This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Cedric Mullins ripped a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of a wild ninth inning as the Baltimore Orioles pulled out a 6-5 victory against the visiting New York Yankees on Sunday, taking a one-game lead in the American League East into the All-Star break.
The Orioles, who ended a five-game losing streak, were down to their final out just moments after their 3-2 lead vanished. But Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe’s fielding error let a run score to prolong the game, and Mullins, who entered earlier as a pinch runner, took advantage.
Ben Rice drilled a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead, but the visitors were unable to complete the three-game series sweep. Trent Grisham went 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs.
Rice’s sixth homer of the season came off Craig Kimbrel (6-2), who walked the first two batters in the ninth. Closer Clay Holmes (1-4), the Yankees’ fifth reliever, took the loss by giving up three unearned runs.
Athletics 18, Phillies 3
Lawrence Butler clubbed three two-run homers to headline a historic offensive performance from Oakland, which blasted eight home runs to win the rubber match of a three-game series in Philadelphia.
Brent Rooker added a pair of two-run blasts and Seth Brown had two solo shots as the Athletics won for the third time in five games. Zack Gelof put the finishing touches on the stunning power display with a grand slam in the ninth. The Athletics matched a single-game franchise record with their eight home runs.
The home run parade provided more than enough run support for A’s starter Joey Estes (4-4), who yielded three runs (two earned) on four hits in six innings. Estes walked one and struck out five.
Red Sox 5, Royals 4
Rafael Devers and Dominic Smith each hit a two-run home run to propel Boston to a victory over visiting Kansas City and their fourth straight series win.
Devers hit his 23rd home run of the season to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead in the first inning, and Smith’s fifth home run increased the lead to 4-1 in the second. Both home runs came against Kansas City starting pitcher Brady Singer (5-6), who gave up four runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Brayan Bello (10-5) gave up three runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings for the Red Sox. Kenley Jansen pitched two innings of relief to collect his 19th save, striking out the side in the eighth and giving up a run before escaping the ninth.
Rays 2, Guardians 0
Ryan Pepiot allowed just two hits over six strong innings and Jose Siri and Brandon Lowe hit solo homers as Tampa Bay beat Cleveland, the team with the best record in the American League, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Siri went deep in the third and Lowe did the same in the sixth, both off Cleveland starter Ben Lively (8-5), who allowed just one other hit, two walks and struck out seven over 5 1/3 innings.
However, Pepiot (6-5) was even better, yielding only a single to right by Angel Martinez and an infield single by Andres Gimenez for two of Cleveland’s four hits, while winning back-to-back starts for the first time this season.
Rockies 8, Mets 5
Michael Toglia hit three homers for visiting Colorado, which avoided being swept in a three-game series by defeating New York.
Ezequiel Tovar had two home runs and Brenton Doyle hit the tiebreaking homer leading off the sixth for the Rockies. Toglia hit solo shots in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings. The six homers were a season high for the Rockies.
Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer for the Mets, who had their five-game winning streak snapped.
Tigers 4, Dodgers 3
Pinch hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy drove in the tying run and Los Angeles reliever Yohan Ramirez made two errors in the ninth as host Detroit staged a late game-winning rally for the second straight day.
The Tigers erased a 3-2 deficit in the ninth, one day after wiping out a five-run deficit in the ninth on Saturday before claiming an 11-9, extra-inning win. Zach McKinstry scored the tying run on Sunday after leading off the ninth with a triple.
Ramirez (0-5) took the loss after his errant throw on Wenceel Perez’s bunt allowed Malloy to score the winning run. Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages both drove in a run for the Dodgers, who have lost six of their last seven games entering the All-Star break.
Marlins 3, Reds 2
Xavier Edwards went 2-for-3 and drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as Miami salvaged one win from its three-game weekend series against host Cincinnati.
Jonah Bride also contributed two hits – including a two-run single – for the Marlins, who snapped a five-game skid. A.J. Puk (3-8) retired the final batter of the seventh inning and pitched an inning of relief for the win. Tanner Scott secured his 14th save in 16 chances.
Elly De La Cruz belted his team-leading 17th homer for the Reds, who finished their 10-game homestand with a 5-5 mark after an 0-3 start.
Pirates 9, White Sox 4
Joey Bart cracked a go-ahead three-run home run, Bryan Reynolds also homered and Ke’Bryan Hayes had three hits as Pittsburgh finished a three-game road sweep of Chicago.
Reynolds, Oneil Cruz and Joshua Palacios each had two hits and an RBI for the Pirates, who enter the All-Star break at 48-48, their first time at .500 since April 27. Quinn Priester (2-5) picked up the victory with two innings of one-run relief.
