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:

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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.