MLB roundup: Red Sox hand Yanks 8th straight loss

 

[August 21, 2023]  Justin Turner hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the host New York Yankees 6-5 on Sunday afternoon to send their longtime rival to an eighth straight loss for the first time since 1995.

Boston got its seventh straight win over the Yankees when Turner hit an 0-1 sinker from Clay Holmes (4-4) to the warning track in right field to easily score Pablo Reyes, who hit a leadoff single.

Turner drove in four runs and gave the Red Sox a 5-2 lead in the seventh with a three-run homer off Michael King, but Yankees rookie Anthony Volpe hit a tying three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh.

The Yankees appeared to take the lead in the eighth when Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored from first on Volpe's single. The Red Sox challenged the play for obstruction and Kiner-Falefa's run was overturned. The Yankees then were unsuccessful in challenging that catcher Connor Wong blocked the plate.

Nationals 4, Phillies 3

Trevor Williams threw six shutout innings to back up Washington's first-inning offense in a victory against Philadelphia in the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa.

Relievers Jordan Weems, Hunter Harvey, Mason Thompson and Kyle Finnegan completed the combined six-hitter. Finnegan came on with two outs in the ninth with one run in and a runner on first, and promptly gave up a two-run homer to Jake Cave. But Finnegan struck out J.T. Realmuto to notch his 21st save.

Washington scored all of its runs in the first inning thanks to Keibert Ruiz and Dominic Smith, who each drove in two runs in the frame.

Mariners 7, Astros 6

Eugenio Suarez clubbed a two-run home run while Dominic Canzone and Dylan Moore recorded four-hit games as visiting Seattle completed a three-game series sweep of Houston.

The Mariners extended their winning streak to six games while completing their sixth series sweep of the season. They did so by chasing Astros rookie right-hander Hunter Brown in the third inning after their own rookie right-hander, Emerson Hancock, departed after just two innings with a right shoulder strain.

The Mariners are 16-4 over their last 20 games and pulled to within a half-game of Houston in the American League wild-card picture. Houston fell to 2-8 against the Mariners this season.

Brewers 6, Rangers 2

Milwaukee handed ace Max Scherzer his first loss with Texas en route to sweeping the three-game series between division-leading teams in Arlington, Texas.

Tyrone Taylor and Christian Yelich hit back-to-back doubles in the fourth to chase Scherzer. Taylor went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs for the Brewers, and starter Adrian Houser (5-4) scattered six hits over five innings with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Scherzer (12-5) left after 99 pitches -- including 42 in the third -- through only 3 2/3 innings, with three runs on three hits and four walks. On the plus side, Scherzer threw four strikeouts and passed Phil Niekro to move into 11th on the all-time strikeouts list with No. 3,343.

Twins 2, Pirates 0

Dallas Keuchel tossed 6 1/3 perfect innings en route to his first victory in over 15 months as Minnesota defeated Pittsburgh in the rubber game of their three-game series in Minneapolis.

Keuchel (1-1) yielded just one hit, an opposite-field double off the right-field wall by Bryan Reynolds on a 3-1 pitch in the seventh. Edouard Julien doubled and drove in two runs for Minnesota. Jhoan Duran earned his 23rd save with a scoreless ninth.

The 35-year-old Keuchel, the 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner, threw a season-high 85 pitches, 53 for strikes. He recorded 10 groundouts to pick up his first victory since a 3-2 win at Boston on May 8, 2022, while with the Chicago White Sox.

Blue Jays 10, Reds 3

Toronto hit five home runs against right-hander Hunter Greene, two by Brandon Belt, and went on to defeat host Cincinnati.

Belt hit two-run and solo shots, Kevin Kiermaier and George Springer had two-run homers and Bo Bichette added a solo blast in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Greene (2-5) returned from the 60-day disabled list (hip) and allowed nine runs (eight earned) and 10 hits in three-plus innings. It was his first start since June 17. The five homers allowed matched a club record for a pitcher.

Giants 4, Braves 3

Joc Pederson worked a bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning and give San Francisco a win over host Atlanta to salvage a game in the three-game series.

The loss broke the Braves' five-game winning streak and handed them their first home loss in eight games this month. The Giants ended a three-game losing streak.

Aug 20, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Justin Turner (2) hits an RBI double in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants loaded the bases without a hit against Kirby Yates in the ninth inning on a walk to Michael Conforto and back-to-back hit batters, Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores. After striking out Patrick Bailey and J.D. Davis, Yates (7-1) walked Pederson on four pitches to force in the go-ahead run.

Cubs 4, Royals 3

Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while pitching into the seventh, and Seiya Suzuki and Miguel Amaya each homered, then Chicago held on to beat visiting Kansas City.

Kansas City wasted no time getting to Hendricks (5-6) in the opening inning. Bobby Witt Jr., who has 44 hits in his last 26 games, singled, stole second and scored on Michael Massey's hit. Hendricks, however, settled down to yield just three more hits and walked only one, while striking out three, in lasting 6 1/3 innings.

Down 4-1, the Royals didn't go down quietly in the ninth. Maikel Garcia's run-scoring single and Drew Waters' RBI groundout got them within a run with the tying run on second. However, Adbert Alzolay (18 saves) induced a game-ending groundout from Dairon Blanco, and Chicago won for the 13th time in its last 18 home contests.

Orioles 12, Athletics 1

Ryan Mountcastle went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run, Gunnar Henderson laced four extra-base hits and Baltimore completed a three-game road demolition of Oakland.

Kyle Bradish (8-6) retired the first 10 batters in order en route to pitching six innings of two-hit ball, while Jorge Mateo connected on an inside-the-park home run for the Orioles, who completed a 6-3 run through Seattle, San Diego and Oakland.

The Athletics' only run came when Brent Rooker greeted reliever Nick Vespi with his 20th homer of the year leading off the seventh.

Tigers 4, Guardians 1

Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter homered to back a strong start from left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez as Detroit beat host Cleveland to clinch their four-game series.

After Guardians lefty Logan Allen opened the game by walking Matt Vierling on five pitches, Torkelson got a fastball down the middle and homered the opposite way to right field for a 2-0 lead. With the Tigers nursing a 2-1 lead, they added two more in the seventh, one on Carpenter's 18th homer of the season and second in two games.
 

In 6 2/3 innings, Rodriguez (9-6) allowed just one run on four hits and a walk, and he struck out six. He lowered his ERA to 3.03. After the rough start, Allen (6-6) settled in, retiring the final 11 batters he faced. In six innings, he surrendered two runs on four hits and two walks, and he struck out five.

Cardinals 7, Mets 3

Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run, scored twice and drove in three runs as St. Louis defeated visiting New York to avoid a four-game sweep.

Richie Palacios drove in two runs and made a homer-robbing catch for the Cardinals, who finished with 15 hits and snapped their four-game losing streak. Pete Alonso hit his 39th homer for the Mets, whose four-game winning streak came to an end.

Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson (5-0) allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

White Sox 10, Rockies 5

Andrew Vaughn homered among his three hits, Lenyn Sosa went deep during a seven-run eighth inning and Chicago rallied to beat Colorado in Denver.

Andrew Benintendi also had three hits, Zach Remillard had two hits and Aaron Bummer (4-2) got the win in relief for the White Sox, who snapped a three-game skid and denied Colorado a three-game sweep. Yoan Moncada hit a two-run double that tied the game and Oscar Colas made it 7-5 with a two-run double during the seventh-inning uprising.

Charlie Blackmon homered and tripled and Michael Toglia and Harold Castro also had two hits for the Rockies.

--Field Level Media

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