Contreras homers in 15th, Cubs beat Brewers 2-1
CHICAGO (AP) — Willson Contreras homered in the 15th inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
Contreras turned on a 1-2 pitch from Burch Smith (0-1), sending a long shot to left field that gave Chicago its 11th win in 13 games. He spun and flipped his bat toward the Cubs' dugout as the ball sailed toward the bleachers and was mobbed by teammates when he crossed the plate.
Chicago moved back ahead of the Brewers for the NL Central lead after falling into a virtual tie with Friday's 7-0 loss. Milwaukee had its season-high seven-game win streak snapped.
Tyler Chatwood (2-0) struck out seven in four innings to cap a strong effort by the bullpen after Cole Hamels worked seven solid innings.
Hamels gave up a run and three hits in his fourth straight no-decision. Seven relievers combined to give up one hit the rest of the way.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Willy Adames and Ji-Man Choi hit run-scoring infield singles in the sixth after tempers flared during the top of the inning when reliever Yonny Chirinos hit Luke Voit near the left shoulder.
Yandy Díaz homered twice and drove in four runs for the Rays, who reopened a 1½-game lead in the AL East over the Yankees.
Voit was hit by Chirinos (5-1) one batter after DJ LeMahieu's tying solo homer. Although there was no on-field incidents after Voit was hit, Yankees starter CC Sabathia went to the top of the Yankees dugout and yelled toward Tampa Bay players.
In his final start last season, Sabathia was ejected at Tropicana Field and given a five-game suspension for hitting Jesús Sucre with a pitch after Rays pitcher Andrew Kittredge threw a pitch behind Austin Romine.
Jonathan Holder (2-1) was warming up in the Yankees bullpen during the top of the sixth preparing to come in for Sabathia, who gave up two runs, three hits and four walks in five innings.
Avisail García greeted Holder with a single and advanced to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by Gary Sánchez, whose seven errors are the most among big league catchers. LeMahieu, a Gold Glove infielder, could not get his glove down to receive the throw.
BOSTON (AP) — Sandy Leon fouled off a bunt attempt, then hit a three-run homer to cap an eight-run third inning that carried surging Boston over struggling Seattle.
Mitch Moreland started Boston's comeback from a 4-0 deficit against Félix Hernández (1-4) with a solo homer. The World Series champions won for the 15th time in 21 games following a 6-13 start.
Seattle has lost 14 of 18 and dropped to 20-22, falling below .500 on Friday for the first time since the end of the 2017 season. The Mariners have been outscored 23-6 in the first two games of the three-game series.
Hernández allowed seven runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings. The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner is 0-4 in seven starts since beating the Los Angeles Angels in his season debut. He became the 36th pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts when rookie Michael Chavis took a 92 mph sinker for a called third strike in the second inning.
Rick Porcello (3-3), the 2016 AL Cy Young winner, gave up four runs and five hits — all in the first — in 6 2/3 innings. He is unbeaten in five starts after losing in his first three appearances.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Olson scored from third base when right fielder Jordan Luplow slipped trying to field Ramon Laureano's short fly in the ninth inning, lifting Oakland over Cleveland in a wacky, sloppy game.
Olson walked leading off against A.J. Cole (0-1) and scored when Laureano lofted an 0-1 pitch over the head of second baseman Jason Kipnis, who was running toward right field. Luplow appeared in position to make the catch but slipped on the grass and fell as the ball dropped in for a single, allowing Olson to score easily.
Blake Treinen (2-2) won despite blowing his second save of the season after allowing Leonys Martin's two-out game-tying single in the top of the ninth.
Cleveland's defense, or lack thereof, made the difference. Nick Hundley hit a Little League home run in the fifth inning, tripling and scoring on a throwing error by left fielder Jake Bauers. The A's scored their first run following a throwing error by José Ramirez in the first.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gerardo Parra's grand slam in the eighth inning helped Washington rally over Los Angeles.
Parra — signed by the Nationals on Thursday after being designated for assignment by San Francisco last week — hit a fastball from Dylan Floro into the seats in right-center for his second home run of the season. It is the second grand slam of his career, with the other coming on April 22, 2012, against Atlanta.
The Nationals trailed 2-0 going into the eighth after Dodgers starter Walker Buehler allowed only four hits. They loaded the bases with one out against Pedro Baez (2-2) and got their first run when Juan Soto drove in Wilmer Difo with a single. It was Soto's first game back after he was activated from the injured list earlier in the day.
Max Scherzer (2-4) went seven innings and allowed two runs and five hits with seven strikeouts. His only mistake came in the third inning when he walked Max Muncy with two outs and then served up a fastball to Justin Turner, who homered to right-center. Sean Doolittle picked up his sixth save with a scoreless ninth.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom ended a five-start winless streak, allowing a run over seven innings to win for the first time since April 3 and lead New York over Miami.
Pete Alonso and Michael Conforto hit back-to-back homers in a three-run sixth that included an RBI single by deGrom, his second hit of the night. DeGrom (3-4) allowed five hits and one walk while striking out eight.
Conforto hit a tying single in the fourth against Sandy Alcantara (1-4), who allowed four runs, eight hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Edwin Díaz converted his 20th straight save chance and 10th this season.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Zach Eflin became the majors' first pitcher with two complete games this season, lifting Philadelphia over Kansas City.
Eflin (5-3) finished his second career shutout, the other coming July 22, 2016 in his eighth major league start. He allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked none while throwing 110 pitches.
Odubel Herrera doubled and tripled, and Andrew McCutchen and Rhys Hoskins each drove in two for Philadelphia. The Phillies worked seven walks, with every starter reaching base at least once.
Brad Keller (2-4) struggled with his command again, an issue that has plagued him all season. Keller walked four, hit one and threw a wild pitch in five-plus innings. The Phillies turned those free passes into six runs despite just five hits.
BRAVES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4
PHOENIX (AP) — Brian McCann homered over the swimming pool behind the right-field wall and Johan Camargo also went deep, helping Atlanta beat Arizona.
Kevin Gausman (2-3) gave up one run and five hits in six innings. He escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth when Nick Ahmed flied out and Alex Avila grounded out. When the Diamondbacks loaded the bases again with one out in the sixth, Ahmed hit a sacrifice fly that cut Atlanta's lead to 2-1 and Avila struck out.
Recovered from a calf strain that caused a stint on the injured list, Jonny Venters retired his only batter, David Peralta, on a game-ending groundout for his first save.
Merrill Kelly (3-4) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings.
HOUSTON (AP) — Gerrit Cole struck out a season-high 12, Aledmys Díaz hit a grand slam while starting in place of injured star Jose Altuve and Houston beat Texas.
Altuve was placed on the 10-day injured list a night after straining his left hamstring, but Houston didn't need him. Díaz took Kyle Dowdy deep into the Crawford Boxes for a 6-1 lead in the sixth, and the Astros didn't look back.
Cole (4-4) gave up a run and four hits in six innings for his third straight win. He has at least eight strikeouts in eight of nine starts this season and leads the majors with 86 punchouts.
Drew Smyly (0-3) made his first relief appearance since 2014. In 4 2/3 innings, Smyly allowed one run, four hits and four walks. He was pulled after walking the bases loaded before Díaz homered.
DENVER (AP) — Greg Garcia drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded fielder's choice in the ninth inning and closer Kirby Yates struck out the side for his 16th save as San Diego beat Colorado.
Wil Myers homered, singled and scored the decisive run for San Diego, and Hunter Renfroe also homered.
Trailing 3-2, the Rockies tied it in the bottom of the eighth when Charlie Blackmon homered off reliever Craig Stammen (4-1).
The Padres then scored against Wade Davis (1-1) in the top of the ninth. Myers beat out an infield single and Davis walked the next two batters to load the bases before Myers scored on Garcia's grounder, easily beating second baseman Garrett Hampson's throw home.
TWINS 8, TIGERS 3, Game 2
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — C.J. Cron broke open the game with a three-run homer, and Minnesota beat Detroit in the nightcap to earn a doubleheader split.
Cron's line drive to left field in the fifth inning off rookie Gregory Soto (0-1) was his second of the day — he also went deep in the opener — and it put Minnesota up 7-3, giving Kohl Stewart a cushion. Stewart (1-1) allowed three runs in six innings to earn the third victory of his major league career.
In the first game, Ronny Rodríguez hit a pair of solo homers, and John Hicks hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth inning for Detroit.
Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected from the first game for arguing balls and strikes. Designated hitter Miguel Cabrera was tossed in the first inning of the nightcap after yelling to the home plate umpire from the dugout.
Cron tied the opener 3-3 in the eighth with a homer off Joe Jimenez (2-1), but Hicks followed in the ninth by connecting on the first pitch from Trevor Hildenberger (2-2).
Shane Greene pitched a scoreless ninth in the opener to earn his AL-leading 14th save.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jordan Lyles overcame a 30-pitch first inning to combine with four relievers on a two-hitter, and Pittsburgh beat St. Louis for its seventh win in 10 games following an eight-game skid.
Lyles (3-1) allowed one hit through six innings, struck out six and walked three, lowering his ERA to 2.09, fifth-best in the NL. He battled through the first after a rain delay of 2 hours, 56 minutes, at the start.
Richard Rodríguez and Francisco Liriano combined on a perfect seventh, and Kyle Crick gave up a single to Paul Goldschmidt around a pair of walks in the eighth, then escaped the bases-loaded jam by retiring Marcell Ozuna on a groundout. Felipe Vázquez pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 12 chances.
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (4-3) gave up three hits — all in a row — and struck out a season-high seven in seven innings.
ANGELS 7, ORIOLES 2
BALTIMORE (AP) — Albert Pujols homered twice to increase his total to 641, had three RBIs and scored three runs to help Los Angeles beat Baltimore.
Shohei Ohtani had two hits and an RBI for Los Angeles in his fifth game this season. He's 4 for 21 since returning from the injured list following elbow surgery.
Both Pujols' home runs came against Dylan Bundy (1-5), who has yielded 11 long balls this season after serving up a major league-high 41 last year. Baltimore has allowed 83 homers — about 20 more than any other big league team.
Matt Harvey started for Los Angeles and needed 93 pitches to get 12 outs. Luke Bard (1-1) followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Derek Dietrich singled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning, Eugenio Suarez and Yasiel Puig homered, and Cincinnati beat San Francisco.
Dietrich hit a two-out flair against Reyes Moranta (1-3) that left fielder Mac Williamson couldn't grab despite a sliding effort, allowing Suarez to score from third to snap a 4-4 tie. Suarez doubled leading off the inning and took third on Moranta's passed ball.
Amir Garrett (2-1) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win. Raisel Iglesias threw a scoreless ninth for his eighth save in 10 tries as the Reds won their third straight game.
TORONTO (AP) — Marcus Stroman was angry when removed from yet another start when he received little run support, and Toronto lost to Chicago and Iván Nova (2-3).
Stroman (1-6) exchanged words with manager Charlie Montoyo and pitching coach Pete Walker after he was replaced by Derek Law with runners at the corners in the seventh. Stroman allowed four runs — three earned — and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He has lost three straight starts and has a losing record despite a 3.12 ERA.
Nova (2-3) allowed one run and five hits in six-plus innings to win his second straight start.
