Teoscar Hernandez delivered a game-ending two-run double in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers found some offense just in time to pull out a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.
Without Shohei Ohtani, who received the day off following a four-strikeout game Wednesday while showing discomfort in his right arm, Hernandez delivered to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cardinals.
The only other Dodgers run came when Tommy Edman scored on a fifth-inning wild pitch. Edman batted in the leadoff spot in place of Ohtani and went 4-for-5. In his sixth start for Los Angeles, Tarik Skubal gave up two runs on 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Quinn Mathews, a Cardinals rookie from nearby Orange County, allowed one run over five innings. Riley O’Brien (3-7) got just one out while allowing the two runs in the ninth.
Rangers 6, Rays 0
Cal Quantrill blanked Tampa Bay on two hits over seven innings as Texas prevailed in Arlington, Texas.
It was the third time in his past four outings that Quantrill (7-5) tossed at least six innings and gave up no runs. Corey Seager blasted a two-run homer as the Rangers moved within a half game of the final American League wild-card spot with their fourth win in five games.
The Rays have lost three of four, causing their lead atop the AL East to be narrowed to three games over the idle New York Yankees. Shane McClanahan (10-7) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.
Blue Jays 6, Guardians 3
Nathan Lukes delivered the go-ahead, two-run double in a four-run fifth inning and rookie Brett Bateman had three hits as visiting Toronto beat Cleveland.
Toronto scored five consecutive runs to claim the rubber match of the three-game series between AL postseason contenders. Cleveland holds the final wild-card spot, but the Blue Jays are just a half-game behind.
Lukes’ two-run liner to right-center chased Guardians starter Tanner Bibee (5-15), who took over the major league lead in losses. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jesus Sanchez followed with RBIs against Colin Holderman as Toronto seized a 5-1 advantage.
Pirates 5, Giants 2
Six pitchers combined to allow two hits and Pittsburgh was proficient at small ball on offense to pick up a victory over visiting San Francisco.
Khristian Curtis (1-0), who was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, gave up both Giants runs on one hit in three innings of relief. The Pirates won for the fourth time in five games and pulled within five games of the idle Arizona Diamondbacks for the final National League wild-card spot.
The Giants dropped two of three in Pittsburgh. San Francisco rookie Blade Tidwell (0-2) struggled with his command, walking five while allowing two runs on two hits over five innings.
Astros 6, White Sox 2
Daulton Varsho ripped a two-run triple and scored as part of a four-run third inning, fueling host Houston to a victory over Chicago.
The Astros took three of four in the series and five of seven from Chicago this season. Jose Altuve belted a two-run homer in the first inning and Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker each drove in a run for the Astros, who have won six of their past eight games. Hunter Brown (5-3) allowed two runs on six hits in six innings.
Chicago’s Jake Rogers and Sam Antonacci each had an RBI single in the second inning. Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidroth each had two of the seven singles for the White Sox, who have lost four of their past five games.
Cubs 2, Brewers 1
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run homer in the third inning and Kevin Gausman tossed seven innings of one-run ball as Chicago beat visiting Milwaukee to earn a split of a four-game series.
Gausman (9-11) allowed five hits while striking out nine. Ryan Zeferjahn pitched a perfect eighth inning before Ryan Rolison retired the Brewers in order in the ninth for his second save. Chicago won despite being held hitless after Crow-Armstrong’s one-out homer in the third inning.
Brewers starter Logan Henderson (9-3) gave up two runs on three hits over seven innings. Andrew Vaughn homered for Milwaukee, which holds an eight-game lead over the second-place Cubs in the NL Central.
Red Sox 6, Orioles 5
Adley Rutschman homered twice against his former team and then scored on Nick Sogard’s go-ahead two-run blast as visiting Boston defeated Baltimore to begin a four-game series.
Sogard’s long ball broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning. Roman Anthony added a solo shot with two outs in the ninth that proved critical when the Orioles’ Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth.
Rutschman missed the prior three games with a lingering elbow injury, but he looked fine in his return to Baltimore, where he was the only player with more than one hit for the Red Sox. Luis Robert Jr. and Pete Alonso smashed back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning for the Orioles.
Royals 7, Marlins 3
Carter Jensen hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning, drove in three runs and finished a single shy of the cycle as Kansas City beat visiting Miami. Jac Caglianone added two hits with two RBIs for the Royals, who salvaged the finale of a three-game series.
Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (9-8) won his fourth straight outing, allowing three runs on six hits in six innings for his 19th quality start.
Sandy Alcantara (13-9) gave up four runs and six hits over six innings as the Marlins fell to 0-5 in his past five starts. Heriberto Hernandez and Agustin Ramirez homered for Miami, which closed out a 3-4 road trip.
Athletics 7, Mariners 4
Zack Gelof and Donovan Walton homered as the Athletics defeated host Seattle.
Scott Blewett (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief as the A’s logged their second win in a row. The Athletics got two hits apiece from Henry Bolte, Lawrence Butler, Jeff McNeil and Gelof. A’s pitchers rang up a season-high 18 strikeouts.
The Mariners had a two-game winning streak snapped and fell six games behind the AL West-leading Houston Astros. Kade Anderson (0-1), Seattle’s prized prospect who was making his third major league start, went five innings and allowed four runs on seven hits.
