CINCINNATI (AP) — The National League’s reigning MVP sure knows how to perform an encore.
Christian Yelich singled with the bases loaded and hit his major league-leading 30th homer Monday night, helping the Milwaukee Brewers rally for their sixth straight victory at Great American Ball Park, 8-6 over the Cincinnati Reds.
Milwaukee sent 10 batters to the plate for five runs in the seventh inning, with Yelich contributing an RBI single. Yelich hit a two-run homer in the ninth that made him the first Brewer with 30 before the All-Star break. Prince Fielder hit 29 before the break in 2007.
Yelich knew he was one homer away from the mark. He hit No. 29 on June 21 and had only four hits and one RBI since.
“It’s cool,” Yelich said. “It’s hard to put it out of your mind. You’re constantly reminded about it by the fans and the media. It’s nice to get it out of the way.”
The homer came off a pitch that was above the strike zone and landed in the first row of seats in left field.
“It was one of those weird ones,” Yelich said. “It wasn’t the best pitch to swing at, but that’s baseball. Sometimes, you do everything right and don’t get rewarded. Sometimes, you do everything wrong and hit a home run.”
PIRATES 18, CUBS 5
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Bell hit three home runs to boost his season total to 25 AND Pittsburgh routed Chicago.
Bell hit a three-run shot off rookie Adbert Alzolay (1-1) in the first, a two-run drive off Alzolay in the second and finished off a four-hit, seven-RBI night by taking new Chicago closer Craig Kimbrel deep in the eighth.
Adam Frazier finished 5 for 6 and tied a major league record with four doubles. Colin Moran had a career-high five hits for the Pirates.
Jung Ho Kang hit his seventh home run of the season off Chicago infielder Daniel Descalso, who made a cameo on the mound in the seventh with the game well out of hand. Jose Osuna hit a solo home run off Kimbrel, who came on to get some work after making his debut with the Cubs last week.
Bell became the 20th Pirates player to hit three home runs in a game and the first left-handed batter to do it since Hall of Famer Willie Stargell in 1971. Frazier’s four doubles matched a mark shared by many players — Matt Carpenter of St. Louis was the last to do it on Aug. 26, 2018.
Javier Báez hit his 21st home run for Chicago. Kris Bryant and David Bote had two hits each, but the Cubs couldn’t keep pace while dropping their third straight.
Trevor Williams (3-2) took advantage of the outburst to pick up his first victory since May 10.
RAYS 6, ORIOLES 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Kevin Kiermaier’s three run home run lifted Tampa Bay to a win over Baltimore in a game in which two-way player Brandon McKay went 0 for 4 in his major league debut as a hitter for the Rays.
Kiermaier’s 10th homer came off Branden Kline (1-4) in the sixth inning after a walk and a single by Avisail Garcia.
McKay, who gave up one hit in six scoreless innings Saturday night in his major league pitching debut against the Texas Rangers, grounded out four times and was picked off second base on a throw from catcher Pedro Severino.
Adam Kolarek (3-2) got the win and Jose Alvarado pitched the ninth for his first save since May 26.
Tom Eshelman made his major league pitching debut for the Orioles, giving up two runs on six hits in five innings without recording a strikeout.
Renato Nunez had two hits for Baltimore.
The crowd of 20,441 included about 10,000 fans who purchased $2 tickets.
BLUE JAYS 11,
ROYALS 4
TORONTO (AP) — Backed by an offensive barrage, Blue Jays left-hander Clayton Richard had a relatively easy time ending the longest losing streak of his career.
Freddy Galvis hit a pair of solo home runs, rookie Cavan Biggio had four RBIs and Toronto beat the Kansas City Royals 11-4 on Monday.
Randal Grichuk had four hits and four RBIs and Teoscar Hernández added a solo home run as the Blue Jays won for the 15th time in 19 regular-season home meetings with the Royals.
Richard (1-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings to win for the first time since Aug. 18, 2018, when he beat Arizona while pitching for San Diego. He’d lost nine straight decisions since.
“It’s huge,” Richard said of earning his first win with Toronto. “That’s why we play the game, is to win. It feels a lot better doing that than the alternative.”
Richard has pitched six innings in back-to-back starts for the first time this season.
“That’s all we can ask: five, six good innings, and he gave us again that today,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said.
Wearing red caps and jerseys in honor of Canada Day, the Blue Jays scored in each of the first four innings and finished with a season-high 18 hits.
