NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres hit a first-inning grand slam, left-hander James Paxton cruised after that and the New York Yankees three-hit the Boston Red Sox in a 4-2 victory Friday night.
Boston has lost five straight for the first time since 2015 and dropped 11 ½ games behind first-place New York in the AL East.
Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer during yet another rocky first inning by Paxton, but Torres bailed him out with his slam off Eduardo Rodriguez (13-5). Paxton (6-6) struck out the side in the second and completed six innings on 100 pitches, allowing two hits and two runs with six strikeouts.
New York earned its major league-leading 35th comeback win.
ASTROS 10,
MARINERS 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Wade Miley had another solid start and Houston backed him with a season-high six homers in a rout of Seattle.
Yordan Alvarez, Jake Marisnick, Martin Maldonado and Jose Altuve all connected off starter Yusei Kikuchi (4-8) to leave him tied with Justin Verlander for most home runs allowed in the majors this season with 28.
Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz also homered for Houston, which improved to 10-1 against the Mariners this season.
PADRES 5, DODGERS 2
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eric Lauer remained unbeaten against the Dodgers, Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers had three hits apiece and the San Diego Padres ruined the big league debut of Los Angeles pitcher Dustin May’.
Cody Bellinger supplied the Dodgers’ lone highlight, becoming the fastest player in franchise history to reach 100 home runs. Bellinger’s two-run shot to center in the fourth inning — his 36th, which ties him for the lead in the NL — came in his 401st game and surpasses Mike Piazza, who accomplished it in 422 games.
RANGERS 5, TIGERS 4
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas reliever José Leclerc hung on for a save, then fired the ball onto the right field roof at Globe Life Park after the Rangers beat Detroit.
The Tigers scored twice in a messy ninth inning and had runners on second and third with two outs when Jeimer Candelario hit a grounder to first baseman Danny Santana, who flipped to Leclerc covering the bag to end it. Leclerc took a couple of steps and let fly, the ball sailing far over the seats.
TWINS 11, ROYALS 9
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Cruz homered and drove in five runs in Minnesota’s win over Kansas City.
Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Eddie Rosario each had two hits for the Twins, who used a five-run seventh inning to maintain a three-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central.
Miguel Sanó, Luis Arraez and Jason Castro added RBIs for the Twins.
BLUE JAYS 5,
ORIOLES 2
BALTIMORE (AP) — Freddy Galvis had a home run among his three hits, Brandon Drury also went deep and the Toronto beat Baltimore for its season-high fifth straight victory.
Galvis hit his 17th homer in the fourth inning off Aaron Brooks (2-5) and Drury connected in the sixth for a 4-0 lead. Toronto has seven home runs in the first two games of the series and a major league-leading 81 since June 16.
Chris Davis homered for the Orioles in this matchup between the last two teams in the AL East standings.
INDIANS 7, ANGELS 3
CLEVELAND (AP) — Yasiel Puig drove in his first two runs for Cleveland and Mike Clevinger won his fifth straight by beating Los Angeles.
Puig had RBI singles in the first and second, helping Cleveland take an early 6-1 lead.
Clevinger (6-2) gave up one run in 6 1/3 innings — a solo homer to Mike Trout in the first. The right-hander allowed three hits and struck out eight.
CUBS 6, BREWERS 2
CHICAGO (AP) — Javier Báez homered and drove in three runs, and Chicago dealt Milwaukee its fourth loss in five games.
José Quintana pitched into the seventh inning and Jason Heyward also went deep for Chicago.
Báez had two doubles and scored twice. Quintana (9-7) also singled in a run as he won his fifth straight decision. He allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out five.
Three Cubs relievers finished with three scoreless innings.
REDS 5, BRAVES 2
ATLANTA (AP) — Joey Votto homered and drove in three runs, Alex Wood pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and Cincinnati beat NL East-leading Atlanta.
Wood (1-0) was sharp in his second start since returning from a season-long back injury, allowing five baserunners and solo homers to Austin Riley in the fifth and Ronald Acuña Jr. in the sixth. Wood struck out five.
PIRATES 8, METS 4
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Starling Marte’s three-run homer in the seventh inning broke open a tight game and Pittsburgh snapped New York’s seven-game winning streak.
The Pirates led 5-4 when Marte turned on a pitch from Tyler Bashlor and sent it into the seats in left field for his 19th home run of season.
Melky Cabrera hit a two-run double during Pittsburgh’s five-run fourth inning against Steven Matz (6-7). José Osuna had two hits and an RBI for the Pirates.
NATIONALS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 0
PHOENIX (AP) — Late lineup addition Matt Adams broke a scoreless tie with a sixth-inning double and Joe Ross won his first game in more than two years as Washington opened a nine-game road trip with a victory over Arizona.
Ross and four relievers limited the Diamondbacks to one hit as the Nationals broke a two-game losing streak.
WHITE SOX 4, PHILLIES 3, 15 INNINGS
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jose Abreu hit an RBI single off outfielder Roman Quinn in the 15th inning and Chicago outlasted Philadelphia.
Phillies pitcher Vince Velasquez, playing left field, threw out the potential go-ahead run in the 14th with Quinn (0-1) on the mound. He nearly did it again in the 15th but Leury Garcia barely beat the throw.
