MLB Capsules: Astros use big 6th for 4-1 win, sweep Mets in doubleheader

HOUSTON – George Springer had three hits, Josh Reddick and Marwin Gonzalez added RBI singles in a four-run sixth inning, and the Houston Astros beat the New York Mets to sweep a day-night doubleheader in their first games at home since the city was devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

The Astros won the first game behind Springer’s career-high 30th home run.

In the nightcap, Josh Reddick tied it at 1 with an RBI single off Seth Lugo (5-4) with no outs in the sixth before Jose Altuve avoided Kevin Plawecki’s tag at home to score on a single by Marwin Gonzalez.

Joe Musgrove (7-8) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Ken Giles pitched a perfect ninth for his 28th save.

Mets third baseman Wilmer Flores fouled a ball off his face in the fourth inning, was taken off the field with his nose bleeding heavily and sent to a hospital for X-rays.

A crowd of 30,319 attended the doubleheader opener, and 34,904 came out for the second game.

In the opener, New York’s Matt Harvey (4-4) was pounded for seven runs and eight hits in a career-low two innings. Harvey had not pitched for the Mets since June 14 because of a stress injury to the scapula bone in his right shoulder.

Houston right-hander Charlie Morton (11-6) struck out nine in five innings, giving up two runs and six hits.

Indians 5, Tigers 2

DETROIT – Corey Kluber pitched eight strong innings and Cleveland won its 10th straight game.

The Indians are on their longest winning streak since taking a franchise-record 14 in a row between June 17 and July 1, 2016. They have outscored Detroit 18-4 in the first three games of the series.

Kluber (14-4) gave up one run and eight hits. Cody Allen allowed an RBI single to Jose Iglesias before retiring Ian Kinsler for his 23rd save.

Detroit’s Jordan Zimmermann (8-12) allowed five runs and 12 hits in five innings.

Twins 17, Royals 0

MINNEAPOLIS – Joe Mauer went 4 for 4 for Minnesota, and Eduardo Escobar hit two home runs while driving in six runs.

Brian Dozier added a three-run homer and Byron Buxton went 3 for 5 with three runs, making Kyle Gibson (9-10) as comfortable as possible over six scoreless innings to help the Twins improve to 21-10 since Aug. 2.

The Royals fell to 11-20 since July 31. They have been shut out 15 times this season, including five in the last nine games.

Royals starter Onelki Garcia (0-1) recorded one out in his first major league start. He was charged with four runs.

Yankees 5, Red Sox 1

NEW YORK – Matt Holliday made a smashing return to the Yankees’ lineup, hitting a three-run homer that helped Masahiro Tanaka to another win.

The Yankees, already holding the top spot in the wild-card race, pulled within 4 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox. The rivals close their season series Sunday night.

Holliday hadn’t played in the majors since going on the disabled list almost a month ago with a back injury. He was activated Friday but sat out a 4-1 loss.

It was 1-all in the sixth inning when Holliday launched a drive to left off Drew Pomeranz (14-5) estimated at 443 feet. Holliday pointed toward the Yankees dugout on his way toward first base after his 17th homer.

Tanaka (11-10) was charged with one run and five hits in seven-plus innings.

White Sox 5, Rays 4

CHICAGO – Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer gave up home runs to the first two batters of the game then departed right lateral forearm tightness.

Alen Hanson hit his fourth home run on Archer’s second pitch of the game, and Yolmer Sanchez followed with his ninth homer to help the White Sox snap a four-game losing streak.

Archer (9-8) threw just eight pitches before Rays manager Kevin Cash and trainer Ron Porterfield checked on him and he left as a precaution.

Logan Morrison hit his sixth home run in six games and 35th of the season for the Rays, who had won eight of 11.

Carson Fulmer (1-1) allowed one run in two innings for his first major league victory. Juan Minaya worked a rocky ninth for his fourth save.

Cubs 14, Braves 12

CHICAGO – Rene Rivera hit a grand slam, Anthony Rizzo added a three-run triple and the Cubs held off the Braves in Jon Lester’s return from the disabled list.

Javier Baez and Jason Heyward also homered for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who have won six straight and 12 of 15 overall.

Lester (9-7) allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings in his first start since Aug. 16. He had been sidelined by tightness in his left lat and general shoulder fatigue.

Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp and Rio Ruiz homered for Atlanta, which has dropped six of eight. Rookie right-hander Lucas Sims (2-5) was charged with six hits and seven runs in three-plus innings.

Nationals 3, Brewers 2

MILWAUKEE – Trea Turner’s double to the center-field wall scored Wilmer Difo from first base in the eighth inning, and Washington rallied for the road win.

The Nationals trailed 2-1 before Michael Taylor homered on the first pitch from rookie reliever Josh Hader (1-2). Difo bunted Hader’s second pitch for a single and scored on Turner’s double.

Washington ace Max Scherzer was hit in the left calf by a liner in the first and was lifted after throwing 75 pitches over five innings, but the 2016 NL Cy Young Award winner said he didn’t anticipate missing much time with the injury.

The Brewers fell 4 1/2 games behind Chicago in the NL Central, the farthest Milwaukee has been out of first place all season.

Ryan Madson (5-4) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win and Sean Doolittle got three outs for his 17th save.

Marlins 10, Phillies 9

MIAMI – Giancarlo Stanton hit his major league-leading 52nd home run, and Miami snapped a five-game losing streak.

Marcell Ozuna also connected and drove in four runs for the Marlins, and pinch hitter Derek Dietrich belted a three-run shot. Dan Straily (9-8) got the win.

