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• MLB: Ortiz, Cruz lead Pirates to 6th straight win

  Luis Ortiz pitched seven scoreless innings and Oneil Cruz homered and drove in three runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates won their season-high sixth straight game, 4-1 over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night.

  Ortiz allowed three hits in a season-high seven innings with two walks and two strikeouts.

  Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the eighth and David Bednar gave up Bryce Harper’s home run in the ninth.

  The Pirates scored the game’s first runs with a pair in the sixth off All-Star Cristopher Sanchez.

  Andrew McCutchen led off with a 431-foot home run and Bryan Reynolds singled before Connor Joe hit into a double play. Nick Gonzales then singled and came home on Cruz’s double off the wall in right.

  Cruz extended the lead with a two-run blast – his 15th homer - in the eighth off Matt Strahm.

  Pittsburgh (50-48) moved two games over .500 for the first time since late April and sent the major league-best Phillies to a season high-tying third straight loss.

   

  Orioles back Rodriguez with three homers

  Grayson Rodriguez struck out eight over six innings to become the first 12-game winner in the American League and was backed by three home runs in the Baltimore Orioles’ 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers.

  Rodriguez (12-3) struck out the side in the sixth to end his night after 103 pitches. He allowed his only three hits and two runs in a four-batter span in the second before retiring 13 of the last 14 he faced.

  Only Atlanta’s Chris Sale (13) has more wins in the majors than the second-year right-hander.

  Jordan Westburg had three hits, including a two-run homer, and Ramon Urias added three hits and a pair of RBIs. Cedric Mullins and Ryan O’Hearn had solo shots for the Orioles, who won their third straight following five consecutive losses.

  Mullins became the eighth Baltimore batter with 10 home runs.

  The Orioles lead the majors with 156 home runs, 16 more than the second-place Yankees.

  Max Scherzer lasted just two innings, giving up four runs and five hits with two walks.

   

  Meyers, Diaz homer in Astros’ win

  Jake Meyers hit a go-ahead two-run homer and Yainer Diaz also went deep to lead the Houston Astros to a 4-2 victory over the reeling Seattle Mariners.

  Houston has won six of eight to take over sole possession of the AL West lead for the first time this season, while Seattle dropped its fifth straight and fell out of first for the first time since May 11.

  Julio Rodriguez provided all the offence for the Mariners with a two-run homer in the sixth inning, but Seattle fell to 8-17 in its last 25 games.

  After Framber Valdez gave up two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings, Houston’s bullpen held the Mariners hitless the rest of the way.

  Bryan Abreu, Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader struck out five over the final three innings.

  George Kirby limited the Astros to one run and four hits in six innings with six strikeouts and left with a 2-1 lead.

  Ryne Stanek walked Jeremy Pena to open the seventh and Meyers drove a 1-2 pitch over the wall in right-center field for his 11th homer to give Houston a 3-2 lead. 

  Diaz’s homer in the eighth off Trent Thompson bounced off the top of the wall.

• MLB: Astros shut out Mariners to tie for AL West lead

  Hunter Brown and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and the Houston Astros moved into a tie for the AL West lead with a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.

  Yainer Diaz delivered the big blow with a two-run single and the Astros (51-46) won for the 18th time in 24 games. They trailed the Mariners by 10 games and were seven games under .500 on June 18.

  Seattle, meanwhile, has stumbled to an 8-16 mark during that span and turned in a listless effort against a division rival coming out of the All-Star break that led to boos from the home fans after the final out.

  Brown allowed four hits with three walks and five strikeouts to win for the sixth time in seven starts.

  Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly each worked a perfect inning and Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 19th save.

  Houston did all its scoring in the third against Luis Castillo.

  Trey Cabbage doubled, then scored as Jose Altuve reached on a bunt single and a bad throw by Josh Rojas got away from first baseman Ty France. Alex Bregman was hit by a pitch and Yordan Alvarez walked to load the bases.

