Braves Sweep Tigers

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ATLANTA (AP) — Sean Murphy hit a pair of two-run homers, Reynaldo López threw five scoreless innings and the Atlanta Braves completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 7-0 victory on Wednesday.

López (5-2) lowered his MLB-leading ERA to 1.57. He allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out six. López has given up just four runs in 40 2/3 innings over six home starts this year.

The Braves went 5-1 on a six-game homestand and have won six of their past seven. They allowed just two runs combined in the series.


Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (12) hits a two-run homer in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (12) hits a two-run homer in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Murphy, who made the National League All-Star team last season, was hitting just .135 in 15 games this season entering the game. The catcher went 4-for-4 with 4 RBIs.

PIRATES 1, REDS 0

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Reynolds hit a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning and Pittsburgh edged Cincinnati.

Reynolds pounced on an 80 mph changeup from Nick Martinez (2-5) and sent it just over the wall in center field for his 10th homer of the season as the Pirates took two of three from Cincinnati.

Colin Holderman (3-0) retired the three batters he faced in the eighth after coming on for a brilliant Mitch Keller. David Bednar worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

The teams combined for just five hits on a steamy day at PNC Park in which Keller and Hunter Greene dominated.

PADRES 5, PHILLIES 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matt Waldron used his knuckleball to strike out six over seven innings and San Diego avoided a 10th straight road loss with a late rally off Philadelphia’s bullpen.

A day after the Phillies used four consecutive ninth-inning hits to rally for a 4-3 win, Waldron (5-6) and two relievers helped the Padres snap a five-game skid that started against the Mets. The Padres avoided their first 0-6 trip since 2009 and had lost nine straight overall on the road. They hadn’t lost 10 straight away games since 2013.

Bryce Harper homered twice for the Phillies, his 27th career multi-homer game and second of the season. His 17 homers are tied with Kyle Schwarber for the team lead.

Robert Suárez worked the ninth for his 18th save.

MARLINS 4, CARDINALS 3

MIAMI (AP) — Otto Lopez hit a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to drive in Tim Anderson and Miami defeated St. Louis.

Lopez’s liner off Ryan Fernandez (0-2) was bobbled by right fielder Alec Burleson, but is doubtful he would have had a play. Tanner Scott (6-5) got the win after pitching a scoreless top of the ninth.

The NL-worst Marlins took two of three from the Cardinals, who fell back below .500 at 36-37.

Kyle Gibson had been scheduled to start for the Cardinals after being on the bereavement list this week following a death in his family, but was scratched just before game time with back tightness.

Emergency starter Matthew Liberatore gave up homers to the Marlins first two hitters, Bryan De La Cruz, his 13th of the season, and Jesús Sánchez, his sixth. Josh Bell followed with a double and Jake Burger walked, but a double play and a fly out got Liberatore out of the first inning.

CUBS 6, GIANTS 5

CHICAGO (AP) — Ian Happ hit a 442-foot homer, Dansby Swanson made it back-to-back longballs and the Chicago Cubs hung on to beat San Francisco.

Jorge Soler made it interesting in the eighth inning with a 444-foot grand slam over the bleachers in left field against Tyson Miller that got the Giants within one, but Colten Brewer pitched around back-to-back walks to Wilmer Flores and Brett Wisely in the ninth and finished for his first save.

Kyle Hendricks (1-4) pitched neatly into the sixth inning, allowing one run on two hits in his longest outing of the season and lowering his ERA from 8.20 to 7.46.

NATIONALS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jesse Winker hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning and Washington defeated Arizona.

Ildemaro Vargas added an RBI single for Washington, which has won nine of 11 overall and seven of its last eight at home.

Arizona (36-38) was denied getting back to .500 for the first time since April 16, when it was 9-9.

Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt cruised through five scoreless innings in just 50 pitches, allowing just one runner to reach scoring position.

But with two outs in the sixth and Washington trailing 1-0, Lane Thomas worked a walk. Winker then ripped a four-seam fastball to center for his seventh home run this season. The left fielder is hitting .452 (19 for 42) over his last 14 games.

GUARDIANS 8, MARINERS 0

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tanner Bibee struck out a career-high 12 in six innings, Josh Naylor homered twice and had four RBIs, and Cleveland beat Seattle in a battle of American League division leaders.

Bibee (5-2) struck out multiple batters in each of the first five innings, allowing three hits and one walk. The right-hander had 11 strikeouts in his previous start on June 12 at Cincinnati, his first double-digit game in the majors.

Steven Kwan hit a two-run homer and José Ramírez and Bo Naylor each had two hits for the Guardians, who are five games ahead of Minnesota in the Central and have won 22 of 31 games at Progressive Field this season.

Seattle, which leads the West, lost for the second time in 10 games and is 17-6 since May 26. Manager Scott Servais and shortstop J.P. Crawford were both ejected in the fifth by Doug Eddings, who had called Crawford out on strikes.

RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 3

TORONTO (AP) — Jarren Duran and Enmanuel Valdez hit solo home runs, Brayan Bello pitched six innings to snap a three-start winless streak, and Boston beat Toronto to complete a three-game sweep.

Duran, who had two hits and two RBIs, extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Valdez scored all three times he reached base as the Red Sox won their fifth straight and for the eighth time in their last 10 games.

The past eight series between Boston and Toronto have all been sweeps, with the Red Sox winning three. The Blue Jays and Orioles also had eight straight meetings finish as sweeps in 2009 and 2010.

Toronto made four errors. The Blue Jays are 9-20 when they make at least one error.

Bello (7-4) allowed two runs and six hits to win for the first time since May 28 at Baltimore.

Justin Slaten pitched two innings, giving up a run on a wild pitch in the seventh, and Chris Martin finished for Boston.