Stanton’s estimated 445-foot drive against Aaron Nola (10-10) in the first bounced off the wall in front of the walkway above center field. The homer snapped a 1-for-17 slump for the All-Star slugger.

Philadelphia also lost center fielder Pedro Florimon to a serious right leg injury after he beat out an infield hit in the second. The game was delayed 15 minutes while emergency personnel carried Florimon into a vehicle and placed an inflatable cast over his leg.

Rhys Hoskins homered, doubled and singled for the last-place Phillies, who had won four of six.

Angels 7, Rangers 4 (10)

ARLINGTON, Texas – Kole Calhoun hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the 10th inning, and the Angels rallied for the win.

Los Angeles remained 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota in the race for the AL’s second wild card. Texas fell four games back of the Twins.

Jose Leclerc (2-3) walked the first three batters in the 10th. Two scored when Calhoun looped his single into left field, and the third came in on a sacrifice fly by C.J. Cron.

Yusmeiro Petit (4-0) got the win, and Blake Parker worked a hitless 10th inning for his fifth save.

Padres 6-7, Dodgers 5-2

SAN DIEGO – Carlos Asuaje homered and Erick Aybar had three singles as San Diego earned a doubleheader sweep of the runaway NL West leaders.

It was the shortest outing of the year for Darvish (2-2), who allowed five runs and eight hits, struck out five and walked three. His previous shortest outing was 3 2/3 innings in a loss to Miami on July 26, his final start with Texas before he was traded to the Dodgers at the July 31 deadline.

The Dodgers have lost seven of their last eight. They still own MLB’s best record at 92-43.

In the first game, Yangervis Solarte homered with one out in the ninth to lift the Padres to a 6-5 victory. Solarte’s first career walkoff homer and his 15th shot this season came off Pedro Baez (3-3). In the top of the inning, Justin Turner’s pinch-hit, two-run homer off All-Star closer Brad Hand (3-4).

Blue Jays 7, Orioles 2

BALTIMORE – Josh Donaldson hit a three-run homer and Toronto deftly recovered from a second-inning injury to starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.

Kevin Pillar and Darwin Barney also homered for the last-place Blue Jays. Matt Dermody (2-0) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.

Seth Smith connected for the Orioles, who fell 3 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees for the top AL wild-card slot. Wade Miley (8-11) pitched six innings of two-run ball.

Stroman was struck on the right elbow by a line drive off the bat of Mark Trumbo and left the game. The injury was later diagnosed as a contusion, and X-rays were negative.

Mariners 7, Athletics 6

SEATTLE – Jean Segura raced home from third base on a wild pitch with two outs in the ninth inning, and Seattle rallied from a four-run deficit.

Seattle pulled even at 6-all when Mike Zunino hit a two-out solo home run to right-center field in the eighth inning off Oakland reliever Chris Hatcher. Zunino drove an 0-1 pitch to the gap and watched it barely disappear over the wall for his 21st homer of the season.

Segura opened the ninth with a chopper to first that Matt Olson could not handle, his second error of the game. Yonder Alonso followed with a single to right off Oakland’s Blake Treinen (1-2) and Segura raced to third putting runners at the corners with no outs. Robinson Cano was walked to load the bases, but Nelson Cruz struck out and Kyle Seager popped out. Treinen was low with his second pitch to Mitch Haniger, and it got past Bruce Maxwell and Segura scored.

Edwin Diaz (3-5) worked the ninth to get the victory.

Giants 2, Cardinals 1 (10)

SAN FRANCISCO – Nick Hundley hit a game-ending homer in the 10th inning for San Francisco.

Hundley led off with an opposite-field drive to right on a 1-0 slider from Ryan Sherriff (0-1).

The Cardinals failed to score in the top of the 10th after Dexter Fowler led off with a triple against Sam Dyson (2-2). Third baseman Pablo Sandoval cut down pinch runner Harrison Bader at the plate on Stephen Piscotty’s one-out grounder.

Lance Lynn pitched eight shutout innings of one-hit ball for St. Louis. San Francisco right-hander Jeff Samardzija struck out nine and gave up one run in seven innings in his second straight strong start.

Pirates 5, Reds 0

PITTSBURGH – Jordan Luplow picked up the first two hits of his career, including a three-run homer for Pittsburgh in the eighth inning.

Luplow beat out an infield single in the second for his first hit. His second went considerably farther, reaching the first row of seats in left-center field.

Starling Marte added three hits for Pittsburgh, which ended a four-game losing streak. A.J. Schugel (4-0) picked up the victory in relief.

Billy Hamilton had two hits for Cincinnati and stole two bases to boost his total to a major league-leading 58. Michael Lorenzen (8-3) got the loss.

Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 2

DENVER – Patrick Corbin pitched effectively into the sixth inning, J.D. Martinez hit a three-run home run and Arizona won their season-high ninth straight.

The Diamondbacks pushed their lead over Colorado for the top NL wild-card berth to 5 1/2 games. The Rockies, losers of three straight and four of their last five, clung to a 1 1/2 game lead over Milwaukee, which lost to Washington earlier, for the second wild card.

Corbin (13-11) allowed two runs – one earned – and two hits in 5 1/3 innings while posting his second win during Arizona’s longest winning streak since also winning nine straight Aug. 23-31, 2011. He has won his last five starts overall with a 0.50 ERA in that span.

Extending a trend of strong starts, the Diamondbacks jumped on Rockies starter Jon Gray (6-4) for three first-inning runs, all coming on Martinez’s 30th homer of the season.