Juan Soto hit a game-ending single leading off the 10th inning to lift the New York Yankees over the Boston Red Sox 2-1 Thursday night as Aaron Judge’s homerless streak stretched to a career-high 16 games.

With pinch-runner Jon Berti on second as the automatic runner, Soto grounded a single against Josh Winckowski just past the glove of diving shortstop Trevor Story, and Berti slid home ahead of center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela’s throw to give the Yankees back-to-back walk-off wins for the first time in three years.

Judge, who leads the major leagues with 51 homers and 126 RBIs, went 1 for 4 with a single and is batting .207 (12 for 58) with 21 strikeouts since Aug. 26.

Gleyber Torres homered off Cooper Criswell leading off the first and Danny Jansen went deep against Nestor Cortes starting the fifth.

New York (85-62) won for the fifth time in seven games and opened a two-game AL East lead over Baltimore (83-64), the Yankees’ largest since before play on Aug. 27. The Yankees have won seven straight series openers.

Boston (74-73) dropped 4 1/2 games back of Minnesota (78-68) for the final AL wild card.

Rangers rally past Mariners in Rocker’s debut

Nathaniel Lowe drove in the go-ahead run for Texas with an infield single during a three-run eighth inning, hit a solo homer in the seventh, and the Rangers erased a three-run deficit for a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners on in top prospect Kumar Rocker’s major league debut.

After Lowe made it a 4-2 game with his seventh-inning homer, Marcus Semien brought Texas within one with a solo homer off Collin Snider in the eighth.

Josh Smith reached on an error, Wyatt Langford doubled, and Adolis García drove in Smith on a groundout to shortstop to tie the game at 4-4. Lowe then hit an infield single to second base to score Langford from third.

Rocker struck out seven while allowing one run on three hits over four innings. The only run he allowed came on a solo homer from Justin Turner in the fourth.

Rocker allowed back to back singles to lead off the first inning, but retired the next six batters.

Kirby Yates pitched the ninth for his 30th save.

Heyward, Singleton lead Astros over Athletics

Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer early and Jon Singleton had three hits, capped by a tiebreaking RBI single in Houston’s four-run eighth inning, and the Astros got a 6-3 win over the Oakland Athletics.

After Brent Rooker homered off Ryan Pressly with one out in the eighth to tie it at 2, Yainer Diaz and Kyle Tucker hit consecutive singles with one out in the bottom of the inning to chase T.J. McFarland and bring on Grant Holman. There were two outs in the inning when Singleton’s single to center field scored Diaz to put the Astros on top.

Jake Meyers followed with a run-scoring double before the Athletics intentionally walked Heyward to load the bases. Mauricio Dubón singled on a ground ball to left field to score two more, pushing the lead to 6-2.

Houston’s Framber Valdez allowed five hits and a run with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings to help the Astros avoid a three-game sweep and snap a three-game skid.

Francisco Lindor broke up Bowden Francis’ no-hitter with a tying homer leading off the ninth and ignited a six-run inning to lift the New York Mets to a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

With the crowd of 29,399 on their feet to start the ninth, Francis got ahead of Lindor 0-2 before the four-time All-Star drilled a 92 mph fastball 398 feet to right field for his 31st home run and a 1-1 tie.

It was the second time in four starts Francis lost a no-hitter on a leadoff homer in the ninth - Taylor Ward connected off the right-hander for the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 24.

Francis became the first pitcher to lose two no-hit bids in the ninth inning during one season since Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan with Texas in 1989.

With the crowd of 29,399 on their feet to start the ninth, Francis got ahead of Lindor 0-2 before the four-time All-Star drilled a 92 mph fastball 398 feet to right field for his 31st home run.

Lindor's drive was New York’s first home run in the last four games, and the first by either team in the series.

Chad Green relieved Francis and gave up Jose Iglesias’ infield single and walked Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo before Pete Alonso lifted a sacrifice fly. After J.D. Martinez walked, Starling Marte delivered another sacrifice fly.

Genesis Cabrera replaced Green and was greeted by Francisco Alvarez’s three-run homer that gave New York a 6-1 lead.

Dodgers hit 4 home runs in 1st in win over Cubs

Tommy Edman hit one of the Dodgers’ four home runs in the 1st inning and went deep again in the eighth as Los Angeles avoided a sweep with a 10-8 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Gavin Lux singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the seventh after the Cubs scored four runs in the fifth to erase a 7-3 deficit.

Shohei Ohtani hit his 47th home run and stole his 48th base, while Edman, Will Smith and Max Muncy also went deep in the first for the Dodgers, whose magic number to clinch the division dropped to 11 after San Diego lost at Seattle.

Edman’s two-out, two-run shot off Trey Wingenter in the eighth extended the Dodgers' lead to 10-7. The switch-hitter went deep in the first from the right side and then from the left.

Trailing by three, the Cubs threatened in the ninth. Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech loaded the bases on consecutive walks to Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki and former Dodger Cody Bellinger.

Kopech was called for a pitch-clock violation, giving an automatic ball to Isaac Paredes, whose sacrifice fly cut Chicago's deficit to 10-8. Suzuki was thrown out trying to steal third and former Dodger Michael Busch struck out swinging to end the game as Kopech eked out his 13th save.

Tigers continue surge

Kerry Carpenter matched a career-high with four hits and the Detroit Tigers kept their improbable wild-card hopes alive with a 7-4 win over the Colorado Rockies.

Carpenter came up in the seventh needing a homer for the cycle - the first for a Tiger since Carlos Guillen in 2006 - but hit an infield single.

Riley Greene and Trey Sweeney homered for Detroit, which won its fourth straight and improved to 20-8 since Aug. 11. They are three games behind the Minnesota Twins for the last American League wild-card spot after both teams won on Tuesday.

The 2023 Tigers finished second in the AL Central - they are currently fourth - but their 78-84 record left them out of the wildcard race.

One night after beating the Rockies 11-0, the Tigers got off to another flying start with six runs in the first. Greene hit his 21st homer, Carpenter had an RBI triple and scored, and Sweeney hit a three-run homer.

