Francisco Alvarez's solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the New York Mets to a dramatic 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles in Monday's opener of an important three-game series for both teams.

With one out and the game tied at 3-3, Alvarez crushed a 3-0 fastball from Seranthony Dominguez well clear of the wall in left center field to allow the Mets to close the gap in the National League wild card race and knock the Orioles out of first place in the American League East.

J.D. Martinez had a two-run homer in the first inning for New York, which moved within 1 1/2 games of the Atlanta Braves for the NL's final wild card spot with its third win in four games.

The Orioles have now lost three of four and dropped a half-game back of the idle New York Yankees for the AL's top spot.

Baltimore made it interesting, however, by scoring twice in the seventh inning to erase a 3-1 deficit.

Ryan Mountcastle began the rally with a lead-off double and took third on a groundout before being forced home when Mets starter David Peterson was called for a balk. Ramon Urias then followed with a solo home run to knot the score at 3-3.

Peterson had been cruising up until that point and departed after allowing three runs - two earned - while striking out eight through seven innings.

Martinez followed a first-inning single by Mark Vientos with his 13th homer of the season to give the Mets an early advantage. They increased the margin to 3-0 in the fourth when Pete Alonso doubled and later crossed the plate on Tyrone Taylor's two-out single.

The Orioles answered in the fifth with the help of an error by Peterson, who threw errantly on a pickoff attempt to send Urias to third after the infielder reached on a double. Urias would then score on a groundout by Jackson Holliday.

Urias and Mountcastle each finished with two hits for the Orioles, while Baltimore starter Trevor Rogers struck out five while permitting three runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Diaz's homer in ninth caps rally, keeps Astros hot

The Houston Astros also earned a key win via a walk-off home run, as Yainer Diaz's ninth-inning blast gave the AL West leaders a 5-4 comeback victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Houston scored once in each of the final two innings to rally for its 11th win in 12 games, with Diaz delivering the final blow by launching Kenley Jansen's pitch well over the left field wall with one out in the bottom of the ninth.

The Astros tied the game at 4-4 with a two-out rally an inning earlier, as Chas McCormick singled off reliever Lucas Sims and stole second before racing home on Mauricio Dubon's clutch single.

Yordan Alvarez and Victor Caratini each collected three hits to help Houston increase its lead over the second-place Seattle Mariners to five games in the division.

The slumping Red Sox lost for the eighth time in 12 games despite taking a 4-2 lead on Masataka Yoshida's pinch-hit two-run homer off reliever Tayler Scott in the top of the sixth inning. Romy Gonzalez was aboard for the blast after reaching on an error by Houston second baseman Jose Altuve, one of a season-high four miscues for the Astros.

Houston got closer in its half of the sixth, however. Back-to-back singles by Jeremy Pena and Caratini put runners on first and third for Jon Singleton, who drove in Pena with a sacrifice fly to trim the lead to 4-3. 

Astros starter Yusei Kikuchi struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings while allowing three runs, one earned, though his night began ominously when Boston's Jarren Duran connected on his 16th homer of the season on the game's first pitch.

Rob Refsnyder and Rafael Devers each singled later in the first inning before another Houston error - a misplay by rookie third baseman Shay Whitcomb - enabled another run to score.

The Astros were held scoreless by Tanner Houck through the first three innings before breaking through in the bottom of the fourth, which Alvarez began with a double and Diaz followed with a single. Alvarez was later thrown out at home on a fielder's choice grounder, but Caratini singled in Diaz and Pena also scored on the play on an errant throw by Boston catcher Danny Jansen.

Houck worked six innings and struck out eight while surrendering three runs - two earned.

Stone, Muncy propel Dodgers over Mariners in Turner's Los Angeles return

Gavin Stone racked up a career-high 10 strikeouts in seven innings, Max Muncy homered in his first game back from the injured list, and the Los Angeles Dodgers spoiled Justin Tuner's return to Dodger Stadium with a 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Muncy, sidelined since May 16 by a right oblique strain, came through with a two-run homer in the seventh inning to back Stone's superb start and help the Dodgers win the opener of this three-game series between playoff hopefuls.

Gavin Lux homered earlier in the seventh to break a scoreless deadlock and a terrific pitching duel between Stone and Bryan Woo, who had allowed just one hit until Lux drove a pitch over the wall in center field.

Woo (5-2) then hit Will Smith with a pitch and was removed in favour of Yimi Garcia, who was greeted by Muncy's towering drive to right that quickly made the lead 3-0.

Stone (11-5) yielded just two hits and two walks before departing, with Joe Kelly pitching a scoreless eighth before Evan Phillips retired the side in order in the ninth to notch his 16th save.

Woo was charged with two runs in 6 1/3 innings in slumping Seattle's sixth loss in seven games. The defeat dropped the Mariners five games back of first-place Houston in the AL West.

Turner went 1 for 3 in his first appearance at Dodger Stadium in nearly two years. The 39-year-old infielder made two NL All-Star teams during a successful nine-year tenure with the Dodgers from 2014-22. 

Mookie Betts went 2 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs in a dazzling return from the injured list that sparked the Los Angeles Dodgers to a key 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

In his first game since fracturing his left hand on June 16, Betts hit a two-run homer that broke a scoreless tie in the third inning and later added a run-scoring single to lead Los Angeles in the opener of this four-game series between National League division leaders.

Shohei Ohtani also had a two-run homer, his NL-leading 36th of the season, to help Clayton Kershaw earn his first win since September in the three-time Cy Young Award winner's best start of the season.

