Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. (88) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, July 16, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
ATLANTA (AP) – Dylan Cease won for the first time in nearly two months, Luis Robert Jr. had four hits that included a two-run homer and the Chicago White Sox beat Atlanta 8-1 on Sunday to stop the Braves’ streak of 11 consecutive series wins.
Cease (4-3) had eight straight no-decisions since beating Cleveland on May 23, the most within a season in White Sox history. He allowed one run and three hits in five innings.
Reynaldo López, Aaron Bummer and Jesse Scholtens finished a five-hitter and ended the Braves’ streak of consecutive games with home runs at a franchise-record 28. Atlanta had been 7-0 in the decisive third games of three-game series this season.
Braves left-hander Kolby Allard (0-1) was pulled with left shoulder tightness after allowing four runs and seven hits in 1 1/2 innings.
ROYALS 8, RAYS 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Bobby Witt Jr. homered and tripled with three RBIs, and Kansas City earned its second win in 10 games.
In a game that sped by in 1 hour, 54 minutes, Brady Singer (6-8) allowed four runs and seven hits in a season-high eight innings as Kansas City improved to 27-67, the second-worst record in the major leagues and ahead of only Oakland.
He needed 70 pitches through seven innings and led 7-0 before Isaac Paredes hit a solo homer and Francisco MejÃa hit a three-run drive for the AL-best Rays (60-36).
Zach Eflin (10-5) gave up a season-high five runs and seven hits over a season-low three innings, allowing hits to seven of his first 11 batters. The Rays had won three straight after a season-worst seven-game losing streak.
ORIOLES 5, MARLINS 4
BALTIMORE (AP) – Kyle Bradish took a shutout into the eighth inning and Danny Coulombe retired Luis Arraez on a game-ending lineout with a runner on second as Baltimore held off Miami’s late rally.
The Orioles won their eighth straight game, but not before nearly blowing a 5-0 lead in the ninth. Arraez, flirting with .400 for much of the season, lined out to left field to end it. He went 0 for 5, dropping his batting average to .380.
Anthony Santander hit his 100th career home run for the Orioles, who began the day two games behind Tampa Bay atop the AL East. They were up 3-0 before Miami opener Steven Okert (3-1) got an out in the first inning, and Bradish (6-4) took it from there. He allowed three hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in 7 1/3 scoreless innings, working deep into the game after Baltimore used its top two relievers each of the previous two nights.
RANGERS 6, GUARDIANS 5
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Josh Jung’s two-run single capped a four-run eighth inning as AL West-leading Texas rallied to complete a three-game series sweep.
All four runs in the inning came off Trevor Stephan (4-4), who walked Marcus Semien and Corey Seager with one out before giving up an RBI single to Nathaniel Lowe, an RBI double to Adolis Garcia and a single to Jung.
Will Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 16th save in 18 opportunities after Cody Bradford (2-1) pitched three innings.
Cleveland’s Steven Kwan and Semien hit homers to open each half of the first inning, only the second time that has happened this season.
BLUE JAYS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 5
TORONTO (AP) – Danny Jansen hit a three-run double in the eighth inning to give Toronto what turned out to be an important cushion, and the Blue Jays beat Arizona for a three-game sweep.
Kevin Kiermaier and Santiago Espinal each had two hits and an RBI and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. broke a 2-all tie with a sacrifice fly in the fifth as Toronto picked up its sixth sweep of the season and won for the eighth time in nine games.
Jay Jackson (2-0) relieved Yusei Kikuchi with two outs in the fifth and retired all three batters he faced. Tim Mayza got one out, Trevor Richards worked the seventh and Yimi GarcÃa pitched the eighth.
Tommy Henry (5-2) lost for the first time since May 11 against San Francisco, snapping a 10-start unbeaten streak. The left-hander allowed three runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
GIANTS 8, PIRATES 4, 10 INNINGS
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Michael Conforto and Patrick Bailey hit two-run doubles in a five-run 10th inning, and San Francisco beat Pittsburgh to finish a three-game sweep and extend their winning streak to five.
Pittsburgh tied the score 3-3 in the eighth when Andrew McCutchen singled in his first game off the injured list and came home on Jared Triolo’s sacrifice fly.
With automatic runner Casey Schmitt on second, Wilmer Flores singled off Yerry De Los Santos (0-1) starting the 10th and Joc Pederson hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly.
Ryan Walker (3-0) struck out one in a perfect ninth, and Scott Alexander allowed Henry Davis’ RBI single in the 10th.
Giants starter Alex Wood allowed one run, five hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.
BREWERS 4, REDS 3
CINCINNATI (AP) – Milwaukee opened a two-game lead over Cincinnati in the NL Central, overcoming a two-run deficit to beat the Reds for the fifth time in a six-game stretch, behind rookie Andruw Monasterio’s tiebreaking single in a two-run eighth inning.
With the Reds leading 3-2, Willy Adams walked against Lucas Sims (3-2) starting the eighth and took third on Jesse Winker’s single. Owen Miller hit a sacrifice fly, All-Star closer Alexis DÃaz relieved and Raimel Tapia flied out.
Hoby Milner (1-0) allowed one hit in two scoreless innings, and Devin Williams needed just nine pitches in a perfect ninth for his 23rd save in 25 chances.
Joey Votto ended Cincinnati’s 28-inning scoreless streak with an RBI double in the second. Yelich homered in the third off Ben Lively, who was visited by athletic trainers during the fourth and replaced by Derek Law starting the fifth.
RED SOX 11, CUBS 5
CHICAGO (AP) – Masataka Yoshida hit a grand slam and a two-run triple, powering Kutter Crawford and Boston to a blowout over Chicago.
Rafael Devers and pinch-hitter Triston Casas also homered for the surging Red Sox, who have won seven of eight. Crawford allowed one hit in six shutout innings. Crawford (4-4) struck out nine and walked four.
Yoshida launched the second grand slam of his rookie season in Boston’s five-run fifth against All-Star lefty Justin Steele. Yoshida added a two-run triple in the seventh, and a single in the ninth off catcher-turned-reliever Tucker Barnhart.
Steele (9-3) allowed six runs and 10 hits over six innings after tossing a scoreless inning at Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
CARDINALS 8, NATIONALS 4
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Jack Flaherty won a fourth straight start for the first time in two years, and St. Louis beat Washington to take two of three in the series.
Flaherty (7-5) allowed three runs, three hits and three walks in six innings with seven strikeouts. Chris Stratton pitched a perfect seventh and Kyle Leahy relieved after a 38-minute rain delay. Leahy got one out and JoJo Romero the final five.
Nationals All-Star Josiah Gray (6-8) gave up four runs and 10 hits in five innings.
Keibert Ruiz homered in the second, ending Flaherty’s 13 2/3 innings scoreless streak.
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