DETROIT (AP) — Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings and the Houston Astros used a four-run eighth inning to rally past the Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Friday night.
Kyle Tucker homered and scored twice for Houston, which has won two in a row after a four-game skid.
Valdez (2-1) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings. He has a 2.49 ERA in eight career games against the Tigers, including seven starts.
Detroit (19-19) has lost six of seven and fell to .500 for the first time this season.
Trailing 2-1, Jose Altuve started the eighth with a single off Andrew Chafin (2-1) and Tucker walked before Yordan Alvarez tied it with a single down the right-field line. Jason Foley replaced Chafin, but Jeremy Peña hit an RBI single on his first pitch.
Jon Singleton hit into a force at second, putting runners on the corners, and Alex Bregman’s grounder to third went through Matt Vierling’s legs for an error. Yanier Diaz followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2.
Bryan Abreu pitched the eighth for Houston and Josh Hader earned his fifth save after closing out the ninth.
YANKEES 2, RAYS 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Clarke Schmidt allowed five hits in 6 2/3 innings, Anthony Rizzo homered and drove in two runs, and the New York Yankees beat Tampa Bay.
Schmidt (4-1) struck out six and walked two as he extended his season-opening run of allowing three or fewer runs to eight starts.
Yankees closer Clay Holmes had a stressful ninth inning. He walked two batters with one out and struck out Isaac Paredes looking before pinch-hitter Austin Shenton singled to load the bases. Holmes then struck out Jonny DeLuca to secure his 12th save in 13 chances and complete a six-hitter.
Rizzo had a fourth-inning RBI single and connected on a first-pitch homer against Shawn Armstrong leading off the ninth to help the Yankees win for the sixth time in seven games.
Rays starter Taj Bradley (0-1) gave up one run, four hits and struck out seven over six innings in his season debut. The right-hander had been on the 15-day injured list with a right pectoral strain.
TWINS 3, BLUE JAYS 2
TORONTO (AP) — Carlos Santana hit a tiebreaking home run in the fifth inning, Joe Ryan pitched seven innings and Minnesota won for the 16th time in 18 games by beating Toronto.
Carlos Correa had two hits and scored twice as the Twins won for the ninth time in their past 13 games in Toronto.
Jose Miranda added an RBI single as the Twins, who successfully brought their lucky sausage across the Canadian border, extended their road winning streak to seven.
Ryan (2-2) allowed one run and one hit for his first victory in three starts. He struck out seven and did not give up a walk.
Jhoan Duran worked the eighth and Griffin Jax pitched the ninth for his fifth save in seven chances.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits, including his second home run, but the Blue Jays lost for the sixth time in eight games. Toronto won at Philadelphia on Wednesday but the Blue Jays haven’t won back-to-back games since home wins over the Dodgers on April 28 and Kansas City on April 29.
ORIOLES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2
BALTIMORE (AP) — Cole Irvin pitched into the sixth inning in another effective start, and a reshuffled bullpen held on for Baltimore Orioles in a victory over Arizona.
Struggling reliever Craig Kimbrel was taken out of the closer’s role for this game, but he worked a perfect seventh inning. Jacob Webb retired two batters in the eighth, but then walked a batter. Cionel Pérez came on and hit pinch-hitter Joc Pederson with a pitch before Eugenio Suárez hit a routine grounder to end the threat.
Yennier Cano then pitched around a leadoff double in the ninth for his second save.
Arizona’s four-game winning streak was halted. The AL East-leading Orioles have won six of seven.
Ketel Marte hit a solo homer in the third for Arizona, extending his hitting streak to 11 games.
NATIONALS 5, RED SOX 1
BOSTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin allowed one run in five innings for his first victory of the season, Trey Lipscomb had a two-run single and Washington beat Boston.
Corbin (1-3) allowed seven hits and a walk and had four strikeouts in lowering his ERA from 6.45 to 5.91. He allowed runners to reach in four of five innings, helped in the first when right fielder Victor Robles threw out a runner at home for the final out.
Robles and Eddie Rosario each had two hits to help the Nationals move over .500 for the second time this season at 19-18.
Garrett Cooper doubled in Boston’s lone run. Red Sox starter Tanner Houck (3-4) ran into two-out trouble on two occasions, but delivered seven innings of three-run ball. The right-hander struck out four and threw 65 of his 95 pitches for strikes.
Boston stranded 11 and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox have lost six of seven to drop to 19-19.
WHITE SOX 6, GUARDIANS 3
CHICAGO (AP) — Garrett Crochet struck out 11 in six shutout innings and the Chicago White Sox beat Cleveland for their third consecutive victory.
Taking advantage of a costly error on second baseman Gabriel Arias, Chicago improved to 8-6 since its ugly 3-22 start. Korey Lee and Paul DeJong hit back-to-back homers in the seventh, and Andrew Vaughn went deep in the eighth for his first of the season.
Crochet (3-4) allowed five hits and walked none in his second straight win. Jordan Leasure got four outs for his second save.
Cleveland lost for the third time in four games. It leads the AL Central by a half-game over Minnesota, which beat Toronto 3-2 for its third straight win.
PHILLIES 8, MARLINS 2
MIAMI (AP) — Ranger Suárez pitched seven scoreless innings, Nick Castellanos and Johan Rojas hit solo homers, and Philadelphia beat Miami Marlins.
Rojas and J.T. Realmuto each had three of Philadelphia’s 15 hits. Bryce Harper had two hits, including an RBI double. Kyle Schwarber and Cristian Pache had two apiece.
Suárez (7-0), who entered the game with a 1.72 ERA, allowed just three hits while striking out nine and walking two. Gregory Soto replaced Suárez in the eighth and allowed a two-run double to Josh Bell that ended the shutout bid.
