Salvador Perez homered and drove in three runs as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 5-1 in Major League Baseball on Tuesday.
The game was overshadowed by an afternoon announcement that Dave Dombrowski was being replaced as Detroit’s general manager by his top assistant, Al Avila.
In 14 years with the Tigers, Dombrowski took one of the worst clubs in the game and took it to six post-season appearances, including World Series losses in 2006 and 2012.
Photo: AFP
Detroit came into the season looking for a fifth straight AL Central division title, but now trail the Royals by twelve-and-a-half games.
Danny Duffy (5-5) allowed one run on five hits and four walks in seven innings, only striking out two.
Justin Verlander (1-4) struggled in his ninth start of the season, allowing five runs on 10 hits in seven innings.
INDIANS 2, ANGELS 0
In Anaheim, California, rookie Giovanny Urshela hit a two-run homer in the 12th inning after teammate Carlos Carrasco pitched one-hit ball through the first nine as Cleveland beat Los Angeles.
Lonnie Chisenhall led off the 12th with a single against Jose Alvarez (2-3), who was working his third inning of relief. Cam Bedrosian replaced him and got two outs before Urshela — the Indians’ No. 9 hitter — drove a 1-0 pitch into the lower seats in the left field corner for his fourth homer after starting the road trip one for 20.
Zach McAllister pitched one inning for the victory and Cody Allen got three outs for his 22nd save in 24 chances.
Carrasco struck out seven, including Kole Calhoun with the potential winning run at second base to end the game. On Thursday last week in Oakland, California, the 28-year-old right-hander from Venezuela pitched a two-hitter and retired his final 16 batters in a 3-1 victory.
METS 5, MARLINS 1
In Miami, Eric Campbell’s tiebreaking pinch single and Juan Lagares’ two-run triple highlighted a four-run eighth inning that helped send New York to a win over Miami.
Jonathan Niese (6-9) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings for the NL East-leading Mets, who won their fifth consecutive game.
Mets relievers Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia combined to pitch two scoreless innings to end the game.
Lucas Duda drove a ball over right fielder Cole Gillespie for a single leading off the eighth against Mike Dunn (1-5) and Travis d’Arnaud followed with a base hit. Campbell batted for Niese and hit a soft line drive into shallow left field over the outstretched glove of shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria.
Lagares tripled to make it 4-1 and scored on Curtis Granderson’s double.
The Marlins have lost six of seven.
NATIONALS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4
In Washington, Wilson Ramos blooped a two-run single to right with one out in the bottom of the eighth that helped Washington to a victory over Arizona.
Ryan Zimmerman led off the eighth with a walk off David Hernandez (0-2) and went to third on Jayson Werth’s double. One out later, Ramos sliced his single that ended a 3-3 tie and scored both Zimmerman and Werth.
Drew Storen (2-0) earned the win thanks to a perfect eighth.
Jonathan Papelbon posted his 19th save of the season and his second with the Nationals, despite allowing an unearned run in the ninth. Washington ended their four-game losing streak.
RANGERS 4, ASTROS 3
In Arlington, Texas, relievers Sam Freeman and Shawn Tolleson pitched out of trouble as Texas held off Houston.
Freeman relieved Yovani Gallardo (8-9) in the sixth inning and allowed a single and a walk to load the bases with one out. Freeman then retired Luis Valbuena and Marwin Gonzalez.
Tolleson earned his 20th save, all since May 20, despite giving up a walk and Valbuena’s second single before recording an out. Jason Castro and Jose Altuve struck out for the final two outs.
Texas erased a 2-1 deficit with three runs in the fifth against Dan Straily (0-1).
Houston’s Carlos Gomez drove in two runs with a double and a homer.
REDS 3, CARDINALS 2
In Cincinnati, Ohio, Anthony DeSclafani handled the St Louis Cardinals for the second straight start, striking out a career-high nine as Cincinnati turned a big first inning off John Lackey into a victory.
DeSclafani (7-7), the most experienced member of Cincinnati’s all-rookie rotation, gave up seven hits and two runs in six innings. It was his second straight impressive start over the NL Central leaders.
Aroldis Chapman fanned two in the ninth — his fastball topping out at 162.5kph — for his 23rd save in 24 chances.
PHILLIES 6, DODGERS 2
In Philadelphia, Maikel Franco hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the seventh inning to spoil Jimmy Rollins’ return to Philadelphia and lead the Phillies to a victory over NL West-leading Los Angeles.
Rollins got a prolonged standing ovation in his first game in front of a crowd that rooted for the shortstop his first 15 seasons. The 2007 National League MVP finished two for five.
Franco connected off reliever Joel Peralta to put resurgent Philadelphia ahead 5-1. The Phillies have the worst record (42-65) in the league, but they are 13-3 since the MLB All-Star Game.
Jeanmar Gomez (1-2) allowed one run in 1-2/3 innings and Ken Giles got the final four outs for his third save since replacing Jonathan Papelbon. Giles struck out Rollins looking at a 161km fastball to leave runners on second and third in the eighth. Starter Jerome Williams allowed one run in five innings.
In other results, it was:
‧ Athletics 5, Orioles 0
‧ Blue Jays 3, Twins 1
‧ Yankees 13, Red Sox 3
‧ Cubs 5, Pirates 0
‧ Giants 8, Braves 3
‧ Rays 11, White Sox 3
‧ Mariners 10, Rockies 4
‧ Brewers 4, Padres 1
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