelich from second. Yelich originally was called out on second baseman Brandon Drury's throw to catcher Chris Ianetta. But Miami challenged the play and a video review overturned the call.

The Marlins erased a 1-0 deficit with a five-run third, keyed by Stanton's two-run double and a fielding error by Walker off Dee Gordon's short dribbler that scored Miguel Rojas from third. Bour drove in a run with a single and Brian Anderson's sacrifice fly to deep center scored Miami's fifth run of the inning.

Goldschmidt's three-run homer off Peters in the bottom of the inning cut the deficit to 5-4.

Drury's home run to lead off the second gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead. Drury drove Peters' pitch above the wall in right-center for his 13th home run.

NOTES: Marlins 2B Dee Gordon favored his right leg as he attempted to beat out a grounder in the fourth. Although Gordon limped on his way to the dugout, he remained in the game. ... Marlins 3B Martin Prado, sidelined since mid-July because of a right knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery, is traveling with the team on its road trip to Arizona and Colorado. Prado took batting practice before Saturday's game and is targeting possible pinch-hit opportunities the final week of the season. ... Diamondbacks OF J.D. Martinez has 27 home runs since July 19, second behind Stanton. Martinez also drove in his 28th run of the month. ... Saturday's crowd of 39,259 at Chase Field pushed the Diamondbacks over two million in home attendance for the season. Arizona has never drawn less than two million at home in the club's 19-year history.

LEADING OFF: Indians, D-backs streaking; Dodgers slumping

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

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SWEET 16?

Mike Clevinger and the Indians try to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 16 games when they begin a series against Baltimore. Clevinger (8-5, 3.50 ERA) has delivered a pair of scoreless outings during Cleveland's streak and has perhaps found his footing after an inconsistent start to his big league career. Orioles lefty Wade Miley (8-11, 4.91) will try to slow a lineup that slugged five homers Thursday night against the White Sox.

STREAKING SNAKES, TOO

The Diamondbacks can stretch their club-record winning streak to 14 games in the opener of a set against the Padres. The run includes six victories over the NL West-leading Dodgers, and Arizona even led for 97 consecutive innings - the second longest span in the majors since 1900 - before the Dodgers scored first on Wednesday night. Patrick Corbin (13-11, 3.83) has a pair of victories during this streak, and he'll seek another against San Diego's Jordan Lyles (0-2, 6.71).

DODGER BLUES

The Dodgers would match their worst skid since May 2013 with another loss to the Rockies. Los Angeles has dropped seven straight, and the latest was perhaps the most disheartening - Colorado smacked around ace Clayton Kershaw en route to a 9-1 win Thursday night. Now it's Yu Darvish's turn to try ending this slump in a matchup against German Marquez at Dodger Stadium.

TO THE MAX

Max Scherzer hasn't lost a start since June 21, and he'll go for another victory when the Nationals host the Phillies. Scherzer (13-5, 2.19) is 5-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his past 11 starts, including five effective innings versus Milwaukee last time out before exiting with a bruised calf after being struck by a line drive.

FEELING FINE?

Chris Archer (9-8, 3.76) is set to return after throwing just eight pitches in his previous outing before exiting with forearm tightness. The Rays right-hander gets a tough draw in the Red Sox and left-hander Drew Pomeranz (14-5, 3.36), who lost last time out against the Yankees to end a 14-start unbeaten stretch.

COME ON IN

The Braves are offering free tickets to fans from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina displaced by Hurricane Irma. During a four-game series against the Marlins which began Thursday night, the Braves will give a complimentary ticket to anyone showing a valid Florida ID. The offer also is open to residents of Georgia and South Carolina counties under mandatory evacuation orders. Braves president of business Derek Schiller says he hopes the offer "can help take their mind off the storm for a few hours."

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

D-backs win record 13th straight, sweep Dodgers

(TSX / STATS) -- LOS ANGELES -- The Arizona Diamondbacks are winning games in a variety of fashions, from offensive windfalls to stingy pitching, to blowouts and tight games. And all throughout their franchise-best, 13-game winning streak, the defense has been rock solid.

Yet, manager Torey Lovullo sees something he likes even more in his club that swept the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second time in a week with a 3-1 victory Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

"It's the fundamental part of the game that really excites me," Lovullo said after his club's latest victory featured steady pitching from Taijuan Walker and a two-run, game-winning rally in the seventh inning. "We're executing when we're supposed to. We're studying and paying attention and performing the way that I had envisioned."

Walker (9-7) gave up just one run over six innings and delivered some offense, too, with an early RBI double.

Adam Rosales had a pinch-hit double in the seventh inning to give Arizona (82-58) the lead for good against reliever Luis Avilan (2-2). Daniel Descalso added the final run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

But Lovullo saw other reasons to be excited, like A.J. Pollock's steal of second base in the second inning that allowed him to score on Walker's hit. And there was catcher Chris Iannetta throwing out Yasiel Puig, who was trying to steal in the fourth inning. Walker followed by retiring the final eight batters he faced.

"Some of the little things we do have helped us to win the moment," Lovullo said. "We get 90 feet (on the Pollock steal), and it puts a guy in scoring position. We have been doing that a lot lately, and those are the types of games I enjoy more than the blowouts.

"The blowouts are great -- I'll take 'em any time -- but when you are executing and winning the types of games we are winning on the road, close games, it speaks to the character of the team."

With a 10 1/2-game lead in the National League West, the Dodgers remain in a comfortable position. But they have also have lost 10 1/2 games in the standings since leading the Diamondbacks by 21 games on Aug. 25. The Wednesday defeat was their season-high sixth consecutive, and they have now lost 11 of their past 12 contests.

Los Angeles had not been swept in a series all season before losing all three games at Arizona last week, then dropping all three to the Diamondbacks at home this week.

"We're going to win the division, I can assure you of that," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "What needs to change? Just continue to stay together and to compete. There is no one who is going to feel sorry for you. You get hit in the mouth, you've got to fight back. I think there is a lot of fight left in our guys."

About the only thing the Diamondbacks have lost of late is their historic streak of innings when they have not trailed.

The Diamondbacks' run of 98 innings without trailing came to an end early Wednesday. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a fielder's choice groundout by Cody Bellinger that scored Chris Taylor from third base.

The streak of 98 innings tied a stretch by the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers for the third longest in the live-ball era (since 1920), according to STATS. The top two marks are held by the 2002 Oakland Athletics (102 innings) and the 1942 New York Yankees (101 innings).

The early run to end the streak might have come off Walker, but the big Diamondbacks right-hander was anything but flustered about it.

