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MLB roundup: Braves' Markakis hits walk-off homer

[August 07, 2020] Nick Markakis delivered a walk-off homer with one out in the ninth inning to give the Atlanta Braves a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

Markakis reached low to connect with a breaking ball from Wilmer Font (0-1) and smoked it deep into the right field seats. It was the first start of the season for the veteran right fielder, who was activated on Wednesday after recanting his original decision to opt out because of COVID-19 concerns.

The victory gave the Braves a 2-1 series win over Toronto and completed a 7-2 homestand for Atlanta.

The winning pitcher was Mark Melancon (1-0), who worked a perfect ninth inning. Freddie Freeman homered for the Braves, and Bo Bichette went deep for the Blue Jays.

Indians 13, Reds 0

Jose Ramirez's second home run of the night came during a 10-run seventh inning, Carlos Carrasco allowed one hit over six innings, and Cleveland rocked visiting Cincinnati for its third consecutive win.

Already up 3-0, the Indians sent 14 men to plate in the breakout seventh. Cesar Hernandez's three-run double and Ramirez's two-run shot highlighted an inning in which Cleveland drew three bases-loaded walks off reliever Jose De Leon, who was charged with eight of the runs.

The Indians, who lost 3-2 at Cincinnati on Monday in the opener of the four-game, home-and-home series against their interleague Ohio rival, totaled 12 runs over their previous eight contests before Thursday. Cleveland pitchers, meanwhile, held the Reds scoreless over the final 23 innings of the two-city set.

Diamondbacks 5, Astros 4

Kole Calhoun's two-run double down the right field line lifted Arizona to a walk-off win over Houston in Phoenix, giving the D-backs their first series victory of the season.

Calhoun's winning hit came with the bases loaded, no outs and Ryan Pressly on the mound for the Astros in a save situation, in place of the injured Roberto Osuna. Pressly (0-1) loaded the bases with a walk and two singles before Calhoun delivered.

In the eighth inning, Alex Bregman's two-run home run with two outs had put the Astros on top 4-3 after they had lost a 2-0 lead.

Phillies 5, Yankees 4

J.T. Realmuto hit a three-run homer and scored twice to help host Philadelphia beat New York.

Andrew McCutchen added two hits for the Phillies, who split the four-game series with the Yankees.

Phillies starter Zach Eflin lasted only four innings in his first start of the season. He allowed four hits and two runs, though both were unearned, while striking out five and walking one. Deolis Guerra (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief, and Hector Neris recorded the final four outs for his second save in two opportunities.

Royals 13, Cubs 2

Jorge Soler hit one of three Kansas City home runs as his team snapped a six-game losing streak with a victory over visiting Chicago.

The Royals took out a season's worth of frustration against the Cubs, who had a six-game win streak snapped. Kansas City totaled a season-high 18 hits, 11 of those for extra bases.

Brad Keller (1-0) picked up the win in his season debut, throwing five scoreless innings. He was projected to be the Royals' Opening Day starter but tested positive for COVID-19 during summer camp. The right-hander benefited from the Royals' offensive outburst, but he was effective in allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Marlins 8, Orioles 7

Brian Anderson drove in three runs, and his RBI triple in the seventh inning scored what proved to be the winning run as Miami continued its hot start and made Don Mattingly the winningest manager in team history with a win over "visiting" Baltimore at Camden Yards.

The Marlins improved to 6-1 and won their fifth straight, a streak that began with an 11-6 win in Philadelphia before their season was halted for a week due to a coronavirus outbreak. The delay forced them to be the "home" team in Baltimore for two games.

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Braves right fielder Nick Markakis (22) hits a walk-off home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Anderson hit a two-run single in the third and then added an insurance run with a triple off Mychal Givens on a ball that caromed off the top of center fielder Austin Hays' glove in front of the warning track.

Brewers 8, White Sox 3

Jedd Gyorko belted a two-run home run and an RBI single, and Christian Yelich hit an inside-the-park homer to support five strong innings from journeyman Josh Lindblom as Milwaukee won at Chicago.

Lindblom (1-0), who played much of the past three seasons in South Korea, earned his first major league victory since July 4, 2013. He scattered two runs and four hits in five innings with one walk and a career-high seven strikeouts.

Leury Garcia reached Lindblom for a two-run home run to open the scoring in the second inning, but Lindblom recovered to limit the White Sox to two singles and a walk over the next three innings.

Pirates 6, Twins 5

Kevin Newman's pinch-hit two-run single in the ninth inning lifted Pittsburgh over visiting Minnesota.

Trailing 5-4, the Pirates opened the ninth against Twins closer Taylor Rogers (1-1) with Colin Moran's single to left. Cole Tucker pinch ran. Bryan Reynolds doubled down the line in left, setting up Newman's one-out hit up the middle as the Pirates snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Gregory Polanco added a three-run homer for the Pirates, who avoided being swept in a four-game, home-and-home series with Minnesota.

Rockies 6, Giants 4

Charlie Blackmon and Trevor Story hit home runs among two hits apiece, while Daniel Murphy also went deep as host Colorado defeated San Francisco.

Yency Almonte (1-0) pitched an inning of relief for the victory, and Jairo Diaz notched his third save for the Rockies, who have won all four series they have played to start the season.

Mauricio Dubon homered among his two hits, Donovan Solano had three hits and Pablo Sandoval had two hits for the Giants.

A's 6, Rangers 4

Khris Davis went 2-for-3 with two RBIs -- just his fourth and fifth hits of the season -- as Oakland opened an early lead and held on to complete a three-game sweep of visiting Texas.

T.J. McFarland, Yusmeiro Petit and Liam Hendriks scattered five hits to throw three shutout innings, wrapping up the victory and extending the A's winning streak to six games.

Todd Frazier and Anderson Tejeda, who was making his major league debut, homered for the Rangers, who fell for the fifth time during a six-game stay in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Angels 6, Mariners 1

Dylan Bundy pitched a four-hitter and was backed by a pair of home runs as Los Angeles won at Seattle in the finale of a three-game series.

Shohei Ohtani and Max Stassi went deep for the Angels, who took two games in the series. Ohtani, the two-way standout, was making his first appearance since suffering a forearm strain while pitching Sunday. The Angels have announced the injury will prevent Ohtani from taking the mound again this season.

Bundy (2-1) avenged a loss to Seattle on July 30 at Anaheim, Calif. The right-hander didn't walk a batter and struck out 10. Daniel Vogelbach homered for the Mariners' lone run.

--Field Level Media

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