Rookie Luis Severino won his third straight start and Alex Rodriguez hit his 681st career home run to send the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Friday night for their sixth win in seven games.
Brian McCann and Greg Bird also homered for the Yankees, who hold the top AL wild-card spot and are trying to catch East-leading Toronto. New York won with just four hits — an infield tapper and three long balls.
Evan Longoria hit his third homer in two games for the Rays, still on the edge of the wild-card race.
Photo: AP
Rodriguez, 40, gave the Yankees the lead with a two-run drive in the second inning and 21-year-old Severino kept them ahead.
Jake Odorozzi (6-8) gave up five runs, three hits and two walks in 6-2/3 innings.
RED SOX 7, PHILLIES 5
Photo: AP
In Boston, Jackie Bradley Jr hit a solo homer and David Ortiz an RBI double in Boston’s four-run seventh inning as Joe Kelly won his seventh straight start.
Mookie Betts added an RBI double for Boston, who entered the weekend 10-1-2 in their past 13 games against the Phillies.
Odubel Herrera had a two-run home run and three hits for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Kelly (9-6) gave up two runs on five hits in six innings. He is the first Red Sox pitcher since Josh Beckett in 2007 to win seven consecutive starts.
Robbie Ross Jr struck out Ryan Howard for the final out of his first career save after closer Jean Machi gave up three runs in the ninth.
Leading 3-2, Boston broke it open in the seventh, chasing Adam Morgan (5-5).
CUBS 14, DIAMONDBACKS 5
In Chicago, Anthony Rizzo hit a grand slam in Chicago’s eight-run fifth inning and rookie Addison Russell homered twice for the first time in his career to back Jon Lester.
Javier Baez added a two-run shot — his first homer this season — and went three for four in his third game since his recall from the minors as the Cubs rolled to their third win in five following a four-game losing streak.
Lester (9-10) was staked to an early lead and rebounded after being hit hard in two of three prior starts. The left-hander’s command was not razor sharp, but good enough as he allowed two runs on five hits in five innings before four Cubs relievers finished.
Arizona rookie Zack Godley (4-1) gave up six runs, four hits and six walks in 3-2/3 innings.
INDIANS 8, TIGERS 1
In Detroit, Michigan, Jerry Sands homered, tripled and scored twice as Josh Tomlin pitched a four-hitter to lead Cleveland over Detroit.
The Indians have won 10 of 14 as they try to stay in the American League wild-card race. Detroit have lost seven of eight and been outscored 71-21 in that stretch.
Tomlin (4-1) was moved up a day after scheduled starter Corey Kluber could not overcome a hamstring strain sustained in a bullpen session earlier in the week. He allowed one run on four hits and a walk while striking out five. His last complete game was on June 28 last year in Seattle.
Kyle Lobstein (3-6), who had been sidelined since May 23 with a shoulder injury, allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks in 4-1/3 innings.
ORIOLES 10, BLUE JAYS 2
In Toronto, Chris Davis hit two home runs to take the major league lead with 40 and Matt Wieters and Adam Jones both connected as Baltimore cruised past Toronto.
Ubaldo Jimenez (10-9) pitched 5-2/3 innings for the victory as the Orioles won consecutive games for the first time since beating Oakland on Aug. 16-17.
Toronto’s lead atop the AL East shrank to half a game as the second-place New York Yankees beat Tampa Bay 5-2.
Davis opened the scoring by leading off the second inning with a second-deck drive to right, then broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run shot in the sixth. Both homers came off Blue Jays right-hander Drew Hutchison (13-3).
Davis moved past Seattle’s Nelson Cruz for the home run lead.
In other results, it was:
‧ Nationals 5, Braves 2
‧ Astros 8, Twins 0
‧ White Sox 12, Royals 1
‧ Marlins 6, Mets 5
‧ Pirates 9, Cardinals 3
‧ Rockies 2, Giants 1
‧ Angels 5, Rangers 2
‧ Dodgers 8, Padres 4
‧ Mariners 11, Athletics 8
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