"It's huge to be able to go out there and contribute and go out there and get wins," Walker said. "We struggled for a little bit, but I think after the Minnesota series (Aug. 18-20), we locked it back in and now everybody is starting to get hot and play well right now."

The Dodgers (92-47) got the kind of start they were looking for from right-hander Kenta Maeda, who tied a season high with eight strikeouts in five innings. He was coming off a defeat at Arizona last week in which he gave up a career-high seven earned runs in three innings.

On Wednesday, Maeda allowed just four hits and one walk, yielding only an unearned run that scored on a second-inning double by Walker.

NOTES: Dodgers 3B Justin Turner was ejected in sixth inning for arguing balls and strikes. He likely will get the day off Thursday as INF Logan Forsythe starts against the Colorado Rockies, according to manager Dave Roberts. ... The Dodgers called up RHP Walker Buehler, a top prospect who has appeared at the Class A, Double-A and Triple-A levels this season. They added him to the major league bullpen. ... Dodgers CF Joc Pederson, who was sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma City last month after a 2-for-41 dry spell, went 1-for-2 in his return Wednesday after being recalled Tuesday. ... Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt, who was cleared of any structural damage in his right elbow this week, continued to be held out of action, but he could return this weekend vs. San Diego. ... Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin, who pitches at home against the Padres on Friday, is 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA over his past five starts.

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.

LEADING OFF: Rajai Davis joins BoSox, Ray returns for Dbacks

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

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ON THE MOVE

Speedy outfielder Rajai Davis is set to join Boston for a game in Cleveland between division leaders. The Red Sox acquired Davis on Wednesday from Oakland for an 18-year-old outfielder, making the move on the same day they put center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. on the 10-day disabled list because of a sprained left thumb. The 36-year-old Davis hit .233 with 26 stolen bases, five home runs and 18 RBIs in 100 games with the A's this season. Last year, he led the American League with 43 steals with the Indians.

WELCOME BACK

Arizona lefty Robbie Ray (9-5, 3.11 ERA) will be activated from the disabled list to start the series finale vs. the Mets at Citi Field. The first-time All-Star last pitched in the majors on July 28 in St. Louis, where he suffered a concussion after being struck in the head by a line drive.

CARLOS COMING BACK

Astros star Carlos Correa will begin a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Fresno. Correa has been out since July 17 after having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. He is expected to play seven innings. Manager A.J. Hinch isn't sure how long he'll need to play in the minors before coming off the disabled list.

TAKE YOUR TIME

Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano can rest up, a day after an early exit in Atlanta. He hit two doubles before leaving with tightness in his left hamstring. Cano is batting .277 with 19 homers and 78 RBIs. Seattle is off before opening a weekend series at Yankee Stadium.

ROLLING

Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-6, 3.45 ERA) is undefeated in his last eight starts for the NL West leaders, going 2-0 with a 2.22 ERA since June 17. He'll try to extend the streak when Los Angeles plays the Pirates at PNC Park.

NEW SETTING

The Blue Jays hope a change of scenery will help pitcher Tom Koehler. Toronto got the 31-year-old righty last weekend from Miami, where he was 1-5 with a 7.92 ERA in 12 starts. He'll make his first start for his new club at Tampa Bay.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Rookies guide Mets to win over Diamondbacks

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Back in April, the New York Mets did not expect an upbeat late-season mantra to be symbolized by the postgame attire worn by Chris Flexen, who had never pitched above Class A prior to this year.

But for the Mets, it's better to get the "positive vibes" -- the phrase emblazoned on the hat and T-shirt Flexen wore at his locker late Wednesday night -- in late and unlikely fashion than never.

Flexen earned the win by tossing a career-high six innings Wednesday night, and four other rookies -- Brandon Nimmo, Dominic Smith, Amed Rosario and Paul Sewald -- all played vital roles in the Mets' 4-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field.

"It's a lot of fun for us to be able to come up there and help the team win ballgames," Smith said. "I've been seeing this go on all year at Triple-A. Now I'm just happy that we could come up here and show the world what we could do."

Of the five rookies, only Sewald was on the Mets' active roster on July 26, the day before first baseman Lucas Duda was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. That move began a rapid overhaul by the Mets (55-70), who started the season with World Series aspirations but are on pace to lose 90 games.

Six more veterans have been dealt since then as the Mets created everyday opportunities for Nimmo, Smith and Rosario, all of whom were listed among the organization's top five prospects prior to beginning the season at Triple-A Las Vegas.

The transition has not always been smooth -- Nimmo, Smith and Rosario are batting a combined .253 with 54 strikeouts in 170 major league at-bats this year -- but their collective performance Wednesday provided hope the Mets have staked their hopes on the right youngsters.

"I think right now they're in the part where they're just getting their feet wet, just trying to find what works for them," said Mets outfielder Michael Conforto, who is in his first full big league season. "At this level, there's a period of adjustment -- there is for everybody -- but I think they're doing a great job so far."

Nimmo reached base in all four plate appearances via three walks and a leadoff double in the first, when he scored the tying run on the first of Conforto's two RBI singles.

The Mets took the lead for good in the fourth, when Smith drew a one-out walk and scored on Rosario's single.

Nimmo coaxed another walk in the fifth and scored on Conforto's two-out single. Smith homered leading off the sixth.

"I look more on the mental side -- we all know they had skills or they wouldn't be where they are," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "And they've been great. They go out, they work at it, they ask questions about how do I prepare for the next day when they have a bad night."

Flexen (3-2), who was promoted from Double-A Binghamton to replace the injured Zack Wheeler on July 27, allowed two runs on six hits and four walks while striking out five. The Diamondbacks stranded seven runners against Flexen, who limited the middle of the Arizona order -- Jake Lamb, Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez -- to one RBI in nine plate appearances with runners on base.

"Just really bear down and get an out and really try to limit the damage," Flexen said.

Jerry Blevins got one out in the seventh before Sewald retired all five batters he faced. AJ Ramos recorded his 23rd save, and his third since being traded to the Mets on July 28, with a hitless ninth to close out New York's second win in the past 10 games.

Martinez had an RBI single in the first and Chris Iannetta homered in the sixth for the Diamondbacks (69-58), who remain a half-game ahead of the Colorado Rockies in the race for the first National League wild card.

Arizona's David Peralta reached base four times via three singles and a walk. He also stole a base and scored a run.

"We built some innings," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "The pitcher (Flexen) made some pitches and got some really good hitters out."

Zack Godley (5-7) took the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks while striking out five over five innings.

"It wasn't a perfect outing for him, but he threw the ball well enough," Lovullo said. "He did his job, but offensively, we couldn't get anything going."

