Justin Verlander pitches 7 innings to start second stint with Astros but loses 3-1 to the Yankees

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NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander began his second stint with the Houston Astros by pitching seven solid innings, but he gave up a go-ahead homer to Jake Bauers that sent the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory Saturday.

Verlander (6-6) allowed seven hits, his second most this season and lost a regular-season start to the Yankees for the first time since June 19, 2015, with Detroit. He struck out four and walked two and fell to 10-8 lifetime against the Yankees in the regular season.

Rookie Anthony Volpe lifted a sacrifice fly in the second against Verlander for the Yankees, who won for the third time in four games. Gleyber Torres added a homer to open the eighth off Kendall Graveman.

Ian Hamilton (2-1) pitched two innings to earn the win, Tommy Kahnle pitched the seventh and Michael King struck out Altuve looking at a full count changeup to end the eighth with a runner on. Clay Holmes earned his 16th save.

Jose Altuve hit his 200th career homer off Nestor Cortes in the third, but that was Houston’s only hit off the Yankees left-hander.

CUBS 8, BRAVES 6

CHICAGO (AP) — Dansby Swanson homered against his former team in a five-run first inning and Chicago’s bullpen staved off the major league-leading Atlanta in a rain-soaked win.

Jeimer Candelario hit his first home run since being reacquired by the Cubs, and Ian Happ also went deep.

Chicago went into the game leading the majors in runs since the All-Star break and bounced back after getting shut out 8-0 by Atlanta on Friday. The Cubs began the day 2 1/2 games behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee and two games out of a wild-card spot.

Chicago opened a 5-0 lead early and never looked back. After an error by first baseman Matt Olson allowed two runs to score, Swanson hit his 17th home run off All-Star Bryce Elder (8-3) to make it 4-0. Elder went 4 1/3 innings and permitted seven runs (five earned) on seven hits.

Michael Fulmer (3-5) replaced Cubs starter Javier Assad in the fourth and worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

ORIOLES 7, METS 3

BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander homered, Kyle Gibson pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to earn his 100th win and the surging Baltimore strengthened its position atop the AL East.

Gibson (11-6) gave up three runs, struck out nine and walked one. Over 11 seasons with Minnesota, Texas, Philadelphia and Baltimore, the 35-year-old righty is 100-97 in 291 games.

New York’s Jeff McNeil hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and added an RBI single in the sixth. But that wasn’t enough punch for the Mets, who have been outscored 37-14 during their current skid.

Recalled from Triple-A Syracuse before the game, New York starter Tylor Megill (6-5) allowed four runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. After McNeil went deep to get the Mets within a run, Baltimore used an RBI double from Ramón Urías in the bottom of the fourth and Santander’s 20th homer in the fifth to go up 5-2.

TIGERS 4, RAYS 2

DETROIT (AP) — Jake Rogers drove in three runs and Akil Baddoo homered and Detroit won after losing its previous four meetings with Tampa Bay.

Tarik Skubal (2-1) picked up the win, allowing an unearned run and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six while walking one. Beau Brieske earned his first career save.

Aaron Civale (5-3) lost for the first time to the Tigers in his 11th start, giving up three runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Civale, who was making his Rays debut, had gone 7-0 with a 2.06 ERA in 10 starts against Detroit for Cleveland. The Guardians won all 10 games.

PADRES 8, DODGERS 3

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado homered into the second deck in left field in the fourth inning and then hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the seven-run eighth inning for San Diego, snapping a six-game losing streak to Los Angeles.

With the Dodgers leading 3-1, Yency Almonte (3-2) loaded the bases with one out and was replaced by Caleb Ferguson. Juan Soto hit an RBI infield single and a throwing error by second baseman Kiké Hernàndez on the play brought in the tying run. Machado then singled to left to bring in two more runs for a 5-3 lead.

The rally got big league ERA leader Blake Snell off the hook for a loss and spoiled the Dodgers debut of Ryan Yarbrough, who was impressive in his Dodgers debut. Nick Martinez (5-4) got the win.