Kershaw (1-2) held the Brewers to one run and three hits through 5 2/3 innings in his fourth start since returning from offseason shoulder surgery.

The Dodgers have now won four straight and moved a half-game ahead of the East-leading Philadelphia Phillies in the race for the NL's best record. Milwaukee dropped to 2 1/2 games behind Los Angeles and has lost two in a row following a five-game winning streak.

Betts stepped to the plate with Teoscar Hernandez aboard in the third inning and drove a 2-1 pitch from Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta over the left field wall to stake Kershaw to a 2-0 lead. 

Ohtani made it 4-0 two innings later by following a Kevin Kiermaier single with an opposite-field homer off Peralta (7-7), who was tagged for four runs on five hits in six innings.

Kershaw departed with two out and a runner on in the sixth in favour of Joe Kelly, who was greeted by a home run by William Contreras that brought the Brewers within 4-2.

Betts struck again in the seventh, however, with a two-out single that plated Ohtani, who drew a walk and advanced to second with his 33rd stolen base of the season.

Three Dodger relievers then combined to keep the Brewers scoreless over the final three innings, with Daniel Hudson working a perfect ninth to notch his ninth save. 

Valdez stars again as Astros win sixth straight

Framber Valdez and the Houston Astros both extended their unbeaten runs as the American League West leaders opened a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays with a 6-1 victory.

Valdez (12-5), who lost a no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth inning in his previous outing, struck out nine while yielding just one run and three hits over 5 2/3 innings to improve to 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA over his last nine starts. The Astros have won all of those appearances.

Yainer Diaz supplied the big blow in Houston's sixth consecutive win with a three-run homer in the third inning. Alex Bregman added a solo shot to help the Astros move a half-game ahead of the Seattle Mariners for sole possession of the AL West lead.

Bregman's blast off Taj Bradley in the first inning put Houston ahead quickly, and the Astros broke the game open with four runs in the third.

After Bradley walked Chas McCormick and gave up a single to Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez drove in McCormick with a two-out hit to increase the margin. Diaz then belted the first pitch he saw into the left field seats for a 5-0 advantage.

The Rays got on the board in the bottom of the third when Taylor Walls tripled and scored on Jose Caballero's sacrifice fly, but managed just two hits off Valdez and two Houston relievers the rest of the way en route to their fifth loss in seven games.

Houston tacked on one more run in the fifth as Alvarez doubled, advanced to third on Jeremy Pena's infield single and scored on a fielder's choice groundout off the bat of Jake Meyers.

Bradley (6-7) lost his third straight start after allowing six runs and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Braves score in 10th to win duel of aces with Giants

Travis d'Arnaud drove in the game's lone run with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning as the Atlanta Braves earned a needed 1-0 win over the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a four-game series.

The game featured a matchup of standout pitchers that lived up to its advanced billing, as both Atlanta's Chris Sale and the Giants' Blake Snell turned in dominant performances despite neither factoring in the final outcome.

Sale racked up a season-high 12 strikeouts while permitting just three hits over seven scoreless innings, while the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Snell fanned 11 Braves and surrendered two hits in 6 1/3 shutout innings.

The Braves finally broke the deadlock with Orlando Arcia placed as the designated runner to start the 10th. Sean Murphy then singled off Taylor Rogers to move the go-ahead run to third before d'Arnaud's fly ball to right was deep enough to enable Arcia to score.

Raisel Iglesias was able to strand the Giants' designated runner in the bottom of the inning by recording two strikeouts before getting Patrick Bailey to fly out and end the game. The Atlanta closer also pitched a scoreless ninth to keep the contest at 0-0.

The lack of run support prevented Sale from becoming the majors' first 14-game winner this season, though his outstanding effort helped the Braves increase their lead over the rival New York Mets to one game for the NL's final wild card spot.

Atlanta entered the series having gone 7-14 over its previous 21 games to fall out of the top spot in the wild-card race.

The Giants have now dropped two straight following a 12-3 stretch that got them back into the play-off picture. San Francisco is now 2 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the standings.

The Chicago White Sox tied an American League record with their 21st consecutive loss after being handed a 5-1 defeat by the Oakland Athletics on Monday.

Chicago mustered just one run and three hits through seven innings against A's starter JP Sears to match the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the second-longest losing streak in Major League Baseball since 1900. The 1961 Philadelphia Phillies own the longest skid in the modern era with 23 straight losses.

Max Schuemann snapped a 1-1 tie with a two-run single in the fourth inning to help support Sears (9-8), who retired the final 10 batters he faced after surrendering Andrew Benintendi's run-scoring single in the top of the fourth to improve to 5-1 over his last six starts.

Benintendi's hit brought home Andrew Vaughn, who doubled earlier in the inning, to knot the score at 1-1 before the A's answered with two runs in their half of the fourth.

Oakland loaded the bases when White Sox starter Ky Bush hit Darrell Hernaiz with a pitch after giving up a double to JJ Bleday and walking Zack Gelof. Schuemann then delivered a single to left to drive in two runners and provide Sears with a 3-1 advantage.

Oakland increased its lead on Lawrence Butler's solo homer in the sixth inning, then tacked on another run in the eighth when Gelof scored from third on a pitch that got past White Sox catcher Korey Lee as Schuemann struck out.

Bush, called up from Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the day, allowed just two hits over four innings in his MLB debut, but issued five walks and permitted three runs.

