PITTSBURGH (AP) — Luis Arráez hit an RBI double to cap a three-run ninth inning that put the San Diego Padres ahead for a 7-6 win and series sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday afternoon.
With San Diego down 5-4, Pirates closer David Bednar (3-4) gave up a single to Xander Bogaerts and walked Jackson Merrill to start the ninth inning before striking out David Peralta and walking Ha-Seong Kim to load the bases. Bogaerts scored on a grounder from Kyle Higashioka before Oneil Cruz tossed a double play attempt past first, letting Merrill score the go-ahead run.
Bednar, who gave up a tying home run to Merrill in the ninth inning of a 9-8 loss that went 10 innings on Wednesday, was pulled after Arráez tacked on what became the winning run with a double to right.
San Diego has won five straight and 14 of 16 to move within 2 1/2 games of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West lead.
The Pirates have lost four in a row and five of six. Down 4-0, they scored three runs in the sixth inning.
BREWERS 16, BRAVES 7
ATLANTA (AP) — Milwaukee rookie Jackson Chourio hit two two-run home runs, part of a six-homer, 20-hit barrage by the Brewers as they swept Atlanta.
This was just the fourth sweep of the Braves for the NL Central-leading Brewers and second in Atlanta. The other was in 2016. The Braves, who gave up 36 hits over the past two games and were outscored 34-12 in this series, are on a five-game losing streak.
In addition to the 20-year-old Chourio, who went 3 for 5 with four RBIs, the Brewers received home runs from William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Willy Adames and Jake Bauers. Contreras went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, Sal Frelick was 4 for 5 with two RBIs and Mitchell went 2 for 4 with an RBI and three runs.
Atlanta’s Austin Riley went 2 for 5 with a three-run homer, and Marcell Ozuna was 2 for 4 with two RBIs that included a 440-foot solo homer to left field.
GIANTS 9, NATIONALS 5, 10 INNINGS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Conforto’s two-run single highlighted a four-run 10th inning and San Francisco beat Washington after squandering a three-run lead in the ninth inning.
Mike Yastrzemski grounded up the middle leading off the tenth against Robert Garcia (2-4). On the play, shortstop CJ Abrams threw wide to third attempting to get designated runner Jerar Encarnacion and both runners were safe. Brett Wisely’s bunt single scored Encarnacion. Patrick Bailey then dropped a bunt that Garcia fielded and tried for an out at third, but Ildemaro Vargas dropped the throw. Garcia retired the next two batters before Conforto hit a bloop single to left that scored two, giving the Giants an 8-5 lead. Matt Chapman added an RBI single for the final margin.
Mark Canha hit a bases-loaded double, his fourth hit of the game, that snapped a 2-all tie and gave the Giants a 5-2 lead in the top of the ninth.
In the bottom half of the ninth, Luis Garcia Jr. hit a three run homer with two out off Giants’ closer Camilo Duval that tied the game and forced extra innings.
Duval (4-1) was credited with the win.
METS 9, ROCKIES 1
DENVER (AP) — Pete Alonso hit two home runs, David Peterson gave up one earned run across five innings and the New York Mets rolled past Colorado to clinch a series victory.
Mark Vientos hit his 17th homer of the season, Jose Iglesias had two RBIs, and Francisco Lindor had two hits and an RBI for the Mets, who moved a half-game ahead of the division rival Atlanta Braves for the sixth and final playoff spot in the National League playoff standings.
Each member of the Mets’ lineup finished with at least one hit, with five of those players hitting a double.
REDS 10, MARLINS 4
MIAMI (AP) — TJ Friedl homered and drove in three, Elly De La Cruz had three hits and stole his major league-leading 59th base, and Jeimer Candelario hit a two-run single during a seven-run 10th inning as Cincinnati beat Miami.
Tyler Stephenson walked with the bases loaded to snap a 3-3 tie in the 10th, then Friedl was hit by a pitch from Marlins reliever Emmanuel Ramirez (0-1), who faced six batters without recording an out. Spencer Steer’s single made it 6-3 before Candelario’s hit ended Ramirez’s outing.
Steer scored on a fielding error by Marlins center fielder Derek Hill and Candelario came home on Stuart Fairchild’s sacrifice fly.
Buck Farmer (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief as the Reds took three of four in the series.
BLUE JAYS 7, ORIOLES 6
TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered for the 10th time in 20 games and drove in four runs, Kevin Gausman pitched eight innings to win his fourth straight decision and Toronto survived a late rally to beat Baltimore Orioles.
With his Hall of Fame father watching from a private suite, Guerrero came within a single of hitting for the cycle. He opened the scoring with an RBI double off Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer in the first inning, extending his season-best hitting streak to 20 games.
Colton Cowser hit a two-run home run and drove in four runs for the Orioles. Baltimore leads the majors with 179 home runs but the Orioles lost two of three in Toronto. They’re 11-15 since July 9.
RAYS 6, CARDINALS 4
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brandon Lowe hit a two-run homer and former Cardinal Dylan Carlson drove in two runs to help Tampa Bay avoid a sweep by beating St. Louis.
Lowe has hit seven home runs, nine doubles and had 18 RBIs in his last 26 games. He has driven in a run in five consecutive games, tying a career high.
Brent Rortvedt added three hits for the Rays.
Nolan Arenado drove in a run, scored twice and had three hits for St. Louis. Arenado is 12 for 30 in August with three doubles and six RBIs. Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs for the Cardinals.
Richard Lovelady (3-4) pitched one inning for the win and Pete Fairbanks pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 24 opportunities.
JoJo Romero (5-2) took the loss.
ANGELS 9, YANKEES 4
NEW YORK (AP) — Jo Adell hit a bases-clearing double with two outs in a six-run fifth inning, Tyler Anderson retired Aaron Judge three times in six strong innings pitched and the Los Angeles Angels withstood rainy conditions for a victory over the New York Yankees.
With the rain varying in intensity, Anderson (9-10) allowed one run and three hits for his first win since July 6. The veteran left-hander struck out Judge swinging in the first, got a called third strike on the slugger in the third and retired him on a groundout in the sixth.
Nolan Schanuel hit a leadoff homer and had an RBI single off Nestor Cortes (5-10) before the Angels put together a six-run inning for the second straight game.
