Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 46th and 47th home runs and Juan Soto also went deep and drove in five runs as the New York Yankees snapped a three-game skid with an 8-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.
Judge hit a two-run homer in the third and added a solo shot in the seventh to give him six home runs in his last nine games and 12 in his last 23. He is on pace to hit 60 home runs.
Soto hit his career-high 36th homer on rookie Joey Cantillo’s sixth pitch, a 2-2 offering he sent onto the netting above Monument Park in center field. He eclipsed his career best set last season with San Diego.
Soto homered for the eighth time in nine games, a stretch that began with his three-homer game last week in Chicago against the White Sox.
Judge and Soto homered in the same contest for the second straight game and 11th time overall. The Yankees improved to 9-2 this season when the powerful duo go deep in the same game.
Nestor Cortes pitched three-hit ball over seven scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Rookie Jhonkensy Noel homered for the AL Central-leading Guardians, who have lost four of five.
Mets walk-off Orioles again
Pinch-hitter Jesse Winker opened the ninth inning with his first home run for the New York Mets to give them a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
After Francisco Alvarez took Seranthony Dominguez deep for a walk-off 4-3 win on Monday, Winker fought back from an 0-2 count to a full count against the Baltimore reliever and drove a 98 mph fastball the other way to left-center for his second walk-off homer in the majors.
His 12th home run of the season was his second as a pinch hitter and the sixth of his career.
Mets starter Sean Manaea retired his first 17 batters and Mark Vientos put New York ahead 3-2 with a solo homer in the seventh.
Francisco Lindor also went deep and J.D. Martinez drove in a run with a grounder to help the Mets take two of three in the series.
The Orioles managed just three hits, including a tying two-run homer by Austin Slater.
Arenado’s walk-off slam cools Brewers
Nolan Arenado hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning and the St. Louis Cardinals scored six unanswered runs to end the Milwaukee Brewers’ six-game winning streak, 10-6.
Arenado’s fifth career walk-off homer and sixth career grand slam gave the Cardinals their second win in their last eight games.
The Brewers led 6-4 after Joey Ortiz’s two-run double in the eighth inning, but St. Louis scored twice in the ninth against Devin Williams, who issued bases-loaded walks to Matt Carpenter and Tommy Pham.
Jackson Chourio had a career-high four hits and Ortiz finished with three RBIs for NL Central-leading Milwaukee, which still has an 11-game lead in the division.
MLB: Dodgers' stars hit three straight homers
Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman began the game with consecutive home runs, an unprecedented feat in Los Angeles Dodgers' history, and the National League leaders scored twice in the ninth inning to come through with an 8-6 victory over the rival Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Tommy Edman's two-run single in the top of the ninth snapped a 6-6 tie and helped Los Angeles expand its lead over Arizona and the San Diego Padres to six games in the division standings.
Ohtani added a sacrifice fly in addition to his NL-leading 44th homer of the season, which came on Arizona starter Merrill Kelly's eighth pitch of the night. Freeman finished 3 for 5 and also knocked in two runs to lead a 16-hit attack which propelled the Dodgers to a fourth straight victory and 10th in 12 games.
Betts followed Ohtani's game-opening blast with a shot over the left field wall, and Freeman connected on Kelly's very next pitch to give Los Angeles a quick 3-0 lead and mark the first time in the franchise's 141-year history it has started a game with three consecutive home runs.
The Diamondbacks answered with four runs in the bottom of the first, however, with Corbin Carroll beginning the rally with a lead-off inside-the-park homer off Gavin Stone.
Jake McCarthy and Joc Pederson then singled before Lourdes Gurriel drove in both with a double to tie the contest. Gurriel later scored on Eugenio Suarez's sac fly for a 4–3 Diamondbacks' advantage.
The Dodgers went back ahead in the second, though. After loading the bases on singles by Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas and a fielding error by Kelly, Ohtani plated Muncy with a sac fly and Freeman got Rojas home with a single for a 5-4 edge.
Gurriel's solo homer in the third knotted the score again, but the Dodgers retook the lead when Gavin Lux doubled in the fifth and crossed the plate on Muncy's single.
Arizona pulled back even by manufacturing a run in the seventh. Luis Guillorme drew a walk before advancing to third on a sacrifice and a wild pitch by reliever Brent Honeywell, then came home on Carroll's sacrifice fly.
It remained a 6-6 game into the ninth, which Will Smith and Lux opened with singles off Ryan Thompson (7-4) before both Dodger runners were moved up a base on a bunt. Two batters later, Edman delivered a two-out single off Justin Martinez to bring home each.
