An offensive explosion in the sixth inning saw a combined nine runs as the Philadelphia Phillies held on for a hard-fought 6-5 home win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

Both teams had their ace pitchers on the mound, and they were both excellent through the first five innings as Philadelphia's Aaron Nola and San Francisco's Carlos Rodon combined for one earned run.

The Phillies led 2-0 heading into the sixth frame – with one of the runs going down as unearned for the pitcher due to a fielding error – before the Giants finally found their groove.

The Giants' first five batters in the sixth inning went: double, RBI rouble, single, hit-by-pitch, before being capped off with a big three-run home run to Wilmer Flores.

With their big inning, the Giants jumped ahead 5-2, and after seeing Nola fall apart, the visitors opted to pull Rodon from the game. It was a decision that will be questioned after the Phillies rallied back with four runs of their own in the same frame.

They came with a pair of two-run homers – the first a 348-foot shot from Nick Maton, before Kyle Schwarber sent his 392 feet over the wall to put his side back in front 6-5.

From that point on the bullpens took over, with no hits and no walks allowed by either team in the final three frames, allowing Corey Knebel to come in and collect the save for the Phillies.

Verlander teases a no-hitter

Houston Astros star pitcher Justin Verlander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before his side then had to fight from behind to beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4.

Verlander was spectacular, allowing just one walk through the first six innings, but only led 1-0 as Cole Irvin was also at the top of his game on the mound for the Athletics.

In the seventh inning, an Elvis Andrus RBI double and a two-run Christian Bethancourt home run turned the game on its head, grabbing a 3-1 lead for the Athletics in the process, holding it until the ninth inning.

It was a poor showing from Oakland reliever Dany Jimenez, allowing the bases to load before walking in a run to make it 3-2, setting the plate for Yordan Alvarez to be the hero with a three-run, bases clearing, game-winning double.

Rockies win a shoot-out

The Colorado Rockies beat the Miami Marlins 13-12 in an extra-innings crowd-pleaser, ending in a walk-off home run.

Six Rockies finished with at least two hits, but Brendan Rodgers was the undisputed star of the show, hitting solo home runs in the second and fifth innings, before crushing his third long-ball of the day for the walk-off winner in the 10th frame.

Ryan McMahon was also terrific with the bat for the home side, with a three-run triple in the third inning and an RBI double in the fifth, as he and Rodgers combined to drive in eight of Colorado's 13 runs.

Mark Canha and Starling Marte led the New York Mets, who claimed 17 hits in their 10-0 thrashing of the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

Canha claiming four of those hits leading off for the Mets, and Marte got it rolling with his home run in the first inning, going deep off Patrick Corbin.

Jeff McNeil also had three hits while Eduardo Escobar homered off Nats reliever Francisco Perez, as Francisco Lindor extended his RBI streak to nine games.

The Mets' hitting did not have to counteract for any poor performances from the mound, with Trevor Williams giving up only three hits over 80 pitches in a full five innings.

Every Mets starter claimed a hit as the National League East leaders went to secure their season-best fifth consecutive win.

Thor hammered as Halos lose to Yankees

Across town, former Met Noah Syndergaard had a disappointing return to New York, as the Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels 9-1.

Syndergaard allowed five runs and seven hits, including a two-run homer from Matt Carpenter, and he was pulled after only 45 pitches.

Jordan Montgomery pitched solidly as the Yankees kicked off a high-profile three-game series against the Halos, striking out four and giving up four hits over 87 pitches in seven innings.

Kody Clemens hitless as Tigers

Jonathan Schoop starred for the Detroit Tigers as Kody Clemens made his major league debut, beating the Minnesota Twins 4-0 on Tuesday night to split a double-header.

Schoop claimed a home run and drove in four runs against the American League Central leaders, while the 26-year-old Clemens went zero-for-three on debut, with his father and seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens watching from a suite.

Clemens was without such blemishes in the field at second base, however, handling a ground-ball for the final out of the game.

The St. Louis Cardinals received strong performances from two rookies as they defeated the San Diego Padres 6-3 on Monday.

After the Padres took an early 1-0 lead, rookie second-baseman Nolan Gorman hit his second career home run with a 403-foot, two-run shot to right-field.

Tommy Edman was the player who trotted the bases along with Gorman for his home run, and he added another run himself with an RBI single in the fifth inning to make it 3-1.