Yarbrough held the Padres to one run and three hits in 4 1/3 innings while striking out three and walking none in relief of opener Michael Grove. Yarbrough’s only mistake was allowing Machado’s 21st homer, which pulled the Padres to 2-1 in the fourth inning.

RANGERS 9, MARLINS 8

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rookie Josh Jung hit the third of three multi-run home runs for Texas in the middle innings and the Rangers overcame Miami for their fifth consecutive victory.

Robbie Grossman hit a three-run homer in the fourth, and Corey Seager had a two-run homer in the fifth preceding Jung’s first-pitch, two-run shot.

Jon Gray (7-5) earned his first victory since June 2, allowing five runs — three earned — on six hits and two walks. Gray pitched on 11 days of rest, missing his previous rotation turn with lingering effects of a liner off his left shin July 19.

Will Smith got his 20th save in 22 opportunities despite allowing a two-run homer to Jake Burger.

Ryan Weathers (1-7), who was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville before the game, gave up the homers to Seager and Jung, plus RBI doubles to Nathaniel Lowe in the seventh and eighth innings.

ATHLETICS 2, GIANTS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Seth Brown hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and Oakland snapped a four-game losing streak.

Trevor May (3-4) recorded the final five outs for the win.

Joc Pederson hit a tying sacrifice fly in the eighth. The A’s rallied in the bottom half against Ryan Walker (4-1). Pinch-hitter Aledmys Diaz singled and pinch-hitter Tony Kemp walked before Zack Gelof was intentionally walked to bring up Brown.

A’s starter Paul Blackburn missed a chance to win back-to-back starts for the first time this year. He allowed two hits, struck out seven with three walks over six scoreless innings.

Ross Stripling struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter over 5 1/3 innings in his 11th start and 17th appearance — and he’s still searching for his first win as a Giant.

BLUE JAYS 5, RED SOX 4

BOSTON (AP) — Brandon Belt hit a solo homer over the Green Monster and had a go-ahead single, and Toronto held off Boston for the second straight day.

Making his first start after a splendid July when he posted a 1.84 ERA in five starts, Toronto’s José Berríos (9-7) gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings on six hits, with six strikeouts and no walks.

Erik Swanson got the final two outs for his fourth save after giving up Luis Urías’ RBI single.

Rafael Devers hit his 26th homer, a long, game-tying three-run homer for Boston, which lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell into last place in the AL East.

Belt’s bases-loaded single gave Toronto a 4-3 edge against Brennan Bernardino (1-1) in the sixth.

PHILLIES 9, ROYALS 6

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper singled, doubled and homered, Trea Turner doubled, homered and drove in four runs and Philadelphia defeated Kansas City.

Alec Bohm also went deep for defending NL champion Philadelphia, which entered holding the second wild-card spot.

Freddy Fermin homered twice for the Royals, who had won seven consecutive games.

Turner put Philadelphia ahead 8-6 with a three-run shot in the sixth off Angel Zerpa (0-1). It was Turner’s 11th drive of the season and first since July 8.

Matt Strahm (7-3) pitched two scoreless innings of relief, and Craig Kimbrel tossed a scoreless ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances.

BREWERS 3, PIRATES 2, 10 INNINGS

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Blake Perkins singled with the bases loaded through the right side with two outs in the 10th inning to give Milwaukee a victory over Pittsburgh.

After pinch-hitter Brian Anderson struck out to open the 10th against Angel Perdomo (2-2), Mark Canha was walked intentionally. Both runners advanced on Christian Yelich’s grounder to first. William Contreras was walked intentionally to load the bases and Perkins lined a 2-1 pitch into right to score Victor Caratini.

Devin Williams (6-3) got the win with a perfect 10th.

The Brewers tied it in the ninth when Carlos Santana, acquired from Pittsburgh before the trade deadline, singled to open off closer David Bednar. Pinch-runner Perkins advanced on a fly out, took third on a wild pitch and scored on rookie Sal Frelich’s RBI single to center.

Brewers starter Corbin Burnes, the NL Pitcher of the Month in July when he went 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA in six starts, allowed just two hits, but needed 107 pitches to get through six innings, striking out five and walking four.