Manny Machado hit his 164th home run to set the Padres’ franchise record and drove in four runs to lift San Diego to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

Machado’s 164th homer in a Padres uniform was a line drive to center field off George Kirby in the sixth inning and gave San Diego a 5-2 lead. Machado watched from home plate as the ball left the bat at nearly 109 mph.

Machado’s homer was his 26th this season and snapped a tie with Nate Colbert atop the Padres list. Machado has 339 career homers among Baltimore, the Dodgers and San Diego.

While Machado’s homer set a mark, Fernando Tatis put San Diego ahead with a three-run shot in the third inning. It was his first home run since June 20 - prior to a lengthy stint on the injured list due a stress reaction in his right thighbone.

Machado added a two-run single in the seventh inning that clipped the back of pitcher Austin Voth and bounced into center field.

Yu Darvish threw five innings in his second start since rejoining the Padres. Darvish allowed solo home runs to Cal Raleigh and Luke Raley but pitched out of a jam in the third after Seattle put the first two runners on. Darvish struck out Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena both looking sandwiched around fly out from Raleigh.

Lugo baffles Yankees in Royals’ win

Seth Lugo struck out 10 in seven stellar innings and Salvador Perez had a pair of run-scoring singles to reach 100 RBIs as the Kansas City Royals blanked the New York Yankees, 5-0.

Tommy Pham homered and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI single for the Royals, who remained 3 ½ games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central. They also stayed 2 ½  games ahead of Minnesota for the second AL wild card.

New York, which matched a season low with three hits, had its lead in the AL East cut to one-half game over Baltimore.

Lugo carved up a full-strength Yankees lineup that entered leading the majors in homers and ranked second in runs. The right-hander allowed only three singles and walked none, retiring 17 straight batters after Gleyber Torres' bloop hit to begin the bottom of the first.

Torres snapped the string on another soft single with two outs in the sixth.

With his 16th win, Lugo tied Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Atlanta’s Chris Sale for the major league lead.  

Kyle Isbel scored twice after leadoff singles for the Royals, who had dropped six consecutive road games. They won for the fifth time in 13 games overall and improved to 2-4 against the Yankees this season.

Yamamoto returns as Cubs rally past Dodgers

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched four strong innings in his return but the Chicago Cubs rallied for the tying and go-ahead runs in a five-run eighth inning in a game that featured a matchup of Japanese pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga.

The NL West-leading Dodgers blew a 3-1 lead and lost to the Cubs for the second straight night, assuring their first series loss since Aug. 5-7 against visiting Philadelphia. Los Angeles' division lead was cut to 4 1/2 games over San Diego.

Chicago is four games back of Atlanta and the New York Mets, who are tied for the last NL wild card.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong robbed Max Muncy of a potential two-run homer with two outs in the ninth. He made a terrific sliding catch in the dirt of Kiké Hernández to end the seventh.

A leadoff walk by Alex Vesia, a throwing error by catcher Austin Barnes, center fielder Tommy Edman’s errant throw that went into the camera well near the Dodgers dugout and a fielding error by second baseman Hernández helped the Cubs take a 6-3 lead.

Yamamoto struck out his first four batters of his first start in nearly three months, facing off against Chicago’s Imanaga in a matchup of former Japanese big league rivals pitching against each other for the first time in Major League Baseball.

Austin Wells snapped a tie game with a three-run homer in the seventh inning as the New York Yankees rallied for a 10-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday that extended their lead atop the American League East.

The Yankees scored seven times over the seventh and eighth innings to erase a 4-3 deficit and take the opener of this three-game series between AL post-season contenders.

New York also received some assistance from its biggest rival, as the Boston Red Sox rolled to a 12-3 win over Baltimore that increased the Yankees' advantage over the second-place Orioles to 1 1/2 games in the division race.

Wells added a run-scoring double and Alex Verdugo had a two-run homer among his two hits for New York. Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge also knocked in runs in the win, with Torres ending 3 for 5 and Judge collecting two hits. 

Salvador Perez went 4 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs for Kansas City, which currently holds the AL's second wild card. The Royals also received a solo homer from Hunter Renfroe, but had a four-game winning streak snapped after failing to protect a one-run lead in the seventh inning. 

James McArthur (5-7) entered with one out in the bottom of the seventh and allowed a single to Torres before walking Juan Soto in front of Judge, who ripped a single to left to bring in Torres and tie the game at 4-4.

Wells followed with a blast deep into the seats in right center field to put New York ahead.

The Yankees tacked on three more runs in the eighth. Oswaldo Cabrera doubled and later scored on a Torres single, and New York loaded the bases with none out before Judge hit into a double play to bring in another run. Wells then delivered a double that plated Anthony Volpe for a 10-4 advantage.

Verdugo's two-run homer off Brady Singer in the fourth inning gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead, though the Royals pulled even in the fifth when Bobby Witt Jr. reached on a single and scored all the way from first on Perez's blooper to right that fell in for a hit.

Kansas City went ahead an inning later on Renfroe's homer off Carlos Rodon, who struck out nine in six innings but permitted four runs - three earned.

Perez singled in a run in the first inning and homered in the third to put Kansas City up 2-0, but the Yankees later countered with three runs in the fourth.

Jasson Dominguez, called up from the minors before the game, singled in the fourth and eventually scored on Perez's throwing error as the young Yankee outfielder stole third base. Verdugo followed with his 12th homer of the season for a 3-2 New York edge.

Mets rally late to down Blue Jays, boost play-off hopes

New York's other team also improved its play-off standing, as the red-hot Mets scored twice in the eighth inning to pull out a 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Mets got their late runs on a wild pitch and a passed ball to win for the 10th time in 11 games and move one game clear of Atlanta in the race for the National League's third and final wild card spot. The Braves were handed a 1-0 loss by the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

Tyrone Taylor scored the tying run after pinch-running for Jesse Winker, who drew a lead-off walk against Tommy Nance in the eighth with the Blue Jays ahead 2-1. Toronto third baseman Ernie Clement's throwing error on an infield single hit by Francisco Alvarez allowed Taylor to reach third, and Taylor scored when Nance uncorked an errant pitch.