NOTES: Mets manager Terry Collins won his 536th game at the helm, tying him with Bobby Valentine for second place on the franchise's all-time list. ... Mets RHP Jeurys Familia (blood clot in right shoulder) threw a scoreless inning for Class A Brooklyn for the second straight night. ... Arizona SS Nick Ahmed (broken right hand) went 0-for-2 on Tuesday night in his third rehab game for the rookie-level Arizona League Diamondbacks. ... Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (concussion) is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list to start the Thursday series finale. Ray was hit by a 108 mph line drive July 28.

Corbin stays hot as Diamondbacks throttle Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- It took five tries, but Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin sent his friends and family back home with a victory Tuesday night.

Corbin won his third straight start -- and earned his first career win in his native state -- by allowing one run over eight strong innings as the Diamondbacks held on to beat the New York Mets 7-4 at Citi Field.

Corbin (11-11), who grew up about 4 1/2 hours north of Citi Field in the Syracuse suburb of Clay, said he had a rooting section of about 20 fans watching him allow four hits and two walks while striking out six.

"For them to be able to watch me at home, kind of where I grew up, is great," Corbin said. "You always want to pitch well when you've got a big crowd here."

Prior to Tuesday, Corbin was 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA in four starts in New York. All three losses came at Citi Field, where he had an 8.16 ERA in three starts between 2012 and 2015.

But Corbin was in complete command Tuesday, when he stepped to the mound with a 3-0 lead thanks to J.D. Martinez's three-run homer in the first.

"Patrick took over from there," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.

Corbin allowed multiple baserunners in only one inning and retired 11 of the final 13 batters he faced following Amed Rosario's one-out homer in the fifth.

"I enjoy playing in front of my family and coming back here," Corbin said. "It's tough for them to come out to Arizona to see me start, so it works out."

Rosario's homer snapped a 20-inning scoreless streak for Corbin, who didn't allow a run in winning his previous two starts. He has lowered his overall ERA from 4.76 to 4.09 during the winning streak.

"It just comes down to just minimizing mistakes and attacking the zone, getting ahead of guys, mixing it up," Corbin said "It just comes down to strike one and (that's) something I've definitely done in the last couple games."

Paul Goldschmidt had two doubles and two RBIs, via a fifth-inning double and a seventh-inning bases loaded walk for the Diamondbacks (69-57).

Arizona has won the first two contests of the four-game series for their first set of back-to-back wins since a three-game streak from Aug. 2-4. The Diamondbacks lead the NL wild card race by one-half game over Colorado.

Adam Rosales homered in the fourth while Chris Iannetta had two hits and two runs scored for Arizona.

Yoenis Cespedes had three singles for the second straight game for the Mets (54-70), who have lost eight of nine to fall 16 games under .500 for the first time since Sept. 19, 2013.

New York made things interesting by scoring three times in the ninth. All the runs were charged to Matt Koch, who failed to record an out in his season debut.

Andrew Chafin replaced Koch and gave up a pinch-hit RBI double to Dominic Smith, a run-scoring groundout to Matt Reynolds and an RBI triple to Rosario.

Five of the six runs the Mets have scored in the last two games have in the seventh inning or later.

"They are all playing hard," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "That's why two nights in a row, you have seen rallies late in the game, because they play hard."

Fernando Rodney recorded the final out for his 29th save.

Left-hander Tommy Milone (1-3) allowed six runs (five earned), five hits and a walk while striking out five over 4 2/3 innings.

"Obviously the box score doesn't look good," said Milone, who hadn't pitched in the majors since May 21 because of a left knee injury "But I felt like I made some pitches when I needed to after that first inning."

NOTES: The Mets placed LHP Steven Matz (left elbow) on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, and recalled RHP Kevin McGowan from Triple-A Las Vegas. ... Mets 3B David Wright (neck, shoulder, back) began a rehab assignment Tuesday, when he went 0-for-4 as the designated hitter for Class A St. Lucie. It was the first game action of any kind for Wright since he last played in the majors May 27, 2016. ... The Diamondbacks placed C Jeff Mathis (broken right hand) on the 10-day disabled list and optioned RHP Jimmie Sherfy to Triple-A Reno while also recalling RHP Jake Barrett from Reno and activating OF Reymond Fuentes from the 10-day disabled list. ... Diamondbacks RHP Rubby De La Rosa underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday.

Buxton, homer-happy Twins topple Diamondbacks

(TSX / STATS) -- MINNEAPOLIS -- Byron Buxton said he saw the ball bounce away from the Arizona Diamondbacks' center fielder and made up his mind he was going to try and score.

Buxton, the Minnesota Twins' speedy center fielder, was just a couple feet past first base when he made the decision. Even a slight misstep around third base couldn't keep Buxton from an inside-the-park home run.

Buxton's energy sparked his team to a big win.

Buxton had his second career inside-the-park home run and was a single away from a cycle. Miguel Sano went deep twice and Minnesota tied a season high with six home runs in a 10-3 win over the Diamondbacks on Friday.

"About two steps around first base, once I saw the ball had kicked away from him," Buxton said of his decision to score. "It was kind of just put my head down and run."

Sano and Eduardo Escobar each hit two-run shots in the seventh inning for the Twins. Max Kepler and Brian Dozier added solo homers while Ervin Santana recovered from a tough start to pitch six steady innings.

After Buxton scored the tying run in the fourth with a headfirst slide into home, he pumped his fist and was very animated.

"Just show a little bit more emotion," Buxton said. "They tell me a lot that I don't show enough emotion. I need to show emotion. So I just tried to do something to get us going."

Santana (13-7) allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out six batters as the Twins moved into a tie for the second American League wild card with the victory.

Zack Godley (5-6) had his shortest major league outing since April 26 in going 5 1/3 innings. He gave up four runs on nine hits and two walks. Godley, who was 2-1 with a 1.78 ERA in his previous four starts, struck out 10 batters.

"They're big league hitters, so when you make those mistakes they take advantage of it," Godley said. "I gave up a couple of big hits, it felt like every hit I gave up was a double or a triple or a home run."

Arizona wasted no time getting to Santana, the All-Star right-hander. David Peralta led off the game with a single and scored on Jake Lamb's single. Lamb came around to score on a single by Paul Goldschmidt.

Peralta added his 13th homer, a solo shot to the opposite field, in the second inning. After A.J. Pollock singled, Santana got locked in. He struck out five straight hitters and retired 10 in a row.

"I feel great and I just have a good rhythm going after that," Santana said. "So, just keep it going."

Buxton stole the show from there. He tripled to the left-center field gap in the second and trotted home on a double by Jorge Polanco. Kepler hit a solo homer leading off the bottom of the third, his 16th of the season that went to the second deck in right-center field.