The rookie left-hander walked three batters to load the bases in the first inning, which led to the A's first run when Tyler Nevin plated Daz Cameron with a sacrifice fly. 

Ohtani's homer helps Dodgers down Phillies in Freeman's return

Shohei Ohtani hit his National League-leading 34th home run of the season as the Los Angeles Dodgers made Freddie Freeman's return to the lineup a winning one with Monday's 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Teoscar Hernandez added a two-run homer in Freeman's first game since July 25. The All-Star first baseman had been away from the Dodgers for 10 days to attend to his 3-year-old son, who had been hospitalized with an autoimmune condition before being released Sunday.

Ohtani also drove in a pair of runs while finishing 2 for 3 to help Los Angeles win the opener of this marquee three-game series between the NL's top two teams.

The Dodgers also received a solid start from Tyler Glasnow (9-6), who struck out nine over six innings while allowing three runs. Three Los Angeles relievers then finished off the victory, with Daniel Hudson tossing a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save.

Aaron Nola (11-5) worked six innings for the slumping Phillies but was touched for four runs, all of which came in the third inning as Los Angeles erased an early 2-0 deficit.

Philadelphia has now lost seven of its last eight games and is just a half-game ahead of the Dodgers in the race for the NL's best record.

Nola cruised through the first two innings but quickly ran into trouble in the third, as Jason Heyward and Andy Pages delivered back-to-back doubles to get the Dodgers on the board. After Pages advanced to third on Nick Ahmed's infield single, Ohtani lifted a long sacrifice fly to right field that tied the contest at 2-2.

Hernandez followed with a line drive into the seats in left to put Los Angeles ahead with his 24th homer of the season.

Glasnow kept it a 4-2 lead until the sixth, when Kyle Schwarber singled and reached third on Bryce Harper's one-out double before scoring on a groundout off the bat of Alec Bohm.

Ohtani restored the Dodgers' two-run advantage, however, with a solo homer off Tanner Banks to open the bottom of the eighth.

The Phillies reached Glasnow for two second-inning runs with the help of a misplay by Pages, who couldn't come down with Nick Castellanos' long fly ball to center field that resulted in a two-out triple.

Bryson Stott then plated Castellanos with an infield single, and Austin Hays followed with a base hit to advance Stott to third. Stott would score on a wild pitch uncorked by Glasnow to give the Phillies a 2-0 edge.

Rangers shock Astros on Smith's homer in 10th

Josh Smith came through with a game-winning two-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning, lifting the Texas Rangers to a stunning 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros in the opener of a key three-game series between AL West contenders.

Smith's blast off Caleb Ferguson sent slumping Houston to a third straight loss and prevented the Astros from moving within a half-game of the first-place Seattle Mariners in the division standings.

The defending World Series champion Rangers are now five games behind Seattle after winning for just the third time in 10 games.

After the Astros took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 10th when Texas closer Kirby Yates hit consecutive batters with pitches to force in a run, Ferguson entered the game and struck out the first two men he faced with a designated runner on second base.

Ferguson fell behind in the count to Smith, however, and the utility player sent a 3-1 fastball deep into the right field seats to end the game.

The Rangers opted to intentionally walk Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez in the top of the 10th to put two runners on base, but the strategy backfired when Yates hit Yainer Diaz in the hand and then plunked Jeremy Pena with the bases loaded to put the Astros ahead.

Texas had tied the game on Corey Seager's solo homer off Ryan Pressly in the bottom of the eighth, erasing a 2-1 lead the Astros had taken in the top of the inning when Jose Altuve singled, took second on a wild pitch from Rangers reliever David Robertson and later scored on Pena's infield single.

Alex Bregman gave Houston an early 1-0 advantage with a solo homer in the third inning off Andrew Heaney, the only hit the Rangers' starter allowed in six innings of work.

Texas pulled even in the fifth when Nathaniel Lowe drew a walk against Houston starter Hunter Brown, advanced to third on Adolis Garcia's single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Leody Taveras.

Brown yielded just one run and three hits over six innings.

Jazz Chisholm hit a pair of home runs for the second straight night, Gleyber Torres hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 12th inning and the New York Yankees outlasted the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 on Tuesday.

Chisholm, acquired from the Miami Marlins on Saturday, matched his two-homer performance from Monday and drove in five runs for the Yankees, who have won four straight games.

After the Phillies jumped out to a 4-1 lead, Chisholm hit a solo homer off All-Star Aaron Nola in the sixth inning, then launched a three-run shot off Matt Strahm in the seventh to put New York ahead.

Philadelphia tied the game in the bottom of the ninth when Josh Rojas scored on a Clay Holmes wild pitch.

Both teams scored in the 11th to extend the game before Torres’ sacrifice fly allowed Austin Wells to score the decisive run.

Michael Tonkin, who blew a save opportunity in the 11th, pitched a perfect 12th to seal the New York victory.

Will Warren got the start for the Yankees after Gerrit Cole was scratched a few hours before first pitch due to general soreness.

The Phillies still lead the majors with a 65-42 record despite dropping nine of their last 12 games.

Padres rally in 9th, stun Dodgers in extras

Pinch-hitter Donovan Solano hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning, and the San Diego Padres stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5.

The Padres entered the ninth trailing 5-3, but solo home runs off Blake Treinen by Manny Machado – his second of the game – and Jackson Merril forced extra innings.

Ha-Seong Kim started the 10th on second base, and two walks by Alex Vesia loaded the bases for Solano. Once his hit made it past diving third baseman Kike Hernandez, the San Diego crowd of 47,559 erupted in cheers.

