Pete Alonso's three-run homer in the first inning set the tone as the New York Mets avoided elimination in the National League Championship Series with Friday's 12-6 Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York battered Dodgers' starter Jack Flaherty for eight runs through the first three innings to send the best-of-seven series back to Los Angeles for Sunday's Game 6. Starling Marte finished 4 for 5 and knocked in three runs to help keep the Mets alive, while Francisco Alvarez had a run-scoring single among his three hits.

Francisco Lindor and Jesse Winker each added two hits and had run-scoring triples for New York, which overcame a two-homer performance by Andy Pages that accounted for four of the Dodgers' runs.

Mookie Betts went 2 for 4 with a solo homer for the Dodgers, but Flaherty was unable to duplicate a stellar Game 1 effort in which he allowed just two hits over seven scoreless innings.

Los Angeles will now attempt to claim its second NL pennant in five years back home, though they'll have to face New York's Sean Manaea in Game 6. The left-hander is 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA in three starts this post-season and earned the win in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium.

The Mets got to Flaherty early in this one, as Lindor started the bottom of the first inning with a single and Brandon Nimmo followed with a walk. Two batters later, Alonso drove a pitch over the center field wall for a 3-0 lead.

Los Angeles got a run back in the second inning, but New York broke the game open with five runs off Flaherty in the third.

Alonso and Winker began the Mets' half of the inning with walks before Marte drove both runners home with a double. Marte later scored on Alvarez's two-out single that preceded Lindor's triple that extended the margin to 7-1.

Nimmo then capped the big inning by plating Lindor with a single. 

Pages delivered his first homer of the game in the top of the fourth, but Winker tripled in Alonso in the bottom of the inning and scored on Jeff McNeil's sacrifice fly for a 10-2 New York lead.

The Dodgers got closer when Pages connected for a three-run homer off Reed Garrett in the fifth inning, and Betts' solo blast in the sixth trimmed the margin to 10-6.

New York would tack on another run in the bottom of the sixth, however, and Marte singled in Alonso in the eighth for more insurance.

Yankees score twice in ninth for 3-1 lead over Guardians in ALCS

New York's other team is now one win away from its first World Series appearance since 2009 after the Yankees scored twice in the ninth inning to pull out an 8-6 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 4 of the ALCS.

The Yankees bounced back from Thursday's 7-5, 10-inning loss in Game 3 and from blowing a four-run lead in Game 4, as Cleveland scored three times in the seventh inning and once in the eighth to tie the game at 6-6.

Alex Verdugo and Gleyber Torres each knocked in runs off Cleveland All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase in the top of the ninth, however, before Tommy Kahnle held the Guardians scoreless in the bottom of the inning to give New York a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Yankees can close it out in Saturday's Game 5 in Cleveland behind Carlos Rodon, who beat the Guardians in Game 1 with six innings of one-run ball.

New York had built a 6-2 lead on three home runs - a two-run shot from Juan Soto in the first inning, a solo blast from Austin Wells in the second and Giancarlo Stanton's three-run shot in the sixth.

Josh Naylor had two hits and three runs batted in for the AL Central champion Guardians, while Jose Ramirez went 2 for 3 and knocked in two runs as both players keyed Cleveland's late rally. 

The Guardians put two on to start the bottom of the seventh before Ramirez delivered a run-scoring double off reliever Clay Holmes to cut New York's lead to 6-3. Naylor followed with a double that brought in Steven Kwan and Ramirez and got Cleveland within one.

Naylor then led off the bottom of the eighth with a double off Mark Leiter Jr. and later scored on David Fry's infield hit that tied the game at 6-6.

The Yankees began the ninth with singles by Anthony RIzzo and Anthony Volpe off Clase, however. After Volpe stole second to put two in scoring position, Verdugo reached on a dribbler that Cleveland shortstop Brayan Rocchio mishandled for an error as the go-ahead run crossed the plate.

Torres followed with a single that scored Volpe for an 8-6 advantage.

The Guardians got their first run in the bottom of the first to counter Soto's two-run shot in the top of the inning. After Wells' homer in the second put New York up 3-1, Kwan singled in the third and later scored on a Naylor single to pull Cleveland closer. 