Alvarez moved to third on the play, then crossed the plate when Blue Jays catcher Brian Serven couldn't handle Nance's pitch for a passed ball.

Relievers Ryne Stanek and Edwin Diaz held Toronto scoreless over the final two innings, with Stanek recording the win and Diaz working the ninth for his 17th save.

Mets starter Tylor Megill left with a no-decision despite yielding just one hit and striking out nine over six scoreless innings, as the Blue Jays scored twice off New York's bullpen in the seventh to erase a 1-0 deficit.

Toronto loaded the bases with one out on a hit batter and singles by Clement and Alejandro Kirk. Jose Butto then hit Leo Jimenez with a pitch to force in the tying run, and Nathan Lukes followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Jays ahead.

The Mets had taken a 1-0 lead in the fourth. After Pete Alonso walked and Jose Iglesias was hit by a pitch, J.D. Martinez delivered a single to right to score Alonso from second.

Cantillo's gem lifts AL Central-leading Guardians over White Sox

Joey Cantillo took a perfect game into the seventh inning en route to his first major league win as the Cleveland Guardians held on for a 5-3 victory over the lowly Chicago White Sox.

Cantillo (1-3) retired the first 20 Chicago hitters before Andrew Benintendi singled with two outs in the seventh. The rookie left-hander surrendered a run-scoring single to Andrew Vaughn after that before completing his superb seven-inning stint with 10 strikeouts.

David Fry and Bo Naylor supported Cantillo with solo homers as Cleveland increased its lead in the AL Central to 3 1/2 games over second-place Kansas City. The Guardians also remained a game back of the New York Yankees for the AL's best record.

Chicago, meanwhile, set a franchise record with its 13th straight home loss. The White Sox fell to 33-112 overall and remained on pace for the most losses in a season in modern MLB history, set by the 1962 New York Mets (120).

The Guardians quickly jumped out to an early lead when Steven Kwan opened the game with a single, stole second, and scored on a base hit from Josh Naylor, who was then brought in by Lane Thomas' double for a 2-0 advantage.

Fry's homer in the third and Bo Naylor's blast in the fourth extended the margin to 4-0. The Guardians then tacked on another run in the fifth despite not recording a hit during the inning.

After Cleveland loaded the bases on two walks and an error, Chicago's Jairo Iriarte forced in a run by issuing a free pass to Jhonkensy Noel.

Benintendi stole second after breaking up Cantillo's perfect game bid before Vaughn drove him in with a single to get the White Sox on the board in the seventh.

Chicago got closer in the eighth on Bryan Ramos' first major league homer, a two-run shot off Nick Sandlin that followed Lenyn Sosa's single.

The White Sox did not get a hit the rest of the way, however, as Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two during a scoreless ninth to record his AL-leading 43rd save.

Santiago Espinal snapped a tie game with a two-run double in the ninth inning as the Cincinnati Reds ended the New York Mets' nine-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory on Sunday.

The Mets' first loss since Aug. 28 dropped them into a tie with Atlanta for the National League's final wild card spot after the Braves earned a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Espinal's one-out double off Phil Maton in the top of the ninth drove in Spencer Steer and Ty France after both reached base to begin the inning with the score tied 1-1. Steer was hit by a pitch from Maton and France got on via an infield single.

The key hit also ended a streak of 80 consecutive innings in which the Mets had not trailed, the longest stretch in the majors this season.

New York starter Luis Severino did not factor in the decision despite allowing just one run and striking out eight over 6 2/3 innings.

Severino had held the Reds scoreless until the seventh, when Noelvi Marte drove in Jake Fraley with a two-out single to forge a 1-1 tie.

The Mets scored their lone run in the sixth on Starling Marte's two-out single that plated Pete Alonso, who reached on a walk and advanced to second on Jose Iglesias' infield single.

Julian Aguiar started for Cincinnati and tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings while surrendering just two hits and two walks.

Smith leads Diamondbacks' rout of Astros with three homers, eight RBIs

Pavin Smith homered in his first three at-bats while driving in a career-high eight runs to power the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 12-6 win over the Houston Astros that prevented the reigning NL champions from being swept in the three-game series.

Smith opened the scoring with a three-run homer off Justin Verlander in the second inning, then delivered a grand slam off the three-time Cy Young Award winner during a five-run third that put Arizona up 8-0.

The outfielder/first baseman capped his huge night with a solo homer in the fifth.

Eugenio Suarez also homered while going 4 for 5 and driving in two runs to help the Diamondbacks halt a three-game losing streak. Jake McCarthy added two hits, including a run-scoring single.

Verlander (3-6) lasted just three innings while being tagged for eight runs and eight hits. The future Hall of Famer has now lost four straight starts since returning from a neck injury and has a 9.68 ERA during that stretch.

Arizona starter Ryne Nelson worked 4 2/3 innings and allowed five runs. Kevin Ginkel relieved the right-hander in the fifth and struck out the lone batter he faced to receive the win.

Alex Bregman had a two-run homer for Houston, which had its lead atop the American League West reduced to 4 1/2 games over second-place Seattle after the Mariners defeated the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

Yainer Diaz and Chas McCormick each had three hits for the Astros, with Diaz driving in a pair of runs. 

Royals sweep Twins in crucial three-game series

The Kansas City Royals extended their lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL wild card race with a 2-0 victory that completed a three-game series sweep.

Michael Wacha (12-7) allowed four hits over seven innings as the Royals increased their lead on the AL Central-rival Twins to 2 1/2 games in the standings. Minnesota still currently holds the third and final wild card spot by a 3 1/2-game margin over the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners.

Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg finished off the shutout, with Erceg earning his 11th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Royals scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, which MJ Melendez began by drawing a walk off Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson. Freddy Fermin and Maikel Garcia followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases with none out.

Garrett Hampson's sacrifice fly brought in Melendez for the game's first run, and Fermin later scored when Salvador Perez legged out an infield single.

Woods Richardson (5-4) was charged with both runs and gave up three hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. 

