CINCINNATI (AP) — Jake Fraley hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Cincinnati Reds extended their majors-best winning streak to 11 games, rallying past the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Wednesday for a three-game sweep.
Rookie sensation Elly De La Cruz hit a one-out bloop to left that fell for a double against Daniel Bard (3-1), and Fraley hit the next pitch over the wall in right, sending the Reds to their majors-best 12th comeback win of the season and the Rockies to their season-worst eighth straight loss. Cincinnati trailed 3-0 after four innings.
The NL Central-leading Reds (40-35) have swept three straight three-game series and won five consecutive series overall. Their winning streak is the club’s longest since winning 12 straight in 1957.
Andrew Abbott allowed the first run of his career when Brenton Doyle led off the game with a homer. But the rookie left-hander was solid from there, striking out a career-high 10 in six innings and giving up three runs, all on solo homers. Abbott struck out the side in the sixth.
Abbott combined with Lucas Sims, Ian Gibaut and Buck Farmer to hold the Rockies scoreless after the fourth. Gibaut (8-1) pitched around a leadoff single in the eighth and Farmer worked the ninth for his second save in five tries. The Rockies struck out 15 times.
RAYS 7, ORIOLES 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Taj Bradley allowed one run over a career-high six innings, Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes homered, and Tampa Bay beat Baltimore to split a two-game series between the top two teams in the AL East.
Bradley (5-3) gave up three hits and struck out eight.
Arozarena and Paredes started a four-run second with consecutive homers against Tyler Wells (6-3), who also made two errors during the inning.
Arozarena had an RBI single in a two-run seventh as Tampa Bay improved to 32-8 at home and stopped a season-long three-game skid overall.
Ramón Urías and Gunnar Henderson homered for the Orioles, who are five back of the first-place Rays.
ASTROS 10, METS 8
HOUSTON (AP) — Alex Bregman had three hits and Yainer Diaz and Chas McCormick both hit two-run homers to help Houston outlast New York to win the three-game series.
Houston fell behind 4-2 early after a subpar start by Cristian Javier. McCormick’s home run came in a four-run third inning that put the Astros on top. The Mets tied it in the top of the fourth, but the Astros went ahead for good by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Diaz’s home run.
Daniel Vogelbach had a season-high three hits with three RBIs and Pete Alonso hit his 23rd homer as the Mets dropped a second straight game after winning the series opener 11-1.
Mauricio Dubón doubled with one out in the fourth and scored on a two-out single by Bregman to put the Astros up 7-6. Diaz sent the next pitch from Dominic Leone (2-2) into left-center for his third homer in five games to make it 9-6.
Javier struggled with command, allowing four hits and four runs with a career-high five walks in just 2 1/3 innings. Phil Maton (1-2) struck out three in 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win and Ryan Pressly pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save.
CUBS 8, PIRATES 3
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kyle Hendricks pitched effectively into the seventh inning, Nico Hoerner homered, tripled and drove in three runs and Chicago beat Pittsburgh to complete a three-game sweep.
Hendricks (3-2) won his third consecutive start for the Cubs, who have won eight of nine to give them some serious momentum heading into a weekend series against rival St. Louis in London, England, starting on Saturday.
Hoerner hit a two-run triple off Rich Hill (6-7) in the third and added a solo home run in the seventh. Ian Happ doubled twice and drove in two runs.
The Pirates have dropped nine straight, their longest losing streak since a nine-game slide from June 6-16, 2021. The franchise was in full-on rebuilding mode then. Pittsburgh believes it is drawing closer to becoming a contender but the good vibes that came with a promising 19-9 start have faded over the past two weeks. The Pirates are 15-30 over their past 45 games.
TIGERS 9, ROYALS 4
DETROIT (AP) — Zack Short homered and drove in three runs, Javier Báez got his 1,000th hit and Detroit beat slumping Kansas City.
The Royals have lost 15 of 18 games.
Matthew Boyd (5-5) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings for Detroit. He struck out seven without a walk.
Brady Singer (4-7) lost his third straight decision, giving up five runs, seven hits and a walk in seven innings.
Báez put the Tigers ahead 4-2 in the third, driving in Kerry Carpenter with his 1,000th hit.
BLUE JAYS 6, MARLINS 3
MIAMI (AP) — Matt Chapman homered and doubled, Kevin Gausman pitched six-plus innings of three-run ball and Toronto beat Miami.
Cavan Biggio stepped in for late scratch Bo Bichette and doubled and singled for the Blue Jays. Bichette, who leads the American League in hits with 101 and played in Toronto’s first 75 games, sat out because of left thumb discomfort.
Luis Arraez went 2 for 5 for the Marlins and is hitting a major league-leading .398.
Gausman (7-3) allowed eight hits and struck out six in his 12th start of six or more innings. Jordan Romano picked up his 22nd save.
Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara had another rough outing. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner gave up five runs and 10 hits over seven innings as his ERA increased to 5.08. Alcantara (2-6) has allowed double-digit hits in each of his past two starts.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Zac Gallen pitched seven strong innings for his ninth win and Arizona defeated Milwaukee.
Arizona took two of three from the Brewers in the series.
Gallen (9-2) limited the Brewers to one run and three hits. He walked one and struck out four. He allowed a solo home run to Raimel Tapia in the fifth inning.
Scott McGough pitched two scoreless innings with four strikeouts to close out the victory and pick up his fourth save.
The NL West-leading Diamondbacks broke through in the sixth against Brewers reliever Elvis Peguero (1-1). Pavin Smith walked with one out and scored to tie it when center fielder Joey Wiemer failed to cleanly field Emmanuel Rivera’s sharply hit single up the middle. Rivera scored on Alek Thomas’ line-drive single to right to give Arizona a 2-1 lead.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