Buxton tied the game an inning later with his dash around the bases. He led off the inning with a high drive off the right-field wall that bounced away from Pollock in center field. Buxton used his speed to round the bases in 13.85 seconds, according to Major League Baseball's Statcast -- the fastest time it's ever recorded.

"It's elite, to use a Gopher word," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Buxton's speed. "It's hard to compare at that speed, but I don't know if many guys could come close to that time from home-to-home."

Turns out, Buxton's prognostication skills are elite, as well. He said he told Sano before the game that the big slugger would have two homers in the game. Sano's first shot was to the second deck in left-center field over the bullpens. His second homer reached the third deck and was estimated at 474 feet.

"Some of those balls are ridiculous," Buxton said, adding that the distance of the two homers is more impressive than his inside-the-park sprint. "I know today we was talking about each other and I said, 'You know, you're going to hit two home runs today.' I kept repeating it. Just had a feeling that he was going to get locked in.

"Right before he hit the first one, I said, 'Hey man, be you. Don't worry about anything. Just go out there and be yourself.' I think that kind of clicked for him."

NOTES: Minnesota officially placed OF Robbie Grossman on the 10-day disabled list with a fractured left thumb and recalled C Mitch Garver from Triple-A Rochester. Grossman is expected to miss at least three weeks. Garver will be making his major league debut. ... Arizona LHP Robbie Ray came out of Thursday's rehab start feeling good, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Ray will join the team in Minnesota as the Diamondbacks decide when he might rejoin the rotation. Lovullo indicated it could be sometime after Monday. Ray has been on the seven-day concussion disabled list since being hit in the head by a line drive on July 27. ... Lovullo said SS Nick Ahmed (right hand fracture) will play in a rehab game on Saturday with the Diamondbacks rookie league team in Arizona. Ahmed will play DH before returning to the field. Lovullo said RHP Randall Delgado (right elbow inflammation) felt good after throwing off flat ground on Thursday. ... Arizona bench coach Ron Gardenhire was honored before the game by Minnesota. It's Gardenhire's first trip back to Target Field with an opposing team. Gardenhire is the winningest manager in Twins history with 1,068 victories in 13 seasons.

Astros host D-backs with pitching staff getting healthier

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- HOUSTON -- A cursory glance at the Houston Astros' current disabled list reveals a quartet of pitchers who at one point or another provided reliability for a flexible and versatile staff.

On Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park, the Astros opened an eight-game homestand, starting with a two-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks that concludes Thursday. The stretch could prove pivotal to reversing Houston's recent downward trend, one tied in part to those absent pitchers.

Two of those arms, right-handers Lance McCullers and Will Harris, appear closer to a return than righty Michael Feliz and southpaw Tony Sipp. Harris' progress is especially timely.

While the Astros' overworked bullpen has stabilized recently, Harris' return, potentially on this homestand, would provide a shot in the arm. Harris completed a bullpen session Wednesday and is poised to face live hitters later this week. Should he clear that hurdle without issue, the Astros (74-46) would welcome back a do-it-all reliever capable of recording crucial outs.

"I miss him terribly," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "He answers so many questions that we have throughout games with high-leverage roles to troubleshooting through some messes that we have sometimes in the middle innings. Gets righties out, gets lefties out, a big-moment type pitcher. We'll be happy to get him back."

Right-hander Mike Fiers (7-7, 4.36 ERA) will start the series finale for the Astros.

Fiers, 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA over four career starts against Arizona, surrendered a season-high-tying six earned runs on five hits over four innings in a 6-4 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday. Fiers paces the club in starts (23) and innings (128) and is tied for second with nine quality starts.

Left-hander Patrick Corbin (9-11, 4.52 ERA) will get the start for the Diamondbacks. Corbin, making his first career start against the Astros, is looking to reach double digits in victories for the second in his career. He finished 14-8 in 2013.

Corbin is 4-4 with a 4.42 ERA over 11 career interleague appearances (10 starts).

The Diamondbacks (66-54) might be approaching a rotation change in the coming week, with rookie left-hander Anthony Banda (1-3, 7.32 ERA) scheduled to make at least one additional start Sunday against the Minnesota Twins.

After pitching relatively effectively in his first two starts, allowing five runs over 11 2/3 innings, Banda struggled against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Astros in his previous two appearances, surrendering 11 runs over eight innings.

Working against the two best teams in their respective leagues makes for a tall task, though, so Banda will get at least one more chance.

"That's the game plan," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.

The Arizona rotation could change soon thereafter. All-Star left-hander Robbie Ray, on the seven-day concussion disabled list since July 28, is scheduled to make a rehab start for high Class A Visalia on Thursday night. Should Ray, who was struck in the head by a line drive July 27, pitch effectively, he could be eligible for reinstatement Tuesday against the New York Mets.

"We're going to see how Robbie throws," Lovullo said.

Reddick's blast helps Astros hold off Diamondbacks

(TSX / STATS) -- HOUSTON -- Having witnessed the power display of Diamondbacks sluggers Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez a half-inning earlier, Astros right fielder Josh Reddick tapped into his own power reserve to help Houston thwart Arizona's comeback attempt.

Reddick capped a four-run eighth inning with a line-drive, two-run homer, and the Astros claimed a 9-5 win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park.

Reddick homered against Arizona left-hander Andrew Chafin to right field, his first homer against a southpaw this season, to plate George Springer.

The Astros (74-46) scored earlier in the inning via a wild pitch and a Jose Altuve sacrifice fly that brought home Derek Fisher.

"It was good to see everybody come together that one inning and give us the insurance that we needed," said Reddick, who finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs.

"(The home run) was huge for me. I've taken a lot of pride in doing better against lefties this year, not trying to hit homers off of them. Just trying to get good pitches."

Arizona (66-54) shaved a 5-1 deficit to one run with back-to-back homers in the eighth.

Goldschmidt, a native of Houston suburb The Woodlands, socked a two-run blast to left field, his 29th homer of the season, off Astros right-hander Luke Gregerson before Martinez, a former Astro, followed with his 24th home run of the season. It was Martinez's eighth long ball since joining the Diamondbacks last month.

"We showed a lot of battle," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "I know things didn't get off the right way for us, but I think something clicked offensively for us, and Goldy's home run set a really good tone for what we were ready to do.

"Unfortunately, we didn't have a shutdown inning. Those things are things that you kind of expect, and then go back out and potentially tie the game up, and we didn't."

Five different Astros had RBIs against Diamondbacks starter Taijuan Walker (6-7).