Minnesota scored just two runs in the three-game series and has now dropped 10 of its last 14 contests.

Jose Quintana pitched into the seventh inning for his 100th career victory and J.D. Martinez capped a four-run seventh with a two-run double as the New York Mets won their ninth straight game, 4-0 over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

Quintana allowed five hits over 6 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He became the 19th active pitcher with 100 wins.

Adam Ottavino, Danny Young and Edwin Díaz completed the six-hitter for New York's seventh shutout this season - all since July 11.

A slumping Harrison Bader homered to spark the big sixth for the Mets, who have won nine straight games for the first time since April 2018. New York hasn’t trailed in its last 72 innings since Aug. 30 - the longest streak in the majors this season.

Bader was mired in skids of 0 for 15 and 2 for 43 before connecting off Sam Moll in the sixth. It was Bader's 11th home run of the year, and first to the opposite field.

Pete Alonso hit a one-out RBI single before Martinez’s double capped the outburst.

Francisco Lindor’s career-high 16-game hitting streak ended as he went 0 for 3, but his sixth-inning walk pushed his on-base streak to 35 games, the longest active run in the majors and the longest single-season streak in Mets history.

Royals rally past Twins

Bobby Witt Jr. highlighted a four-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking single, and the Kansas City Royals defeated Minnesota 4-2 to open a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins for the second AL wild card.

Held to one hit over seven innings by Bailey Ober, the Royals rallied against Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax, winning their third straight following a season-high, seven-game losing streak.

Kansas City is second behind Cleveland in the AL Central and Minnesota is third after losing four of five.

Duran entered with a 2-0 lead and gave up a one-out single to Freddy Fermin, then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch. Kyle Isbel hit an RBI single and Jax relieved, trying for a five-out save.

Tommy Pham hit a slow four-hopper to Brooks Lee and reached on an infield hit as the shortstop barehanded the ball and bounced his throw past first. Pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who had been on second, scored on the error.

Witt looped a single into short center as Isbel scored for a 3-2 lead. MJ Melendez drove in Pham with a two-out single off Jax, who blew a save for the fifth time in 13 chances.

Yankees shut out Cubs again

Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined on a four-hitter, and the New York Yankees clinched their 32nd straight winning season by blanking the Chicago Cubs 2-0.

Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first big league game since May 26 and Cortes closed it out in his first relief appearance since 2021.

Coupled with Baltimore's 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay, New York moved back into first in the AL East. The Yankees lead the Orioles by a half-game.

New York posted its second straight shutout to secure its first series win since it took two of three against Colorado from Aug. 23-25. The 32 straight seasons with a winning record is the second-longest such period in major league history, trailing a run of 39 consecutive seasons for the Yankees from 1926-64.

Chicago has lost four of five on a crucial homestand as it tries to rally in the race for the third NL wild card. It beat Pittsburgh 12-0 on Wednesday, but has managed a total of three other runs in its last five games, getting shut out three times.

Jose Quintana pitched into the seventh inning for his 100th career victory and J.D. Martinez capped a four-run seventh with a two-run double as the New York Mets won their ninth straight game, 4-0 over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

Quintana allowed five hits over 6 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He became the 19th active pitcher with 100 wins.

Adam Ottavino, Danny Young and Edwin Díaz completed the six-hitter for New York's seventh shutout this season - all since July 11.

A slumping Harrison Bader homered to spark the big sixth for the Mets, who have won nine straight games for the first time since April 2018. New York hasn’t trailed in its last 72 innings since Aug. 30 - the longest streak in the majors this season.

Bader was mired in skids of 0 for 15 and 2 for 43 before connecting off Sam Moll in the sixth. It was Bader's 11th home run of the year, and first to the opposite field.

Pete Alonso hit a one-out RBI single before Martinez’s double capped the outburst.

Francisco Lindor’s career-high 16-game hitting streak ended as he went 0 for 3, but his sixth-inning walk pushed his on-base streak to 35 games, the longest active run in the majors and the longest single-season streak in Mets history.

Royals rally past Twins

Bobby Witt Jr. highlighted a four-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking single, and the Kansas City Royals defeated Minnesota 4-2 to open a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins for the second AL wild card.

Held to one hit over seven innings by Bailey Ober, the Royals rallied against Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax, winning their third straight following a season-high, seven-game losing streak.

Kansas City is second behind Cleveland in the AL Central and Minnesota is third after losing four of five.

Duran entered with a 2-0 lead and gave up a one-out single to Freddy Fermin, then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch. Kyle Isbel hit an RBI single and Jax relieved, trying for a five-out save.

Tommy Pham hit a slow four-hopper to Brooks Lee and reached on an infield hit as the shortstop barehanded the ball and bounced his throw past first. Pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who had been on second, scored on the error.

Witt looped a single into short center as Isbel scored for a 3-2 lead. MJ Melendez drove in Pham with a two-out single off Jax, who blew a save for the fifth time in 13 chances.

Yankees shut out Cubs again

Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined on a four-hitter, and the New York Yankees clinched their 32nd straight winning season by blanking the Chicago Cubs 2-0.

Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first big league game since May 26 and Cortes closed it out in his first relief appearance since 2021.

Coupled with Baltimore's 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay, New York moved back into first in the AL East. The Yankees lead the Orioles by a half-game.

New York posted its second straight shutout to secure its first series win since it took two of three against Colorado from Aug. 23-25. The 32 straight seasons with a winning record is the second-longest such period in major league history, trailing a run of 39 consecutive seasons for the Yankees from 1926-64.

Chicago has lost four of five on a crucial homestand as it tries to rally in the race for the third NL wild card. It beat Pittsburgh 12-0 on Wednesday, but has managed a total of three other runs in its last five games, getting shut out three times.

Mark Vientos’ second home run of the game was a walk-off two-run shot in the 10th inning that gave the New York Mets their season-high eighth straight win, 6-4 over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

New York is riding its longest winning streak since an eight-game run in August 2019. Vientos also connected in the first inning for the Mets, who remained tied with Atlanta for the last National League wild card.

