Braves end six-game losing streak with 4-0 win over Mets

Publish date: 2024-08-19

NEW YORK — Spencer Schwellenbach struck out a career-best 11 over seven dominant innings of two-hit ball, and the Atlanta Braves stopped a six-game losing streak Saturday with a 4-0 victory against the New York Mets.

Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson hit back-to-back homers in the fourth after Mets starter Tylor Megill, just brought back from the minors, retired his first 11 batters.

Orlando Arcia added an RBI single in the fifth after a leadoff walk to Sean Murphy, and Eddie Rosario went deep against Megill (2-5) leading off the seventh.

Atlanta moved back ahead of the Mets for second place in the NL East and the league’s top wild card. The banged-up Braves halted their longest skid since a six-game slide in September 2017 — the final week of Brian Snitker’s first full season as manager. They haven’t dropped seven in a row since August 2016.

Schwellenbach (4-5) completely shut down a red-hot Mets lineup as the Braves ended New York’s five-game winning streak. He walked none and threw 62 of 89 pitches for strikes in his 10th major league start.

The rookie right-hander retired his final 10 batters. The only hits he permitted were doubles by Jeff McNeil in the second and Pete Alonso in the fourth.

BLUE JAYS 7, RANGERS 3

TORONTO — Kevin Gausman pitched a four-hitter for his third complete game in 280 major league starts. Daulton Varsho had four RBIs that included three-run homer and Toronto beat Texas.

Gausman (9-8) won his third straight start and joined Atlanta’s Max Fried as the only pitchers with two complete game this season. Gausman, who pitched a five-hit shutout at Oakland on June 8, struck out eight, walked three and threw 118 pitches, his most since 2016. He threw 81 pitches for strikes.

It was the 20th complete game in the major leagues this season and the first nine-inning complete game against Texas since the Los Angeles Angels’ José Suarez on Sept. 4, 2021.

Marcus Semien tripled in the first inning and scored on a wild pitch, and Wyatt Langford hit an RBI double in the third and scored on Adolis García’s single. Semien scored twice but Texas lost its second straight after a five-game winning streak.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three of Toronto’s 15 hits and scored three runs. Alejandro Kirk had three hits and drove in a run for the Blue Jays, who won consecutive games for the first time since July 10 and 11 at San Francisco.

PADRES 9, ORIOLES 4

BALTIMORE — Michael King pitched brilliantly into the seventh inning, Manny Machado hit a three-run homer in his old ballpark and San Diego extended their winning streak to seven games with a 9-4 rout of sloppy Baltimore.

Three of San Diego’s four runs off Baltimore starter Dean Kremer (4-7) were unearned as the Orioles lost for the 18th time in their last 30 games. They’re still in first place in the AL East only because the New York Yankees have slumped badly as well.

King (9-6) allowed two hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine. He exited with two men on base, and they both eventually scored on a double by Cedric Mullins. But that came after the Padres had already built an 8-0 lead.

Mullins also hit a two-run homer in the ninth.

With men on second and third and two outs in the second, Kyle Higashioka lifted a popup behind third base. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson appeared to be calling for it, but third baseman Ramón Urías backed under the ball and the two eventually came together. Both reached for the ball and neither caught it, and both runners scored on the error, which was charged to Urías.

RAYS 4, REDS 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alex Jackson and Yandy Díaz hit consecutive home runs in a three-run fifth inning to back Zack Littell, and Tampa Bay beat Cincinnati to stop their three-game winning streak.

Jackson, who was 10 for 100 this season going into the plate appearance, hit a 407-foot homer to left on an 0-1 sweeper from Andrew Abbott (9-7) at the bottom of the strike zone, his third home run this season.

Díaz drove an 0-2 fastball to right-center for his ninth home run. Díaz returned Friday after missing seven games for personal reasons and went 1 for 5 with a single.

Amed Rosario and Brandon Lowe followed with consecutive doubles that chased Abbott, who gave up four runs and eight hits in four-plus innings.

Littell (4-7) allowed three hits and matched his season high of seven innings, striking out five and walking one. He had been 0-2 in his previous three starts.

