Royals avoid a four-game sweep with 4-3 victory over Yankees

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Maikel Garcia hit a game-ending two run double off Yankees closer Clay Holmes, and the Kansas City Royals recovered after squandering a brilliant start by Alec Marsh to beat New York 4-3 on Thursday and avoid a four-game sweep.

Marsh took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning against the major league-best Yankees (49-22), who had outscored the Royals 25-8 in the first three games of the series. He allowed Juan Soto’s leadoff single in that frame and then retired the next three batters to conclude his 96-pitch outing.

New York immediately went to work in the eighth against reliever John Schreiber. Anthony Rizzo homered to get the Yankees within 2-1. An error by second baseman Garrett Hampson set up Anthony Volpe’s RBI grounder. Angel Zerpa came in and gave up Soto’s go-ahead RBI single.

With one out in the ninth against Holmes (1-2), Drew Waters hit a grounder that went for an infield hit after Holmes and first baseman Rizzo were confused about who would field the ball. After a fielder’s-grounder, Kyle Isbel singled to bring up Garcia, who hit a liner down the left-field line to score MJ Melendez from third and Isbel from first.

It was the fourth blown save in 23 chances for Holmes.

James McArthur (3-3) worked a scoreless ninth for Kansas City, which snapped a four-game skid. The Royals finished 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

BRAVES 6, ORIOLES 5

BALTIMORE (AP) — Reynaldo Lopez matched his season high with eight strikeouts over six shutout innings, Ozzie Albies had four hits and Atlanta held on for a victory over the Baltimore.

Marcell Ozuna’s had a two-run, first-inning double off Baltimore left-hander Cole Irvin (6-3) as the Braves halted a five-game slide and the Orioles’ six-game winning streak.

Atlanta added a run in the fourth and sixth innings, then produced two more in the ninth en route to 12 hits, its most since June 1.

Baltimore’s Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer off reliever Pierce Johnson in the seventh to close Baltimore’s deficit to one and put Atlanta’s third win of a nine-game road trip in doubt.

Joe Jimenez worked a scoreless eighth against the top of Baltimore’s order, and after the Braves’ two-run ninth Raisel Iglesias survived a leadoff baserunner for his 17th save.

TIGERS 7, NATIONALS 2

DETROIT (AP) — Justyn-Henry Malloy homered and drove in three RBIs and Detroit ended Washington’s five-game winning streak with a victory.

After striking out in the third inning, Malloy was hitting .143 in the first 10 days of his big-league career.

However, he hit his second career homer in the sixth and added a two-run double in the seventh.

The Tigers had lost five of six while the Nationals were trying for their longest winning streak since an eight-game run from Sept. 23-29, 2019, — the season they won the World Series.

Detroit’s Casey Mize allowed one run and four hits in six innings, while Patrick Corbin gave up a run in 5 1/3 innings.

Shelby Miller (4-4) picked up the win, allowing one run in 1 1/3 relief innings.

CARDINALS 4, PIRATES 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt and Brendan Donovan homered, and St. Louis beat Pittsburgh.

Donovan’s homer to lead off the sixth snapped a 3-all tie and extended his hitting streak to eight games as the Cardinals won back-to-back games for first time since May 29.

Lance Lynn went 4 1/3 innings, snapping a string of four straight quality starts by Cardinals pitchers. Lynn allowed three runs on four hits, walked three and struck out five.

Lynn’s fifth strikeout of Ke’Bryan Hayes in the fifth, his final out of the outing, was his 987th as a Cardinal, moving him past Matt Morris for sixth all-time in franchise history.

Chris Roycroft (1-0) earned his first major league decision as five different Cardinals relievers combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge earned his first save.

RAYS 3, CUBS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Taj Bradley tied a career high with 11 strikeouts over seven innings and Tampa Bay rallied to beat Chicago.

Bradley (2-4) gave up two unearned runs and three hits.

After starter Justin Steele pitched six scoreless innings for the Cubs, the Rays scored three times in the seventh off Mark Leiter Jr. (2-4). Pinch-hitter Josh Lowe had an RBI single and pinch-hitter Ben Rortvedt drove in a run on a groundout before Yandy Díaz made it 3-2 with another RBI single.

Tampa Bay took two of three in the series and is 8-14 over the last 22 games. Meanwhile, the Cubs have lost 14 of 20.

Chicago used three consecutive bunts to take a 2-0 lead in the fifth.

METS 3, MARLINS 2

NEW YORK (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give New York a victory over Miami.

The one-out drive off Tanner Scott made a winner of Edwin Díaz (2-1) in his return from the injured list. The star closer pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Díaz threw 15 pitches and averaged 98.4 mph on his seven four-seam fastballs before the Mets got their sixth walk-off win by rallying against Scott (5-5), who hadn’t allowed a run since April 16.

Francisco Lindor drew a leadoff walk in the ninth before Brandon Nimmo struck out. Lindor stole second and Martinez won it one pitch later by hitting Scott’s 3-1 slider into the Marlins’ bullpen beyond the right-center fence for the first game-ending homer of his 14-year career.

The six-time All-Star has 321 home runs, including six in his first season with New York.

TWINS 6, ATHLETICS 2

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Ryan struck out five in seven strong innings and Carlos Correa had a two-run homer among his three hits as Minnesota beat Oakland.

One day after the Twins had a season-high 24 hits against the Rockies, Minnesota banged out 13 hits — 12 singles and Correa’s homer in the seventh inning.

Byron Buxton had three hits and drove in two runs, and Royce Lewis and Austin Martin had two hits apiece as the Twins won for the fourth time in five games.

Ryan (5-5) worked seven innings for the fourth time in five starts and lowered his ERA to 3.24. The 28-year-old right-hander gave up three hits and one walk.

Tyler Soderstrom homered for the third time in four games for the A’s, who lost their sixth straight game. Luis Medina (0-2) gave up four runs in five innings in his third start of the season for Oakland.

RED SOX 9, PHILLIES 3

BOSTON (AP) — Tanner Houck allowed three runs in six strong innings and Tyler O’Neill hit a three-run homer to help Boston defeat Philadelphia.

Jarren Duran doubled in his first two at-bats and also drove in two runs as the Red Sox secured a series win against the NL-leading Phillies. David Hamilton, Reese McGuire, Dominic Smith and Emmanuel Valdez also drove in runs for Boston.

Houck (7-5) scattered eight hits, struck out five and walked none while lowering his ERA to 2.08.

Kyle Schwarber drove in all three of Philadelphia’s runs. Phillies starter Aaron Nola (8-3) delivered his worst outing since his first start of the season.

Valdez and McGuire jumped on consecutive pitches in the second inning for a pair of doubles that led to Boston scoring the game’s first run. Nola allowed five straight hits in the inning, four of them doubles. Duran’s second double of the game, which drove in two, was the fifth consecutive hit given up by Nola in the four-run second.