Austin Wells snapped a tie game with a three-run homer in the seventh inning as the New York Yankees rallied for a 10-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday that extended their lead atop the American League East.

The Yankees scored seven times over the seventh and eighth innings to erase a 4-3 deficit and take the opener of this three-game series between AL post-season contenders.

New York also received some assistance from its biggest rival, as the Boston Red Sox rolled to a 12-3 win over Baltimore that increased the Yankees' advantage over the second-place Orioles to 1 1/2 games in the division race.

Wells added a run-scoring double and Alex Verdugo had a two-run homer among his two hits for New York. Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge also knocked in runs in the win, with Torres ending 3 for 5 and Judge collecting two hits. 

Salvador Perez went 4 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs for Kansas City, which currently holds the AL's second wild card. The Royals also received a solo homer from Hunter Renfroe, but had a four-game winning streak snapped after failing to protect a one-run lead in the seventh inning. 

James McArthur (5-7) entered with one out in the bottom of the seventh and allowed a single to Torres before walking Juan Soto in front of Judge, who ripped a single to left to bring in Torres and tie the game at 4-4.

Wells followed with a blast deep into the seats in right center field to put New York ahead.

The Yankees tacked on three more runs in the eighth. Oswaldo Cabrera doubled and later scored on a Torres single, and New York loaded the bases with none out before Judge hit into a double play to bring in another run. Wells then delivered a double that plated Anthony Volpe for a 10-4 advantage.

Verdugo's two-run homer off Brady Singer in the fourth inning gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead, though the Royals pulled even in the fifth when Bobby Witt Jr. reached on a single and scored all the way from first on Perez's blooper to right that fell in for a hit.

Kansas City went ahead an inning later on Renfroe's homer off Carlos Rodon, who struck out nine in six innings but permitted four runs - three earned.

Perez singled in a run in the first inning and homered in the third to put Kansas City up 2-0, but the Yankees later countered with three runs in the fourth.

Jasson Dominguez, called up from the minors before the game, singled in the fourth and eventually scored on Perez's throwing error as the young Yankee outfielder stole third base. Verdugo followed with his 12th homer of the season for a 3-2 New York edge.

Mets rally late to down Blue Jays, boost play-off hopes

New York's other team also improved its play-off standing, as the red-hot Mets scored twice in the eighth inning to pull out a 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Mets got their late runs on a wild pitch and a passed ball to win for the 10th time in 11 games and move one game clear of Atlanta in the race for the National League's third and final wild card spot. The Braves were handed a 1-0 loss by the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

Tyrone Taylor scored the tying run after pinch-running for Jesse Winker, who drew a lead-off walk against Tommy Nance in the eighth with the Blue Jays ahead 2-1. Toronto third baseman Ernie Clement's throwing error on an infield single hit by Francisco Alvarez allowed Taylor to reach third, and Taylor scored when Nance uncorked an errant pitch.

Alvarez moved to third on the play, then crossed the plate when Blue Jays catcher Brian Serven couldn't handle Nance's pitch for a passed ball.

Relievers Ryne Stanek and Edwin Diaz held Toronto scoreless over the final two innings, with Stanek recording the win and Diaz working the ninth for his 17th save.

Mets starter Tylor Megill left with a no-decision despite yielding just one hit and striking out nine over six scoreless innings, as the Blue Jays scored twice off New York's bullpen in the seventh to erase a 1-0 deficit.

Toronto loaded the bases with one out on a hit batter and singles by Clement and Alejandro Kirk. Jose Butto then hit Leo Jimenez with a pitch to force in the tying run, and Nathan Lukes followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Jays ahead.

The Mets had taken a 1-0 lead in the fourth. After Pete Alonso walked and Jose Iglesias was hit by a pitch, J.D. Martinez delivered a single to right to score Alonso from second.

Cantillo's gem lifts AL Central-leading Guardians over White Sox

Joey Cantillo took a perfect game into the seventh inning en route to his first major league win as the Cleveland Guardians held on for a 5-3 victory over the lowly Chicago White Sox.