Mets closer Edwin Díaz and younger brother Alexis, the Reds' ace reliever, pitched in the same game for the first time in their major league careers.

Edwin Díaz struck out all three batters in the top of the ninth, fanning Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer with 100 mph fastballs.

Alexis Díaz worked a hitless bottom of the ninth to keep the score tied.

With automatic runner Brandon Nimmo on second base, Vientos drove a 2-2 fastball from Justin Wilson to left field for his 24th home run.

Cincinnati was coming off a three-game sweep of AL West-leading Houston and had won four in a row overall.

Machado ties Padres’ home run record

Manny Machado hit a pair of home runs to tie Nate Colbert for the franchise’s all-time record with 163 as the San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants, 5-1.

Machado had a solo shot in the first and then matched Colbert with a drive into the second deck in left field leading off the eighth.

He tied Colbert with 20 games to go in his sixth season in San Diego. Colbert hit 163 in six seasons with the Padres, from their expansion season of 1969 through 1974. He played for four other teams in his career and had 173 total homers.

Machado's 25th of the season gave him 42 multi-homer games since his rookie year of 2012.

Machado has 338 homers in his 13-year career. He had 162 with Baltimore and then 13 after being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 18, 2018. He signed as a free agent with the Padres on Feb. 21, 2019.

Astros’ Alvarez hits pair of 3-run homers

Yordan Alvarez hit two three-run homers and Framber Valdez pitched seven innings in the Houston Astros' 8-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

AL West-leading Houston got back on track after being swept in a three-game series at Cincinnati to remain 4 ½ games ahead of Seattle.

Houston led by a run when Alvarez, whose six RBIs are a season high, connected off Brandon Pfaadt in the fifth inning to make it 4-0. Jose Altuve hit an RBI single in the sixth, and Alvarez homered again in his next at-bat, this time to the bullpen in right-center off Jordan Montgomery, to extend it to 8-0.

Alvarez had his seventh multi-homer game to tie Chris Carter (2014) for the most in a season in franchise history. It’s his second this week after also slugging two in a win over Kansas City at home Sunday after he hadn’t homered at Minute Maid Park since June 22.

Valdez allowed just two singles and struck out seven after pitching seven innings of no-hit ball in his last start.

The San Diego Padres were one strike away from padding their lead atop the NL wild-card standings.

The Detroit Tigers' Parker Meadows changed that with one swing of the bat.

Down 3-0 with two outs and two strikes in the top of the ninth inning, Meadows hit a grand slam to stun the Padres and send the Tigers to a thrilling 4-3 win on Thursday.

Parker hit a 101 mph four-seam fastball off Robert Suarez that travelled 361 feet and landed just over the short left-field fence in San Diego.

San Diego (80-62) lost for the first time in four games and its lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks shrunk to just one-half game for the NL's top wild-card spot.

Jurickson Profar and Xander Bogaerts each homered for the Padres, who end the regular season with a three-game series at Arizona.

Meadows' homer was just his sixth of the season and lifted the Tigers (71-70) back over .500 and within five games of the Royals for the AL's final wild-card spot.

Braves lose, now tied for final NL wild card spot

The Atlanta Braves suffered a 3-1 loss to the last-place Colorado Rockies to drop into a tie for the league's final wild-card berth with the idle New York Mets.

Atlanta and New York have identical 76-64 records with 22 games remaining.

The Braves, who got their lone run on Ramón Laureano's RBI single in the first inning, managed just five hits with Orlando Arcia's second inning-double the only one going for extra bases in the finale with the Rockies (52-89).

Colorado's Michael Toglia and Ezequiel Tovar each hit solo homers off Atlanta starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez, who gave up three other hits while striking out 11 without a walk in his six innings of work.

Rockies starter Austin Gomber went eight innings, yielding a run and five hits without issuing a walk while striking out six.

Phillies push winning streak to five

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 5-2 to extend their winning streak to five games and increase their lead atop the NL East to eight games.

Bryson Stott hit an RBI single in the first inning and a long solo homer during Philadelphia's four-run sixth inning.

Kody Clemens knocked in a pair of runs with a double in the sixth and later came around to score on a wild pitch.

Ranger Suarez gave up three hits over five scoreless innings for the Phillies (84-56), who have won 10 of 12.

The Marlins (52-88) scored their first run in the seventh on an RBI single by Jesús Sánchez and plated their final run an inning later on a throwing error by Clemens.

Third baseman Matt Chapman and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a six-year, $151 million contract on Wednesday night.

Chapman, 31, will earn $25 million each season from 2025 to 2030 and additionally will receive a $1 million signing bonus in 2025.

He joined the Giants as a free agent in March, agreeing to a contract guaranteeing $54 million over three seasons. That deal gave him the right to opt out after 2024 and 2025. It included a $2 million signing bonus and a $16 million salary for 2024.

Chapman is hitting .247 and leads the Giants with 22 homers, 69 RBIs, 90 runs and 33 doubles. He is a four-time Gold Glove winner and has a .241 career average with 177 homers and 495 RBIs for Oakland (2017-21), Toronto (2022-23) and the Giants.

An All-Star in 2019, Chapman hit a career-high 36 home runs for Oakland and finished sixth in the American League MVP voting. He was traded to Toronto in March 2022.

Shota Imanaga threw seven no-hit innings and two relievers finished a combined no-hitter in the Chicago Cubs’ 12-0 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.

Imanaga struck out seven and walked two over seven innings. He threw 66 of 95 pitches for strikes.

The left-hander, who threw a season-high 103 pitches against St. Louis on June 15, needed 25 pitches to get through the second inning.

Nate Pearson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Porter Hodge a perfect ninth in the Cubs’ 18th no-hitter, the first since Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel combined to hold Los Angeles hitless at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2021.

This was the fourth no-hitter this season after complete-game efforts by Houston’s Ronel Blanco against Toronto on April 1, San Diego’s Dylan Cease at Washington on July 25 and San Francisco’s Blake Snell at Cincinnati on April 2.

Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong each had three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs for the Cubs, who collected 17 hits to win for the seventh time in nine games. Cody Bellinger also homered and Nico Hoerner added three hits.

