MAJOR LEAGUES
Bryce Harper and Adam LaRoche each drove in two runs, leading the Washington Nationals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 on Friday night for their fourth straight win.
Denard Span added three hits as the NL East leaders opened a 10-game homestand.
Tanner Roark (12-7) gave up three runs over 5-2/3 innings. Rafael Soriano allowed three hits in the ninth, including Pedro Alvarez’s RBI single, but held on for his 29th save.
Starling Marte hit a two-run homer for the Pirates, who have lost three straight.
Charlie Morton (5-12) lasted three innings in his shortest start of the season, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks.
The first five Nationals hitters reached base.
MARINERS 7, TIGERS 2
In Detroit, Robinson Cano homered, James Paxton won his sixth consecutive decision to start his career and the surging Seattle Mariners beat Detroit in a matchup of American League playoff contenders.
Paxton (3-0) allowed one run and five hits over six innings to help Seattle win their fifth straight and ninth in 11 games.
Cano and Logan Morrison each scored twice for the Mariners, who jumped a half-game ahead of Detroit in the race for the second AL wild card.
The Tigers fell 1.5 games behind first-place Kansas City in the AL Central.
Rick Porcello (13-8) struggled badly in his first appearance since pitching the final three innings of Detroit’s 19-inning loss in Toronto on Sunday.
Porcello gave up six runs — five earned — and 10 hits in six innings.
BREWERS 6, DODGERS 3
In Los Angeles, pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay drove in three runs with a two-out double in the eighth inning, rallying Milwaukee past Los Angeles in a game between division leaders.
The NL Central-leading Brewers scored all their runs in the eighth off Jamey Wright (4-3).
Milwaukee tied the score 2-all on Scooter Gennett’s RBI single and Khris Davis’ run-scoring double after Wright allowed four consecutive hits, Milwaukee’s first since getting two hits in the first inning.
Brandon League struck out pinch-hitter Rickie Weeks before Overbay doubled to left for a 5-2 lead.
Brandon Kintzler (2-3) got the victory. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 37th save.
Yasiel Puig went three-for-four with a pair of RBI singles for the NL West leaders.
BRAVES 7, ATHLETICS 2
In Atlanta, Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer, one of four long balls by Atlanta in the opener of an interleague series against Oakland.
Justin Upton and Evan Gattis homered off Jason Hammel (1-5) in the second inning. Rookie Phil Gosselin hit a two-run shot, the first homer of his career, off Jesse Chavez in the sixth.
It was a rare power surge for the Braves, who had not scored more than four runs in any of their past six games. Atlanta had lost 12 of 15.
Alex Wood (9-9) allowed two runs in six innings — a two-run homer by Nate Freiman in the fourth.
The AL West-leading A’s have lost three straight and five of six.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, MARLINS 2
In Miami, Aaron Hill and Cliff Pennington homered in the first inning as Arizona held on to beat Miami.
Trevor Cahill (3-8) pitched 6-2/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits for the Diamondbacks. Addison Reed worked the ninth for his 29th save in 34 chances.
Marlins starter Brad Hand (2-5) yielded three runs in seven innings.
Miami threatened in the eighth, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia bounced into an inning-ending double play, one of four turned by the Diamondbacks.
Pennington hit his first homer since May 1 last year, against San Francisco. Hill added a two-run shot, his 10th of the season.
RAYS 5, YANKEES 0
In St Petersburg, Florida, Alex Cobb pitched neatly into the eighth inning as Tampa Bay beat New York to become the fourth team in major league history to reach .500 after falling 18 games under in the same season.
The Rays won their third in a row and sent the Yankees to their fifth straight loss.
Tampa Bay also accomplished the comeback feat in 2004. The 1899 Louisville Colonels and 2006 Florida Marlins also got back to the break-even point after dropping 18 under.
The Rays, now 61-61, were 24-42 on June 10. They are trying to become the first club to finish with a winning record after being so far under.
Cobb (8-6) gave up six hits in 7-1/3 innings, striking out eight and walking one. He improved to 4-0 in six home starts against the Yankees. Brad Boxberger struck Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira with the bases loaded to end the eighth.
Tampa Bay has held its opponents to three runs or fewer in a club-record 11 consecutive games.
Brandon McCarthy (4-2) gave up four runs over 6-1/3 innings. New York have totaled seven runs during their current skid, which includes a pair of shutouts.
METS 3, CUBS 2
In New York, Zack Wheeler struck out 10 in a gritty performance, Eric Campbell hit a three-run homer as New York beat the free-swinging Chicago Cubs.
Wheeler (8-8) threw a career-high 120 pitches over 6-2/3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits. He walked four and hit a batter, but overpowered the Cubs in improving to 5-0 in his last nine starts.
Chicago struck out 14 times and has whiffed 91 times in their past eight games, including 16 on Thursday in a loss to Milwaukee.
Jenrry Mejia threw a perfect ninth for his 18th save.
Travis Wood (7-10) gave up three runs in 5-1/3 innings, dropping to 0-5 in his last 11 starts.
INDIANS 2, ORIOLES 1, 11 INNS
In Cleveland, Mike Aviles homered leading off the 11th inning to give Cleveland a win over Baltimore.
Aviles connected on a 1-2 pitch from Brian Matusz (2-3), driving it onto the home run porch in left field for Cleveland’s second run in the past 22-plus innings. The Indians, who have won four of five, were shut out 1-0 by Arizona in 12 innings on Wednesday night.
Scott Atchison (6-0) retired all six batters he faced. Indians starter Corey Kluber struck out 10 in 7-2/3 innings. He is unbeaten in eight starts since June.
Zach Walters also homered for Cleveland. The Orioles tied it in the eighth on J.J. Hardy’s two-out single.
ASTROS 5, RED SOX 3, 10 INNS
In Boston, Jake Marisnick hit a two-run double with two outs in the 10th inning as Houston rallied past Boston for their first win in nine games at Fenway Park.
With their 51st win of the season, the Astros matched last year’s total.
Gregorio Petit entered as a pinch runner in the eighth inning and scored twice, including the tying run in the eighth on a wild sequence that withstood two challenges by Boston.
The Red Sox lost both — and the game, ending their winning streak at four.
The Astros came back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to tie it, then took their first lead in the 10th after loading the bases with none out against reliever Craig Breslow (2-4).
Tony Sipp (3-2) shut down the Red Sox in order to end it.
Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run homer for Boston, his third in his past five games.
Rob Grossman homered for the Astros.
In other MLB action, it was:
‧ Angels 5, Rangers 4
‧ Royals 6, Twins 5
‧ White Sox 11, Blue Jays 5
‧ Cardinals 4, Padres 2
‧ Reds 3, Rockies 2
‧ Phillies 5, Giants 3, 10 inns
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