MARINERS 3, ANGELS 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — George Kirby pitched seven stellar innings of three-hit ball for his career-best 10th victory, and Julio Rodríguez had a two-run double among his three hits in Seattle’s fourth straight win.

Randal Grichuk homered and Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 4 for the Angels, who have lost five consecutive games since the MLB trade deadline passed. Injury-plagued Los Angeles has lost seven of nine overall, badly weakening the playoff chances of a team that acquired six veterans and didn’t trade Ohtani in a desperate bid for its first playoff appearance since 2014.

Kirby (10-8) came through with another strong start for the Mariners, striking out five and issuing no walks while going seven innings for the fourth time in his last nine outings. The AL All-Star finished impressively, striking out three Angels in the sixth before getting three outs on only five pitches in the seventh.

Matt Brash got through the eighth with help from a slick double-play turn by shortstop J.P. Crawford. Muñoz survived the ninth for his fifth save despite walking C.J. Cron and allowing Mike Moustakas’ single before Drury’s ground-rule double.

Tyler Anderson (5-3) yielded two hits and two runs over five innings for the Angels, but dropped to 1-2 in his last seven starts.

TWINS 12, DIAMONDBACKS 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Jeffers homered twice and had three hits and four RBIs, Michael A. Taylor homered for the third straight game and Minnesota routed Arizona.

Edouard Julien and Max Kepler also had three hits and Kenta Maeda (3-6) tossed six strong innings as Minnesota won for the fourth time in five games to stretch its lead in the American League Central to 3 1/2 games.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for the second straight game, but the fading Diamondbacks had a season-low two hits and fell for the fifth straight game and sixth in seven games. Arizona is 7-21 since July 2.

Arizona starter Ryne Nelson (6-6) allowed eight hits and six earned runs in three innings, tying his shortest outing of the season. He allowed seven earned runs against the New York Mets in three innings July 6.

WHITE SOX 7, GUARDIANS 4

CLEVELAND (AP) — A bench-clearing melee that began with Tim Anderson of the White Sox and José Ramírez of the Guardians exchanging punches at second base in the sixth inning led to six ejections during Chicago’s victory over Cleveland.

Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, manager Terry Francona and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, and White Sox manager Pedro Grifol also were ejected for their actions during a 15-minute brawl that included three additional flare-ups.

Elvis Andrus hit a two-run homer and Vaughn, Luis Robert Jr. and Óscar Colás each had a solo shot off Guardians starter Noah Syndergaard (1-5), who allowed a career-high four home runs in his initial outing at Progressive Field.

White Sox right-hander Michael Kopech (5-10) carried a no-hitter into the sixth and exited after allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings. He improved to 2-1 with a 1.78 ERA in five career starts against Cleveland.

Syndergaard, acquired from the Dodgers in a July 26 trade for Amed Rosario, worked six innings and gave up five runs, all on homers. Andrus and Robert stole two bases apiece with the right-hander on the mound.

CARDINALS 6, ROCKIES 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tyler O’Neill homered, Steven Matz pitched six strong innings and St. Louis beat Colorado.

Matz (3-7) allowed one run and five hits while striking out six to improve to 3-0 with a 2.06 ERA in six starts since rejoining the Cardinals’ rotation on July 9.

Rockies starter Ty Blach (1-1) allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings in his third start of the season.

Ryan McMahon hit his 100th career home run and 19th of the season to right field off St. Louis reliever Andre Pallante in the eighth inning.

NATIONALS 7, REDS 3

CINCINNATI (AP) — Joan Adon retired his first 17 batters and Washington beat Cincinnati, handing them a fifth consecutive defeat.

Lane Thomas knocked in two runs and scored twice to help the last-place Nationals match a season best with their third straight win.

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The 24-year-old Adon (1-0), in his second stint with Washington this season, was working on a perfect game with two outs in the sixth inning when No. 9 batter Luke Maile lined a clean single to right field.

Rookie left-hander Andrew Abbott needed 42 pitches to get through two innings. He finished with 105 in 5 2/3 innings.

Abbott (6-3) set a season high with five walks while allowing nine hits and six runs with three strikeouts.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb