MLB roundup: Dodgers forge tie atop NL West with Giants

September 5, 2021

Trea Turner homered and Julio Urias won for a major-league-leading 16th time as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers evened their showdown series against the San Francisco Giants with a 6-1 victory Saturday night.

Urias (16-3) combined with four relievers on a nine-hitter, helping the Dodgers (86-50) avenge an 11-inning loss 24 hours earlier and regain a first-place tie with the Giants (86-50) atop the National League West.

With Alex Wood’s COVID illness and Johnny Cueto’s sore shoulder forcing the Giants to use a procession of relievers, the Dodgers jumped on Jay Jackson (2-1) and Jarlin Garcia for three first-inning runs.

After Turner’s leadoff homer, his 21st of the season, Mookie Betts and Justin Turner drew consecutive one-out walks from Jackson, prompting Garcia to be summoned from the bullpen just four batters into the game.

After the baserunners moved up via steals, Corey Seager made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly before A.J. Pollock capped the three-run uprising with an RBI double. That’s all the run support Urias and relievers Alex Vesia, Phil Bickford, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol would need.

Orioles 4, Yankees 3

Pedro Severino hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to lift visiting Baltimore over New York after taking a no-hitter into the seventh.

Trey Mancini drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out in the ninth inning against Aroldis Chapman (5-4). After Chapman struck out Ramon Urias, Severino lifted a 3-2 pitch that was deep enough to left field for Ryan Mountcastle to score and give Baltimore a 4-3 lead.

Severino’s go-ahead RBI occurred after Jorge Lopez allowed a game-tying two-run homer to Joey Gallo with nobody out in the eighth inning. Lopez fanned Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton before Cole Sulser (4-3) retired Anthony Rizzo to end the eighth.

Red Sox 4, Indians 3

Alex Verdugo singled with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning to lift Boston over visiting Cleveland, the second walk-off hit this season for Verdugo.

Pinch-hitter Travis Shaw opened the home ninth with an infield single before Taylor Motter entered as pinch-runner and moved to second on Jonathan Arauz’s sacrifice bunt. Kyle Schwarber flied out, and both Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez walked to load the bases for Verdugo.

Boston moved four games ahead of Oakland for the second American League wild-card spot following the A’s 10-8 loss in Toronto. Cleveland has dropped to 9 1/2 games behind in the wild-card race.

Mets 11, Nationals 9 (Game 1, 9 innings)

Francisco Lindor hit a towering two-run homer down the right field line in the ninth inning and visiting New York, despite blowing a 9-0 lead, pulled out a wild victory over Washington in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Lindor, who finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, hit a 2-1 pitch from reliever Kyle Finnegan (4-6) into the second deck leading off the ninth to drive in designated runner Albert Almora Jr.

Trevor May (7-2), who pitched out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth, picked up the win while Heath Hembree notched his ninth save.

Nationals 4, Mets 3 (Game 2)

Alcides Escobar and Lane Thomas both hit home runs as Washington snapped its seven-game losing streak against visiting New York in the second game of a doubleheader.

Left-hander Josh Rogers (1-0), called up as the 29th man for the doubleheader and making his Nationals debut, allowed three runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings to pick up the win. Rogers, who last pitched in the big leagues in 2019 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, walked three and struck out five as Washington (56-79) won for just the eighth time in its last 32 games.

Kyle Finnegan, who gave up a game-winning homer to Francisco Lindor in the opener, bounced back to strike out Pete Alonso with a runner on second to end the second game and notch his seventh save.

Cubs 7, Pirates 6

Frank Schwindel slid safely into first base for a walkoff single, capping a dramatic three-run ninth inning as Chicago rallied to beat visiting Pittsburgh.

Schwindel hit a ground ball deep into the hole between shortstop and third base. He dived toward the bag, reached out with his left hand and narrowly escaped an attempted tag after the throw was off the line.

Rafael Ortega and Alfonso Rivas also drove in one run apiece during the ninth inning for the Cubs. Schwindel finished 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs for Chicago (62-75), which won its fifth in a row.

Blue Jays 10, A’s 8

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a solo home run and four RBIs, Teoscar Hernandez hit a three-run homer and Toronto held on to defeat visiting Oakland.

Breyvic Valera added a two-run homer and Danny Jansen a solo shot for the Blue Jays (72-62), who have won the first two games of the three-game series. Jansen also had two doubles.

Mark Canha hit a three-run homer, Sean Murphy a two-run blast and Matt Chapman a solo shot for the Athletics (74-62), who scored five runs in the ninth.

