By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Jarren Duran opened with a home run, Masataka Yoshida added a two-run single in the three-run first inning and the Boston Red Sox ended a four-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
David Hamilton, Triston Casas and Wilyer Abreu also scored runs for Boston, which had not won since beating Houston last Wednesday.
Boston also ended the Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak. Toronto has still won 10 of its last 15 games and is close to moving up from last place in the AL East standings with a month to go.
Will Wagner hit his first home run for Toronto and Daulton Varsho hit a solo home run in the ninth inning.
Duran hit his 20th home run of the season, hitting an 0-1 fastball from Yariel Rodríguez to right. Boston added three more in the fifth inning when Hamilton hit an RBI single, Casas drove in a run with a double and Abreu added an RBI single.
BOYS 9, PIRATES 5
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson hit five home runs during Chicago’s fourth inning, and the Cubs beat Pittsburgh on Tuesday night to move above .500 for the first time since May 28.
Suzuki hit a two-run drive to tie the game and hit his 19th home run of the season, converting a fastball from right-handed rookie Jared Jones (5-7).
Isaac Paredes then worked a walk and scored on Nico Hoerner’s double. After a visit to the mound, the 23-year-old Jones threw a fastball up the middle to Swanson, who hit his 12th home run after hitting a grand slam the night before in Chicago’s 18-8 victory.
Swanson, who also walked twice, then walked to the edge of the team dugout to wish his mother, Nancy, who was sitting in the front row, a happy birthday.
The Cubs (67-66) have won five of six games and are 28-18 since falling nine games below .500 on July 3.
NATIONALS 4, YANKEES 2
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dylan Crews had the first two hits of his career and Andrés Chaparro and José Tena hit two-straight home runs on a standout night for Washington’s rookies as the Nationals stunned Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.
Aaron Judge hit a double in the first inning but was stuck at 51 home runs for the AL’s best Yankees. He came in the eighth inning against reliever Jacob Barnes with the bases loaded and no outs but ran into a double play on a 3-1 pitch and scored New York’s first run. After hitting two home runs against Colorado on Sunday, Judge is 2 for 7 with two walks in two games in Washington.
Patrick Corbin (4-12) was better than Cole, silencing the Yankees’ powerful lineup with excellent control. The veteran left-hander allowed two hits and struck out six innings, his second and longest scoreless outing of the season.
Athletics 5, Red 4
CINCINNATI (AP) — Max Schuemann and Lawrence Butler each hit two-run home runs in the seventh inning to help Oakland beat Cincinnati.
Zack Gelof added a solo hit in the eighth inning and All-Star closer Mason Miller held on after allowing two runs and four hits in a shaky ninth inning, striking out pinch-hitter Amed Rosario with runners on second and third base for his 22nd save.
Oakland had one hit and was down 1-0 after six innings, but rallied to hand Cincinnati its ninth consecutive loss to an interleague opponent.
A’s starter Mitch Spence allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three walks and had three strikeouts.
Michel Otañez (1-0) made two outs in the sixth inning and thus earned his first win in the Major League.
PHILLIES 5, ASTROS 0
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Aaron Nola threw four hits in seven scoreless innings and Nick Castellanos hit a three-run home run to lead Philadelphia to a victory over Houston.
The Phillies may have put their summer slump behind them over the past two weeks, winning the final two games of a series in Kansas City and the first two games of a three-game series against Houston. The Phillies have won eight of 13 games overall, maintaining their comfortable lead in the NL East — six games ahead of Atlanta as of Tuesday — and are again playing like the team that entered the All-Star break as one of baseball’s best teams.
Nola (12-6) picked up a much-needed victory after going winless in his last seven starts, including five no-decisions and two losses. The right-hander last won a game against the Dodgers on July 11. Nola struck out two hitters in the first inning to earn his 56th career win at Citizens Bank Park. His 56 wins put him in a tie with former Phillies star Cole Hamels for the most wins in 21 seasons at the stadium.