With a win over their rival, the Padres (58-51) improved to 8-2 since the All-Star break and continued their push into play-off contention.

The Dodgers jumped on San Diego starter Matt Waldron for five runs in the first inning, including a two-run homer by Cavan Biggio, but were held scoreless for the next nine innings.

The Padres’ bullpen allowed just two hits in six scoreless innings.

White Sox blow late lead, drop 16th straight

For the second straight night, the Chicago White Sox carried a lead into the eighth inning. And for the second straight night, the Kansas City Royals rallied for a victory.

Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI single sparked a three-run eighth inning, and the Royals beat the White Sox 4-3 as Chicago’s franchise-record losing streak reached 16 games.

The floundering White Sox wasted a sterling outing from rookie starter Jonathan Cannon, who gave up one run and one hit over seven innings.

The loss dropped Chicago to a record of 27-83, worst in the league this season and within reach of the all-time losses record of 120, set by the New York Mets in 1962.

“It’s not for the lack of effort. We’re busting our (tails) trying to get that win,” shortstop Nicky Lopez said. “It just always seems like there’s that one inning or one situation where we have to come through and we haven’t done that.”

Michael Wacha pitched seven strong innings for the Royals, allowing two runs and five hits with five strikeouts.

Vinnie Pasquantino drove in two runs, and Michael Massey hit a solo home run.

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.  

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.

Kyle Schwarber hit another leadoff home run and All-Star Matt Strahm struck out Shohei Ohtani in a key spot as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 for their major league-leading 60th win on Wednesday night. 

The Phillies have won the first two games of this three-game series between division leaders. At 60-32, only the 1976 team (88 games) reached the 60-win mark faster in a season in franchise history.

Philadelphia won without All-Star slugger Bryce Harper, who sat out with a bruised left hand after he returned for Tureday’s10-1 win following a nine-game absence. Harper was hurt at an unspecified point, through he clearly grabbed his hand and hunched over in pain on a second-inning chopper by Miguel Rojas.

Strahm entered with one out in the seventh and the Phillies holding a 4-2 lead. With runners at the corners, he struck out Ohtani and retired Teoscar Hernandez on a fly out to escape the jam.

The Dodgers scored a run in the eighth on Rojas’ RBI single, but Jeff Hoffman tossed a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.

Schwarber’s homer off Gavin Stone was his 39th career leadoff homer and 18th overall this season.

Valdez pitches Astros past Marlins

Framber Valdez struck out a season-high 10 over seven stellar innings and rookie Joey Loperfido homered and tripled to propel the Houston Astros to their eighth straight home win, 9-1 over the Miami Marlins.

Valdez allowed six hits – all singles – and walked one to win his third straight decision.

Loperfido hit a two-run homer to highlight a four-run second off Bryan Hoeing and had his first career triple in the fourth.

Yainer Diaz had three hits and three RBIs for the Astros (48-44), who have won eight of 11 to match a season high at four games over .500.

Perez’s home runs help Royals sweep

Salvador Perez homered in both games and MJ Melendez hit a solo shot in the nightcap as the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 for a sweep of their day-night doubleheader.

Garrett Hampson had two-run double to back a strong start by Alec Marsh in the Royals’ 6-4 victory in the early game.

Kyle Isbel homered in the second game and James McArthur pitched the ninth for his second save of the day and 17th of the season.

Kansas City notched its 50th and 51st wins of the season after it totaled just 56 victories all last season.

Nolan Arenado, Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt homered in the opener for the Cardinals, while Lars Nootbaar went deep in the nightcap. St. Louis entered the day having won four of five.

Masataka Yoshida hit a game-tying, two-run home run with two outs in the ninth, Ceddane Rafaela went deep to open the 10th inning and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit to stun the New York Yankees 5-3 on Friday.

The Boston victory kept the two AL East rivals on their recent paths, with the Red Sox winning 15 of their last 20 games and the Yankees falling to 3-12 in their last 15.

New York’s Clay Holmes was one out away from a save in the ninth before pinch-hitter Dominic Smith singled. Yoshida fought back from an 0-2 hole before driving a full-count pitch over Yankee Stadium’s famous right field wall.

Tommy Kahle pitched the 10th for the Yankees, with Rafaela taking him deep on his second pitch and driving in automatic runner David Hamilton.

The bullpen collapse spoilt a strong start from Nestor Cortes, who allowed three hits and one run in six innings with eight strikeouts.

New York’s big bats remained mostly quiet, with AL MVP favourite Aaron Judge going 0 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Dodgers C Smith bashes trio of homers in win

Will Smith went deep three times, including a game-tying shot in the 7th inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-5 in a matchup of NL division leaders.

Smith, who walked in his other two plate appearances, became just the fourth Dodgers catcher to hit three home runs in a game, joining Yasmani Grandal (2016), Mike Piazza (1996) and Roy Campanella (1950).

On a night when Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 5, the Los Angeles offence was powered by Smith and Miguel Vargas, who was 2 for 3 with a walk and a two-run home run. Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez had clutch RBIs in the eighth to give the Dodgers the late lead.

Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow cruised through the first three innings but gave up two singles and two walks in the fourth before Rhys Hoskins put the Brewers ahead with a grand slam.

Glasnow allowed three hits and five runs over six innings in the no-decision.

Pirates’ 7 HRs back Skenes in blowout of Mets

Rookie sensation Paul Skenes threw seven strong innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates tied a club record by hitting seven home runs in a 14-2 rout of the New York Mets.

