MIAMI (AP) — Rookie Adrian Del Castillo hit his first career grand slam and drove in six runs to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Miami Marlins 9-6 on Monday night.
The Miami native homered for the third time since he was brought up from the minors on Aug. 6. Del Castillo, who played collegiately at the University of Miami, also hit a two-run single and had his first career stolen base. He is hitting .333 with 14 RBIs in nine games with Arizona.
Joc Pederson and Jake McCarthy also went deep for the Diamondbacks, who are a major league-best 29-13 since July 1 despite getting swept in a three-game series at Tampa Bay over the weekend.
Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. Pfaadt (8-6) struck out four and walked two.
REDS 6, BLUE JAYS 3
TORONTO (AP) — Spencer Steer hit a tiebreaking RBI double in Cincinnati’s four-run sixth inning, and the Reds beat Toronto to stop a three-game slide.
TJ Friedl hit his 10th homer and finished with three hits for Cincinnati in the opener of a seven-game trip. Ty France had two hits and two RBIs.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 26th homer for Toronto, and Ernie Clement also went deep. Kevin Gausman (11-9) permitted four runs, three earned, and five hits in five-plus innings in his first loss July 5.
METS 4, ORIOLES 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Alvarez hit a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning to give the New York Mets a victory over Baltimore.
J.D. Martinez launched an early two-run shot and Tyrone Taylor had an RBI single as the Mets moved within 1 1/2 games of idle Atlanta for last the National League wild card.
Ramón Urías hit a tying homer in the seventh for the Orioles, who dropped a half-game behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East.
The slumping Alvarez, who began the night batting .167 since the All-Star break, drove a 3-0 fastball from Seranthony Domínguez (3-3) to left-center for his first career game-ending RBI.
ROYALS 5, ANGELS 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer, Seth Lugo once again looked like the pitcher whose brilliant first half made him an All-Star, and Kansas City beat the Los Angeles Angels to extend their winning streak to five games.
Lugo (14-7), who had been just 2-3 with 5.23 ERA since the All-Star break, allowed four hits and three walks over seven innings while striking out eight. That moved him into a tie with the Braves’ Chris Sale and the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal for the big league lead in wins.
Salvador Perez added two hits and three RBIs for the Royals, who have outscored their opponents 37-7 during their winning streak. Kansas City never trailed in any of those games against the AL Central-rival Twins, Reds and Angels.
RANGERS 4, PIRATES 3
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Corey Seager homered twice and drove in four runs, and Texas beat Pittsburgh.
Seager’s nine homers in August are tied for the major league lead with Miami’s Jake Burger. He also went deep twice on Aug. 2 against Boston.
Texas finished with five hits.
Rangers right-hander José Ureña (4-8) pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Dane Dunning. Ureña struck out three and walked two.
Kirby Yates worked a perfect ninth for his 22nd save after having his first blown save of the season on Sunday.