Domingo Germán, who pitched a perfect game last year for the Yankees against Oakland, allowed seven runs and nine hits in three innings.

Winker’s slam powers streaking Mets

Jesse Winker hit a first-inning grand slam and the Mets’ bullpen pitched five scoreless innings in their seventh straight victory, 8-3 over the reeling Boston Red Sox.

The Mets completed a three-game sweep of Boston and have won 14 of their last 19 games to pull within a half-game of Atlanta for the third NL wild-card spot.

New York had just four hits after Winker’s first-inning slam against Tanner Houck, but relievers Alex Young, Huascar Brazobán and Danny Young induced inning-ending double plays in the fifth, sixth and seventh before Phil Maton retired Masataka Yoshida on a liner to strand runners at the corners in the eighth.

Francisco Lindor led off the game with a single and added a double in the fifth inning, extending his hitting streak to 15 games, tying the career high he set with Cleveland in 2018. He has also reached base in a career-best 33 straight games, the longest active streak in the majors.

Jarren Duran had two hits and an RBI for Boston, which lost its fifth in a row to drop to .500 for the first time since June.

Pham’s first homer with Royals the difference

Tommy Pham hit his first home run for Kansas City, a tiebreaking, three-run drive in a four-run fourth inning, and the Royals stopped a season-high, seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians.

Seth Lugo allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. He is one win behind Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Atlanta’s Chris Sale, who are tied for the major league lead. Lugo is 11-1 with a 1.40 ERA in 15 starts with four days’ rest.

Kansas City closed within one percentage point of Minnesota for the second AL wild card spot. The Royals and Twins are both 4 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland.

During the seven-game skid, the Royals had scored three runs or fewer in six straight games, the team’s longest such streak since Aug. 15-21, 2022. The Royals had scored two runs or fewer in five straight, their longest span since June 7-13, 2018.

Kyle Schwarber’s third home run of the game was a go-ahead, three-run shot in the ninth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from a five-run deficit for a 10-9 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

Schwarber hit his 12th leadoff homer of the season and went deep again in the fourth before his blast with no outs in the ninth on the ninth pitch he saw from Chad Green, a 96 mph fastball. Right fielder George Springer barely moved in reaction to Schwarber's 426-foot line drive that reached the second deck for his 31st homer of the season.

Schwarber became the first Phillies player to have two three-homer games in a season and has three such games in his career. He finished 5 for 6 with six RBIs and came within a triple of the cycle, adding a double in the third and an RBI single in the seventh.

Vladimir Guerrero went 4 for 5 with a two-run homer for Toronto, which led 6-1 after one and knocked Phillies starter Tyler Phillips out of the game after two-thirds of an inning. Phillips gave up six runs on eight hits, including two-run homers by Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger.

Matt Strahm, the seventh Phillies pitcher, gave up Leo Jiménez's homer in the ninth but closed it out for his second save.

NL East-leading Philadelphia matched a season high with 18 hits and won its third straight.

Green blew a save for the second straight game after doing so on Sunday at Minnesota. He converted 16 consecutive save opportunities to begin the season.

Peterson powers streaking Mets        

David Peterson struck out a career-high 11 on his 29th birthday and was backed by home runs from Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and Pete Alonso as the New York Mets won their sixth straight, 7-2 over the slumping Boston Red Sox.

Peterson won his fourth straight decision, allowing one run and six hits – all singles - with one walk.

Early in the game, he threw a career-best 16 consecutive strikes as the first four innings zipped by in 59 minutes. New York improved to 14-3 in Peterson's starts since he made his season debut May 29 after recovering from hip surgery.

Lindor launched his 30th homer in the third inning and added an RBI double to spark a four-run eighth, drawing another chorus of “MVP! MVP!” chants from the Citi Field crowd. New York, which has won 13 of 18, remained a half-game behind Atlanta for the final NL wild card.

Vientos greeted Justin Slaten with a leadoff homer in the seventh after Lindor's blast was the lone Mets hit off starter Kutter Crawford, who fanned eight in six innings.

Nick Sogard had an RBI single for the Red Sox, who have dropped four in a row and five of six. They totalled five runs in those defeats.

Sale wins 16th, hits milestone

Chris Sale tied for the major league lead with his 16th win and reached 200 strikeouts for the first time since 2019 to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Sale (16-3) earned his sixth straight win and has gone 15 straight starts allowing no more than three earned runs.

He gave up six hits and fanned nine to push his season total to 206, his most since he had 219 with the Red Sox before a series of injuries derailed his career. He became the first left-hander in Braves franchise history to post 200 strikeouts.

Sale tied Detroit’s Tarik Skubal for the major league lead in wins.

Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 29th save in 31 chances, extending his scoreless streak to 22 1/3 innings.

Luis Severino's seven sharp innings allowed the rolling New York Mets to further close the gap in the National League wild card race with Monday's 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Severino (10-6) scattered six hits while yielding one run to win his third consecutive decision and lead the Mets to a fifth straight victory. New York, now 12-5 over its last 17 games, moved within a half-game of the Atlanta Braves for the NL's final wild card spot.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor continued a hot stretch as well by going 2 for 3 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Luis Torrens also went 2 for 3 for New York, which also received a run-scoring double from Brandon Nimmo.

Nimmo's hit followed a single by Lindor in the bottom of the third inning and snapped a 1-1 tie, and the Mets pushed home two more runs against Boston starter Brayan Bello in the fourth to increase the margin.

After DJ Stewart started a two-out rally with a single, Torrens lashed a double to left that enabled Stewart to score when Boston's Tyler O'Neill misplayed the ball caroming off the wall. A Lindor single then brought home Torrens for a 4-1 advantage.

The Mets had their first run set up by back-to-back singles by Jose Iglesias and Jeff McNeil in the second inning that put runners at first and third, with Iglesias crossing the plate on a double-play grounder off the bat of Starling Marte.

Boston would pull even in the top of the third when Ceddane Rafaela tripled and scored on Jarren Duran's single. 

Severino shut down Boston's offence from that point on, though, with Danny Young and Phil Maton closing out the win with a scoreless inning each.