Austin Nola pegged one back for the Padres with a base hit in the sixth frame, before the red-hot Paul Goldschmidt gave the Cardinals some breathing room with a two-run home run, crushing one 414 feet over the left-field wall to extend the lead to 5-2. It also extended Goldschmidt's hitting streak to 21 consecutive games.

Future Hall-of-Famer and 39-year-old Cardinals legend Yadier Molina capped off a fun night for the home faithful with an RBI double to center-field in the seventh inning.

Packy Naughton gave the Cardinals a decent start on the mound, striking out four batters and allowing one run in his two-and-a-third innings, before rookie Andre Pallante came in and earned his first career win, pitching three-and-a-third frames for one earned run and five strikeouts.

Both the Padres and the Cardinals remain three-and-a-half games off the leaders in their respective divisions.

Valdez pitches complete game for Astros

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez needed no help on the mound, pitching nine complete innings in his side's 5-1 win against the Oakland Athletics.

Valdez gave up just two hits and three walks, striking out seven, and was able to finish the job in 114 pitches.

With the bat, star Jose Altuve collected two hits, including a 394-foot, two-run homer in the fifth inning, while teammate Yordan Alvarez also had two hits, and both were massive.

Alvarez's first home run travelled 469 feet to center field, and his second was a 444-foot bomb to right-center – but he was not even close to Tuesday's biggest blast.

Sanchez crushes year's longest home run

The Miami Marlins lost 7-1 away against the Colorado Rockies, but the visiting side's one run was a memorable one, coming from the longest home run of the season.

With both sides still scoreless in the second inning, Marlins center-fielder Jesus Sanchez hooked a monstrous 496-foot solo home run deep over the right-field wall and over the third deck.

It was one of only four hits given up by Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner, who finished with seven complete innings for one run and six strikeouts.

No Rockies hit home runs in the game, but both Connor Joe and Garrett Hampson hit triples.

Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in each of his first two at-bats on Sunday, but it was not enough to stop the Toronto Blue Jays from winning the high-scoring battle 11-10.

Ohtani scored the game's opening run with a solo home run in the first inning, but by the time he stepped to the plate for a second time, his side trailed 6-2.

After sending his first blast 413 feet to center field, his second shot was a 425-foot, two-run homer, trimming the score back to 6-4.

Los Angeles catcher Max Stassi tied the game with a two-run single later in the third inning, before Travis Ward's two-run home run in the fourth frame made it 8-6 Angels.

Ward drove in another run with an RBI double in the sixth inning, but the Blue Jays tied things up at 9-9 in the seventh when three runs came home from a pair of bases-loaded walks, and an RBI single to Raimel Tapia.

Stassi made sure that tie was short-lived with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, before Bo Bichette again pulled the Blue Jays level with his own solo homer in the eighth.

After Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr was intentionally walked, Lourdes Gurriel made the Angels pay, driving in what would be the game-winning run with a double to make it 11-10, setting the table for David Phelps to come in and secure the save.

Overall the two teams combined for 25 hits, and while nine players finished with multiple knocks, Stassi was the top performer with the bat, going four-for-five with three singles and a home run.

McClanahan bests the Yankees

New York Yankees MVP candidate Aaron Judge hit his league-leading 18th home run, but his side was no match for Tampa Bay Rays Cy Young candidate Shane McClanahan, going down 4-2 on the road.

McClanahan pitched six complete innings, striking out seven, while conceding just one run from seven hits and no walks.

As he kept the Yankees quiet, the Rays were able to build a lead thanks in large part to solo home runs from Choi Ji-man and Taylor Walls, leading 4-1 before Judge blasted a 420-foot consolation shot in the eighth inning.

Red Sox hold their own Home Run Derby

The Boston Red Sox hit a season-high five home runs in their 12-2 home win against the Baltimore Orioles – and they were the first five scoring hits of the game.

Bobby Dalbec got things started with a two-run homer in the second inning, with Franchy Cordero adding a solo shot later in the inning – his 448-foot bomb would be the biggest of the day.

Rafael Devers sent his moonshot 431 feet over the right-field wall in the third frame, and just an inning later both Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez chipped in with their own solo home runs to make it 6-0.

Nick Pivetta was terrific on the mound in front of the Fenway Park faithful, pitching six innings for one earned run and five strikeouts.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Kurt Suzuki is "alert" after suffering a neck contusion when he was struck by a warm-up pitch during a 6-5 defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

Suzuki was removed from the game at Angel Stadium after a pitch from Michael Lorenzen before the third inning bounced in front of him and struck him on the neck.