Designated hitter Carlos Beltran opened the scoring with his 14th home run, a solo shot with two outs in the second inning. Beltran added a sacrifice fly an inning later, upping the Houston lead to 3-1 after Marwin Gonzalez worked a bases-loaded walk to break a 1-1 deadlock.

Reddick and Yuli Gurriel delivered run-scoring hits in the fourth inning to provide Astros right-hander Charlie Morton (10-5) with a working margin.

Morton surrendered one run in 6 1/3 innings, posting nine strikeouts against four walks while allowing three hits.

"I threw a couple of (four-seam fastballs), and I could see that they were a little late and that could be an approach thing, a scouting-report thing, it could be a bunch of things," Morton said. "But if it's working, it's working, so I threw it."

Walker labored through his five innings, waiting until his final inning to retire the side without allowing a baserunner.

A double-play grounder from Altuve helped Walker escape the first inning unscathed, but he surrendered three baserunners plus a run in the second, five baserunners and two runs in the third, and three more baserunners and two runs in the fourth.

While a fielding error by second baseman Brandon Drury didn't help Walker's cause, he allowed nine hits and two walks during his 101-pitch outing. And his inability to close innings was his undoing, with the Astros scoring three of their five runs against him with two outs.

Two of the runs Walker yielded were unearned.

"I don't think it was a struggle to find anything," Walker said. "I made good pitches. It was one of those games that every ground ball hit found a hole.

"I didn't have my best fastball velocity. I felt like I was locating pitches and my off-speed pitches were pretty good. It was one of those games where everything they hit found a hole."

The Astros hold a 2-1 lead in the four-game, home-and-home series that concludes Thursday at Minute Maid Park.

NOTES: Diamondbacks OF David Peralta is expected to rejoin the starting lineup Thursday after reinstatement from the paternity list. Peralta traveled from Phoenix to Houston on Wednesday night. ... Astros RHP Will Harris threw a bullpen session and is scheduled to face hitters Friday, the next step in his rehab for right shoulder inflammation. Harris has been on the disabled list since July 11. ... Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray is scheduled to work five innings or 75 pitches in a rehab start Thursday night for high Class A Visalia. Ray was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list on July 28 after being struck in the head by a line drive on July 27. ... Astros C Evan Gattis participated in batting practice for the first time since landing on the concussion DL on Aug. 5.

Astros try to keep momentum going versus D-backs

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(TSX / STATS) -- PHOENIX -- The Houston Astros found their offense Tuesday.

The Arizona Diamondbacks hope to get back on track when the teams continue their four-game, home-and-home series with the final two at Minute Maid Park in Houston beginning Wednesday.

The Astros evened the series with a 9-4 victory at Chase Field on Tuesday, when they had seven extra-base hits, including Yuli Gurriel's first major league triple and recently recalled catcher Max Stassi's first homer of the season.

Houston had scored 17 runs while losing six of its previous seven, although with such a big lead in the American League West, it hardly registered on the national radar. Despite that mini-funk, the Astros (73-46) lead the major leagues in runs, hits, doubles, homers, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

"We looked more like ourselves," said Houston manager A.J. Hinch, whose team jumped to an 8-0 lead after 3 1/2 innings, keyed by a five-run second. Four scored with two outs.

"We've been grinding so hard to just get something positive, especially offensively," Hinch said. "Big inning, good at-bats, obviously it took a little bit of everybody to get through that inning. We've had a rough week and a rough road trip, and it's nice to end it with a win and get home and get back to sort of how we're playing."

"We know we're a good offense," said Houston shortstop Bregman, who tripled, singled and had an RBI. "We just wanted to put together back-to-back-to-back, and we did that (in the second inning). That's one of the things we've done a lot this year. When we put together quality AB's like that, we're a tough offense to stop."

Arizona (66-53) remains comfortably in wild-card position in the National League, but the Diamondbacks have not made it easy on themselves by losing seven of their past 10. They are 13-17 since the All-Star break.

The D-backs were 3-5 on a homestand that included series against three division leaders -- the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Houston. They lost two of three to both the Dodgers and the Cubs.

"Good, not great," Arizona third baseman Jake Lamb said of the homestand. "We played some really good teams, but I definitely think there were some games we should have won. But that's baseball, and we have to move on. One side you want to say you faced good teams, but at the same time, we are a really good team and we are right there with all those teams, including the Dodgers. I'm not taking anything away from them, but if we play our game, we should take care of business against teams like that."

Lamb has 92 RBIs, one fewer than teammate Paul Goldschmidt.

Houston right-hander Charlie Morton is set to oppose Arizona right-hander Taijuan Walker on Wednesday.

Morton (9-5, 3.83 ERA) is one victory short of tying his major league high set in 2017. He is 3-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six career starts against Arizona, the last while with Pittsburgh in 2014. He is 6-2 with a 3.65 ERA 11 home starts this season.

Walker (6-6, 3.76 ERA) is 5-3 with a 4.50 ERA against Houston. He has faced the Astros 11 times after much of his career with Seattle in the AL West. He was 1-2 against the Astros in his first season with Arizona last year. Walker is 4-3 with a 3.11 ERA in 10 road starts this season.

Astros break out, roll over Diamondbacks

(TSX / STATS) -- PHOENIX -- For about a week, the Houston Astros hardly looked like the team that led the major leagues in virtually every production category.

Then came Tuesday.

Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel, Jose Altuve and Max Stassi had two hits apiece and the Astros pounded out eight extra-base hits in a 9-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Tuesday.

"Today we looked a little bit more like ourselves," Houston manager A.J. Hinch said.

Stassi doubled and homered, Gurriel and Bregman had RBI triples and George Springer and starting pitcher Brad Peacock had two-run doubles as the Astros scored five runs in the second and built an 8-0 lead.

The Astros (73-46) had scored 17 runs while losing six of their previous seven.

"I think it relaxed us," Hinch said of the early burst, "because we've been grinding so hard to just get something positive, especially offensively.

"Big inning, good at-bats, obviously it took a little bit of everybody to get through that inning. We've had a rough week and a rough road trip, and it's nice to end it with a win and get home and get back to sort of how we're playing."

The Astros (73-46) have the best road record in the majors at 40-21 as they return to Minute Maid Park for the final two of the four-game, home-and-home series.

Ketel Marte and Paul Goldschmidt had two hits and Jake Lamb drove in two runs for Arizona (66-53), which has lost five of seven.

Houston reliever Francis Martes (5-2) struck out all four he faced after relieving Peacock when Arizona rallied in the middle innings.

Houston scored five runs off Anthony Banda (1-3) in the second inning, four with two outs. J.D. Davis and Stassi doubled for the first run before Springer's two-out double drove in two more.