Evan Phillips then retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to give Ben Casparius a win in his MLB debut after the rookie threw a scoreless eighth inning.
Phillies' Wheeler dominates Braves for 100th win
Zack Wheeler earned his 100th career win with seven superb innings as the Philadelphia Phillies extended their lead atop the NL East with a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Wheeler (13-6) yielded just four singles and struck out seven to put the Phillies in position for a sixth win in eight games. Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez finished off the shutout with an inning each as Philadelphia increased its margin over the second-place Braves to six games in the division standings.
Edmundo Sosa knocked in two runs for the Phillies on a double and a homer, a solo shot off Max Fried in the third inning that broke a scoreless tie.
Trea Turner made it 2-0 with a solo homer off Fried in the sixth. One inning later, Weston Wilson drew a walk in front of Sosa's RBI double that gave Wheeler more breathing room.
The Phillies nearly had another home run after Austin Hays drove a pitch deep to center field to start the bottom of the seventh, but Atlanta's Michael Harris climbed the wall to make a leaping catch and prevent the ball from landing in the Philadelphia bullpen.
Fried (8-8) allowed all three Philadelphia runs while permitting five hits and four walks in seven innings.
Atlanta has now lost two of the first three matchups of this key four-game set after entering the series having won nine of its previous 11 games.
Kukuchi fans 12 as Astros continue Royals' struggles
Yusei Kikuchi racked up 12 strikeouts over seven outstanding innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the suddenly slumping Kansas City Royals in a matchup of American League playoff contenders.
Kikuchi (7-9) allowed just one run on five hits to improve to 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six starts since being acquired by the Astros from the Toronto Blue Jays in late July.
The left-hander duelled with Kansas City starter Cole Ragans through 5 1/2 scoreless innings before the Astros broke out with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Ragans was cruising along before giving up a single to Ben Gamel to begin the big inning. He then hit Jose Altuve with a pitch and walked Yordan Alvarez as Houston loaded the bases with none out.
Yainer Diaz then delivered a two-run single to break the scoreless tie, and Jeremy Pena followed with a triple to knock in two more runs for a 4-0 lead. Pena scored the Astros' final run on a wild pitch thrown by reliever Steven Cruz.
Pena finished 2 for 4 in Houston's fourth consecutive victory, which moved the Astros five games clear of second-place Seattle in the AL West after the Mariners lost to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.
The Royals finally got on the board when Freddy Fermin singled in the seventh, advanced to third on MJ Melendez's base hit and scored on Nick Loftin's fielder's choice groundout.
Bobby Witt's 29th homer of the season got Kansas City within 5-2 in the eighth, but Ryan Pressly kept the Royals scoreless in the ninth to record his third save of the season.
Kansas City has now dropped four straight following a stretch of 10 wins in 13 games.
Ragans (10-9) struck out 10 in five-plus innings but was charged with five runs despite permitting just four hits.
MLB: Valdez no-hits Royals for 7 before Altuve's walk-off hit lifts Astros
Framber Valdez pitched seven no-hit innings, but the Houston Astros needed Jose Altuve’s walk-off double to beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Friday night.
The game was tied 2-2 when Jake Meyers singled off James McArthur with one out in the ninth. With two outs, Altuve bounced his double off the wall in left field to send Meyers home and set off a wild celebration.
The Royals didn’t get their first hit until the eighth and trailed 2-0 in the ninth when Bobby Witt Jr. reached on an error by shortstop Jeremy Peña. With one out, Paul DeJong sent a slider from closer Josh Hader into the Crawford Boxes in left field to tie it.
Valdez was pulled after throwing 98 pitches, 60 for strikes, with seven strikeouts, three walks and a hit batter.
Bryan Abreu took over to start the eighth and Michael Massey was retired on a fly ball before pinch-hitter MJ Melendez grounded out. Pinch-hitter Kyle Isbel then grounded a single to left field for the Royals' first hit.
Valdez threw a no-hitter against Cleveland on Aug. 1, 2023. He nearly had a second one earlier this month before Corey Seager homered with two outs in the ninth inning of a 4-2 win over Texas on Aug. 6.
Ben Gamel led off Houston’s third with his first home run this season and Victor Caratini doubled home a run in the eighth.
The Royals lost their third straight and dropped 2 ½ games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland.
Dodgers beat Diamondbacks in NL West showdown
Freddie Freeman hit an early two-run homer, Will Smith added a three-run shot and Shohei Ohtani had his 43rd of the season as the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a 10-9 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a key four-game series.