The 38-year-old was assessed by a trainer and manager Joe Maddon before being helped down the steps.

Suzuki was taken to hospital, but returned to the stadium following a check-up.

A statement released by the Angels said: "Kurt Suzuki was removed from tonight's game with a neck contusion. He is alert and currently undergoing further testing.

"Additional information will be released at the appropriate time."

Suzuki could reportedly be available to face the Blue Jays on Sunday.

Jeff McNeil delivered the go-ahead home run as the New York Mets continued their excellent start to the season with an 8-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.

Trailing 2-1 in the fourth inning with two runners on base, McNeil stepped up for the Mets for a three-run blast over right field.

McNeil revealed after the game that he thought he spotted an eagle in the crowd moments before stepping up. "I was kind of staring out into space, into nothing, and I saw something," McNeil said. "I don't know what it was. It was a bird."

McNeil's blast put the Mets up 4-2, before Francisco Lindor extended his RBI streak to a career-best six games.

Lindor's triple moved the Mets further ahead, with his long fly ball skipping off the wall at left-center field. He has 14 RBIs during his six-game run.

Pete Alonso was more quiet by comparison, but still drove in another RBI as he homes in on a franchise record held by Gary Carter of 34 RBIs in any month. Alonso now has 29 for May which is a franchise record for that specific month.

Kluber and Cole face off as Rays win

The Tampa Bay Rays ended the New York Yankees' four-game winning run with a 3-1 victory in their AL East clash.

Manuel Margot extended his hitting streak to 15 games with an RBI single in the eighth with Wander Franco scoring.

Corey Kluber and Gerrit Cole jousted on the mound across six innings, with Kluber allowing one run and three hits while striking out five. Cole struck out 10, giving up one run, two hits with three walks.

Betts blasts Dodgers to victory

Mookie Betts continued his stellar May form with a leadoff homer in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Betts' leadoff homer was his 14th home run of the season and 11th of the month. It was also his 32nd career leadoff home run.

The win means the Dodgers improve to a 32-14 record in the NL West.

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler has explained that he will not stand for the United States national anthem due to concerns over the "direction of our country".

On Tuesday, 19 children and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The MLB paid tribute by holding a moment of silence before games, prior to playing the national anthem.

Kapler on Friday published an essay on his website detailing how on "the day 19 children and two teachers were murdered, we held a moment of silence at sporting events around the country, then we played the national anthem, and we went on with our lives."

He then explained that he will not be coming out to stand for the anthem, and that he wanted to take a knee during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner on Wednesday.

"Every time I place my hand over my heart and remove my hat, I'm participating in a self-congratulatory glorification of the ONLY country where these mass shootings take place," he wrote.

"On Wednesday, I walked out onto the field, I listened to the announcement as we honoured the victims in Uvalde. I bowed my head. I stood for the national anthem. Metallica riffed on guitars.

"My brain said drop to a knee; my body didn't listen. I wanted to walk back inside; instead I froze. I felt like a coward. I didn't want to call attention to myself. I didn't want to take away from the victims or their families.

"There was a baseball game, a rock band, the lights, the pageantry. I knew that thousands of people were using this game to escape the horrors of the world for just a little bit. I knew that thousands more wouldn't understand the gesture and would take it as an offense to the military, to veterans, to themselves.

"But I am not okay with the state of this country. I wish I hadn't let my discomfort compromise my integrity. I wish that I could have demonstrated what I learned from my dad, that when you're dissatisfied with your country, you let it be known through protest. The home of the brave should encourage this."

Kapler told reporters on Friday: "I don't expect it to move the needle necessarily, but it's something I feel strongly enough about to take that step."

His decision follows on from an impassioned plea from Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who used a pre-game news conference earlier this week to express his dismay over another school shooting and demand changes to gun laws.

The Boston Red Sox could not finish the job with a six-run lead against the Baltimore Orioles, going down 12-8 after leading 8-2 through the sixth inning.

It was a red-hot start for the surging Red Sox, who had won seven of their past eight games leading into Friday's contest, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning thanks in large part to a three-run homer from Xander Bogaerts.

Boston's lead was extended to 6-0 in the second inning through a bases-loaded automatic double from Alex Verdugo, before the Orioles finally got on the board through a two-run home run from Anthony Santander in the fourth inning.

