MLB Wrap: AL West

Jun 6, 2023

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe hit a game-ending RBI single with one out in the ninth inning and AL West-leading Texas won its fourth straight, beating the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Monday.

Marcus Semien, who had already extended his majors-best hitting streak to 24 games with two hits, had a one-out walk in the ninth off Génesis Cabrera (1-1). Semien scored the winning run when Lowe hit an opposite-field grounder through the left side of the infield.

Corey Seager had followed Semien with a single, a popup to shallow left field that third baseman Nolan Arenado chased down but was unable to catch.

Rangers closer Will Smith (1-2) worked a scoreless ninth for the victory.

The Cardinals, who have lost four straight, tied the game in the eighth after loading the bases with no outs against rookie reliever Grant Anderson. Some botched baserunning cost them a chance to take the lead after Paul Goldschmidt's sacrifice fly.

Arenado then had a drive to deep left, though the two base runners were close to each other when the ball ricocheted off the wall as left fielder Ezequiel Duran slammed into it. Nolan Gorman scored the tying run but when Tommy Edman retreated toward third after making the turn, Arenado was sliding into the base.

RAYS 4, RED SOX 1

BOSTON (AP) — Shane McClanahan pitched six innings of five-hit ball to earn his major league-leading ninth win and Tampa Bay eventually found a wall the Red Sox couldn't leap above.

In the makeup of Friday's rainout, the Rays beat Boston for a third straight game and seventh time in eight tries this year. They have 43 wins for the season; the next-closest team in the majors, AL East rival Baltimore, has 37.

McClanahan (9-1) walked two of the first three Boston batters but took a shutout into the fifth inning before giving up a home run to Justin Turner. In all, McClanahan allowed five hits and struck out five to bounce back from his only loss of the season. Jason Adam pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

After watching the Red Sox rob Luke Raley and Francisco Mejia early, Tampa scored three in the fifth inning against starter Brayan Bello (3-4) to break a scoreless tie. Raley started the rally with a line drive double high off the Green Monster. Manuel Margot and Mejia followed with RBI singles, and Josh Lowe drove in another when he beat the relay on a potential double play groundout with the bases loaded.

MARLINS 9, ROYALS 6

MIAMI (AP) — Luis Arraez had three hits to raise his major league-leading batting average to .399, and Miami beat Kansas City.

Arraez drove in two runs for the Marlins, who erased an early four-run deficit and won their fourth straight game. Bryan De La Cruz hit his eighth homer, while Jon Berti, Nick Fortes and Joey Wendle had two hits apiece.

Braxton Garrett (2-2) overcame a difficult start and completed five innings of four-run ball. The left-hander gave up six hits and struck out six.

Arraez's RBI single capped a four-run fourth and put Miami ahead 6-4. Berti hit a two-run triple and Jonathan Davis followed with an RBI double as the Marlins got five consecutive hits against reliever Mike Mayers (1-1) with two outs.

PIRATES 5, ATHLETICS 4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen's tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning lifted Pittsburgh its sixth straight win and sent Oakland to its record-tying 15th consecutive road loss.

The 15 straight defeats away from home matched the Athletics’ record since they moved from Kansas City in 1968. Oakland set that mark in 1986. The major league-worst Athletics (12-50) have lost five games in a row overall. They are on pace to finish the season exactly 100 games under .500 at 31-131.

McCutchen also singled and drew three walks to go with two RBIs. The 2013 NL MVP now has 1,998 career hits.

With the score tied at 4, Ji Hwan Bae led off the decisive eighth inning with a single off Sam Moll (0-3) and advanced to third on Austin Hedges’ one-out single. McCutchen's sac fly plated Bae.

Angel Perdomo (1-0) retired both hitters he faced. and Colin Holdeman pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first career save. It was an eventful inning for Holderman as the first three batters reached base, but he struck out Carlos Perez with runners on the corners to end it.

PADRES 5, CUBS 0

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Gary Sánchez hit a two-run home run and Blake Snell and three relievers combined on a four-hitter to lead San Diego.

Manny Machado had three hits, scored twice and made a sensational play at third base in his fourth game back from a stint on the injured list with a fractured left hand.

Sánchez, claimed off waivers from the New York Mets a week earlier, hit his third homer in seven games with the Padres when he lined a 2-2 pitch from Kyle Hendricks (0-2) into the left field seats with one out in the second. Machado was aboard on a leadoff single.

Plate umpire Phil Cuzzi ejected David Ross after the Cubs manager said something from the dugout during Sánchez's at-bat. Ross came out and continued the argument for a few minutes. He was replaced by Andy Green, who managed the Padres from 2016-19.

Matt Carpenter and Ha-Seong Kim followed with consecutive doubles to make it 3-0. Machado doubled with two outs in the third and scored on Jake Cronenworth's opposite-field single to left. Matt Carpenter hit a bases-loaded drive to the center field fence for a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Snell (2-6) allowed just two singles and walked three in six innings while striking out eight.

ASTROS 11, BLUE JAYS 4

TORONTO (AP) — Corey Julks hit his first career grand slam, Brandon Bielak matched his career high by pitching 6 2/3 innings and Houston Astros used a season-high 19 hits to beat Toronto.

Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker hit solo homers and Jake Meyers added a two-run blast as the Astros won for the eighth time in 11 games. Houston has won 19 of 25. Astros catcher Yainer Diaz had four hits, including two doubles.

Bielak (3-2) allowed three runs and 10 hits in winning for the third time in four starts. He walked one and struck out two.

Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho hit solo home runs as Toronto had its four-game winning streak halted.

Alek Manoah (1-7) failed to get out of the first in his seventh straight losing decision, retiring just one of the nine batters he faced. Manoah allowed six runs and seven hits and walked one. His ERA rose from 5.46 to 6.36.

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