George Springer on Friday night dashed home from second base on a wild pitch by Chris Sale, then homered off the Boston ace to send the Houston Astros over the Red Sox 7-3 in a matchup of American League division leaders.
Carlos Correa and Evan Gattis homered late to boost the Astros.
Mitch Moreland and J.D. Martinez hit back-to-back homers off Gerrit Cole (6-1) to start the fourth inning and get within 4-3. Martinez hit his major league-leading 19th homer.
Photo: AP
Springer’s sprint put the Astros ahead in the first inning. With runners at first and second and one out, Sale (5-3) threw a hard slider that caught Correa swinging for strike three.
However, the ball bounced off catcher Sandy Leon’s glove and caromed toward the first base dugout, and Springer hustled home on the wild pitch.
ATHLETICS 16, ROYALS 0
In Kansas City, Missouri, Matt Olson hit two homers and drove in a career-high five runs, while Frankie Montas pitched a career-best eight innings to help Oakland rout Kansas City.
Dustin Fowler also homered twice and had four RBIs for Oakland.
Montas (2-0) made his second start since being called up from the minors on Sunday last week and limited the Royals to six hits and used ground ball double plays to end the fourth and fifth innings.
The A’s sent 10 men to the plate in the third inning against Royals starter Ian Kennedy (1-6) and the first six reached, including Fowler’s solo home run.
CUBS 7, METS 4
In New York, Kyle Schwarber entered as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning and wound up homering and driving in four runs as the Chicago Cubs rallied against the beleaguered Mets bullpen.
The Cubs trailed 2-0 in the seventh before posting their fifth win in six games.
Randy Rosario (2-0) pitched 1-2/3 scoreless innings. Brandon Morrow worked the ninth for his 14th save in 15 opportunities.
Schwarber broke it open in the eighth against Paul Sewald (0-4) with his 11th homer, a three-run shot.
The Mets dropped below .500 for the first time this season at 27-28.
MARINERS 4, RAYS 3, 13 INNINGS
In Seattle, Mitch Haniger homered leading off the 13th inning as Seattle improved to 6-0 in extra innings.
Haniger’s drive went out to right-center field, capping a game that lasted 4 hours, 16 minutes.
Roenis Elias (1-0), who was called up from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day, got the win with two scoreless innings.
Matt Andriese (1-3) was the last of seven Tampa Bay pitchers. He pitched a scoreless 12th inning before giving up Haniger’s game-ending shot.
Seattle closer Edwin Diaz gave up the tying run in the ninth, his third blown save this season in 22 opportunities.
BRAVES 4, NATIONALS 0
In Atlanta, Georgia, Mike Foltynewicz pitched a two-hitter for his first career complete game and Dansby Swanson broke the game open with a three-run homer in the seventh for the Braves.
Foltynewicz (5-3) retired 20 straight batters before issuing a leadoff walk in the eighth to outpitch Stephen Strasburg (6-5), who left the game with cramps in his left wrist after 6-2/3 innings.
The first-placed Braves, winners of five of their past seven, moved more than one game ahead of the Nationals in the National League East.
YANKEES 4, ORIOLES 1
In Baltimore, Maryland, Sonny Gray pitched six sharp innings and Aaron Judge homered as the Yankees breezed past punchless Baltimore.
Rookie Gleyber Torres had two hits and an RBI for the Yankees, who have won three consecutive games to move a season-high 19 games over .500 (36-17).
Gray (4-4) allowed one run and four hits with six strikeouts.
Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth for his 13th save.
Baltimore wasted a decent start by Andrew Cashner (2-7), who gave up three runs over six innings.
TIGERS 5, BLUE JAYS 2
In Detroit, Michigan, Nicholas Castellanos homered and had three hits, while Miguel Cabrera got a hit in his return from the disabled list for Detroit.
Cabrera was one for three with a walk in his first game since May 4 due to a hamstring injury. Blaine Hardy (2-0) allowed two runs, three hits and four walks in six innings for Detroit. Shane Greene pitched the ninth for his 14th save.
Toronto starter Jamie Garcia (2-4) allowed four runs on seven hits in 1-2/3 innings.
In other results, it was:
‧ Twins 7, Indians 4
‧ Pirates 4, Cardinals 0
‧ White Sox 8, Brewers 3
‧ Diamondbacks 9, Marlins 1
‧ Dodgers 11, Rockies 8
‧ Angels 6, Rangers 0
‧ Reds 7, Padres 2
‧ Giants 4, Phillies 0
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