Bregman tripled in Springer and scored on a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead.

"We know we're a good offense," Bregman said. "We just wanted to put together back-to-back-to-back and we did that. That's one of the things we've done a lot this year. When we put together quality 'AB's like that, we're a tough offense to stop."

Peacock drove in two runs with a two-out double for a 7-0 lead in the third inning, and Gurriel tripled in Altuve in the fourth inning to make it 8-0.

"I didn't know where it was when I hit it," Peacock said. "It was fair so I started running and I finally found it. It was pretty cool. First RBI and first extra-base hit."

Marte had an infield single off the first base bag, Arizona's first base runner off Peacock, to spark a three-run fourth inning.

A.J. Pollock doubled and Lamb followed with a two-run double. Goldschmidt and Chris Iannetta singled to load the bases and Brandon Drury drew a one-out walk to force in a run before Peacock struck out the final two batters of the inning to keep it 8-3.

Goldschmidt knocked out Peacock with an RBI double with two outs in the fifth inning to make it 8-4. Goldschmidt has 93 RBIs, one more than Lamb.

"We were able to get some runs on him, came up another time with guys in scoring position, but it is tough to get back with that big a lead," Lamb said.

Peacock gave up four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked one.

Banda, making his fourth major league start, gave up nine hits and eight runs in four innings. He struck out three and walked three.

"It was a bunch of factors -- missing spots, not establishing inside enough," Banda said. "I didn't follow the game plan. Just trying to do a little too much. When you don't establish the inside against a really good hitting team, arguably the best hitting team ..."

NOTES: Houston C Brian McCann (knee) was to see the team doctor in Houston on Tuesday after being placed on the disabled list Monday. McCann had been playing through soreness for about two weeks, manager A.J. Hinch said. ... Arizona LHP Robbie Ray will make a rehab start at Class A Visalia on Thursday and could return to the rotation the next time through if his recovery continues as it has. He has not pitched since being struck by a line drive July 28 in St. Louis. ... Astros 2B Jose Altuve struck out three times against Arizona RHP Zack Greinke on Monday for only the second time in his career. Giants RHP Matt Cain struck out Altuve three times in his perfect game June 13, 2012. ... Arizona LF David Peralta (paternity list) is expected to rejoin the team Thursday, manager Torey Lovullo said. ... Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt and RF J.D. Martinez are candidates to serve as DH when the Diamondbacks begin a stretch of five straight interleague road games in Houston on Wednesday.

Greinke pitches D-backs past slumping Astros

(TSX / STATS) -- PHOENIX -- Zack Greinke showed the Arizona Diamondbacks the value of a proven stopper.

The Houston Astros only wonder when their sudden burst of losing in an otherwise exceptional season will stop.

Greinke proved to be Arizona's close-down pitcher yet again, shutting out slumping Houston over 6 2/3 innings as the Diamondbacks beat the Astros 2-0 Monday night.

"That was Zack fashion," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.

Run-scoring doubles by Ketel Marte and J.D. Martinez produced the runs on a night when the Diamondbacks' aggressive baserunning proved decisive.

Greinke, Jorge De La Rosa, Archie Bradley and Fernando Rodney combined for Arizona's sixth shutout of the season. The division-leading Astros, who lost for the sixth time in seven games and for the 10th time in 13 games, were shut out for the fifth time.

Greinke (14-5) allowed five hits and two walks while striking out nine. He won for the eighth time in a row following a Diamondbacks loss. Greinke hasn't lost in such a situation since April 24 and is 8-1 with a 2.27 ERA overall this season after an Arizona loss.

"He's a horse, he's a horse," said Martinez, who is seeing Greinke up close for the first time after being acquired in a trade with the Detroit Tigers last month. "It's the reason they give him the kind of money ($206 million) they give him. You don't trick people to give you that kind of money. He eats up innings and keeps guys off balance, and he never gives in."

Arizona leads the majors with a 10-1 interleague record this season, while Houston is 9-2. Greinke is 23-12 in interleague games during his career.

The Diamondbacks, remaining in a tie with Colorado for the NL wild-card lead, had dropped six of eight, including two of three to both the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

Greinke bounced back after his first loss at Chase Field this season, 3-2 to the Dodgers on Wednesday, and now is 11-1 at home in 2017. He was especially tough on AL batting leader Jose Altuve, striking him out three consecutive times -- only the fifth three-strikeout game of Altuve's career and his first since 2014. Altuve came in 9-for-18 against Greinke.

"I felt like I executed pretty good. I think I made a lot of good pitches," Greinke said. "I have four pitches that have been good all year instead of two, and I can play with them."

Greinke left following Derek Fisher's two-out single in the seventh, with De La Rosa coming in to strike out Juan Centeno. Bradley worked a scoreless eighth before Rodney earned his 27th save in 32 opportunities.

The Diamondbacks played some National League-style ball against a former NL team, stretching line-drive hits into the outfield into doubles multiple times. It was a useful weapon as Astros starter Collin McHugh (0-2) pitched effectively in his fifth start since a shoulder injury put him on the 60-day disabled list. He gave up two runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking one.

"They got a hustle double and another hustle double to get the first run across," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "They run the bases as aggressively as anybody. It was a challenge for (McHugh) because he knew he had small margin for error against Greinke."

McHugh got the first two batters in the second -- partly due to right fielder Josh Reddick's exceptional sliding catch of Martinez's line drive into the gap -- but Daniel Descalso hustled his way to a double on a line drive to right-center. Marte, reaching base for a 14th consecutive game, followed with a RBI double to right.

"It's a big outfield, a quick playing surface, and you feel like there's a chance that any ball that gets over the second baseman's or shortstop's head has a chance to be a double," McHugh said.

The Diamondbacks doubled up again in the sixth, as Paul Goldschmidt doubled with one out and Martinez stretched his line drive to center into an RBI double.

Jake Lamb also had two doubles for Arizona.

NOTES: Arizona manager Torey Lovullo gave Phoenix Suns coach Earl Watson a personalized Diamondbacks jersey before the game. Lovullo liked how Suns players such as Devin Booker supported Arizona RHP Archie Bradley when the reliever called out the many Dodgers fans as Chase Field, yelling, "This is our house!" ... Houston RHP Tyler Clippard arrived in time to be in uniform -- his seventh different one in three years -- after being traded by the White Sox. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning. ... Diamondbacks OF David Peralta was placed on the paternity leave list after his wife gave birth to a daughter. ... Arizona LHP Robbie Ray (concussion) will make a rehab start for Class A Visalia on Thursday. ... The Cubs-Diamondbacks weekend series at Chase Field drew 123,110, Arizona's largest since the team clinched the NL West against the Giants from Sept. 23-25, 2011.

