Here are the scores. Here are the highlights:
Yankees 8, Indians 1: Luis Severino keeps doin’ the do, allowing one run on two hits and striking out nine while pitching into the seventh inning. The Yankees had a comfy 5-1 lead when Aaron Judge hit his three-run homer, but three-run homers are friggin’ boss whenever they happen. It was Judge’s 35th on the year.
Cardinals 13, Reds 4: The Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. In the next eight innings the Cardinals outscored ’em 13-1. All of St. Louis’ runs came in just two innings, actually, with four in the second and nine — nine? — nine in the fourth. Jose Martinez hit his first career grand slam in that fourth inning. Seven different Cardinal batters drove in a run and everyone got a hit except Adam Wainwright. Homer Bailey gave up ten runs in three and a third innings of work. He’s made 17 starts since he signed a six-year, $105 million deal with Cincy before the 2014 season. In those starts he’s 5-10 with a 7.71 ERA. Woof.
Rays 2, Brewers 1: Chris Archer allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven over six innings. He didn’t get the win, however, because Jimmy Nelson allowed one run over eight, striking out nine. Steven Souza Jr. settled all of that, though, with a walkoff solo homer.
Orioles 12, Tigers 3: The Orioles jumped all over Anibal Sanchez, plating four in the first inning and four more before he was chased in the fourth. Actually, it was less them chasing him than them bashing his brains in, smacking five homers off the Tigers starter. The bashers: Jonathan Schoop, Chris Davis and Trey Mancini, who went back-to-back to back, and Manny Machado and Joey Rickard who just piled it on. Machado would drive in five on his 4-for-5 day, doubling and singling in runs as well. The Orioles have won seven of nine.
Red Sox 6, White Sox 3: Sox win! Mookie Betts got the day off and Chris Young started in his place. All Young did was drive in five of Boston’s six runs thanks to two homers — one of which was a three-run shot — and an RBI double. The other run came via an Eduardo Nunez dinger. Doug Fister was solid enough, allowing three runs in six innings. Chicago gets swept. They’ve lost six in a row and 23 of their last 27. They’re breathing down the Phillies’ necks in the race for the number one overall pick in next year’s draft. But that’s OK because “best farm system in baseball” flags fly forever.
Marlins 4, Braves 1: Marcell Ozuna hit a three-run homer to help Miami avoid a three-game sweep. The two baserunners on board when he hit that fly got their via a hit-by-pitch and a walk from Braves’ starter Lucas Sims. J.T. Realmuto hit a homer right after that. Sims will have better days. Maybe as good as Jose Urena‘s day. He allowed one run on three hits over six.
Pirates 5, Padres 4: Sean Rodriguez was traded by the Pirates to the Braves in the offseason, then had his 2017 season almost completely derailed by a frightening automobile accident in which he, his wife, and two of his children were injured. The Braves traded him back to Pittsburgh in a cost-saving move over the weekend and yesterday he made his first appearance in a game with the Pirates since his return, entering as a pinch hitter in the eighth. In the 12th he ended it by hitting a walkoff homer. Welcome back, Sean Rodriguez! No one gets a do-over in life, but this is pretty good as far as hard reboots go.
Twins 6, Rangers 5: Texas jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first but that’s all they’d score in the game. The Twins got four of those runs back in the second, tied it up via an Eddie Rosario homer in the third and took the lead for good via a Robbie Grossman RBI single in the fifth. Brian Dozier and Max Kepler also homered for the Twinkies. Adrian Beltre and Joey Gallo each hit dongs for Texas. Gallo’s been doin’ a lot of that lately.
Astros 7, Blue Jays 6: Toronto took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth but the Astros rallied for four thanks to a Carlos Beltran forceout with the bases loaded, a two-run triple from Alex Bregman to tie it and then an RBI single from Juan Centeno. The rally came against Jays’ closer Roberto Osuna. His ERA has jumped from 1.91 to 3.47 in the space of five appearances. Nori Aoki, who was traded from Houston to Toronto just last week, had a two-run homer for his new club against his old club.
Nationals 9, Cubs 4: Washington takes two of three in what the smart money would have as one of the two NLDS matchups this October. Tied at four in the eighth, Matt Wieters hit a grand slam. The inning before he drove in a run on a sac fly. His counterpart, Willson Contreras hit two homers, but both were solo shots. Baseball: where one is better than two sometimes.
Phillies 3, Rockies 2: A lot of late rallies yesterday. Here the Phillies were down 2-1 in the ninth when Cameron Rupp hit a two-run double to put Philly over. Nice amends for Rupp, who had been thrown out at home an inning earlier.
Giants 6, Diamondbacks 3: Jeff Samardzija was solid enough into the seventh inning and Albert Suarez got a seven-out save, which is not something you see too often these days. Hunter Pence hit a two-run single, Jarrett Parker homered and Nick Hundley drove in two.
Athletics 11, Angels 10: Yet another late rally, this one of the five-run variety in the eighth inning — with all the runs scoring with two outs — pushing the A’s over the Angels. Khris Davis hit a two-run homer that inning after which Ryon Healy doubled, Chad Pinder knocked him in with a single, Matt Chapman doubled and then Bruce Maxwell knocked in Pinder and Chapman. Earlier Mark Canha and Pinder homered as well as the A’s mounted an 18-hit attack.
Mariners 8, Royals 7: Royals 9, Mariners 1: Seattle jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first one and then hung on, as Nelson Cruz hit a three-run shot and added a solo homer later. It was all Royals in the nightcap, with Eric Hosmer and Melky Cabrera combining to drive in seven and Jake Junis allowed only one run in eight innings of work.
Dodgers 8, Mets 0: Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed only one hit in seven shutout innings and Tony Cingrani and Kenley Jansen kept the Mets hitless in the final two frames as well. New York’s only baserunners came on Travis d'Arnaud‘s third-inning single and Brandon Nimmo‘s ninth-inning walk. Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger each homered for the second game in a row for L.A., who beat the Mets in all seven games they played this season, outscoring them 57-15. Bellinger has 32 homers on the year. Turner is hitting .349. The Dodgers are now on pace for 115 wins. They’re 24-3 since July 4. If they only go 21-30 the rest of the way they’ll win 100 games.
