Flaherty outduels Burnes, Cards beat Brewers 2-0

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty became the major leagues’ first seven-game winner this year with a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday as the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes extended his streak to 58 consecutive strikeouts before his first walk.

Flaherty (7-0) allowed four hits in six innings, struck out six and walked two to help the Cardinals win a three-game series that featured dominant starting pitching.

Burnes (2-3) returned from the injured list after a positive test for coronavirus, which he said left him asymptomatic. He opted against getting vaccinated for what he said were personal reasons.

In his first appearance since April 26, Burnes struck out nine among his first 14 outs, giving him 58 strikeouts and no walks this year before he walked Tommy Edman with two outs in the fifth.

Alex Reyes remained perfect in 11 save chances by striking out Tyrone Taylor to strand two runners.

Nolan Arenado’s two-out single in the first scored Edman. That marked the only time in this series that either team scored before the sixth inning.

INDIANS 4, MARINERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Zach Plesac came within six outs of ending Cleveland’s 40-year no-hitter drought, keeping Seattle hitless into the eighth inning to spoil the anticipated debuts of Seattle prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert.

Plesac’s bid ended when J.P. Crawford led off the eighth inning with a line-drive single that just cleared the glove of leaping shortstop Amed Rosario. Plesac (3-3) lost the shutout moments later when Dylan Moore hit a two-run homer. That sent the Indians’ bullpen into a frenzy to get ready.

Emmanuel Clase walked three straight batters with two outs in the ninth to load the bases. Cleveland manager Terry Francona brought in Bryan Shaw, who struck out Luis Torrens for his first save.

Gilbert (0-1) lasted four innings, throwing 71 pitches and struck out five.

RAYS 9, YANKEES 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rich Hill joined Cy Young and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to strike out nine against New York at age 41 or older, and Tampa Bay avoided getting swept in a three-game series.

Yandy Díaz hit a two-run single in the first inning off Jameson Taillon (1-3), Austin Meadows doubled the lead with a two-run homer in the fourth and Randy Arozarena added a three-run homer in the sixth for the first runs off Michael King this season.

Hill (2-1), who became the oldest player in the major leagues when the Los Angeles Angels cut Albert Pujols last week, allowed three hits and three walks in 6 2/3 scoreless innings.

New York announced before the game that shortstop Gleyber Torres tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated and having previously contracted the coronavirus during the offseason. The Yankees also have three coaches and four traveling staffers who have tested positive.

BLUE JAYS 8, BRAVES 4

ATLANTA (AP) — Bo Bichette hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied yet again to beat Atlanta 8-4 on Thursday and sweep six games from the Braves this season.

Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. left in the seventh inning after jamming his left ankle. X-rays were negative and he has not been ruled out of the Braves’ game at Milwaukee on Friday night.

Toronto trailed 2-0 and 4-3 before its 10th comeback win this season and third of the series completed a three-game series sweep.

Danny Jansen, hitting .095, led off the ninth with a single off Will Smith (0-3). Marcus Semien singled, and Bichette doubled to the gap in right-center for a 6-4 lead. Bichette drove in three runs on two hits. Cavan Biggio knocked out Smith with his second double of the game to drive in another run.

Travis Bergen (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth. Jordan Romano struck out the side in the ninth.

ASTROS 4, RANGERS 3, 11 INNINGS

HOUSTON (AP) — Myles Straw scored on a wild pitch in the 11th inning to give Houston a win over Texas.

After the Rangers loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Alex Bregman that brought up Chas McCormick, reliever Brett Martin (0-1) uncorked a 1-2 pitch that bounced away, and Straw raced home from third.

Brooks Raley (1-2) stranded runners at the corners in the top of the inning to earn the win. José Altuve gave the Astros a 3-2 lead in the second with a three-run double down the left-field line.

Willie Calhoun went deep on the first pitch from Houston starter Cristian Javier for his first career leadoff homer.

WHITE SOX 4, TWINS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Tim Anderson and Jake Lamb homered, Billy Hamilton made a leaping catch at the wall to end a bases-loaded threat and Chicago beat Minnesota for its sixth straight win.