Those would be the only runs given up by Red Sox starter Garrett Whitlock, who pitched six full innings for two earned runs from five hits and one walk, striking out four; but when he was withdrawn, everything fell apart for the home side.

The Orioles would score 10 runs in the final three frames, as a three-run blast from Jorge Mateo in the seventh and a two-run homer in the eighth from Austin Hays quickly helped make it 8-8 heading into the final inning.

Baltimore racked up another five hits in the ninth as the Boston bullpen simply could not close the show, before Orioles closer Jorge Lopez showed them how it was done, retiring the last three Red Sox batters in order.

Taillon pitches a gem for Yankees

The New York Yankees have extended their league-best record to 33-13 after a 2-0 shutout win away at the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

It was all about Yankees starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, who proved nearly unhittable, pitching eight complete innings for just two hits and no walks, striking out five in the process.

The Yankees were kept scoreless in eight of their innings as well, but had a pair of game-winning swings of the bat in the fourth frame, with solo home runs to Gleyber Torres and Matt Carpenter.

Carpenter has only been with the Yankees for less than a week, being picked up in the midst of an injury crisis after he was released by the Texas Rangers.

Polar Bear delivers for Mets

New York Mets first-baseman Pete Alonso – nicknamed the 'Polar Bear' – was terrific in his side's 8-6 win against the Philadelphia Phillies, finishing with a game-high four RBIs.

Alonso drove in his first run in the first inning through a sacrifice-fly, before doing it in a more emphatic fashion in the third frame, hitting a 400-foot, two-run home run to left-field.

His fourth RBI came from another hard-hit ball, this time a double to deep right-field, opening up a 7-0 lead in the process.

The Phillies would threaten a comeback, cutting the margin back to 7-6, but the Mets' bullpen was able to shut things down in the final three innings.

Nestor Cortes carried a three-hit shutout into the ninth inning as the New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-2 on Thursday.

Cortes was in impressive form, finishing with five struck out and four hits over 109 pitches before Wandy Peralta came in to close the game out.

The Yankees came into this game with Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson both unavailable while DJ LeMahieu also deals with wrist soreness.

Requesting a release after 21 games in Triple-A ball for the Round Rock Express, the Texas Rangers' affiliate, Matt Carpenter scored twice from two at-bats as the designated hitter in his debut game for the Pinstripes.

Now on a three-game winning streak, the Yankees moved to 32-13 to extend their lead over the Rays atop the American League East.

Nola propels Phillies to win over Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies bounced back to defeat the Atlanta Braves, splitting their four-game series with a 4-1 win.

Aaron Nola struck out 10 and gave up only four hits while pitching a shutout coming into the ninth inning, giving up one more hit over an eventual 109 pitches before Corey Knebel closed.

The Phillies and Braves are now even on a 21-24 record in the National League East, both seven-and-a-half games behind the New York Mets.

Brewers beat Cardinals, extend NL Central lead

Josh Hader made the eventual save for the Milwaukee Brewers, earning a 37th consecutive scoreless appearance as they defeated the St Louis Cardinals 4-3.

Eric Lauer started slowly for the Brewers, giving up two runs and four hits in the opening two innings, before closing with four hits and a strikeout over 96 pitches in five innings.

Tyrone Taylor drove in for the seventh game in a row while Luis Urias scored a home run, as the Brewers extended their lead over the Cards in the NL Central.

The New York Yankees have signed 36-year-old three-time All-Star Matt Carpenter to a major league deal, and have added him to their active roster.

Carpenter was with the Texas Rangers on a minor league deal earlier this season before being released.

He spent the first 11 seasons of his career leading up to this season with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he finished top-10 in MVP voting twice, but had three poor seasons in a row to end his tenure there.

The Yankees were in desperate need of some competent major league help due to a spate of injuries, with Carpenter believed to be able to provide a steadying presence in the infield – at least defensively.

With the bat, Carpenter's value is buoyed by the fact that he is a left-hander who will play half of his games in Yankee Stadium, which is the friendliest ballpark for lefties with their notorious short-porch at right-field.

It remains to be seen if he will be used in any starting line-ups, or is purely a depth signing.

Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr and New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton were both absent from their teams' line-ups on Wednesday as they battle minor injuries.

Acuna, 24, returned at the beginning of May from a knee reconstruction that ended his 2021 season, and has looked largely like the two-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year that he is, even though his power numbers are down.

He had every intention of playing when he went to bed on Tuesday, but he reportedly woke up on Wednesday with tightness in his quad, before an MRI revealed a grade-one strain. He is considered day-to-day.

Stanton, on the other hand, has been placed on the 10-day injured list with what the team originally called a "right calf strain", before changing it to "right ankle inflammation". 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said while any injury is frustrating, he feels the prognosis for Stanton is positive.

"I feel like we got good news," he said. "The Achilles is fine, and no strain. 

"So [we] just feel like this is something that's going to be short, and like we should knock it out and not mess with it and maybe it becomes something else. 

"Hopefully he got out in front of it a little bit, and hopefully it's just 10 days."

The Atlanta Braves had it working with both bat and ball as they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-4 at home on Wednesday.

The Phillies opened the scoring through a massive 431-foot solo home run to Odubel Herrera in the top of the second inning – the biggest hit by either team in the game.

But they would not finish the second inning in the lead as William Contreras connected on his own home run to left-field, tying the game, before Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson drove in another three runs with base hits.

Philadelphia mounted a comeback in the middle innings, with Herrera driving in his second run via a base hit in the fourth, followed by Nick Castellanos' ground-out RBI and Jean Segura's RBI single, tying it at 4-4.

It would be all Braves from that point on as their bullpen allowed just two hits from the last 14 outs, with Spencer Strider striking out five in two innings.

After Swanson scored on a fielding error to put the Braves up 5-4, they made no doubt about the result with further solo home runs to Austin Riley and Swanson to put the game to bed.

Swanson finished with four hits from five at-bats, with two runs and two RBIs.

Phillies MVP candidate Bryce Harper also played well, with four hits from his five at-bats, including two doubles.

Long ball reigns supreme for Tigers

The Detroit Tigers came back from an early deficit to defeat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 in extra innings – with every score coming from home runs.

Trevor Larnach put the Twins ahead 2-0 with his two-run homer in the fourth inning, before Tigers shortstop Harold Castro pegged one back with a solo shot in the sixth frame.

Castro struck again in the eighth inning, hitting another solo home run to tie the game and force extra innings. 

In the extra inning, Jeimer Candelario was the hero, blasting the first pitch of his at-bat over the center-field wall to make it 4-2 and set the table for closing pitcher Andrew Chafin to come in for the save.

Yankees pitcher holds Orioles scoreless in debut start

The New York Yankees grinded out a hard-fought 2-0 victory against the Baltimore Orioles, thanks in large part to a terrific debut start for pitcher J.P. Sears.

Sears, 26, had two relief appearances for the Yankees this month before being trusted with his first start, and he repaid their faith with five scoreless innings, striking out five batters while giving up three hits and two walks.

The Yankees' bullpen also contributed, allowing just three baserunners, while Miguel Andujar had the most clutch hit of the game to break the deadlock in the fourth inning.

The Boston Red Sox offense enjoyed a game of season highs as they destroyed the Chicago White Sox 16-3 on Tuesday, led by the in-form Trevor Story.

The Red Sox piled on a season-high 16 runs, along with a season-high 19 hits, nine extra-base hits and four home runs with all nine batters having a hit.

Kike Hernandez, who finished with two runs, two hits and two RBIs, started it off with a lead-off homer, followed by Story with a three-run blast to open up a 4-0 first-innings lead.

The punishment did not stop, with Rafael Devers homering in the fourth inning, while Christian Vazquez delivered a three-run effort in the fifth.

J.D. Martinez went four-for-five for three runs and one RBI, while Story and Vazquez both had four RBIs for the game.

Martinez has an American League-best average of .366, while Story has eight home runs including six in his past five games.

Trevino snaps Yankees skid

The New York Yankees snapped their three-game skid with a walk-off 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles led by Jose Trevino.

Trevino homered in the third inning and drove in three runs for the game, including a game-winning RBI in the 11th.

The win was the Yankees' fifth walk-off victory of the season and ended an alarming run of losses to improve to a 30-13 record atop the AL East.

Wild end as Braves rally to victory

The Atlanta Braves rallied in a wild ninth-inning thriller to get past the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 on William Contreras' walk-off single in center field.

The Phillies entered the ninth down 4-3, but Bryce Harper's two-run blast put them up, before the Braves levelled it up when Ronald Acuna's sacrifice fly was dropped, allowing Dansby Swanson home.