Cantillo (1-3) retired the first 20 Chicago hitters before Andrew Benintendi singled with two outs in the seventh. The rookie left-hander surrendered a run-scoring single to Andrew Vaughn after that before completing his superb seven-inning stint with 10 strikeouts.

David Fry and Bo Naylor supported Cantillo with solo homers as Cleveland increased its lead in the AL Central to 3 1/2 games over second-place Kansas City. The Guardians also remained a game back of the New York Yankees for the AL's best record.

Chicago, meanwhile, set a franchise record with its 13th straight home loss. The White Sox fell to 33-112 overall and remained on pace for the most losses in a season in modern MLB history, set by the 1962 New York Mets (120).

The Guardians quickly jumped out to an early lead when Steven Kwan opened the game with a single, stole second, and scored on a base hit from Josh Naylor, who was then brought in by Lane Thomas' double for a 2-0 advantage.

Fry's homer in the third and Bo Naylor's blast in the fourth extended the margin to 4-0. The Guardians then tacked on another run in the fifth despite not recording a hit during the inning.

After Cleveland loaded the bases on two walks and an error, Chicago's Jairo Iriarte forced in a run by issuing a free pass to Jhonkensy Noel.

Benintendi stole second after breaking up Cantillo's perfect game bid before Vaughn drove him in with a single to get the White Sox on the board in the seventh.

Chicago got closer in the eighth on Bryan Ramos' first major league homer, a two-run shot off Nick Sandlin that followed Lenyn Sosa's single.

The White Sox did not get a hit the rest of the way, however, as Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two during a scoreless ninth to record his AL-leading 43rd save.

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.

Carlos Rodon joined Seth Lugo as the American League's lone nine-game winners this season by out-pitching his counterpart in the New York Yankees' 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

Rodon held the Royals to one run and five hits over seven sharp innings to move to 9-2 and win a duel with Lugo (9-2), who was tagged for four runs in seven innings to receive his first loss since April 21.

Jose Trevino went 2 for 3 with a two-run single to pace a Yankees' lineup bolstered by the return of Juan Soto. The star outfielder missed the entirety of New York's three-game weekend series with the Los Angeles Dodgers while plagued by a sore left forearm.

Soto singled in his first at-bat and scored the Yankees' first run when Alex Verdugo followed Gleyber Torres' single with a base hit to center. Torres then advanced home on a sacrifice bunt put down by DJ LeMahieu to give New York a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.

That was all Rodon would need, as the left-hander had a shutout going until allowing three hits in the seventh inning, including Freddy Fermin's single that knocked in Salvador Perez.

The Royals were trailing 4-0 at that point after the Yankees scored twice more in the fourth. LeMahieu singled and Lugo hit Trent Grisham with a pitch before each advanced on a bunt in front of Trevino's single that brought home both runners.

Kansas City got within 4-2 when Bobby WItt Jr.'s two-out double in the eighth scored Dairon Blanco, who had reached base on a single before stealing second.

Michael Tonkin struck out two during a scoreless ninth, however, to earn his first save of the season and close out the opener of this four-game series. 

The win was the Yankees' 10th in their last 12 games, while the scuffling Royals have dropped two straight and are 5-9 since May 26.

Orioles complete first four-game road sweep of Rays

Gunnar Henderson went 3 for 5 with a lead-off home run that sparked the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays for their first-ever four-game series sweep at Tropicana Field.

Ryan O'Hearn also had three hits while driving in three runs to support another strong outing from Baltimore's Corbin Burnes (7-2), who notched his ninth consecutive quality start after allowing just two unearned runs and striking out six in seven innings.

James McCann added two hits, including a solo home run, to help hand the Rays a 13th loss in their last 17 home games.

Ryan Pepiot (4-3) struck out nine in six innings for Tampa Bay, though his night began ominously when Henderson sent the game's first pitch well over the center field wall for his 21st homer of the season, which was measured at 430 feet.

The Rays regrouped to take the lead an inning later when Jose Caballero reached on a error and Alex Jackson followed with a two-run homer, his first time going deep in a major league game since August 2021.