Skenes, last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, continued the dominant start to his career. The 6-foot-6 flamethrower improved to 5-0 after allowing four hits and two runs over seven innings while striking out eight.

Bryan Reynold and Rowdy Tellez each had two home runs, including a grand slam each, as the pair combined for 11 RBIs.

Jack Suwinski, Yasmani Grandal and Michael A. Taylor also went yard for the Pirates in front of a sell-out crowd at PNC Park.

The Mets’ Luis Severino was tagged for seven runs in six innings, while Ty Adcock gave up six runs in 1 2/3 innings as the Mets lost their third straight game.

Christian Walker continued his Dodger Stadium rampage with two more home runs and Joc Pederson added a blast against his former team to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.

Walker went deep in his first two at-bats for his 18th and 19th home runs in 42 career games at the ballpark. He has homered in five straight games at the third-oldest park in the majors, tying the longest single-season streak at Dodger Stadium with Pederson, who did it in 2015 with Los Angeles.

Walker hit five home runs in the three-game series, and he has nine this season against the Dodgers and 22 overall.

Pederson and Walker went back-to-back with two outs in the first inning off rookie Landon Knack. Pederson walked with two outs in the third and Walker followed with a two-run shot to extend Arizona's lead to 4-0.

Justin Martinez struck out five over three scoreless innings for the win.

Gabriel Moreno had three hits, including a two-run double in the ninth, as the Diamondbacks won for the fourth time in five games.

Dodgers' stars Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman struck out three times each.

Reds sweep struggling Yankees

Nick Martini, Jonathan India and Spencer Steer homered to back Frankie Montas' triumphant return to Yankee Stadium as the Cincinnati Reds defeated reeling New York 8-4 to complete a three-game sweep.

Steer's three-run shot in the fifth inning off Marcus Stroman extended Cincinnati's lead to 5-0, and Jake Fraley made it 8-2 with a bases-loaded triple in the seventh.

The Reds became the first NL team to sweep a regular-season interleague series in the Bronx.

Montas took a shutout into the fifth and allowed two runs, four hits and three walks in five-plus innings to end a four-start winless streak. He struggled to a 6.35 ERA in eight starts with the Yankees in 2022.

Ben Rice hit his first career home run, Austin Well also went deep and Juan Soto added his 21st of the season for the Yankees, who have lost 13 of 17 and 14 of 19 after a 49-21 start.

Irvin, Nationals 1-hit Mets

Jake Irvin pitched one-hit ball over a career-high eight innings and Jesse Winker hit a pinch-hit home run to lift the Washington Nationals to a 1-0 victory over the New York Mets.

Irvin struck out eight, walked one and threw 99 pitches. He gave up his only hit on Jeff McNeil's third-inning single.

Derek Law pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.

Winker hit a curveball from reliever Adrian Houser 407 feet to right-center field for his fifth career pinch-hit home run and his 10th of any kind this season.

Jose Quintana nearly matched Irvin, allowing four hits over seven scoreless innings.

Washington won their second straight and sent New York to their seventh shutout of the season.

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 32nd home run but Elly De La Cruz and Will Benson each hit two-run shots and the Cincinnati Reds held on for a 5-4 win over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

Judge’s solo shot in the seventh off Sam Moll was his third hit of the game and pulled the Yankees within 5-4, but Fernando Cruz pitched the eighth and Alexis Diaz worked a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 20 chances.

Judge leads the majors in batting average (.321), homers and RBIs (83).

Luis Gil retired nine in a row to open the game before De La Cruz led off the fourth with his sixth triple of the season. He came home on a groundout and the Reds scored four times in the next inning to knock out Gil.

After Stuart Fairchild was hit by a pitch, Benson hit his fifth homer and first since May 28. Jonathan India was then hit near the left elbow and Caleb Ferguson relieved Gil. De La Cruz followed by sending a 2-0 fastball into the visitors' bullpen in left-center for his 15th homer and a 5-0 lead.

Graham Ashcraft held the Yankees scoreless for four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. He allowed three runs and four hits over five innings with two walks and three strikeouts.

New York has lost 11 of its last 15 games.

Ohtani homers as Dodgers rally 

Teoscar Hernandez capped a two-out, ninth-inning rally with an RBI single to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Joc Pederson snapped a ninth-inning tie with a home run to give the Diamondbacks a 5-4 lead, but the Dodgers responded with two runs in the bottom half after Paul Sewald struck out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani.

Will Smith doubled off the wall in center and scored on Freddie Freeman’s double into the right-center field gap. Hernandez then singled home Freeman for the game-winner.

Ohtani fell a triple shy of the cycle and homered for the 10th time in his last 14 games. He is batting .396 (21 for 53) with 20 RBIs during that stretch.

Ohtani, Smith, Freeman and Hernandez combined to go 10 for 20 with six RBIs and five runs as the Dodgers salvaged a game in which they led 2-0 and 4-3.

Christian Walker’s fourth-inning home run was his 15th at Dodger Stadium, with all coming since 2018. That is the most of any visiting player in that time.  

Twins extend home run streak in win

Manny Margot and Carlos Correa went deep and the Minnesota Twins extended their club-record home run streak to 20 games in a 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.

Byron Buxton led off the seventh with a double and scored the go-ahead run on a head-first dive into home plate.

Minnesota’s bullpen came up big with Jorge Alcala working 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Griffin Jax pitching one inning before Jhoan Duran earned his 13th save of the season.

