DETROIT (AP) — Keider Montero and three relievers combined on a five-hitter and the Detroit Tigers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Monday night.
The Tigers (58-34) have won four straight games while only allowing four runs, improving to 24 games over .500 for the first time since 2013.
Montero (4-1) allowed one run and four hits and a walk in six innings while striking out four. After losing his first start, Montero is 4-0 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 outings as a starter and bulk reliever.
Tyler Holton, Brenan Hanifee and Will Vest each pitched a scoreless inning to complete the win.
Shane Baz (8-4) gave up three runs and seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in six innings for the Rays, who have lost seven of their last 10 games. Baz entered the game with a 5-0 record in his last eight starts.
RED SOX 9, ROCKIES 3
BOSTON (AP) — Roman Anthony hit a two-run home run, Ceddanne Rafaela homered for the third straight game and Boston beat the Colorado.
Boston rookie Richard Fitts (1-3) allowed five hits, two earned runs and struck out six over 5 2/3 innings to notch his first major league victory.
Romy Gonzalez added a solo homer, and Abraham Toro had a two-run double to help Boston post its fourth straight win and seventh in nine games.
Rockies starter Austin Gomber (0-2) exited after 4 2/3 innings, yielding five runs and seven hits, including Anthony’s homer.
Colorado’s first run of the game was set up by a throwing error on Boston shortstop Trevor Story. In the sixth inning, the Rockies pulled to 5-3 on a fielder’s choice RBI by Michael Toglia and RBI single by Ryan McMahon.
But Boston added to its lead an inning later via RBI singles by Jarren Duran and Carlos Narváez.
ROYALS 9, PIRATES 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez hit two of Kansas City’s four home runs to back a strong start by rookie Noah Cameron, and the Royals beat Pittsburgh.
Cameron (3-4) struck out seven in a season-high seven innings. The left-hander allowed three hits, a walk, and two runs — on Tommy Pham’s two-run shot in the third.
Witt went 2 for 3 and scored twice to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Witt hit his 13th homer, a two-run shot the opposite way to right-center field off reliever Chase Shugart to give the Royals a 6-2 lead in the fourth. He added a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Witt finished off a seven-game trip Sunday by extending his club-record hitting streak on the road to 25 games.
Perez hit his 11th homer, a solo shot to left in the fifth for a five-run advantage. He hit his 24th double off the top of the wall in left to drive in a run for a 3-2 lead in the third.
BLUE JAYS 8, WHITE SOX 4
CHICAGO (AP) — Joey Loperfido homered and drove in three runs, and Toronto beat Chicago for their ninth consecutive win.
Addison Barger and Nathan Lukes also connected as AL East-leading Toronto improved to 27-10 in its last 37 games. Bo Bichette had two hits and All-Star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walked three times.
At 53-38, the Blue Jays matched the franchise record for most victories before the All-Star break. It’s the longest win streak for the team since an 11-game run in August 2015.
José Berríos (5-3) pitched six innings of one-run ball, bouncing back nicely after he struggled in a no-decision against the New York Yankees on Wednesday. The right-hander improved to 16-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 27 career starts against Chicago.
BREWERS 9, DODGERS 1
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Andrew Vaughn hit a three-run homer in his first plate appearance with his new team, Freddy Peralta threw six shutout innings and Milwaukee trounced Los Angeles.
Peralta (10-4) struck out seven while allowing five hits and one walk, lowering his ERA to 2.74. Christian Yelich added a two-run homer for Milwaukee.
Los Angeles starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-7) got just two outs before leaving the shortest start of his career as the Dodgers lost their fourth straight. His quick exit spoiled a starting pitching matchup featuring two NL All-Stars in Peralta and Yamamoto.
MARLINS 5, REDS 1
CINCINNATI (AP) — Janson Junk allowed one hit in six innings and Agustín Ramírez homered to lead Miami over Cincinnati in the opener of a four-game series.
Spencer Steer had a leadoff single in the fifth for the lone hit off Junk, who made his fourth straight start after five appearances in long relief.
Lake Bachar retired eight batters in relief before exiting with two on in the ninth. Anthony Bender struck out Austin Hays on three pitches to earn his second save.
Junk (3-1) had gone 89 innings without issuing a walk dating to last season — the second-longest stretch in the majors — until Hays drew one leading off the second. Hays went to second on a passed ball and third on a wild pitch before Gavin Lux drew a second consecutive free pass.
GUARDIANS 7, ASTROS 5
HOUSTON (AP) — José Ramírez and David Fry homered and Brayan Rocchio added a two-run double as Cleveland beat Houston to snap a 10-game skid.
The victory is Cleveland’s first since June 25th and comes a day after losing to Detroit in 10 innings Sunday.
The score was tied with two outs in the sixth and the Guardians had two on when Rocchio doubled to left field off Steven Okert to put them on top 6-4.
With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Victor Caratini connected off Matt Festa (2-2) on a shot to right field to get Houston within 1.
However, Fry connected with two outs in the ninth to give Cleveland an insurance run.
Emmanuel Clase pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save.
GIANTS 3, PHILLIES 1
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Casey Schmitt drove home the go-ahead run on a groundball in the eighth inning, Matt Chapman made a headfirst dive into home moments later for another run, and San Francisco beat Philadelphia.
Orion Kerkering (5-4) hit Willy Adames with a pitch to start the Giants’ eighth before Chapman’s single advanced Adames to third. Wilmer Flores was also plunked to load the bases for Schmitt.
Tyler Rogers (4-2) allowed a leadoff single to Kyle Schwarber in the top of the eighth but worked out of the jam for the win. Camilo Doval finished for his 14th save -- getting J.T. Realmuto to line out on a 95 mph sinker for the first out after a 13-pitch battle before ending it on a 3-6 double play.
San Francisco had also loaded the bases in the second with no outs against lefty Cristopher Sánchez, who then struck out Jung Hoo Lee before an RBI groundout by Luis Matos. That inning, Sánchez issued his first walk in five starts -- ending a career-best stretch without a free pass.
ANGELS 6, RANGERS 5
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nolan Schanuel drew a bases-loaded walk from Hoby Milner in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Los Angeles a win over Texas.
Travis d’Arnaud hit an early two-run homer off Texas starter Jacob deGrom and finished with three RBIs.
Corey Seager launched a two-run shot off Yusei Kikuchi to put the Rangers ahead 2-0 two batters into the game. Josh Smith had an RBI double for Texas that tied it at 5 in the eighth.
Luis Rengifo doubled off Rangers reliever Chris Martin (0-5) to open the ninth and went to third on Kevin Newman’s one-out single to left field. Zach Neto was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy summoned Milner for a lefty-lefty matchup with Schanuel, who fought back from an 0-2 count before taking a 3-2 changeup below the strike zone for his second career walk-off RBI.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, PADRES 3
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer against his original team and Arizona beat San Diego after Padres slugger Manny Machado got his 2,000th career hit.
Machado hit a hard shot off the glove of diving shortstop Geraldo Perdomo leading off the fourth inning and received a standing ovation. Machado, whose milestone hit came off starter Zac Gallen, became the fifth active player and 297th overall to reach 2,000 hits.
Machado’s third hit of the night was a homer off Kyle Backhus leading off the eighth, his 15th of the season and 357th of his career. The All-Star slugger also had a single in the first.
Machado grounded into a game-ending double play against Kevin Ginkel, who earned his second save.
Yu Darvish (0-1) made his season debut for the Padres after being sidelined with right elbow inflammation since spring training. He allowed two runs and three hits in 3 2/3 innings, struck out five and walked two. He got a nice ovation when he was lifted.
The Associated Press