Bello (12-7) gave up all four New York runs in five innings of work in the latest loss for the slumping Red Sox, who have now dropped three straight and eight of 11.

Torres, Cole help keep Yankees atop AL East

Gleyber Torres had three hits, including a go-ahead two-run double, and Gerrit Cole struck out nine over six strong innings as the New York Yankees maintained their slim lead atop the American League East with an 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers.

Anthony Rizzo also had a two-run double for New York in his second game back from a broken arm, while Giancarlo Stanton added a solo homer to help keep the Yankees a half-game ahead of Baltimore in the race for the AL's best record. The Orioles kept pace with a 13-3 rout of the White Sox, the 11th straight loss for Chicago.

Cole (6-3) held the Rangers to one run on four hits before departing due to a cramp in his right calf he developed while warming up for the seventh inning. 

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner had a 7-1 lead at that point, with Torres opening the scoring with a third-inning double that drove in Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo, both of whom reached on singles off Jack Leiter.

Cole's lone blemish occurred in the bottom of the third, when Josh Smith delivered a two-out double that brought in Marcus Semien, who was aboard on a fielder's choice that followed Leody Taveras' single.

Leiter (0-2) kept it a 2-1 game until the sixth, which Torres and Juan Soto began with singles before Aaron Judge ended the rookie's night with a run-scoring double.

The Yankees would put up four more runs before the end of the inning. Jazz Chisholm brought home Soto with a single, Rizzo knocked in two more with an opposite-field double and Chisholm scored on a wild pitch to increase the margin to 7-1.

Wyatt Langford's two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh got Texas a little closer, but Stanton opened the eighth with his 25th homer of the season to push New York's lead to 8-3.

Langford added a double in the ninth inning that followed a single by Josh Jung, who scored the Rangers' final run on a groundout by Jonah Heim.

Freeman, Ohtani lead another Dodgers' offensive outburst vs. Diamondbacks

Freddie Freeman homered twice and knocked in five runs, Shohei Ohtani stole three more bases, and the Los Angeles Dodgers punished Arizona Diamondbacks pitching once again in an 11-6 victory that allowed the NL West leaders to win an important four-game series.

The Dodgers hammered out 17 hits, including five from Teoscar Hernandez, en route to their 11th win in 14 games. Los Angeles took three matchups in this series while totalling 32 runs and averaging 13 hits over the four games.

Ohtani finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored while running his stolen base total to 46 as he bids to become the first player in MLB history with 50 home runs and 50 steals in a season. 

Mookie Betts also had two hits while driving in three runs to help the Dodgers maintain a five-game advantage over the second-place San Diego Padres in the division. The Diamondbacks are now six back after losing for the fourth time in five games.

Los Angeles also got a solid pitching performance from Jack Flaherty, who fanned seven while holding Arizona to one run in 5 2/3 innings to improve to 4-1 in six starts since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers in late July. 

Freeman's first home run, a two-run shot off Eduardo Rodriguez in the third inning, staked Los Angeles to a 3-0 lead. The blast came with Betts aboard after the fellow All-Star reached on a single that plated Chris Taylor, who opened the inning with a double.

Arizona got a run back in the bottom of the third when Eugenio Suarez doubled and later scored on Corbin Carroll's groundout.

It remained a 3-1 game until Ohtani singled in the seventh, stole both second and third base, and crossed the plate on Freeman's sacrifice fly after Betts was intentionally walked. Hernandez followed with a single and stole second before he and Betts were brought in on Will Smith's single that extended the lead to 6-1.

The Diamondbacks did close the gap in their half of the seventh. Suarez and Luis Guillorme singled before Geraldo Perdomo drove in one run with a sacrifice fly and Jake McCarthy another on a groundout.

Los Angeles answered with a five-run eighth, however, highlighted by Freeman's two-run homer that made the score 10-3. Betts had preceded Freeman's shot with a two-run double, while Hernandez later delivered another hit before eventually scoring on Tommy Edman's single. 

Suarez capped a three-hit night with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, and the Diamondbacks managed two runs in the ninth via Josh Bell's single that brought home Carroll and Randal Grichuk.

The Houston Astros enacted a measure of revenge against the Kansas City Royals.

Yordan Alvarez hit a pair of home runs and the Astros beat the Royals 7-2 on Sunday to cap a four-game sweep.

Houston's first-ever four-game sweep of Kansas City came after the Royals swept a three-game series from the Astros back in April.

Jon Singleton hit a two-run homer and Jeremy Peña added a two-run single for the AL West-leading Astros (75-62), who have won five in a row to move six games ahead of the second-place Seattle Mariners.

The Royals (75-63), meanwhile, have lost a season-high five straight games to drop 3 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians.

Bobby Witt Jr. reached the 30-homer mark for the second straight season by homering in the second straight game. He now has five home runs in his last nine games.

Alvarez also hit his 30th homer with his second multi-homer game of the week. The Astros have won the last six games Alvarez has homered and are 19-4 this season in games when he hits at least one home run.

Ronel Blanco won for the first time since July 9, allowing three hits and four walks over five innings.

Cubs pound Nationals to extend win streak to six games

The Chicago Cubs scored seven runs in the ninth inning to finish off a 14-1 rout of the Washington Nationals and push their winning streak to a season-high six games.

The Cubs have remained in the NL wild-card race, thanks to a 9-1 stretch that has been fueled by an offence that is suddenly surging.

Chicago has plated 99 runs with 14 homers and 33 doubles in its last 10 games.

In the series finale at Washington, Seiya Suzuki hit a pair of doubles and Dansby Swanson had one double among his four hits. Isaac Paredes drove in three runs, while Cody Bellinger, Nico Hoerner and Miguel Amaya each had two RBIs for a Cubs team that pounded out 18 hits.

Jordan Wicks earned the win, yielding one run and four hits in his return from the 60-day injured list after being side-lined since June 14 with a right oblique strain.

Despite Chicago's recent tear, the Cubs (71-66) are still three games back of the Atlanta Braves for the NL's last wild-card spot.