Cubs claim series win with 7-2 victory over Diamondbacks

(TSX / STATS) -- PHOENIX -- Javier Baez broke up the game on a breaking ball Sunday.

Baez's three-run homer to start a four-run eighth inning helped the Chicago Cubs to a 7-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday at Chase Field, where the house seemed equally divided.

"In this series, they threw me probably three fastballs," Baez said. "I was looking for a breaking ball the last 'AB' and he finally threw it over the plate."

Victor Caratini singled and went to second on a groundout before Jason Heyward was intentionally walked to bring up Baez, who was 5-for-12 in the series. Baez's 17th homer of the season, off Jake Barrett, was measured at 463 feet.

Ian Happ hit a pinch-hit homer after Baez's shot and Kris Bryant homered in the ninth inning to help the Cubs (61-55) regain first place in the tight NL Central by one game over St. Louis (61-57), which lost to Atlanta.

"We're starting to get some big knocks," Cuba manager Joe Maddon said. "Javy again. There are times when he can be frustrating and other times he hits three-run homers in the upper tank. The last time I saw that was Troy Glaus versus Randy Johnson" in 2006.

Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta (12-8) gave up three hits and one run in six innings He struck out six and walked three in his sixth consecutive quality start since the All-Star break. His ERA is 1.94 since the break.

Baez, whose throwing error cost the Cubs in a 6-2 loss Saturday, said the intentional walk was not motivating.

"Just try to do my job and stick with my plan," he said.

"Traditionally Baez doesn't have tremendous amount of success when you are comparing left, right splits," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "I just liked the matchup. All indications were pointing to Jake's stuff having a better conclusion than it did."

Third baseman Jake Lamb had three of Arizona's four hits and Paul Goldschmidt homered in the ninth inning for the Diamondbacks (65-52), who have lost four of five.

Bryant had three hits and scored from second on a wild pitch and Baez had two hits for the Cubs, who had lost three of four to fall into a first-place tie with St. Louis.

The Cardinals (61-57) lost to Atlanta on Sunday and Milwaukee (61-59) beat Cincinnati on Sunday.

"It is going to be a real interesting finish to the Central this year," Maddon said.

Arizona right-hander Zack Godley (5-5) gave up four hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight, walked four and threw three wild pitches.

Bryant's aggressive baserunning led to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Bryant singled with one out and Anthony Rizzo walked before Caratini struck out on a pitch that bounced to the screen.

Bryant, running on a 3-2 count, scored all the way from second, just beating the play at the plate after Godley had fallen down on the mound following his delivery. Godley recovered in time to cover the plate, but Bryant slid in just ahead of the tag.

"I saw him fall down and I made my mind up really early that I was going," Bryant said. "It was one of those plays, being aggressive and knowing he has some pretty good stuff on the mound. I thought it would be tough to score runs today. It's important to get on the ball early.

Baez singled with one out in the second, was sacrificed to second and scored on Jon Jay's double for a 2-0 lead.

Ketel Marte and Gregor Blanco walked to open the fifth inning before a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly by David Peralta made it 2-1.

NOTES: Arizona LHP Robbie Ray reported no ill effects from a 50-pitch simulated game Saturday, but there remains no timetable for his return to the rotation. "I think a (rehab) game where he can feel out how he is doing would be needed," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. ... Cubs SS Addison Russell (foot) was eligible to return from the disabled list Saturday, but it is unclear if he will return during Cubs' upcoming seven-game homestand. "I'd be surprised," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. ... The Cubs will have "American Legion" week this week, when players are encouraged to report late to the clubhouse for the entire seven-game homestand. The concept is curtailing work on the field and while tapping into a player's younger days. "I want them to come out and play just like when they were kids," manager Joe Maddon said. "Don't overthink it. Don't overwork it. Don't over-video it. Don't over-data it. Just go play some baseball." Beer sausages will be served. ... The teams drew 123,110 for the three-game series. The Cubs spend spring training in suburban Mesa and chants of "Javy, Javy" were heard after his homer.

Drury, Corbin pace Diamondbacks past Cubs

(TSX / STATS) -- PHOENIX -- Patrick Corbin and Brandon Drury experienced plenty of down moments as the Arizona Diamondbacks went into a significant slump. But they combined to give Arizona a huge lift -- and a big win -- against a team they might see again in October.

Drury's two-run double keyed a four-run sixth inning that broke up Chicago Cubs starter Jon Lester's pitching duel with Corbin, and the Diamondbacks ended a three-game losing streak with a much-needed 6-2 win on Saturday night.

Arizona had dropped five of six before Saturday's victory.

"It was a good win -- we needed it," Corbin said.

Corbin (9-11) was coming off two successive rough starts that included a 16-4 loss to Chicago on Aug. 1 in which he allowed eight runs in three innings. On Saturday, he consistently shut down Cubs threats while allowing five hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings.

"I've been thinking about it because I knew I was going to face them again," Corbin said. "I just wanted to go out there and have a good outing. I've been thinking about it a lot."

Archie Bradley followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, but closer Fernando Rodney gave up Kris Bryant's two-run single in the ninth to end the shutout. David Hernandez came on to strike out Ben Zobrist looking with two runners on for his second save of the season and first with Arizona.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon was upset with home plate umpire Mark Wegner's called third strike to end the game, saying Wegner knows he missed the call.

"I'm sure he's watched it, it was a ball obviously," Maddon said.

The Cubs' 10th loss in 27 games since the All-Star break dropped them into a virtual tie with streaking St. Louis for the NL Central lead. The Cardinals (61-56) won their eighth in a row, holding off Atlanta 6-5. The Cubs (60-55) have led the division for 19 consecutive days.

"It's never easy," Bryant said. "It's never easy."

Lester matched zeroes with Corbin until the game fell apart for Chicago in the sixth. Adam Rosales led off that inning with a single and, after an A.J. Pollock groundout, the Cubs elected to intentionally walk Paul Goldschmidt, who had four homers in his previous two games against them.

"I'd do it again and again and again. It was the right thing to do," Maddon said. "It just didn't work."

The strategy backfired when J.D. Martinez lined a double to right field for the game's first run.

Shortstop Javier Baez threw the ball 10 feet over catcher Alex Avila's head for a two-base error while trying to get Goldschmidt at the plate on Ketel Marte's grounder.

"We had some mistakes in the field which we should tighten up a bit," Bryant said.