The Twins moved a season-high 11 games over .500 with their seventh win in nine games.

The news, however, wasn’t all good as third baseman Royce Lewis left after five innings with tightness in his left groin.

Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer for the second straight game and extended his RBI streak to a franchise-record 10 consecutive games in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-0 win over the lowly Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.

Ohtani took Erick Fedde deep on a full-count fastball for his National League-best 25th home run. It was his third leadoff homer of the season and his eighth home run in the last 10 games.

He is batting .310 (27 for 87) with 11 homers and 23 RBIs in 23 games this month.

Gavin Stone shut down the White Sox on four hits in his first career complete game. He struck out seven and walked none to improve to 8-1 with a 2.03 ERA in his last 11 starts.

Los Angeles (51-31) won its fourth straight and has won eight of 10 to move a season-best 20 games over .500.

The major league-worst White Sox (21-61) have lost seven of eight to fall 40 games under .500. They were shut out for the 12th time this season and were 1 for 21 with runners in scoring position while totalling three runs and 17 hits in the three-game series.

Streaking Astros roll Rockies

Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high 10 over seven scoreless innings and was backed by Yainer Diaz’s three hits as the Houston Astros won their season-high seventh straight, 7-1 over the Colorado Rockies.

Arrighetti limited the Rockies to three hits and didn’t walk a batter for the first time in the longest start of his rookie season.

Houston (40-40), which opened 7-19, reached .500 for the first time this season and is batting .320 while averaging 6.9 runs during the seven-game streak.

The Astros broke open the game with a four-run seventh to take a 6-0 lead. Cesar Salazar had a sacrifice fly before Jose Altuve hit a soft grounder to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and his throw home was high, allowing another run to score.

Alex Bregman then grounded into a forceout, but a throwing error by second baseman Brendan Rogers sent another run home. Yordan Alvarez hit a ground-rule double and Diaz’s single stretched the lead to 6-0.

The Rockies are 0-4 against the Astros this season and have dropped 11 in a row at Minute Maid Park, dating to Aug. 15, 2018.

Orioles end skid, cool Guardians

Cedric Mullins snapped a tie with a seventh-inning home run and Gunnar Henderson belted his 26th of the season as the Baltimore Orioles snapped the Cleveland Guardians’ seven-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory.

Ryan O’Hearn also went deep for the Orioles, who had lost five in a row since a 17-5 pounding of the Yankees on June 20. It was their longest losing streak since May 2022.

Mullins connected off Xzavion Curry to lead off the seventh, putting Baltimore ahead 3-2.

Grayson Rodriguez surrendered solo home runs to Jhonkensy Noel and Gabriel Arias but not much else. He gave up three other hits over seven innings without a walk and struck out four.

Cionel Perez pitched a perfect eighth and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 17th save and 434th of his career.

Noel was recalled from Triple-A Columbus and became the fourth Cleveland player to homer in his first major league at-bat. The last Cleveland player to go deep in his first at-bat in the majors was Kevin Kouzmanoff in 2006.

Chris Sale became the third in the majors to reach 10 wins and Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson and Austin Riley homered off Carlos Rodon as the surging Atlanta Braves rolled to an 8-1 rout of the New York Yankees on Friday night.

Sale allowed one hit and one run over five innings with three walks and eight strikeouts to join Philadelphia’s Ranger Suarez and Kansas City’s Seth Lugo as 10-game winners.

Four relievers finished up the three-hitter.

The Braves built a 2-0 lead on Rodon’s first two pitches as Jarred Kelenic singled before Albies homered to left.

Riley added his seventh home run later in the inning for a 3-0 lead. He finished 2 for 3 with two walks and has 12 hits in his last 22 at-bats, including four homers and four doubles.

Kelenic singled home a run in the second and Ramon Laureano doubled home another run in the third. Olson’s two-run blast in the fourth made it 7-1 and an error by left fielder Jahmai Jones allowed the eighth run to score.

Atlanta has won four in a row and seven of its last eight games.

Rodon, who also was bidding for his 10th victory, was tagged for season highs of eight runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He lost his second straight start following a personal seven-game winning streak.

The Yankees have lost three straight and five of six after winning 12 of 15.

Ohtani homers against former team in loss

Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer in his first game against his former team, but Taylor Ward singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Nolan Schanuel sacrificed automatic runner Jo Adell to third to open the 10th. Evan Phillips then retired Luis Rengifo on a groundout with Adell holding, but Ward followed with a single to left to give the Angels their first lead of the game.

Ohtani’s two-run blast off reliever Matt Moore in the fifth opened the scoring. It was his National League-leading 22nd homer of the season and seventh in the last 11 games.

He finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two walks in his first game against the Angels, the team he spent his first six major league seasons with before signing a 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December.

The Angels tied it in the next inning when Zach Neto was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and an RBI groundout from Mickey Moniak.  

Mets hammer Imanaga, Cubs

J.D. Martinez, Francisco Alvarez and Brandon Nimmo homered against Shota Imanaga to power the New York Mets to an 11-1 drubbing of the Chicago Cubs.

Francisco Lindor had three hits and two runs and Jose Iglesias added four hits and three RBIs to help the Mets win for the eighth time in nine games.

They are 12-3 in their last 15 games and averaging 6.6 runs during that stretch.

Imanaga was roughed up for 10 runs and 11 hits in three-plus innings after he pitched seven innings of three-hit ball in a 1-0 win over the Mets on May 1. His ERA ballooned from 1.89 to 2.96 following the shortest outing of his rookie season.

