08/20/19 10:00:00
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08/20 21:58 CDT Mets open crucial homestand with 9-2 win over Indians
Mets open crucial homestand with 9-2 win over Indians
By The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- Michael Conforto hit a tiebreaking homer moments after an
embarrassing error by Cleveland Indians left fielder Oscar Mercado, and the
resurgent New York Mets rolled from there to a 9-2 victory Tuesday night.
J.D. Davis also went deep and Steven Matz (8-7) permitted only one earned run
in 6 1/3 innings as the Mets opened a critical homestand against a trio of
playoff contenders with a resounding performance. New York (65-60), which began
the day two games out of a wild-card spot, improved to 25-10 since the All-Star
break and matched a season best at five games over .500.
Pete Alonso hit a two-run double to cap a four-run seventh that broke it open.
All-Star Game MVP Shane Bieber (12-6) gave up four runs --- two earned --- and
four hits in six innings for the Indians.
Jason Kipnis homered early and hit an RBI single for the Indians, but their
first trip to Queens since 2004 was a flop. Cleveland split a four-game series
at Yankee Stadium last weekend to begin an eight-day stay in New York City.
PHILLIES 3, RED SOX 2
BOSTON (AP) --- Aaron Nola pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to win for
the sixth time in his last seven decisions, getting three runs of support in
the first inning as Philadelphia cruised past Boston.
Three of the first four Philadelphia batters reached base, including
back-to-back doubles by Bryce Harper and Jean Segura. Boston made it 3-2 on
Jackie Bradley Jr.'s homer in the third but managed just four more hits the
rest of the game.
Nola (12-3) allowed two runs and one walk while striking out seven. Hector
Neris earned his 22nd save.
Red Sox starter Brian Johnson (1-2) allowed three runs, six hits and two walks,
striking out four in 3 2/3 innings as Boston ended a five-game winning streak.
ORIOLES 4, ROYALS 1
BALTIMORE (AP) --- Hanser Alberto hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the
eighth, and Baltimore ended an eight-game losing streak.
Royals reliever Jacob Barnes (1-2) sandwiched a pair of walks around two outs
before Alberto hit a 1-1 pitch into the Baltimore bullpen for his eighth home
run.
Hunter Harvey (1-0) worked a perfect eighth to earn his first major league win
and Mychal Givens got three outs for his 10th save.
Baltimore had lost 13 of its previous 14 games.
Kansas City's lone run came in the second inning, when Meibrys Viloria hit a
sacrifice fly following singles by Alex Gordon and Ryan O'Hearn.
ANGELS 5, RANGERS 1, 1ST GAME
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) --- Mike Trout matched the MLB lead with his career-best
42nd homer, Andrew Heaney had a career-high 14 strikeouts without a walk over
eight innings and Los Angeles beat Texas in the first game of a day-night
doubleheader.
Trout lined a two-run shot into the left field seats after David Fletcher led
off the game with a single off Joe Palumbo (0-2). It was Trout's 10th homer
this year against the Rangers, matching the most ever by an opponent against
them in the same season.
The doubleheader opener was the makeup of the July 1 game that was postponed
after pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room the last time the
Angels played in Texas. The coroner hasn't released a cause of death for
Skaggs, who was 27.
Heaney (3-3) allowed consecutive one-out singles in the first inning. The lefty
then retired 16 batters in a row until Willie Calhoun's two-out homer in the
sixth, one of only four hits he allowed.
Luis Rengifo also hit a two-run homer in the fifth that made it 5-0.
REDS 3, PADRES 2
CINCINNATI (AP) --- Freddy Galvis hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the sixth
inning, and Aristides Aquino added an RBI single as Cincinnati beat San Diego.
Galvis, claimed off waivers from Toronto on August 12, followed Josh VanMeter's
second hit of the game with an opposite-field drive to left. It was his second
home run in two nights and career-high 21st of the season.
Sonny Gray struck out 10 batters in six innings, reaching double figures for
the third time this season and seventh in his career. He won his third
consecutive start and improved to 4-0 in his last five outings. Gray (9-6) gave
up four hits and three walks.
Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
Cal Quantrill (6-4) almost matched Gray strikeout-for-strikeout. He tied a
career-high with nine strikeouts with no walks in six innings, allowing five
hits and three runs.
BRAVES 5, MARLINS 1
ATLANTA (AP) --- Freddie Freeman homered twice and drove in four runs, Dallas
Keuchel kept working out of trouble and Atlanta defeated Miami.
Freeman sent one went the opposite way in the fourth. The next inning, the
Braves slugger went deep again with two outs to break a 1-1 tie, launching a
pitch from Tyler Kinley (1-1) into the right-field seats for his 33rd homer of
the season and second multi-homer game of the homestand.
The third Miami pitcher, Austin Brice, didn't fare any better against Freeman,
giving up a two-run single in the seventh.
Keuchel (4-5) went six innings, limiting the Marlins to Jon Berti's
third-inning homer.
Elieser Hernandez plunked Atlanta star Ronald Acua Jr. in the back with his
very first pitch of the game, rekindling tensions between the NL East rivals
and leading to the ejection of Braves manager Brian Snitker.
Hernandez was lifted after four innings because of a blister on his right
middle finger. He allowed three hits, walked two and struck out five during a
68-pitch outing.
PIRATES 4, NATIONALS 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) --- Starling Marte hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in eighth
inning, and Pittsburgh beat Washington.
After struggling to manage anything off Stephen Strasburg through seven
innings, Pittsburgh loaded the bases against Wander Suero (3-7) with nobody out
in the eighth when Adam Frazier bunted a single past the mound. Bryan Reynolds
tied it 1-1 with a sacrifice fly before Marte drove a fastball from Daniel
Hudson 397 feet to right-center for his 22nd homer of the season.
Pirates closer Felipe Vzquez (3-1) went 1 1/3 inning, allowing one hit with
one strikeout.
Suero, who gave up two hits and one walk, was responsible for three of
Pittsburgh's four eighth-inning runs.
Strasburg allowed four hits and had six strikeouts in seven innings, and left
the game on track for what would have been his career-high 16th win. He has 15
wins in four of his first 10 major league seasons.
MARINERS 7, RAYS 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) --- Tom Murphy hit a tiebreaking homer, his sixth in
four games, in the sixth inning to lift Seattle over Tampa Bay.
Murphy's 16th homer of the season came off Jalen Beeks (5-3) after a walk to
Kyle Seager. Murphy became the first Mariners catcher to homer in four straight
games.
The Rays began the day one game ahead of Oakland for the AL's second wild card.
The Athletics hosted the New York Yankees later.
Tommy Milone (3-7) got the win after giving up four runs in five innings of
relief, helping Seattle to its sixth victory in eight games. Matt Magill
pitched the ninth for his second save in two tries.
___
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