MLB roundup: Shohei Ohtani’s win streak ends in ugly loss to Astros

September 11, 2021

Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa recorded three-hit games as the Houston Astros roughed up Los Angeles Angels ace right-hander Shohei Ohtani in their 10-5 home victory on Friday.

The Astros saddled Ohtani (9-2), the American League Most Valuable Player frontrunner, with his first loss since May 28, a span of 13 starts and eight consecutive winning decisions. Houston erased a two-run deficit by plating three runs in the third inning before chasing Ohtani with a six-run fourth that featured 11 batters coming to the plate.

Ohtani allowed six runs on a season-high nine hits and no walks with a season-low-tying one strikeout over 3 1/3 innings. Altuve finished 3-for-4 and scored three runs while Bregman went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Correa went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored as the Astros banged out 16 hits, just three for extra bases.

Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (10-5) labored but lasted the requisite five innings to nab the victory. He surrendered solo home runs to Ohtani (league-high 44th) in the first inning and Jared Walsh (26th) in the second, his first homers allowed to left-handed batters this season.

Orioles 6, Blue Jays 3

Anthony Santander broke a tie with a three-run home run in the seventh inning and Baltimore defeated visiting Toronto, which saw its eight-game winning streak end by dropping the opener of the four-game series.

Ryan McKenna hit a two-run home run and Cedric Mullins had a solo shot for Baltimore and Austin Hays went 2-for-5 with a triple in extending his hitting streak to 16 games.

The Blue Jays got two hits each from Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., but went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base.

Giants 6, Cubs 1

Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt hit two-run homers in the seventh inning to lift visiting San Francisco over Chicago in the opener of their three-game series.

Kris Bryant returned to Wrigley Field for the first time since the Cubs traded the former National League Rookie of the Year and MVP to the Giants on July 30. Bryant walked and scored on a sacrifice fly by Longoria in the eighth to make it 6-1. Bryant got a standing ovation in his first at-bat and then struck out with runners on first and third to end the first inning.

Frank Schwindel homered for the Cubs, who had won eight of nine coming in.

Tigers 10, Rays 4

Jonathan Schoop blasted a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning and host Detroit defeated Tampa Bay.

Rays rookie shortstop Wander Franco extended his on-base streak to 39 games but left the game moments later with a right hamstring injury. Franco singled in the first inning, then felt discomfort after going from the first to third on a Nelson Cruz double.

Ji-Man Choi had a pinch-hit, three-run double for Tampa Bay, which lost its second game in a row.

Royals 6, Twins 4 (11 innings)

Andrew Benintendi hit two home runs, including a two-run shot in the top of the 11th inning that proved to be the game-winner as Kansas City defeated Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Benintendi lined Juan Minaya’s first pitch to open the 11th into the front row of the left-field bleachers for his 15th homer of the season, breaking a 4-4 tie by also driving in designated runner Salvador Perez. Benintendi finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBIs, while Nicky Lopez extended his on-base streak to 20 games with two hits, including a double, for Kansas City.

Byron Buxton and Josh Donaldson both homered and Andrelton Simmons had two hits to lead Minnesota. Minaya (2-1) picked up the loss, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks over two innings.

White Sox 4, Red Sox 3

Jose Abreu crushed a three-run home run early, and the bullpen narrowly held on to lead host Chicago past Boston in the opener of their three-game series.

Yoan Moncada reached base four times for the White Sox, who maintain a double-digit lead for first place in the AL Central. Left-hander Carlos Rodon (12-5) returned from a few days’ extra rest with a sore shoulder to allow one run on three hits over five innings. He whiffed seven and walked none.

Bobby Dalbec homered and tripled for the Red Sox, who have dropped four of five. Boston remained atop the AL wild-card standings by one game. Starter Tanner Houck (0-4) surrendered four runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks, striking out one in 3 2/3 innings.

Mets 10, Yankees 3

Tylor Megill lasted a career-high seven innings and struck out a career-best 10 batters as the host New York Mets took advantage of several miscues by the reeling New York Yankees in the opener of a three-game Subway Series.

The Mets remained five games behind Atlanta in the National League East and began Friday five games back of San Diego for the second NL wild card. The Yankees, who remained one-half game ahead of Toronto for the second AL wild card, have dropped seven straight and 11 of 13.

Megill (3-4) allowed two runs on four hits while walking one. He allowed a run apiece in the first two innings — Brett Gardner tripled with one out in the first and scored on Aaron Judge’s groundout before Joey Gallo homered with one out in the second — but retired 16 of the final 19 batters he faced.

Reds 4, Cardinals 2

Jose Barrero hit the decisive RBI double to push visiting Cincinnati past St. Louis.

Barrero broke a 2-2 ninth-inning tie with his double and took third on the throw to the plate as Aristides Aquino scored. Barrero then came home on Delino DeShields’ run-scoring grounder as the Reds won for just the fourth time in 12 games.

Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals (71-69), who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Cardinals starting pitcher Jon Lester allowed two runs on three hits and four walks in seven innings.

Rockies 11, Phillies 2

Trevor Story and C.J. Cron hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning to help lift Colorado past host Philadelphia.

Elias Diaz added a grand slam in the ninth for Colorado, which won its second in a row. Rockies starter German Marquez (12-10) tossed six scoreless innings and allowed six hits with six strikeouts and one walk.

Didi Gregorius hit a solo home run and Jean Segura and Bryce Harper had two hits apiece for the struggling Phillies, who lost their fourth consecutive game. They fell to 4 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East.

Brewers 10, Indians 3

Lorenzo Cain belted his third career grand slam to highlight a six-run fifth inning as Milwaukee routed host Cleveland for its ninth win in its last 12 games.

Eduardo Escobar homered to lead off both the fifth and sixth innings, and Luis Urias had a two-run shot to atone for a pair of errors in the field. Adrian Houser (9-6) worked around five walks, six stolen bases and two errors to allow just two runs — both unearned — on one hit in six innings.

Bobby Bradley had a two-run single in the first inning and finished with two of the three hits for the Indians, who have lost six of their last eight games. Rookie Eli Morgan (2-7) allowed eight runs — seven earned — on eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.

Braves 6, Marlins 2

Jorge Soler hit a go-ahead, two-run single as part of a five-run fifth inning, leading host Atlanta past Miami.

The Braves, who lead the National League East by 4 1/2 games, won for the fourth time in their past five games. Braves left fielder Adam Duvall had his four-game homer streak snapped. However, the former Marlins standout extended his hit streak to nine games.

Marlins batters struck out 17 times as Miami (59-82) fell to 21-48 on the road. Marlins rookie Trevor Rogers (7-7), who missed one month on the bereavement list and hasn’t won a game since June 10, lasted just 4 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits, one walk and four runs while striking out six.

Pirates 4, Nationals 3

Ke’Bryan Hayes’ RBI single in the ninth inning, his first career walk-off hit, capped a two-run rally that gave host Pittsburgh a win over Washington.

With Pittsburgh trailing 3-2 and facing reliever Patrick Murphy (0-2), Anthony Alford led off the ninth with a single to right-center and went to second on a wild pitch. Ben Gamel walked, and both runners advanced on another wild pitch.

Cole Tucker popped out before Alberto Baldonado replaced Murphy. Pinch hitter Colin Moran grounded out to shortstop, with Alford scoring to tie it. Hayes’ base hit to right brought in Gamel to end the game.

Dodgers 3, Padres 0

Max Muncy hit a home run and Julio Urias picked up his major-league-leading 17th win as Los Angeles returned home from a bumpy road trip to earn a shutout victory over San Diego.

Chris Taylor drove in a run as the Dodgers won their fourth consecutive game against the Padres to even the season series 7-7. Los Angeles remained 2 1/2 games behind the first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West. San Diego fell into a tie with the Cincinnati Reds for the second NL wild-card spot.

Fernando Tatis Jr. had two hits for the Padres, who began a stretch in which they will end the regular season with 22 consecutive games against teams with winning records.

A’s 10, Rangers 5

Matt Olson capped a six-run second inning with a bases-clearing single in a four-hit, four-RBI performance as Oakland opened a three-game home series with a win over Texas.

The win was a big one for the A’s, who gained ground on all three teams ahead of them in the American League wild-card race. Oakland now trails each of the three — the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays — by just one game in the loss column.

Deolis Guerra (4-1) tossed 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings for the win. Oakland’s Starling Marte and Tony Kemp finished with three hits apiece. Leody Taveras had two hits for the Rangers, including an RBI double.

Mariners 5, Diamondbacks 4

Tom Murphy hit two home runs and Marco Gonzales won his seventh consecutive decision as Seattle defeated visiting Arizona.

J.P. Crawford also homered for Seattle, which moved within one game of the New York Yankees in the chase for the American League’s second and final wild-card playoff berth. Gonzales (8-5) allowed three runs, all unearned, over six innings.

Henry Ramos and pinch hitter Seth Beer both hit their first major league home runs for the Diamondbacks, who have lost 11 of their past 12 games, including the past six in a row. Arizona was swept by Seattle in a three-game series last weekend in Phoenix.

–Field Level Media

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