Verlander strikes out 13, Astros blank Indians, 2-0

Published 10:55 pm Tuesday, July 30, 2019

CLEVELAND (AP) — Justin Verlander struck out 13 to reach double figures for the third straight start and sixth time this season, leading the Houston Astros over the Cleveland Indians 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Verlander (14-4) outpitched Shane Bieber and won his fourth consecutive start, tying Washington’s Stephen Strasburg for the major league lead in wins. Verlander allowed two hits in seven innings and walked none.
He allowed one runner to reach second. Cleveland’s only hits were singles by Roberto Pérez leading off the third and Greg Allen starting the sixth.
Cleveland struck out 15 times. Will Harris fanned two in a perfect eighth and Roberto Osuna followed with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 24th save in 28 chances.
Bieber (10-4) gave up two runs and nine hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.
Robinson Chirinos hit a go-ahead homer in the two-run fifth, Michael Brantley had an RBI single and AL West-leading Houston won its third straight.
BRAVES 11, NATIONALS 8
WASHINGTON (AP) — Adam Duvall had two home runs and four hits, Josh Donaldson added a three-run homer and the Atlanta beat Washington to reopen a 5½-game lead in the NL East.
Julio Teheran (6-7) allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings for Atlanta.
Erick Fedde (1-2) allowed nine runs, nine hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Ozzie Albies and Ender Inciarte each had three hits for Atlanta.
Yan Gomes, Trea Turner and Juan Soto homered for the Nationals.
PIRATES 11, REDS 4
CINCINNATI (AP) — Reds reliever Amir Garrett rushed the Pirates’ dugout and threw punches in the ninth inning, starting a brawl prolonged by Cincinnati outfielder Yasiel Puig, and Pittsburgh ended its longest losing streak in eight years
Reds manager David Bell ran onto the field to join the fracas after being ejected an inning earlier. In all, five Reds were ejected.
The dust-up was sparked when Pittsburgh’s Keone Kela threw up-and-in to Derek Dietrich in the seventh. After the inning, first baseman Joey Votto walked toward the Pirates dugout and exchanged words with Kela.
The ejections started in the eighth, when Josh Bell was tossed for arguing a strike call. Reds reliever Jared Hughes was ejected in the ninth for hitting Starling Marte.
The Pirates ended a nine-game losing streak behind Corey Dickerson, who drove in a career-high five runs with a pair of homers and a single.
Bell doubled home a pair of runs in the first inning, giving him an NL-leading 88 RBIs. Dickerson singled home two more in the third, and connected on a two-run shot and solo homer.
Joe Musgrove (8-9) set a career high with his eighth win.
Tanner Roark (6-7) lasted only 3 1/3 innings and gave up five runs.
RAYS 6, RED SOX 5
BOSTON (AP) — Avísail García homered and added the go-ahead, two-run double in the sixth inning in Tampa Bay’s win over Boston.
Travis d’Arnaud and García homered to give the Rays a 4-3 lead in the fifth and help chase David Price.
Andrew Benintendi homered for Boston.
Adam Kolarek (4-3) earned the win. Josh Taylor (0-1) took the loss.
Emilio Pagán, Tampa’s seventh pitcher, picked up his eighth save.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, YANKEES 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Taylor Clarke was an impressive winner in his Yankee Stadium debut, and Arizona got home runs from Christian Walker and Carson Kelly to beat New York.
Nick Ahmed hit an RBI single and Adam Jones had an early sacrifice fly for the Diamondbacks.
J.A. Happ (8-6) allowed three runs in six innings for a struggling New York staff.
Edwin Encarnación had an RBI double and Tyler Wade hit his second major league homer for the Yankees.
Clarke (4-3) did not permit an earned run over 5 1/3 innings of three-hit ball in his 12th big league start. He struck out six and walked two to win his third decision in a row. Archie Bradley got four straight outs for his fifth career save and first since June 18 last year.
PHILLIES 4, GIANTS 2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Drew Smyly tossed seven shutout innings and Rhys Hoskins homered to lead Philadelphia over San Francisco.
The Giants had won 12 of 15 and 19 of 24 to jump back into the playoff picture, but couldn’t solve Smyly (2-5) in his second start for the Phillies.
Smyly scattered four hits and struck out five, helping send the Giants to their seventh straight loss in Philadelphia. Hector Neris picked up his 19th save.
San Francisco got pinch-hit homers from Brandon Belt and Stephen Vogt in the eighth.
The Phillies scored twice off Giants starter Tyler Beede (3-5) in the fourth inning and then chased him after with two more runs in the fifth. Beede walked Bryce Harper, and Hoskins followed with a shot to center for his 23rd homer of the year and a 4-0 lead.
ORIOLES 8, PADRES 5
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Chris Davis hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning to snap an 0-for-18 slump, and Baltimore rallied from a four-run deficit.
Davis connected off Matt Strahm (4-8) with one out in the eighth for just his eighth home run this season.
Baltimore added on with a two-run single by Trey Mancini off Michel Báez, saddling Strahm with five runs in 1 2/3 innings. Strahm allowed five hits while striking out four and walking one.
Miguel Castro (1-1) pitched the seventh for the win, and Shawn Armstrong got six outs for his third save.
The comeback spoiled a milestone day for Padres rookie Fernando Tatis Jr., who at 20 years, 209 days became the youngest player in major league history to hit leadoff homers in consecutive games. Manny Machado also homered for the Padres.
TWINS 2, MARLINS 1
MIAMI (AP) — Byron Buxton homered and Jake Odorizzi followed his worst big league start by pitching one-run ball into the sixth inning, leading Minnesota past Miami.
Odorizzi (12-5) allowed a run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Tyler Duffey relieved Odorizzi and struck out two in 1 1/3 innings. Sergio Romo, acquired from Miami on Saturday, pitched a scoreless eight and Taylor Rogers retired the three batters he faced in the ninth for his 16th save.
Buxton homered in the third. Miguel Sano added an RBI double in the fourth.
Gallen (1-3) went seven innings and allowed two runs and four hits, striking out eight and walking three.
Curtis Granderson had an RBI double for Miami.
MARINERS 8, RANGERS 5
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kyle Seager had a solo homer, a tiebreaking two-run triple and drove in four runs as Seattle stretched its winning streak to six games.
Domingo Santana hit his 21st homer for the Mariners (47-63), who matched their longest winning streak this year.
Sam Tuivailala (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Mike Leake, who allowed 10 hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings. Roenis Elias worked the ninth for his 14th save in 16 chances.
Texas lost for the 18th time in 25 games and has an overall losing record for the first time since May 27.
Reliever Brett Martin (1-2) took the loss.
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