Evan Gattis drove in two runs in a four-run seventh inning and the Houston Astros continued their late-inning magic as they rallied for a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.
The Astros have scored a major league-leading 94 runs in the seventh inning or later this season.
They trailed by one entering the seventh before a leadoff single by Chris Carter knocked starter Ubaldo Jimenez out of the game. He was replaced by Brad Brach (3-1), who walked Luis Valbuena before a single by pinch-hitter Hank Conger loaded the bases.
Photo: AFP
George Springer singled to tie it up with one out before Jose Altuve’s sacrifice fly put Houston on top. Gattis drove in two more to make it 5-2.
Will Harris (2-0) pitched 1-2/3 scoreless innings for the win and Luke Gregerson struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 14th save.
YANKEES 7, MARINERS 2
Photo: AFP
In Seattle, Mark Teixeira hit his ninth career grand slam off Seattle ace Felix Hernandez in the fifth inning and Michael Pineda allowed two runs pitching into the seventh in the Yankees’ win over the Mariners.
The anticipated matchup between two of the top right-handers in the American League met expectations for three innings before Hernandez (8-2) fell apart in stunning fashion.
The Yankees took advantage of five walks and a wild pitch that allowed a run to score as the AL wins leader lost his rhythm following a brief rain shower that dampened Safeco Field before the retractable roof could close.
With Hernandez struggling, Teixeira did not miss his chance to blow the game open. With only one out in the fifth, Hernandez fell behind 2-0 and grooved a fastball to Teixeira, who hit his 15th homer of the season and sixth career long ball off Hernandez.
BREWERS 1, CARDINALS 0
In St Louis, Missouri, Mike Fiers and four relievers combined on an eight-hitter and Carlos Gomez had a first-inning RBI single in the Brewers’ victory over the Cardinals.
Fiers (2-5) allowed four hits in six innings, one shy of his season high, and won for the first time in six starts since May 2 at Chicago.
Johnathan Broxton, Neal Cotts, James Jeffress and Francisco Rodriguez combined to allow four hits without walking a batter in Milwaukee’s fourth shutout of the season.
Jaime Garcia (1-2) worked seven sterling innings and Kolten Wong and Mark Reynolds had two singles apiece for the Cardinals, who were shut out for the fifth time and the first time at home, where they are among the best in the league at 20-7.
CUBS 5, MARLINS 1
In Miami, Jason Hammel had a career-high 11 strikeouts in 6-2/3 innings as the Cubs beat the Marlins.
With his start pushed back because of a cracked fingernail and a rainout, Hammel (4-2) pitched for the first time in eight days, and he seemed to benefit from the extra rest. He allowed one run, four hits and no walks, lowering his ERA to 2.82.
Hammel threw 117 pitches, his highest total since 2009. Two relievers completed a six-hitter, and the Marlins struck out 13 times.
Jose Urena (0-2), making his second major league start, improved on his rocky debut, but allowed three runs in six innings.
PIRATES 4, GIANTS 3
In San Francisco, Gerrit Cole struck out a season-best nine to win his third straight start, Neil Walker hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the fifth after a pair of called strikeouts, and the Pirates beat the Giants.
Andrew McCutchen had two likely hits stolen by great plays in the outfield and he instead settled for sacrifice flies against Ryan Vogelsong (4-3).
Cole (8-2) struck out the side in order in the fourth, then worked a 1-2-3 fifth before loading the bases with none out in the sixth. He got out of it with a strikeout of Brandon Belt and inducing Brandon Crawford’s inning-ending double play.
Belt’s two-run, two-out double in the first put San Francisco ahead in a rematch of the NL one-game wild card won 8-0 by the eventual champion Giants in October last year at PNC Park.
In other results, it was:
‧ Mets 7, Padres 0
‧ Angels 7, Rays 3
‧ Dodgers 11, Rockies 4
‧ Braves 8, Diamondbacks 1
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