McCann's homer in the third tied the game at 2-2, and the Orioles scored twice more off Pepiot in the fifth to forge ahead.

Singles by McCann and Henderson put two aboard for O'Hearn, who laced a double to right to plate both runners for a 4-2 Baltimore lead.

Henderson doubled in the seventh and scored on O'Hearn's single to extend the margin, and Craig Kimbrel held the Rays scoreless in the ninth to record his 15th save and finish off the series sweep.

Tatis extends hitting streak in Padres' win over A's

Fernando Tatis Jr. homered to extend his career-high hitting streak to 16 games and help the San Diego Padres to a 6-1 win over the struggling Oakland Athletics in the opener of a three-game series.

The Padres also got a solo homer from Jake Cronenworth and six strong innings from Dylan Cease to earn their third win in four games and hand the A's a ninth loss in their last 12.

Cease (6-5) scattered eight hits and struck out eight while permitting just one run, a solo homer from Tyler Soderstrom in the second inning that gave Oakland a 1-0 lead.

Cronenworth's blast off Joey Estes in the third pulled San Diego even before the Padres went ahead an inning later. Jackson Merrill doubled for his second of three hits on the night and scored on Ha-Seong Kim's single.

Tatis put San Diego up 3-1 in the fifth with his 13th homer of the season, and the Padres broke open the game with three runs against Oakland's bullpen in the seventh.

After the Padres loaded the bases with one out on a walk, hit batter and Manny Machado's single, A's reliever Michel Otanez walked Donovan Solano to force in a run. Merrill followed with a single to extend the lead to 5-1 before Kim drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly.

Estes (2-2) worked five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits.

New York Yankees lead-off hitter Anthony Volpe started off Thursday's game against the Minnesota Twins with a home run.

That was all the run support Clarke Schmidt would need.

Schmidt pitched a career-high eight innings and the Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Twins with a 5-0 win.

Schmidt permitted three hits without a walk while striking out eight as New York won for the 10th time in 12 games to become the first AL club to 30 wins.

The Yankees (30-15) posted back-to-back shutouts at Minnesota and extended their scoreless streak to 26 innings dating to the first inning of Tuesday's series opener.

Volpe's homer sparked a three-run first inning for New York, which outscored Minnesota 14-1 in the three games.

Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres each hit two doubles, while Anthony Rizzo, Austin Wells and Alex Verdugo all drove in one run.

The Twins (24-19) entered this series with only three losses in their previous 20 games before promptly being swept for the first time since April 15-17, at Baltimore.

Mets score two in 11th to edge Phillies

J.D. Martinez hit a go-ahead single in the 11th and later scored on a wild pitch to provide the final margin as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies to avoid a four-game sweep in the home-and-home series.

The Phillies sent the game into extras after Bryson Stott tied the game with a single off Mets closer Edwin Díaz in the 9th.

It marked the second straight blown save for Díaz and his third in four opportunities since May 5.

Pete Alonso opened the scoring with a first-inning homer for the Mets (20-23), who had lost to the Phillies at home on Monday and Tuesday and then lost the opener of the two-game series in Phildelphia on Wednesday.

In a scheduling quirk, these teams played four consecutive games split between New York and Philadelphia, as part of the arrangement with the teams playing a two-game set in London on June 8-9.

Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm each had run-scoring doubles for the NL East-leading Phillies (31-14), who lost for only the fourth time in 20 games.

De La Cruz runs wild as Reds blank Dodgers

Elly De La Cruz had four hits, three runs and four stolen bases as the visiting Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 in their series opener.

De La Cruz now has a major league-leading 30 steals - 13 more than the next-closest player (Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Jose Caballero).

Playing in Cincinnati's 44th game, he is the fastest player to 30 steals since 1996, when Kenny Lofton reached 30 steals in Cleveland's 41st game.

De La Cruz had has many hits as the Dodgers (29-17), who have now totalled one run in their last two games to lose consecutive games for the first time since April 19-20.

The Reds (19-25), who ended up using seven pitchers during a bullpen day, won for the second time in three games after going just 1-11 in their previous 12.