Drury, formerly an everyday player but starting at second base for the first time in seven games because of his defensive liabilities, drove a two-run double to center field to make it 4-0. That helped him make up for failing to turn a routine double play in the first, a potentially costly mistake that Chicago didn't capitalize on.

"it's not always going to be smooth -- it's been rough lately and sometimes the game will kick you down," Drury said. "I think it will make me better, make me a better player from it. My head is down and I'm working every day to help this team win games."

Lester (8-7) left an inning later after David Peralta's leadoff double. Hector Rondon gave up Pollock's run-scoring single before working out of further trouble.

Peralta finished it off with an inside-the-park homer in the eighth -- his 12th homer of the season -- against reliever Jason Grimm, a shot off the center field wall that ricocheted wildly and allowed Peralta to score easily. It was Arizona's second inside-the-park homer of the season, with Marte getting one at Chase Field against Atlanta on July 26.

"I took a peek," Peralta said, "and I saw the third base coach sending me home and I'm like, `I'm out of gas.' I didn't slide home at home plate, I just let myself down. I was out of breath. That was my first one, and that was a pretty special moment for me."

Corbin gave up 14 runs (10 earned) in nine innings in his previous two starts, only to shut down the Cubs by striking out eight and walking one. Lester permitted four runs (three earned) and seven hits despite striking out nine in six-plus innings.

Bryant has reached base nine times in 10 plate appearances in the series on five singles, a double, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He was 3-for-4 Saturday, with a flyout in the seventh with two on and two outs.

The Cubs threatened in the fifth after leadoff singles by Baez and Avila and Lester's well-placed sacrifice bunt. But Baez was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Albert Almora Jr.'s grounder -- the call was upheld on replay -- and Anthony Rizzo's long drive with the bases loaded and two outs was caught just short of the right field fence by Martinez.

Chicago also couldn't score in the first when the Diamondbacks failed to convert two double-play grounders. Drury's throwing error negated one and Corbin failed to cover first on the other, but Corbin pitched out of trouble by getting Ian Happ to ground out with two on.

In the bottom of the inning, Peralta and Rosales singled in succession off Lester, but the Cubs converted a double play on Pollock's grounder and Goldschmidt struck out.

Arizona put runners on first and third with two outs in the fourth, but Drury popped up to end the threat.

NOTES: Cubs manager Joe Maddon started the left-handed-hitting Kyle Schwarber -- despite his .193 average -- against LHP Patrick Corbin because of his power potential. But Schwarber struck out in his first three at-bats. ... Arizona All-Star LHP Robbie Ray threw a simulated game as he recovers from taking a 108 mph line drive off his head on July 28 in St. Louis. ... CF Albert Almora Jr. became the 10th Cubs hitter to bat first this season. ... Chicago lost for only the fourth time in its last 17 road games. ... Corbin is 7-3 at home, 2-8 on the road.

Dodgers dump D-backs, extend series unbeaten streak

(TSX / STATS) -- PHOENIX -- Another series, another step forward.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have not lost a series since the first week of June, and used Yu Darvish and a another potent dose of offense to make sure that streak continued in an 8-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday at Chase Field.

Darvish won his second start for the Dodgers (81-33) since coming over at the trade deadline, and Enrique Hernandez got things started with a three-run double in the first inning.

"We have a really deep team," said Hernandez, who started in right field for Yasiel Puig. "A really deep lineup. A good bench. A good starting rotation. A good bullpen. There are not too many ways you can beat us.

"On paper, we are as good at it gets. On the field, we are making plays."

The Dodgers have won 15 of 17 and 46 of 54, the best run in the majors since the 1912 New York Giants went 51-8 after a 3-3 start. The Dodgers have won 15 of their past 18 series, splitting the other three.

Chris Taylor homered and Justin Turner had two hits and two RBIs for the Dodgers, who built an 8-2 lead on Turner's double in the sixth inning.

Arizona catcher Chris Iannetta hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, and Ketel Marte had a two-run single in the eighth to make it 8-6.

Los Angeles loser Kenley Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 30th save.

J.D. Martinez also homered for the Diamondbacks (64-50), who have lost four of five. Daniel Descalso had three hits, and David Peralta and Marte two apiece.

Darvish (2-0 with Dodgers, 8-9 overall) gave up five hits and two runs in five innings. He struck out 10 and walked two while throwing 106 pitches.

"I feel like I was able to do at least the job of going five innings," Darvish said through an interpreter. "I struggled to throw first-pitch strikes. It was a battle throughout the game.

"I had a really good four-seam, and I felt really good going into the game. Then my sinker, I couldn't command it. Physically I was really good, so maybe I was over-throwing it early in the game. That's when I got off rhythm."

Before Darvish took the mound, Corey Seager and Turner singled with one out and Logan Forsythe walked with two outs. Hernandez then hit a slider into the left field corner an early 3-0 lead against left-hander Anthony Banda (1-2).

Hernandez has three doubles, two homers and five RBIs in 26 at-bats against the D-backs this season, though he is hitting just .224 overall.

"The intent when he is in the batter's box, he's looking to slug," Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. "He likes the fastball, but for him to stay back on the slider was big, and I think with (Enrique), the average doesn't speak to the quality of at-bats and the production that he's given us. Against the left-handers, I certainly like him in the box."

Marte walked and scored on Peralta's infield single to make it 3-1 in the third inning.

Martinez homered with one out in the fourth inning to make it 3-2. With two on and two out, Arizona pinch hitter Brandon Drury struck out while batting for Banda, who allowed three runs in four innings.

The Dodgers scored three runs in the fifth inning off reliever Jake Barrett, who was not warming in the bullpen until Drury took his at-bat.

Taylor homered to lead off the fifth, and the Dodgers added two runs on a walk, a throwing error and two infield singles for a 6-2 lead.

"Tough night for us," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "We battled offensively. It wasn't particularly a great game for us, but we didn't shut down.

NOTES: Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig (hamstring, knee) was held out of the starting lineup but entered the game in a double switch in the seventh inning. Puig played all nine innings Wednesday and had the go-ahead single in the seventh inning of a 3-2 victory. ... Arizona LHP Robbie Ray, struck in the head by a line drive July 28, is scheduled to throw a simulated game Saturday, manager Torey Lovullo said, provided he continues the steady recovery he has shown thus far. Ray played catch and took batting practice Thursday, the day after a 33-pitch bullpen session. ... Arizona 2B Brandon Drury, who did not start for the fifth consecutive game, struck out as a pinch hitter. He will be used mostly off the bench moving forward, Lovullo said, with INF/OF Daniel Descalso getting much of the playing time at second. ... Arizona has won eight of 13 games against the Dodgers this year.