MLB capsules: Charlie Morton stays unbeaten, leads Astros over Indians

CLEVELAND – Charlie Morton remained unbeaten this season with six solid innings, Alex Bregman and Jake Marisnick hit three-run homers and the Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Indians 8-2 on Thursday night.

Morton (7-0) allowed two runs and five hits while extending his career-best winning streak to 10 games. The right-hander, who moved into a tie for the AL lead in wins, hasn’t lost since Sept. 9, 2017, against Oakland. He walked three and struck out five.

Morton fell behind after Michael Brantley’s two-run single in the third, but his offense gave him plenty of support. Houston scored three runs in the fifth and added five in the sixth to put the game away.

Mike Clevinger (3-2) opened with four scoreless innings, but couldn’t hold a 2-0 lead in the fifth. Bregman capped the inning with his fifth homer over the 19-foot high wall in left field that put Houston ahead. He added an RBI double in the sixth.

Royals 8, Rangers 2: At Arlington, Texas, Danny Duffy took a shutout into the eighth inning, Salvador Perez threw out a baserunner on a ball that hit Shin-Soo Choo in the face, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers for their season-best third straight victory.

Perez had four RBIs on a pair of two-run singles with two outs, first in the fifth and then the seventh innings. But the catcher’s caught stealing in the first inning was more memorable.

Duffy’s pitch in the dirt bounced off Perez and then hit Choo in the face, sending the left-handed hitter staggering out of the box. Perez scrambled to get the ball from in front of home plate, then threw out Delino DeShields trying to take second on the play. Choo remained in the game and drew a walk in the plate appearance.

Duffy (2-6) allowed a run and four hits, struck out five and walked two in 7 2/3 innings in his longest outing of the season. The veteran left-hander entered the game with a 6.88 ERA this season and had allowed at least five earned runs in five of his previous 10 starts.

Orioles 9, White Sox 3: At Chicago, Dylan Bundy struck out a career-high 14 and pitched a two-hitter for his second complete game in the majors, helping the Baltimore Orioles beat the White Sox.

Bundy (3-6) had been roughed up in losing four of five previous starts, but sparkled once again in an afternoon contest. The 25-year-old right-hander improved to 2-1 with 1.32 ERA in five day games.

Adam Jones and Trey Mancini hit solo home runs as Baltimore took a 9-0 lead after three innings. Jones and Manny Machado each had three hits, and Chance Sisco drove in three runs for the last-place Orioles. They won for just the third time in nine games and improved to 6-21 on the road.

Jose Rondon hit a three-run homer with two outs in the fourth for the first hit off Bundy. It was Rondon’s second career homer and second in two days.

Earlier in the day, White Sox catcher Welington Castillo was suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance. The commissioner’s office cited use of Erythropoietin (EPO).

Angles 8, Blue Jays 1: At Toronto, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols each hit solo home runs, and Shohei Ohtani doubled twice in Los Angeles’ victory over Toronto.

Nick Tropeano (2-3) pitched a season-high 7 1/3 innings to snap a five-start winless streak.

Ohtani also walked twice and scored two runs. Martin Maldonado had two hits and three RBIs.

The Angels scored more than three runs for the third time in their past 12 and posted their biggest output since an 8-0 win at Colorado on May 9.

Tropeano (2-3) allowed one run and four hits, walked a season-low one and struck out six. The victory was his first since April 12 at Kansas City.

Trout hit a leadoff drive in the fifth that bounced off the top of the left field wall and went out. It came off right-hander Marco Estrada (2-5). Pujols connected off Deck McGuire in the ninth.

Reds 5, Pirates 4: At Cincinnati, Eugenio Suarez hit a grand slam off Ivan Nova – who dropped his sixth straight start against Cincinnati – and Jesse Winker added a solo shot for the Reds against Pittsburgh.

The Reds took two of three in the series, completing a 3-4 homestand. Pittsburgh has lost five of six.

Luis Castillo (4-4) gave up four hits in six innings, including a two-run homer by David Freese.

Austin Meadows hit his second homer of the series, a two-run shot off Amir Garrett in the ninth that cut it to 5-4. Jared Hughes got the last two outs for his second save. The Reds are without closer Raisel Iglesias, who went on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained biceps in his non-throwing arm.

Athletics 4, Mariners 3: At Oakland, California, Stephen Piscotty and the Athletics tagged Felix Hernandez early, and Oakland ended Seattle’s five-game winning streak.

Oakland helped itself by turning a team record-tying five groundball double plays, and stopped a five-game home skid. The A’s scored four times in the first inning, two on Piscotty’s double off Hernandez (5-4). Hernandez settled down and retired 16 of the last 17 batters he faced in going six innings.

Yusmeiro Petit (2-1) pitched three scoreless innings in relief. He was among five A’s pitchers manager Bob Melvin used after saying it would be a bullpen day with rookie reliever Josh Lucas making a spot start. Lucas lasted just two innings in his first career start, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks and throwing 52 pitches.

Rays 6, Red Sox 3: At St. Petersburg, Florida, Blake Snell threw six scoreless innings, Wilson Ramos drove in two runs, and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep.

Snell (6-3) allowed three hits, walked two and struck out eight. The left-hander is 2-0 in three starts against Boston this season, giving up two runs and 11 hits in 19 innings.

Mitch Moreland hit a solo homer and Rafael Devers had an RBI double off Matt Andriese in the ninth as Boston got within three runs. But, Alex Colome retired Sandy Leon on a two-out grounder with Devers on second to get his 11th save.

Red Sox starter Rick Porcello (6-2) lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs – four earned – and eight hits. Boston (34-16) dropped to 9-4 against the Rays this year.