PHILLIES 8, GUARDIANS 0

PHILADELPHIA — Tyler Phillips tossed a four-hit shutout in his third-big league start, and the right-hander from South Jersey who grew up a diehard Philadelphia fan pitched them to a win over Cleveland.

Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh and Kyle Schwarber all homered in a seven-run fourth inning. Nick Castellanos went deep in the sixth and the Phillies acquired closer Carlos Estévez as part of an eventful night at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies landed the 2023 All-Star Estévez hours after they placed All-Star lefty Ranger Suárez on the 15-day injured list because of soreness in his lower back.

It’s the kind of move Phillips would have approved of as a Phillies fan from Lumberton, New Jersey.

Phillips improved to 3-0 and has won all three big-league starts, giving the Phillies an unexpected second-half boost in place of injured starters Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull.

TIGERS 7, TWINS 2

DETROIT — Tarik Skubal gave up five hits and two runs in seven strong innings in his last start before the trade deadline and Detroit rallied to beat Minnesota.

Javier Báez homered for the third straight game and Colt Keith had a home run and a triple for three RBIs. Báez had only homered once this season before his current streak and three of his four home runs this year have come against the Twins.

Skubal (12-3) allowed three hits, including a two-run homer, in the first inning, but held the Twins to two singles over the next six. He struck out eight and walked two.

Twins starter Joe Ryan (6-7) allowed three runs on four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

The Twins took a 2-0 lead on Royce Lewis’ 11th homer in 26 games this season, but Mark Canha’s RBI single made it 2-1 in the bottom of the inning.

GIANTS 4, ROCKIES 1, 1st game

GIANTS 5, ROCKIES 0, 2nd game

SAN FRANCISCO — Blake Snell struck out a career-high 15 in six innings in San Francisco’s opening victory over Colorado Rockies, and Hayden Birdsong fanned eight over five innings in a win in the second game for a doubleheader sweep.

Patrick Bailey hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh inning in opener. In the second game, Tyler Fitzgerald hit his eighth homer in 10 games.

CUBS 9, ROYALS 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Wisdom hit a grand slam as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, Seiya Suzuki also homered and Chicago beat Kansas City.

Wisdom hit for Pete Crow-Armstrong and laced the homer 440-feet off Sam Long into the fountains in left for a 7-4 lead.

The runners were put on base by Seth Lugo (12-5), who went 6 1/3 innings. He allowed six earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out two.

Julian Merryweather (1-0) pitched an inning for the victory. Cubs starter Shota Imanaga went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and three strikeouts.

Suzuki hit his 15th homer, scoring Michael Busch to make it 2-0 in the first. Hunter Renfroe his 10th homer for Kansas City in the second.

MARLINS 7, BREWERS 3

MILWAUKEE — Josh Bell hit a three-run homer to cap a five-run rally in the seventh inning that lifted Miami to a comeback victory over Milwaukee.

Pinch-hitter Emmanuel Rivera opened the seventh with a triple. Vidal Bruján walked and Nick Fortes reached on a bunt single that pitcher Jared Koenig couldn’t corral, scoring Rivera to tie it at 3.

Xavier Reynolds advanced the runners with a sacrifice, chasing Koenig (8-2), who had not allowed a run in his seven previous outings.

Bryan De La Cruz greeted reliever Elvis Peguero with an RBI single. Bell then jumped on the first pitch for his 14th homer.

Brian Hoeing (1-2) tossed three scoreless innings in relief for the victory.

MARINERS 6, WHITE SOX 3

CHICAGO — Jorge Polanco hit two solo homers and added an RBI single to help Seattle beat Chicago.

The Mariners remained a game behind first-place Houston in the AL West.

Cal Raleigh cracked his team-leading 21st homer, and Victor Robles had three hits and an RBI as Seattle won its second straight and handed major league-worst Chicago its 13th consecutive loss, one short it the team record. The Mariners, who once led the division by 10 games, have just three wins in their last 11.

All-Star Randy Arozarena made his Seattle debut, batting second and playing left field after being acquired from Tampa Bay on Thursday. The 2021 AL Rookie of the Year went 1 for 4 with an infield single, a walk and two strikeouts.

The White Sox have lost 19 of 22 and are 53 or more games under .500 for the first time since they were 46-99 in 1932. Chicago has sunk past the the 1962 Mets (28-79) for the worst record through 107 games.