Jose Quintana allowed one unearned run and four hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out eight in his second straight win.

Shohei Ohtani homered twice to help the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, though the National League West leaders were dealt another injury to a key player when shortstop Mookie Betts exited the game with a broken hand.

Betts left the game after being struck on the hand by a fastball from Dan Altavilla in the seventh inning. The Dodgers later announced the 2018 American League MVP suffered a fracture but will not need surgery, though he's still expected to miss several weeks.

“It’s a big blow," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said afterward. "I feel bad for Mookie because he's having an MVP-type season."

Betts entered the game fourth in the NL with a .307 average while producing 10 home runs, 40 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 72 games.

The seven-time All-Star's injury comes one day after pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto exited Saturday's start against the Royals after two innings due to a strained rotator cuff. The Dodgers placed the former Japanese league star on the injured list prior to Sunday's contest.

Los Angeles did get stellar pitching in Sunday's finale of this three-game series, as Tyler Glasnow (7-5) held the Royals to three hits and a walk while striking out nine over seven innings.

Ohtani supplied the offence with his 18th and 19th homers of the season, a solo blast in the third inning and another in the sixth.

Both homers came off Kansas City starter Brady Singer, who also surrendered a solo shot to Freddie Freeman in the sixth inning that followed Ohtani's second of the day.

Singer (4-4) lasted six innings and allowed five hits while striking out four.

Freeman finished 2 for 4 to help the Dodgers take two of three from Kansas City, which has now lost six of its last eight games.

Orioles take series from Phillies behind four homers

Jordan Westburg went 2 for 4 and hit one of four Baltimore home runs off Zack Wheeler as the Orioles powered their way to an 8-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game interleague series between top contenders.

Westburg's three-run blast off Wheeler in the fifth inning was the final blow as the Orioles tagged Philadelphia's ace for eight runs to earn their second win over the NL leaders in as many days. Baltimore also moved within 1 1/2 games of the Yankees for first place in the AL East after New York was dealt a 9-3 loss by the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

Gunnar Henderson had the first of Baltimore's long balls, a lead-off shot in the first inning for his 22nd homer of the season. Wheeler also gave up a two-run homer to Colton Cowser in the second that put the Orioles up 3-0, and Adley Rutschman extended the lead further with a solo blast in the third.

The power surge helped Corbin Burnes (8-2) win his fourth consecutive start with a solid six-inning stint in which he allowed two runs and struck out seven.

Burnes' only damage came in the top of the fifth inning, during which the Phillies threatened on a single by Garrett Stubbs and a Kyle Schwarber double that put two on with one out. Stubbs scored on a groundout and Alec Bohm drove in Schwarber with a single two batters later to bring Philadelphia within 4-2.

The Orioles answered with four runs in their half of the fifth, however, to knock Wheeler out of the game.

Ryan Mountcastle led off the inning with a single and Wheeler walked Ryan O'Hearn before Anthony Santander plated Mountcastle with a single. Westburg then drove Wheeler's pitch over the wall in right center field to put Baltimore up comfortably at 8-2.

Wheeler (8-4) lasted just 4 1/3 innings and surrendered nine hits while serving up the most homers in a game in his 10-year MLB career.

Bohm finished 3 for 4 and knocked in the Phillies' final run with a seventh-inning double that scored Bryce Harper, who also reached base on a double.

Alonso drives in five runs as Mets win fifth straight

Pete Alonso knocked in a season-high five runs and had one of two first-inning homers that propelled the resurgent New York Mets to an 11-6 win over the San Diego Padres and a three-game series sweep.

Francisco Lindor also homered in the opening inning and drove in two runs to help the Mets to a fifth straight victory and ninth in 11 games. Brandon Nimmo recorded three of New York's 14 hits, including a run-scoring single.

The Padres were handed a seventh consecutive road loss despite taking an early 1-0 lead when Manny Machado's two-out single in the first inning brought home Jurickson Profar.

Lindor quickly pulled the Mets even with a lead-off homer in the bottom of the inning, however, and the Mets scored three more times in the first off San Diego starter Dylan Cease.

Nimmo followed with a single and Cease walked J.D. Martinez before Alonso launched a pitch well over the wall in left center field for his 15th homer of the season.

Cease briefly settled down until the fourth, when Luis Torrens singled and came home on Harrison Bader's double to extend the Mets' lead to 5-1. Bader later scored on a Lindor sacrifice fly and Martinez doubled in Nimmo to cap the three-run inning.

Back-to-back doubles from Luis Campusano and Luis Arraez got the Padres a bit closer in the fifth, and San Diego closed the gap further with four runs off the Mets' bullpen in the top of the eighth.

After the Padres loaded the bases on a Profar single, an error and a walk, New York's Jake Diekman walked Jackson Merrill to force in a run. San Diego got another run on a fielder's choice groundout that preceded Ha-Seong Kim's RBI double which cut the lead to 7-5. Campusano followed with a sacrifice fly to get the Padres within a run.

The Mets responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, however, which Torrens began with a lead-off homer.

Jeff McNeil then doubled in front of Bader's single and a walk to Lindor that loaded the bases for Nimmo, who singled in a run to increase New York's advantage to 9-6. Two batters later, Alonso's single drove in Bader and Lindor for a five-run cushion.

Cease (6-6) was charged with seven runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. Counterpart Tylor Megill (2-3) picked up the win for New York by limiting the Padres to two runs through five innings.