Lance Lynn (4-1) struck out nine in five innings for Chicago, which has won seven of eight while sweeping two straight series. Liam Hendriks retired the last five Minnesota batters for his seventh save in nine chances.

Max Kepler homered for the Twins, who have lost four straight and eight of nine to fall 10 games behind the AL Central leaders.

Michael Pineda (2-2) slowed down a White Sox offense that had scored at least nine runs in four straight games but lost after Minnesota failed to cash in on a pair of bases-loaded chances.

NATIONALS 5, PHILLIES 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber hit two-run homers in the first inning, Patrick Corbin continued his resurgence with seven solid innings and Washington beat Philadelphia to end a four-game slide.

Washington had dropped seven of eight to sink to a season-low six games under .500 before salvaging the finale of the three-game series. Philadelphia missed a chance to move four games over .500 for the first time since it was 5-1.

Corbin (2-3) allowed one run in seven innings, giving up five hits while striking out a season-high nine.

The Nationals scored a combined four runs in the first two games of the series, then matched the total in the first inning against Zach Eflin (2-2) on homers by Bell and Schwarber.

GIANTS 3, PIRATES 1

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Anthony DeSclafani allowed one hit over five scoreless innings and Steven Duggar hit his first home run in nearly two years to lead San Francisco past Pittsburgh.

DeSclafani (3-1) struck out five and walked one while improving to 3-7 against the Pirates. The lone hit off him was a first-inning single by Jacob Stallings.

Duggar’s solo shot to right-center field with one out in the fifth off Wil Crowe (0-2) broke a scoreless tie. It was the center fielder’s seventh career homer in four seasons, and first since June 13, 2019.

Duggar and Mauricio Dubon had two hits each for the Giants, who improved to an NL-best 23-14 with their fifth win in six games. Tyler Rogers earned his third save by pitching a scoreless ninth.

RED SOX 8, ATHLETICS 1

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts and Bobby Dalbec each hit a two-run home run, and Boston avoided a sweep against Oakland.

The Red Sox jumped on A’s left-hander Sean Manaea (3-2), pounding out 10 hits and seven runs in the first three innings on the way to snapping a three-game skid. Boston finished with 13 hits on the night.

Garrett Richards (3-2) took advantage of the early support and allowed no runs and five hits, striking out four over six innings. He’s won three of his last four starts. Garrett Whitlock gave up one run over three innings to get his first career save.

TIGERS 4, ROYALS 3

DETROIT (AP) — Michael Fulmer shut down Kansas City’s ninth-inning rally for his second save, and Detroit extended the Royals’ losing streak to 11 games.

Detroit led 4-1 entering the ninth, but Kansas City scored twice of Gregory Soto on a groundout by Carlos Santana and an RBI single from Salvador Perez. Fulmer relieved Soto and got a popout from Jorge Soler and struck out Andrew Benintendi swinging to end it. The Royals led the AL Central at the start of this skid but are now 16-20.

Spencer Turnbull (2-2) allowed a run and six hits over 6 1/3 innings for Detroit. He walked one, struck out seven and hit a batter as the Tigers rounded out a three-game sweep.

Daniel Lynch (0-2) allowed four runs, three earned, in the second inning and was pulled with two outs in the third.

ROCKIES 13, REDS 8

DENVER (AP) — Josh Fuentes homered for the second straight game to back seven shutout innings from Chi Chi Gonzalez, and Colorado held on against Cincinnati.

Gonzalez (2-1) scattered four hits in his longest outing of the season. He struck out two, walked one and was pulled after 88 pitches.

Jonathan India and pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson homered late for the Reds. Luis Castillo (1-5), the Reds’ opening day starter, allowed eight runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He is 0-4 in his last six starts.

MARLINS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 1

PHOENIX (AP) — Trevor Rogers pitched six strong innings and Jesús Aguilar had three more hits to lead Miami over Arizona.

Rogers (5-2) has been one of the top rookies in the National League. He allowed one run and four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Miguel Rojas, Corey Dickerson and Adam Duvall each had two hits and an RBI for the Marlins, who earned a split of the four-game series.

After going 9 for 17 with three homers and seven RBIs in the series, Aguilar is batting .362 on the road this season. He has reached base safely in all 18 games away from home.

Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (2-4) went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits.

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