Severino hit hard again, KC tops Yanks to open twinbill
BOSTON (AP) J.D. Martinez hit his major league-leading 32nd homer, Mookie Betts had two RBI doubles and the Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 10-4 on Saturday night for their 17th win in 21 games.
Betts raised his MLB-leading average to .346 and Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run triple for the Red Sox. They have a 5 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees atop the AL East and own the majors' best record at 73-33.
Logan Morrison hit a solo homer for the Twins, a night after they appeared to throw in the towel a bit in pursuit of a playoff spot following a pair of trades that sent away infielder Eduardo Escobar and reliever Ryan Pressly.
Boston starter Rick Porcello (13-4) labored through 5 2/3 innings on a steamy night, giving up four runs on five hits, striking out five and walking one. Jake Odorizzi (4-7) gave up five runs on nine hits in five innings.
Trailing 4-1, Boston scored three times in the fourth and moved ahead on Martinez's shot that left Fenway Park over the Green Monster seats in the fifth.
ANGELS 11, MARINERS 5
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Rookie Francisco Arcia had a homer and six RBIs, giving him a major league-record 10 RBIs in two career games, and Los Angeles Angels rolled past Seattle.
Arcia made his major league debut Thursday against the White Sox and hit his first career home run while driving in four runs. After not playing Friday, he topped that Saturday with a third-inning homer and run-scoring doubles in the second and fifth innings.
The previous record for RBIs in two career games was nine by Joe Cunningham of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954. Cunningham was also the only player to have at least four RBIs in each of his first two career games until Arcia did it as well. Arcia is the first Angels rookie with at least six RBIs in a game since Adam Kennedy had eight in 2000.
Mike Trout also homered for the Angels, delivering his 29th of the season off Felix Hernandez (8-9) in the first inning. Arcia and Ian Kinsler each had three hits for the Angels.
Nelson Cruz hit two home runs for the Mariners.
Angels starter Jamie Barria (6-7) was the winner.
ROYALS 10, YANKEES 5, 1ST GAME
YANKEES 5, ROYALS 4, 2ND GAME
NEW YORK (AP) - Greg Bird homered to begin a two-run rally in the eighth inning and New York survived a rough outing by newly acquired reliever Zach Britton and a tumble by CC Sabathia, beating Kansas City for a split of their day-night doubleheader.
In the opener, the Royals tagged All-Star ace Luis Severino for six runs in 4 1/3 innings. The doubleheader was caused by a rainout Friday.
Bird opened the eighth with a drive off Brian Flynn (2-2) that made it 4-all. The Yankees went on to load the bases and Aaron Hicks hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly.
Aroldis Chapman worked around a leadoff single and a walk for his 27th save.
Dellin Betances (2-3) threw a scoreless eighth.
In the first game, Severino got hit hard in another shaky start. Trying for his major league-leading 15th win, Severino instead was pulled after Lucas Duda's two-run homer made it 6-0 in the fifth inning. Rosell Hererra hit an early two-run double, and Salvador Perez had a two-run single that set up Duda.
Severino (14-4) allowed eight hits, walked one and struck out five in his shortest start of the year.
The Yankees lost in their first game since slugger Aaron Judge sustained a fractured right wrist when he was hit by a pitch from Kansas City's Jakob Junis on Thursday.
Rookie Brad Keller (4-4) went 5 2/3 innings for the win one day after his 23rd birthday.
HOUSTON (AP) - Rougned Odor hit an inside-the-park homer and a regular over-the-fence shot, going 5 for 5 to help Texas beat Justin Verlander and Houston.
Odor rocketed a ball to right-center field in the fifth inning that George Springer made a leaping attempt on but missed. The ball ricocheted off the wall and rolled along the warning track. Odor raced around the bases and beat the throw home for his first career inside-the-park home run. Odor hit his second home run of the night in the seventh off new Astros reliever Ryan Pressly.
Ariel Jurado (1-1), who was called up from Double-A Frisco for the start, set down 12 of the first 13 batters he faced. The only blemish through his first four innings was Springer's solo homer in the fourth. Jurado gave up one run on two hits in six innings for his first major league win.
Joey Gallo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa also homered for the Rangers.
Verlander (10-6) was the loser.
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Marcell Ozuna hit a grand slam in a six-run first inning, Miles Mikolas pitched six strong innings and St. Louis beat Chicago in front of a season-high 47,514 fans at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals improved to 9-6 this season against the NL Central-leading Cubs.
Ozuna hit his second grand slam this season and the fifth of his career. Ozuna had three hits.
Jose Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk from Jose Quintana (9-7), and Ozuna followed with his 11th home run. Yairo Munoz added an RBI double. The last time the Cardinals scored six runs in the opening inning was eight years to the day, on July 28, 2010, against the Mets.
Mikolas (11-3) allowed six hits, including a two-run homer by Javier Baez.
ATLANTA (AP) - Yasiel Puig homered and drove in three runs following his return from the disabled list, Alex Wood pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to win his sixth straight decision and Los Angeles beat Atlanta.
Reinstated after missing 15 games with a right oblique strain, Puig made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly in the second off Max Fried (1-4) and pushed the lead to 3-0 in the sixth with his 12th homer, a towering shot off Luke Jackson that bounced off the third-level scoreboard facade in left field.
Wood (7-5) allowed one hit and four walks with five strikeouts.
The Braves have lost four straight and 13 of 18.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Jhoulys Chacin pitched three-hit ball over seven innings, Christian Yelich homered for the second time in three days and Milwaukee beat San Francisco.
Chacin (10-3) was masterful while earning his fourth consecutive win. The right-hander yielded one run, struck out six and walked one. Chacin allowed only two runners and faced one over the minimum until Nick Hundley's leadoff home run in the sixth. He also gave up a two-out single to Steven Duggar in the sixth and a two-out double to Pablo Sandoval in the seventh.
Taylor Williams and Dan Jennings retired three batters apiece to complete the four-hitter.
Lorenzo Cain added four hits for the Brewers, and Eric Thames and Orlando Arcia had two apiece.
The Brewers beat the Giants for the third straight day to move within a half-game of NL Central-leading Chicago. Johnny Cueto (3-2) was the loser.
DIAMONDBACKS 9, PADRES 4
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Jon Jay hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth inning and finished with three hits and three RBIs to lead Arizona past San Diego.
Jay, who played with San Diego in 2016, also brought in a run with a groundout in the second, when the Diamondbacks took a 4-0 lead against Tyson Ross, who has been rumored to be on the trading block.
The Padres got back into the game, with Ross hitting a tying single in the fourth, but their bullpen faltered in the eighth. Daniel Descalso hit a leadoff single off Phil Maton (0-1) and Jeff Mathis sacrificed before pinch-hitter Chris Owings walked. Kirby Yates, San Diego's new closer after All-Star Brad Hand was traded to Cleveland, was greeted by Jay's double. Paul Goldschmidt followed with his second RBI single of the game. The Diamondbacks added two runs in the ninth off Phil Hughes.
Archie Bradley (3-2) pitched a perfect seventh for the win. Arizona starting pitcher Patrick Corbin struck out eight in six innings and also had two singles and an RBI.
Eduardo Escobar made his debut with the Diamondbacks a day after being acquired in a trade with Minnesota. He started at third base and batted fifth, going 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
DENVER (AP) - Nolan Arenado homered for the second time in two games, Carlos Gonzalez doubled three times and Colorado beat Oakland for its 10th win in 12 games.
Antonio Senzatela shook off a first-inning run to pitch effectively into the sixth of a game that was delayed 51 minutes at the start because of a storm cell that was moving through the greater Denver area.
Pat Valaika homered and singled to drive in two runs and Tom Murphy added a run-scoring triple for the Rockies. Oakland lost back-to-back games for the first time since dropping four straight in mid-June and had its 11-series (10-0-1) unbeaten string snapped.
Senzatela (4-3) allowed one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four. Wade Davis got three outs for his 29th save. Brett Anderson (2-3) was the loser.
BALTIMORE (AP) - Trey Mancini and Joey Rickard combined for seven hits, including back-to-back home runs in the second inning, and Baltimore breezed past Tampa Bay.
Mancini had a career-best four hits and his homer especially delighted the fans, who were given a bobblehead in his likeness. Rickard got three hits and matched a career high with five RBIs.
Caleb Joseph also had three hits. Mancini, Rickard and Joseph, the bottom third of the Orioles' order, went 10 for 12 with nine RBIs. Coming off a 15-5 romp Friday, the Orioles scored in double-digits in consecutive games for the first time since July 18-19, 2017.
Kevin Gausman (5-8) allowed two runs and nine hits over seven innings. Kevin Kiermaier had a pair of hits, including a home run, for the Rays.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Trevor Williams outdueled Jacob deGrom in Pittsburgh's victory over New York.
Williams (9-7) allowed five hits in six innings with five strikeouts and three walks. He hasn't allowed a run in 17 straight innings.
The Pirates have won 13 of their past 15 games, while the Mets have lost two straight after winning their previous three games. DeGrom (5-6) lost for the fourth time since June 28. He allowed three runs on eight hits, his most surrendered this season, with five strikeouts in seven innings.
CINCINNATI (AP) - Joey Votto drove in the go-ahead run with a sharp single that glanced off second baseman Cesar Hernandez's glove, leading Cincinnati past Philadelphia.
Votto drove in two runs and four players each knocked in one. The Reds are last in the NL Central but beat the East Division-leading Phillies for the second straight day.
Wandy Peralta (2-2) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief. Sal Romano and Jared Hughes each got double-play balls to finish the seventh and eighth. Hughes pitched the ninth for a five-out save, his career-high seventh save. Tommy Hunter (2-1) took the loss.
DETROIT (AP) - JaCoby Jones hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the third inning to help Detroit beat Cleveland.
Blaine Hardy (4-3) gave up a run over five innings. Three relivers combined to pitch four innings of scoreless relief. Shane Greene retired the side in order in the ninth for his 21st save.
Mike Clevinger (7-7) allowed two runs and struck out eight over five innings.
CHICAGO (AP) - Pinch-hitter Daniel Palka gave Chicago the lead with a two-run single and Leury Garcia added a three-run triple in a six-run eighth, lifting the White Sox over Toronto.
Garcia finished 2 for 4 with a career-high four RBIs. Yolmer Sanchez and Nicky Delmonico each homered for Chicago, which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had two hits to extend his multihit streak to a Toronto-record 10 games. Russell Martin also homered for Toronto, which blew a 5-1 lead.
Juan Minaya (1-2) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win.
Ryan Tepera (5-4) allowed four runs and didn't retire a batter.
MARLINS 2, NATIONALS 1, 10 INNINGS
MIAMI (AP) - J.T. Realmuto singled with the bases loaded and none out in the 10th inning, and Miami snapped a streak of eight consecutive home losses to Washington.
Miami beat Washington for only the second time in the past 18 meetings.
Magneuris Sierra reached on a bunt single to start the 10th against Kelvin Herrera (1-1). Miguel Rojas tried to sacrifice, collided with catcher Spencer Kieboom leaving the box and was awarded first base for obstruction. A single by Brian Anderson loaded the bases. With the Nationals using a five-infielder, two-outfielder alignment, Realmuto hit a pop fly single down the right-field line.
The Nationals tied the game in the ninth on Daniel Murphy's one-out RBI single off Kyle Barraclough.
Brett Graves (1-1), Miami's sixth pitcher, worked a perfect 10th for his first career win.