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 25th home run and Austin Wells had a three-run shot as the New York Yankees cruised to a 10-1 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Giancarlo Stanton also homered for the AL-best Yankees, who have won seven straight on the road and 11 of 13 overall.

Back in the lineup after he was rested in Monday’s series opener, Judge had a run-scoring single in the first inning and his 446-foot home run in the seventh – a two-run shot - gave him 62 RBIs, tied with Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez for the major league lead.

Since the beginning of May, Judge is 51 for 127 (.402) with 19 home runs, 44 RBIs and 40 runs in 37 games for a 1.506 OPS.

The Yankees improved to 39-4 when Judge and Stanton homer in the same game, including playoffs, and are 16-1 against the AL Central this season.

Marcus Stroman pitched four-hit ball over 5 2/3 scoreless innings to win his fourth consecutive decision.

Freddy Fermin homered for the Royals, who dropped their third in a row and are 3-12 in their last 15 meetings with New York.

Mateo lifts surging Orioles over Braves

Jorge Mateo hit a three-run homer in his return to the lineup and Albert Suarez worked into the sixth inning to lead the Baltimore Orioles to their fifth straight victory, 4-0 over the Atlanta Braves.

Mateo, reinstated from the concussion injured list before the game, hit a drive into the Baltimore bullpen in the second inning off Max Fried after Anthony Santander walked, and Austin Hays singled for one of his three hits.

Suarez allowed four hits over 5 1/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Four relievers finished up the five-hitter with Dillon Tate fanning two in the ninth.

Baltimore matched its longest winning streak of the season and sent Atlanta to its season high-tying fourth consecutive loss.

The Braves went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

Dodgers hit 4 home runs in one inning in rout

Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and Jason Heyward all homered during a seven-run sixth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers pounded the Texas Rangers, 15-2.

Mookie Betts’ three-run double in the fourth gave the Dodgers a 6-1 lead and Gavin Lux’s RBI single an inning later made it 7-1.

Ohtani hit his 16th home run with one out in the sixth after Betts walked and Freeman followed with his ninth of the season. After Will Smith singled, Hernandez connected for his fifth home run in five games. Andy Pages singled after Grant Anderson got the second out and Heyward’s blast pushed the lead to 14-1.

Rangers catcher Andrew Knizner pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Smith had a three-run homer in the first inning and finished with three hits for the Dodgers, who last had four home runs in an inning on Sept. 29, 2021, against San Diego.

Defending World Series champion Texas lost its fifth in seven games.

Nelson Velazquez's run-scoring fielder's choice capped a three-run 9th inning and the Kansas City Royals rallied from an eight-run deficit for a stunning 10-9 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.

The Mariners scored seven runs in the first inning – highlighted by Mitch Haniger's bases-clearing double and Ryan Bliss's first career homer.

They took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the ninth but were without injured closer Andres Munoz. Ryne Stanek walked Nick Loftin before Garrett Hampson hit an infield single that third baseman Josh Rojas threw wildly to put runners on second and third.

After Maikel Garcia's groundout scored a run, Bobby Witt Jr. tripled home the tying run. The Mariners intentionally walked the next two batters and Velazquez hit a potential double-play grounder to shortstop J.P. Crawford, who bobbled the ball and the throw to first was late.

Ty France’s RBI double in the fourth stretched the lead to 8-0, but the Royals responded with four runs in the bottom half. Velazquez's infield single scored a run and MJ Melendez followed with a three-run homer.

Seattle tacked on a run in the sixth before Kansas City closed to 9-7 in their half. Melendez knocked in a run on a groundout and Hunter Renfroe had a two-run single.

Teams trailing 7-0 after one inning had lost 75 straight games, a streak that dated back to 1995.

Dodgers end Yankees' streak in 11 innings

Teoscar Hernandez lined a two-run double in the 11th inning to break up a scoreless game and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a 2-1 victory, ending the New York Yankees' eight-game winning streak.

With automatic runner Shohei Ohtani on second, Freddie Freeman walked against Ian Hamilton before Will Smith lined out. Hernandez then drilled a shot into the left-center field gap to easily score both runners.

Aaron Judge singled home a run with one out in the bottom half, but Yohan Ramirez struck out Giancarlo Stanton and got Anthony Rizzo to foul out for his first save of the season.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto limited New York to two hits over seven innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. The Dodgers' bullpen allowed three hits and an unearned run over the next four innings.

Ohtani went 0 for 5 and is batting .195 with three homers and 10 RBIs since May 16 to drop his average from .364 to .312.

The Yankees loaded the bases in the eighth after Judge worked a 10-pitch walk but Blake Treinen got Stanton to fly out.

Juan Soto missed his first game of the season for New York due to a sore left forearm.

Cody Poteet gave up two hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings in his third start of the season.

Reds hold off Cubs for 6th straight win

Nick Lodolo pitched six strong innings and Tyler Stephenson had a two-run double to lift the Cincinnati Reds to their sixth consecutive victory, 3-2 over the Chicago Cubs.

Lodolo limited the Cubs to one run and four hits while walking two and striking out seven to win his third straight start.

Alexis Diaz gave up a run in the ninth but struck out Patrick Wisdom with the tying run on second for his 13th save.

Cincinnati has won 11 of 14 to pull even with Chicago for second place in the NL Central, both at 31-33.

The Cubs have lost 11 of 15.

Stephenson's double off Justin Steele in the fourth came after Spencer Steer reached on a strikeout/wild pitch and Elly De La Cruz's walk.