From the next at-bat, Contreras' drive to center field off Nick Nelson was enough for Acuna, on second base, to get the walk-off run.

Labelling Tim Anderson as "Jackie" has landed the New York Yankees' Josh Donaldson with a one-game suspension and a fine from Major League Baseball disciplinary chiefs.

Donaldson admitted making the remark to Anderson in Saturday's game between the Yankees and the Chicago White Sox, referencing Jackie Robinson, baseball's black breakthrough star of the 1940s and 1950s.

Shortstop Anderson, who is black, had previously compared himself to Robinson in a 2019 Sports Illustrated interview where he said he hoped to break down baseball's "have-fun barrier".

White Sox manager Tony La Russa said he considered Donaldson had made "a racist comment", and Anderson was angry at the 36-year-old Yankees player's attitude.

"[Donaldson] basically tried to call me Jackie Robinson, like, 'What's up, Jackie?'," said Anderson on Saturday. "I don't play like that. I don't need to play at all. I wasn't really bothering [anybody] today, but he made the comment, and it was disrespectful."

The league said the comments had been "inappropriate", with a one-game suspension accompanied by an undisclosed fine, both of which Donaldson intends to challenge.

MLB's Michael Hill said: "MLB has completed the process of speaking to the individuals involved in this incident. There is no dispute over what was said on the field.

"Regardless of Mr Donaldson's intent, the comment he directed toward Mr Anderson was disrespectful and in poor judgement, particularly when viewed in the context of their prior interactions. In addition, Mr Donaldson's remark was a contributing factor in a bench-clearing incident between the teams, and warrants discipline."

Donaldson admitted he had made the "Jackie" comment to Anderson previously in 2019, while an Atlanta Braves player.

Anderson and Donaldson clashed on the field in a May 13 game this year, setting off tensions between the pair. Donaldson said he had tried to defuse the broiling rivalry with the "Jackie" remark eight days later, but it served only to inflame the situation.

The Yankees put Donaldson on a COVID-19 absentee list before Monday's 6-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. His suspension is on hold while he mounts an appeal.

The New York Yankees have lost three games in a row for the first time this season after a 6-4 defeat against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.

Making the win even more impressive for the Orioles was the fact that Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was on the mound, and superstar Aaron Judge blasted a first-inning home run.

Jose Trevino doubled the Yankees' lead with an RBI single in the second frame, before Cole began to struggle in the third.

Orioles batters Ramon Urias and Robinson Chirinos kicked off the third inning with back-to-back doubles, before Austin Hays drove in two with his base hit and Ryan Mountcastle made it 4-2 with an RBI fielder's choice.

Cole woke up after that, striking out the next five Orioles batters, and when Judge stepped up in the fifth inning and tied the game with his second home run, it appeared the Yankees were going to take over down the stretch.

But the Orioles would not go away, with Urias blasting his own home run off Cole to put his side up 5-4, and they were able to add an extra insurance run in the top of the last inning.

Judge's two home runs take his tally to 17 for the season – five more than any other player.

The Yankees still hold a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers as the best team in baseball, now 29-13.

Dodgers win with small-ball

The Los Angeles Dodgers piled on 10 runs without a home run as they defeated the Washington Nationals 10-1.

Of the Dodgers' 10 runs, one was driven in through a ground-out, four through singles with runners in scoring position, four with doubles, and one via a Christian Taylor triple.

Trea Turner finished with a game-high three RBIs, while Freddie Freeman collected a game-high three hits from five at-bats.

Tyler Anderson was superb on the mound for the Dodgers, pitching eight full innings for eight strikeouts while giving up no runs, no walks and five hits.

Goldschmidt delivers in extra innings

St. Louis Cardinals first-baseman Paul Goldschmidt continued his historic hitting streak in style, capping off his side's 7-3 win against the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off grand slam in extra innings.

With the game tied at 3-3 after nine innings, the Cardinals were able to hold the Blue Jays scoreless in the top of the 10th, before two walks loaded the bases for Goldschmidt.

He blasted the fourth pitch of the at-bat 366 feet over the left-field wall to give his side the win, and extend his hitting streak to 15 games.

Since RBIs became an official stat in 1920, no player has ever matched Goldschmidt's numbers of 28 hits, 12 doubles, five home runs and 22 RBIs over a 15-game stretch.