  Diaz then jumped on Castillo’s first pitch for a two-run single and a 3-0 lead.

  Pirates rally, walk-off Phillies

  Nick Gonzales delivered a walk-off single and the surging Pittsburgh Pirates completed a rally from a three-run deficit for an 8-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

  Pittsburgh trailed 7-4 but pulled to within one in the seventh on an RBI infield single by Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez’s sacrifice fly.

  Jose Alvardo was called on to protect the slim lead in the ninth, but Connor Joe led off with a single and Andew McCutchen walked. After a double steal, Bryan Reynolds struck out and Cruz brought home the tying run on a fielder’s choice.

  Gonzales then sent a first-pitch cutter through the left side of the infield to give the Pirates their fifth straight win and seventh in eight games.

  Pittsburgh (49-48) moved over .500 for the first time since April 24.

  Trea Turner homered and Weston Wilson had a career-high three hits, including his first home run of the season, for the major league-best Phillies, who lost their third in four games.  

  Freeman’s slam lifts Dodgers

  Freddie Freeman drilled a grand slam in the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen worked four scoreless innings in a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.

  Nick Pivetta limited the Dodgers to two hits over six scoreless innings, but the Dodgers got to Boston’s bullpen in the eighth.

  Miguel Vargas drew a leadoff walk against Zach Kelly and Chris Taylor struck out before Brennan Bernadino entered. He gave up a ground-rule double down the left-field line to Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith was intentionally walked to load the bases.

  Freeman followed by sending an 0-1 slider over the wall in right field for his 15th home run and seventh career grand slam.

  Gavin Stone allowed one run and six hits over five innings before Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough each pitched a scoreless frame. Daniel Hudson pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

  All-Star MVP Jarren Duran homered for the Red Sox, who entered the break with 10 wins in 14 games.  

• Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez wins Home Run Derby

  Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez edged local product Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals in the final round to win MLB's 2024 Home Run Derby on Monday night. 

  Hernandez had 14 homers in the final to hold off Witt, who grew up just minutes from the Texas Rangers' home stadium of Globe Life Field, the site of Monday's event as well as Tuesday's All-Star Game.

  Witt just missed tying Hernandez on his final swing, but his last attempt hit the base of the wall in center field to give Hernandez the title.

  Hernandez also narrowly advanced in the semifinals by winning a swing-off with Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm after both players finished their rounds with 14 homers. Each then received three additional swings, with Hernandez hitting two more homers to Bohm's one.

  The 31-year-old Hernandez became the first Dodgers player to win the Home Run Derby. Joc Pederson reached the finals at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park in 2015 but was defeated by the Reds' Todd Frazier. 

  Witt advanced to the finals by outperforming Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez 17-12 in the second round and finished the event with 50 homers, one more than Hernandez's three-round total of 49.

  The young shortstop was bidding to win the title at a venue located less than 20 miles from his hometown of Colleyville, Texas. Witt's father, Bobby Sr., pitched 11 seasons for the Rangers over two separate stints in the 1980s and '90s.

  Pete Alonso's attempt to match Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. as the only three-time Home Run Derby champion came to an early end, as the New York Mets slugger recorded just 12 homers in the first round and failed to advance. Alonso won the event in 2019 and defended his crown in 2021 after the 2020 edition was not held due to the coronavirus pandemic.

  Adolis Garcia of the host Rangers also had an early exit after hitting 18 homers in the opening round, one fewer than Hernandez for the fourth and final spot in the semifinals. Bohm and Ramirez had the most homers in the first round with 21 each, while Witt advanced by hitting 20.

  Also eliminated in the first round were Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Atlanta Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna.

  Henderson's 28 home runs this season were the most of this year's participants, but the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year had the lowest total (11) in the first round. Ozuna managed 16 homers after entering the Derby with 26 for the season, the second-highest total behind Henderson.