Rays 11, Twins 4

Randy Arozarena went 3-for-4 and hit one of Tampa Bay’s season-high six home runs in the host’s throttling of Minnesota.

Yandy Diaz (2-for-4, four RBIs), Jordan Luplow, Manuel Margot, Nelson Cruz and Brandon Lowe also went deep for Tampa Bay (86-50), which leads the second-place New York Yankees by 7 1/2 games in the American League East.

Arozarena tripled, scored three times and was hit by a pitch but struck out in the seventh, a double short of a cycle.

Marlins 3, Phillies 2

Lewis Brinson sliced a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning as Miami stunned the visiting Philadelphia.

Brinson’s 350-foot shot to the opposite field bounced off the foul pole in right.

Miguel Rojas finished 3-for-4 with a key RBI in the eighth for Miami. The Phillies, chasing the Atlanta Braves in the National League East, had won six straight games before arriving in Miami. Now, the Marlins will go for a three-game sweep on Sunday.

Reds 7, Tigers 4

Aristides Aquino blasted a three-run home run to cap a five-run third inning and Cincinnati defeated visiting Detroit.

Pinch-hitter Tyler Naquin contributed a two-run triple for the Reds, who had lost five of their last six games. Joey Votto scored two runs and drove in another, while Tyler Stephenson added two hits and scored a run.

Reds starter Tyler Mahle (11-5) lasted five innings despite giving up four runs on six hits and walking five batters. He also recorded eight strikeouts during his 106-pitch outing. Michael Lorenzen tossed two innings of scoreless relief and Mychal Givens got the last three outs for his fifth save.

White Sox 10, Royals 7

Yasmani Grandal was 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs as Chicago out-slugged Kansas City for a victory. Luis Robert had four hits, including a homer.

Salvador Perez had two home runs and five RBIs for the Royals.

Craig Kimbrel (3-4) earned the win in relief. Liam Hendriks got his 32nd save.

Mariners 8, Diamondbacks 5

Kyle Seager hit a pair of three-run homers, the second getting a splash landing, as Seattle defeated Arizona in an interleague game in Phoenix.

Left-hander Marco Gonzales (7-5) made it through five innings to earn his sixth consecutive victory. Right-hander Diego Castillo, activated from the injured list earlier in the day, pitched the ninth for his 16th save, capping four scoreless innings by Seattle’s bullpen.

Seager’s second blast, with two outs in the sixth inning into the swimming pool in right-center field, broke a 5-5 tie as the Mariners (74-62) won their fourth game in a row and remained four games behind the Boston Red Sox in the race for the American League’s second and final wild-card playoff berth. J.P. Crawford had four hits for Seattle.

Brewers 4, Cardinals 0

Adrian Houser threw a three-hit shutout as Milwaukee blanked visiting St. Louis.

One night after the Brewers needed their bullpen to cover seven innings in a 15-4 loss, Houser (8-6) delivered the first complete game shutout of his career. He struck out seven batters and walked nobody.

Luis Urias hit a homer and drove in two runs for the Brewers (83-54), who have won five of their last seven games.

Padres 10, Astros 2

Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a two-run single in the second inning and added a two-run homer in the eighth as San Diego pulled away for a victory over visiting Houston.

San Diego (72-64) won for only the sixth time in 21 games and remained a half-game behind the Cincinnati Reds in the race for the National League’s second wild card.

Tatis also reached base four times. He drew a pair of walks before hitting his league-leading 37th homer. His second free pass allowed San Diego to bust the game open on two-run shots by Manny Machado and Wil Myers in the seventh.

Angels 4, Rangers 1

Jose Suarez threw the first complete game of the season for Los Angeles to lead it to a win against visiting Texas.

Suarez (6-7) gave up his lone run on a groundout in the ninth inning. He allowed five hits, struck out a career-high eight and didn’t walk a batter. Suarez had not thrown more than 5 2/3 innings in his previous 26 major league starts.

Juan Lagares and Shohei Ohtani homered for the Angels (68-68), who have won five of six to get back to .500.

Rockies 7, Braves 6

Charlie Blackmon homered and had two hits, C.J. Cron also went deep and Colorado defended its home field against Atlanta.

Tyler Kinley (3-2) pitched an inning of relief and Carlos Estevez earned his fifth save for Colorado (63-73).

Ozzie Albies homered and finished with two hits, Travis d’Arnaud also homered and Adam Duvall had two hits for the Braves (71-64).

–Field Level Media

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