ASTROS 7, DODGERS 6

HOUSTON — Alex Bregman hit a game-ending homer off Blake Treinen in the ninth inning that sailed over the left-field train tracks, and Houston overcame Shohei Ohtani’s National League-leading 32nd home run to beat Los Angeles.

Houston trailed 5-0 in the sixth and 6-4 in the eighth before Yainer Diaz tripled off Daniel Hudson, and Jeremy Peña and Jon Singleton hit RBI singles.

Bregman drove a 1-0 sinker from Treinen (5-3) that went 407 feet for his 14th home run.

Josh Hader (4-5) pitched a perfect ninth for the Astros (55-49), who have won three straight and 22 of 33.

Los Angeles (62-44) has lost three of four following a five-game winning streak.

Cavan Biggio hit an RBI double in the second and Ohtani doubled the lead in the third with 443-foot drive into the second level in right, a 118.7 mph drive, according to Statcast.

DIAMONDBACKS 9, PIRATES 5

PHOENIX — Ketel Marte homered and had three RBIs, pinch hitter Joc Pederson hit a two-run triple and Arizona stretched their winning streak to four games with a victory over Pittsburgh.

Jake McCarthy went 5 for 5 with an RBI and Arizona had 13 hits to win for the 10th time in 13 games. The Diamondbacks have won or split eight straight series.

The Diamondbacks jumped on the Pirates early, taking a 4-1 lead after Marte’s two-run homer and Corbin Carroll’s solo shot.

Oneil Cruz hit a 472-foot homer in the first inning and the Pirates tied it at 4 with three runs in the fifth inning off Brandon Pfaadt (5-6).

It was all Arizona after that.

Marte and Geraldo Perdomo hit sacrifice flies in the fifth inning, then Pederson had a two-run double off Quinn Priester (2-6) in the sixth.

YANKEES 11, RED SOX 8, 10 INNINGS

BOSTON — Gleyber Torres’ two-run double capped a three-run 10th inning, Aaron Judge hit his 37th homer as he reached base a career-high six times and New York rallied past Boston.

In a game that was tied five times, matching the most in the major leagues this season, New York led 3-0 and 4-3, and Boston went ahead 5-4, 6-5 and 8-6.

Judge homered for the second straight night to raise his big league-leading total, had four RBIs and tied a career best with his 10th four-hit game.

Juan Soto combined with Judge in the first inning for back-to-back homers for the third time this season, hitting his 27th. Trent Grisham tied the score 8-8 with two outs in the ninth with a double that clanked off the Green Monster on a 2-2 pitch from Kenley Jansen.

Austin Wells hit a sacrifice fly off Chase Anderson (0-2) in the 10th and Torres, who had been 0 for 5, doubled off the base of the Green Monster.

ATHLETICS 3, ANGELS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shea Langeliers hit a three-run homer in the first inning as Oakland continued their recent power surge with a win over Los Angeles.

The A’s have won three in a row over the Angels and eight of their last 10 games overall. The Angels have lost three straight.

Langeliers hit his 20th home run of the season 411 feet to center field. Oakland leads the majors for most home runs in July with 41 and Langeliers has five of those.

Mitch Spence (7-6) allowed just one run and three hits in six innings, with three strikeouts and two walks. Tyler Ferguson retired the Angels in order in the ninth to earn his second save.

The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel homered for the second consecutive day. Schanuel hit a solo shot to right field — his 11th of the season — in the third inning.

NATIONALS 14, CARDINALS 3

ST. LOUIS — Keibert Ruiz hit a three-run home run to cap Washington’s seven-run outburst in the sixth inning, and they beat St. Louis Cardinals.

After failing to score with the bases loaded in each of the prior two innings, the Nationals finally broke the game open after Cardinals reliever Chris Roycroft walked three of the four batters he faced.

Harold Ramírez came off the bench to hit a two-run double and Juan Yepez followed with a two-run single before Ruiz’s blast into the left-field bullpen made it 9-0.

James Wood had four of Washington’s 16 hits and scored on Luis García Jr.’s RBI single in the second. Yepez had two hits and three RBIs, and Jesse Winker singled twice.

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Braves end six-game losing streak with 4-0 win over Mets