Luis Robert Jr. had three hits and Eloy Jimenez added two for the White Sox, who are a major league-worst 27-71.
Rangers 4, Astros 2
Josh Smith clubbed a pair of two-run home runs and Josh Sborz worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning as Texas claimed the rubber match of its three-game series against host Houston.
Smith gifted Rangers starter Max Scherzer a two-run lead in the first inning by blasting a 3-0 fastball from Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco into the right field stands. Smith also went deep in the eighth.
Blanco (9-4) allowed two runs on two hits over six innings. The Astros scratched across a run in the ninth off Rangers All-Star closer Kirby Yates, who rallied to record his 16th save. Sborz (2-0) earned the win.
Brewers 9, Nationals 3
Willy Adames went 4-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs to help host Milwaukee avoid a three-game sweep with a victory over Washington.
Adames hit a two-out home run to left-center field with two out in the eighth to complete the scoring. The Brewers’ Colin Rea stepped in for opener Rob Zastryzny in the second, went 5 2/3 innings and gave up two runs on five hits and fanned seven.
Juan Yepez went 2-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games for the Nationals. Washington starter Jake Irvin allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits through four innings.
Cubs 8, Cardinals 3
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Christopher Morel each hit two homers to power visiting Chicago past St. Louis to salvage a split of the teams’ four-game series.
Tomas Nido and Ian Happ also homered for the Cubs, who have won eight of their last 11 games going into the All-Star break. Chicago starter Jameson Taillon (7-4) allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Pedro Pages hit a two-run single and Alec Burleson had a solo homer for the Cardinals. St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas (7-8) surrendered four home runs as the Cardinals lost for the fourth time over their last six games.
Giants 3, Twins 2
A throwing error by second baseman Brooks Lee turned Mike Yastrzemski’s ninth-inning triple into San Francisco’s walk-off win over the visiting Minnesota.
The Giants took a 2-0 lead into the ninth on the strength of Blake Snell’s seven innings of one-hit ball and early RBI singles by Thairo Estrada and Patrick Bailey. But Giants closer Camilo Doval served up a two-run double to Manuel Margot with one out in the ninth, tying the score. Ryan Walker (6-3) came on to get the last two outs in the top of the ninth.
Yastrzemski launched the fourth pitch by closer Jhoan Duran (5-4) just past the glove of a diving Margot in right-center field. Right fielder Max Kepler retrieved the ball and hit his cutoff man, but Lee’s late throw to third sailed wide of the target and into the Giants’ dugout, ending the game.
Angels 3, Mariners 2
Jo Adell hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning as Los Angeles rallied past Seattle in Anaheim, Calif.
Adell’s blast came against Seattle reliever Austin Voth, who was quickly summoned once Ryne Stanek exited with an apparent back injury after walking Mickey Moniak on four pitches to lead off the eighth. Voth walked Zach Neto before hanging a 3-2 sweeper to Adell, who drove his 15th homer of the season over the wall in left-center.
Mariners’ All-Star Logan Gilbert stymied the Angels on two hits across seven scoreless innings and tied his season high with nine strikeouts. J.P. Crawford’s sixth-inning homer was Seattle’s first hit.
Braves 6, Padres 3
Travis d’Arnaud homered twice and knocked in four runs to help Chris Sale win his MLB-high 13th game as Atlanta stopped host San Diego to take two of three in the series.
Sale (13-3) went five innings, allowing four hits and a run with two walks and four strikeouts. Four relievers got the final 12 outs, with closer Raisel Iglesias pitching the ninth inning to bag his 22nd save in 24 chances as Atlanta won for the sixth time in its last nine games.
Randy Vasquez (2-5) absorbed the loss despite pitching decently in his five innings, allowing four hits and two runs with a walk and five punchouts. The result dropped San Diego to 2-6 on its eight-game homestand before the All-Star break.
Blue Jays 8, Diamondbacks 7
Kevin Kiermaier hit a grand slam and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. belted a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to help Toronto salvage a win in its three-game road series against Arizona in Phoenix.
Guerrero and Ernie Clement each had three hits for the Blue Jays, while Daulton Varsho and George Springer supplied two hits apiece. Kiermaier had four RBIs to lead Toronto, which led 7-0 entering the bottom of the fifth.
Ketel Marte hit a grand slam as part of a seven-run fifth for the Diamondbacks. Marte finished with three hits, while Eugenio Suarez had two hits and two RBIs as Arizona had its four-game win streak snapped.
–Field Level Media
