Swihart doubles in 13th to lift Red Sox over Phillies 2-1
BOSTON (AP) Blake Swihart doubled into the Red Sox bullpen to score Eduardo Nunez in the 13th inning and Boston beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Monday night to move a season-high six games ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Boston announced after the game it had acquired Ian Kinsler from the Angels to fill in for injured second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Hector Velazquez (7-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win and Austin Davis (1-1) took the loss after pitching a perfect 12th before allowing Nunez's leadoff single in the next inning. Luis Garcia, the 12th pitcher of the night, struck out Brock Holt but allowed Nunez to steal second.
Swihart lined the first pitch he saw toward the gap and into the bullpen on one hop for his first career walk-off RBI.
The Red Sox have won 19 of their last 23 games and matched their biggest lead in the division of the season. At 75-33, they have the best record in baseball and are 42 games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 1946 season. They have won 19 of their last 21 interleague games.
SEATTLE (AP) - James Paxton excelled in his return from the disabled list, Nelson Cruz had a two-run double in the sixth inning and Seattle beat Houston.
Astros starter Gerrit Cole (10-3) carried a no-hitter into the sixth, but Jean Segura ended it with a two-out infield single. Two batters later, Cruz lined his double down the left-field line.
Cole was perfect through four innings while locked in a duel with Paxton (9-4), who was making his first start since leaving a July 12 game in Anaheim because of lower back inflammation.
Cole retired the first 12 batters he faced, striking out six, until he hit Cruz with a pitch leading off the fifth. After Segura's single, Denard Span hit a clean single to right-center, and Cruz hit a first-pitch slider inside third base. Segura scored easily, and the ball caromed off the protruding side wall, allowing Span to narrowly beat catcher Max Stassi's tag after a strong throw by left fielder Marwin Gonzalez.
Paxton was brilliant for Seattle, scattering three hits - two of them infield singles - over seven innings. He struck out eight, did not walk a batter, and threw 59 of his 82 pitches for strikes.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Eric Thames hit a three-run home run and Christian Yelich extended his hitting streak to 14 games as Milwaukee overcame a brief power outage delay and beat Los Angeles.
Manny Machado homered in the ninth inning in his first home game with the Dodgers. Machado went 1 for 3 with two walks, delivering his 26th home run to center field off reliever Corey Knebel. He struck out in the fourth inning with two runners in scoring position.
Machado made his Dodgers debut July 20 at Milwaukee after he was acquired in a trade from the Baltimore Orioles. He scored the Dodgers' first run Monday on Max Muncy's triple in the third inning.
Josh Hader (4-0) had three strikeouts over two scoreless innings of relief as the Brewers won for the seventh time in 10 games to follow a seven-game losing streak that ended July 21.
Kenta Maeda (7-6) lasted just 4 2/3 innings, throwing 102 pitches. He gave up four runs and seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Mitch Garver drove in the winning run with a one-out double in the ninth inning for Minnesota, capping a victory over Cleveland after the Twins traded away reliever Zach Duke and starter Lance Lynn.
Jose Ramirez hit two home runs to match Boston's J.D. Martinez for the most in the majors with 32, but the Indians couldn't hold a 3-2 lead.
Miguel Sano, who hit an RBI single earlier and went 2-for-3 for his first hits in the majors since June 12, drew a walk to start the ninth against Neil Ramirez (0-1). Jake Cave advanced pinch-runner Ehire Adrianza with a sacrifice bunt, and Garver delivered the deep drive to left-center field to trigger an infield celebration from a weary Twins team.
Fernando Rodney (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out Yonder Alonso with runners at second and third.
ATLANTA (AP) - Freddie Freeman hit a go-ahead homer in the third inning, Ronald Acuna Jr. also went deep and Atlanta beat Miami.
Brian Anderson's two-run homer off Julio Teheran (8-7) in the first gave Miami a lead Wei-Yin Chen (3-8) couldn't hold. The Braves pulled even in the second when Tyler Flowers walked, moved to third on Johan Camargo's double and scored on Ender Inciarte's fly ball. Camargo scored on Teheran's two-out single up the middle.
Freeman's homer, his 18th, in the third gave Atlanta the lead. Flowers walked and scored from first on another double to left by Camargo.
A.J. Minter pitched the ninth for his sixth save in six chances.
CARDINALS 5, ROCKIES 4, 10 INNINGS
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Marcell Ozuna hit his first career game-ending homer in the 10th inning, and St. Louis snapped Colorado's four-game winning streak.
Ozuna connected against Jake McGee (1-4), sending a one-out drive deep to center for his 13th homer. The slugger also extended his homer streak to three straight games.
Dakota Hudson (1-0) got three outs for his first career win.
Colorado opened a 4-0 lead when Nolan Arenado hit his fifth career grand slam in the fifth inning off Daniel Poncedeleon, who replaced Carlos Martinez when the right-hander departed with a mild shoulder strain with two outs.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Edwin Jackson pitched scoreless ball into the sixth for his 100th career victory and Oakland rediscovered its offense to thump Toronto.
Jonathan Lucroy drove in three as the A's used their signature power to clear the fences and get back on track after being swept in a three-game weekend series at Colorado, scoring four total runs at Coors Field following a season-best six-game winning streak.
Mark Canha hit a solo homer in the second to give Jackson (2-2) the lead on the way to the right-hander's first victory in exactly a month - since June 30 against Cleveland. Jackson struck out five, gave up three hits and walked three in 5 2/3 innings.
Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada (4-8) came off the disabled list from a left glute strain and allowed four runs over four innings in his first start since July 3.
RANGERS 9, DIAMONDBACKS 5
PHOENIX (AP) - Shin-Soo Choo homered twice and had four RBIs, helping Texas rally after a power outage delay to beat Arizona.
Choo hit a three-run homer off Robbie Ray in the fifth inning and added a solo shot against Matt Andriese (0-1) in the eighth for his sixth 20-homer season.
A thunderstorm outside Chase Field caused some of the lights to go out in the sixth and, after a 21-minute delay, pinch-hitter Willie Calhoun lined a run-scoring single to right to put the Rangers up 5-4.
Eddie Butler (2-1) got the final out in the sixth inning and Rougned Odor hit a solo homer off Andriese in the seventh for the go-ahead run.
GIANTS 5, PADRES 3, 12 INNINGS
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Gorkys Hernandez hit a go-ahead home run leading off the 12th inning and San Francisco gave free-falling San Diego its straight loss.
The Padres had runners on first and third with one out in the 11th and failed to score. Instead, they dropped to 2-8 since the All-Star break and lost for the 13th time in 15 games. San Diego is 5-19 in July.
Will Smith (1-1) came on with runners on second and third and two outs in the 11th and struck out Carlos Asuaje. He then struck out the side in the 12th.
Hernandez homered to left on a 1-2 pitch from Matt Strahm (2-3), his 13th. The Giants got another run on Buster Posey's fielder's choice blooper.
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