With their third straight win and ninth in 11 games, the Dodgers opened a five-game lead over Arizona and San Diego in the West.
Ohtani stole his 43rd base in the second inning and homered to make it 10-5 in the eighth. He is the first player in history with at least 43 homers and 43 steals in a single season.
The Dodgers took a 10-5 lead to the bottom of the ninth, but the Diamondbacks made it a one-run game against Anthony Banda on Jake McCarthy’s two-run single and Eugenio Suarez’s two-run homer. Banda then got Corbin Carroll to foul out and retired Luis Guillorme on a fly to left.
Freeman’s blast in the first off Zac Gallen came after Ohtani led off the game with a double.
The Dodgers extended to a 5-0 advantage with three runs in the second. Miguel Rojas singled home a run, Mookie Betts had a sacrifice fly and Freeman’s groundout plated another run.
Carroll homered for the fourth time in four games for Arizona, which has lost three of four following six consecutive wins.
Los Angeles left-hander Clayton Kershaw left his start in the second inning after suffering pain in his left big toe.
Arcia’s blasts power Braves
Orlando Arcia hit a pair of solo homers, the first one as part of back-to-back shots with Sean Murphy in the third inning, to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
While both teams are virtual locks to reach the playoffs, a split of the first two games of a four-game weekend set between the NL East rivals moved the Braves within five games of the division-leading Phillies with 27 games left in the season.
Reynaldo López won his second straight start and has seemingly rebounded from an 0-3 June. He gave up one run and tossed four-hit ball over six innings with six strikeouts.
He lowered his ERA against the Phillies this season to 1.06 over three starts and 17 innings.
Bryce Harper doubled twice off López - giving him 33 this season - and singled but while wearing a black sleeve on his right arm. A two-time NL MVP, Harper said ahead of the game he’s battled nagging wrist and elbow issues.
Civale, Ashby combine for 2-hitter as Brewers roll
Aaron Civale and Aaron Ashby combined for a two-hitter, Garrett Mitchell had a home run, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Francisco Giants 6-0 on Thursday to add to their hot month of August.
Civale struck out seven and allowed two hits and two walks over seven innings, his longest outing of the season. Ashby was perfect in his two innings with three strikeouts.
Mitchell’s two-run homer in the second opened the scoring for the Brewers, who improved to 16-9 since the calendar turned to August.
Jackson Chourio had a pair of RBIs, while William Contreras reached base safely three times and stole home plate.
After going 11-13 in July, Milwaukee (77-56) has built their NL Central lead to 9 ½ games over the Chicago Cubs.
Milwaukee’s success this season has largely been fuelled by an unsung pitching staff whose 3.70 ERA ranks third in the majors this season.
Phillies rally past Braves, expand division lead
Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos hit key home runs to fuel the Philadelphia Phillies’ 5-4 comeback win over the Atlanta Braves.
With the Phillies trailing 4-0, Marsh hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning, then Castellanos’ two-run blast in the seventh put Philly in the lead.
With the win, Philadelphia improved to 79-55 and expanded their NL East lead over the Braves to six games.
First-time All-Star Cristopher Sanchez got the start for the Phils, working around traffic to allow four runs (two unearned) and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman were nearly perfect over the last 3 1/3 innings, with Hoffman collecting his 10th save of the season.
The Braves wasted a sterling night from Matt Olson, who clubbed his 24th and 25th home runs of the season.
Atlanta (73-61) has trailed Philadelphia all year but entered Thursday’s game having won 9 of their last 11 games.
Astros use 4-run 8th to top sloppy Royals
Zach Dezenzo drew a key, bases-loaded walk and the Houston Astros capitalised on two late errors to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-3.
The Astros entered the eighth inning trailing 3-2 before Jose Altuve scored the tying run from second after pitcher Lucas Erceg’s throwing error on a Yainer Diaz grounder.
After the Royals intentionally walked the bases loaded, Dezenzo drew a base on balls from John Schreiber, plating Diaz as the go-ahead run. Mauricio Dubon added an RBI single, and Jeremy Pena scored on a fielding error by MJ Melendez to cap a four-run eighth.
Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth to shut the door and earn his 29th save of the season.
The Astros got a boost from starter Hunter Brown, who allowed two hits and two runs (both unearned) in 6 2/3 innings.
The win gave Houston (72-62) a four-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West.
The Royals (75-60) have dropped two in a row but only trail the Cleveland Guardians by 1 1/2 games in the AL Central.
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