The Nationals (61-76) finished with five hits as they were swept for the eighth time this season and dropped a season-worst 15 games under .500.

White Sox suffer franchise-worst 107th loss

Garrett Crochet was brilliant early for the Chicago White Sox but their series finale with the New York Mets ended like so many other of their games this season - with a loss.

Crochet tied an American League record by striking out the first seven batters but the White Sox ended up getting swept in the three-game series with a 2-0 loss to the Mets.

The loss was the 107th of the season for Chicago, as it broke the franchise record for losses set by the 1970 team.

With just 31 wins, the White Sox need to go 12-12 the rest of the season to avoid matching the 1962 expansion Mets for the most losses by a team since 1900.

The White Sox managed just two hits in finishing off the first 0-10 home-stand in club history. This marks the third losing streak of the season of at least 10 games for Chicago, which also has a 14-game skid and a franchise-worst 21-game slide.

Francisco Lindor hit his 29th home run and Sean Manaea permitted two hits over seven innings to help New York (73-64) win its fourth straight game. The Mets have moved within one game of the Braves for the last play-off spot.

Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman began the game with consecutive home runs, an unprecedented feat in Los Angeles Dodgers' history, and the National League leaders scored twice in the ninth inning to come through with an 8-6 victory over the rival Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.

Tommy Edman's two-run single in the top of the ninth snapped a 6-6 tie and helped Los Angeles expand its lead over Arizona and the San Diego Padres to six games in the division standings.

Ohtani added a sacrifice fly in addition to his NL-leading 44th homer of the season, which came on Arizona starter Merrill Kelly's eighth pitch of the night. Freeman finished 3 for 5 and also knocked in two runs to lead a 16-hit attack which propelled the Dodgers to a fourth straight victory and 10th in 12 games.

Betts followed Ohtani's game-opening blast with a shot over the left field wall, and Freeman connected on Kelly's very next pitch to give Los Angeles a quick 3-0 lead and mark the first time in the franchise's 141-year history it has started a game with three consecutive home runs.

The Diamondbacks answered with four runs in the bottom of the first, however, with Corbin Carroll beginning the rally with a lead-off inside-the-park homer off Gavin Stone.

Jake McCarthy and Joc Pederson then singled before Lourdes Gurriel drove in both with a double to tie the contest. Gurriel later scored on Eugenio Suarez's sac fly for a 4–3 Diamondbacks' advantage.

The Dodgers went back ahead in the second, though. After loading the bases on singles by Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas and a fielding error by Kelly, Ohtani plated Muncy with a sac fly and Freeman got Rojas home with a single for a 5-4 edge.

Gurriel's solo homer in the third knotted the score again, but the Dodgers retook the lead when Gavin Lux doubled in the fifth and crossed the plate on Muncy's single.

Arizona pulled back even by manufacturing a run in the seventh. Luis Guillorme drew a walk before advancing to third on a sacrifice and a wild pitch by reliever Brent Honeywell, then came home on Carroll's sacrifice fly.

It remained a 6-6 game into the ninth, which Will Smith and Lux opened with singles off Ryan Thompson (7-4) before both Dodger runners were moved up a base on a bunt. Two batters later, Edman delivered a two-out single off Justin Martinez to bring home each.

Evan Phillips then retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to give Ben Casparius a win in his MLB debut after the rookie threw a scoreless eighth inning.

Phillies' Wheeler dominates Braves for 100th win

Zack Wheeler earned his 100th career win with seven superb innings as the Philadelphia Phillies extended their lead atop the NL East with a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Wheeler (13-6) yielded just four singles and struck out seven to put the Phillies in position for a sixth win in eight games. Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez finished off the shutout with an inning each as Philadelphia increased its margin over the second-place Braves to six games in the division standings.

Edmundo Sosa knocked in two runs for the Phillies on a double and a homer, a solo shot off Max Fried in the third inning that broke a scoreless tie.

Trea Turner made it 2-0 with a solo homer off Fried in the sixth. One inning later, Weston Wilson drew a walk in front of Sosa's RBI double that gave Wheeler more breathing room.

The Phillies nearly had another home run after Austin Hays drove a pitch deep to center field to start the bottom of the seventh, but Atlanta's Michael Harris climbed the wall to make a leaping catch and prevent the ball from landing in the Philadelphia bullpen.

Fried (8-8) allowed all three Philadelphia runs while permitting five hits and four walks in seven innings.

Atlanta has now lost two of the first three matchups of this key four-game set after entering the series having won nine of its previous 11 games.

Kukuchi fans 12 as Astros continue Royals' struggles

Yusei Kikuchi racked up 12 strikeouts over seven outstanding innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the suddenly slumping Kansas City Royals in a matchup of American League playoff contenders.

Kikuchi (7-9) allowed just one run on five hits to improve to 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six starts since being acquired by the Astros from the Toronto Blue Jays in late July.

The left-hander duelled with Kansas City starter Cole Ragans through 5 1/2 scoreless innings before the Astros broke out with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Ragans was cruising along before giving up a single to Ben Gamel to begin the big inning. He then hit Jose Altuve with a pitch and walked Yordan Alvarez as Houston loaded the bases with none out.

Yainer Diaz then delivered a two-run single to break the scoreless tie, and Jeremy Pena followed with a triple to knock in two more runs for a 4-0 lead. Pena scored the Astros' final run on a wild pitch thrown by reliever Steven Cruz.

Pena finished 2 for 4 in Houston's fourth consecutive victory, which moved the Astros five games clear of second-place Seattle in the AL West after the Mariners lost to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.

The Royals finally got on the board when Freddy Fermin singled in the seventh, advanced to third on MJ Melendez's base hit and scored on Nick Loftin's fielder's choice groundout.

Bobby Witt's 29th homer of the season got Kansas City within 5-2 in the eighth, but Ryan Pressly kept the Royals scoreless in the ninth to record his third save of the season.

Kansas City has now dropped four straight following a stretch of 10 wins in 13 games.

Ragans (10-9) struck out 10 in five-plus innings but was charged with five runs despite permitting just four hits.