American League

Astros 11, Mariners 1

Justin Verlander pitched one-run ball into the eighth inning and won his MLB-leading 14th game, Aledmys Díaz hit two homers and Yordan Alvarez slugged his 30th home run of the season as the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 11-1 on Friday night.

Verlander (14-3) allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings, with five hits and five strikeouts in outdueling Seattle’s Robbie Ray, last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner.

Verlander held Seattle scoreless until Jesse Winker and Julio Rodríguez doubled in the seventh inning.

“He didn’t have a lot of strikeouts, but he had them off balance,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “He was dealing. We got him some runs, and it’s hard sometimes for a pitcher who gets that kind of run support to still concentrate on getting the hitters out, but he’s a strong-minded guy. It was like the game was 0-0. He just kept pitching.”

Verlander allowed just three earned runs in four starts and 26 2/3 innings in July. The 39-year-old right-hander, in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, has allowed one earned run or less in six straight starts.

Verlander received a standing ovation as he walked off the field and tipped his hat to the packed house.

“It was an amazing ovation,” Verlander said. “The fans are incredible. It felt really special to have them acknowledge me like that. A sellout crowd, per usual, and it’s just nice to go out and perform and have them support you like that.”

Also Friday, the Mariners made a move to strengthen their pitching, acquiring the top starting pitcher on the trade market, getting All-Star Luis Castillo from the payroll-paring Cincinnati Reds for four minor league prospects.

“He’s one of the best pitchers in the game -- he’s really established himself as a dominant starter,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We’ve got a chance to do something really big here this year. You have to step out and take a chance once in a while if you ultimately want to get the reward, take a little risk. Dominant starting pitcher, and I’m anxious to meet him.”

Cincinnati obtained infielders Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, and right-handers Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore. Marte was the Mariners’ top-rated prospect, Arroyo was third and Stoudt fifth.

Seattle has not been to the playoffs since 2001, the longest postseason drought in the four major North American professional sports.

The Astros chased Ray (8-8) by scoring three runs in the third inning. Ray gave up singles to Yuli Gurriel and Alvarez and a two-run double to Alex Bregman that put Houston up 4-0.

Díaz sent a Ray pitch 401 feet onto the left-field train tracks in the second inning. Díaz added another solo homer in the eighth inning off catcher Luis Torrens.

“The last month, I’ve been feeling great at the plate,” Díaz said. “I’m glad I got a chance to be in the lineup and contribute to the win.”

Ray worked just 2 2/3 innings, giving up five hits and four runs on 84 pitches. He has been hit hard by Houston this season, giving up 14 runs in 10 2/3 innings in three starts.

Bregman added another RBI in the fourth inning on a single off Penn Murfee to left-center that scored Gurriel to put Houston up 5-0.

Alvarez’s homer to deep right-center field came in the sixth inning off an 85 mph fastball from Tommy Milone. Astros center fielder Mauricio Dubón also homered in the sixth, a shot near the left-field foul pole off Millone that put Houston up 9-0.

Houston has won five straight against Seattle and leads the season series 11-6. The Astros are 34-19 against the AL West this season.

Seattle is 17-5 in its last 22 games, with all five losses coming against Houston. The Mariners haven’t lost to a team except the Astros since July 1.

“Obviously, not our night,” Servais said. “They were all over Robbie again. We just couldn’t get anything going. You’re going to have these games every once in a while, and we haven’t had a game like this in a long, long time.”

“I can’t really put into words what that would mean," he said. "All of this is just such a blessing after the last couple of years, with Tommy John. To be able to be back and be successful, there were a lot of doubters, but I just had to believe in myself, and my family had my back, and my teammates had my back. If that were to happen, that would be incredible.”

Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez was caught trying to steal second base in the first inning by Astros catcher Martin Maldonado. Rodriguez leads AL rookies with 21 steals on 26 attempts, but Maldonado caught him for his eighth of the season on 25 attempts.

Tigers 4, Blue Jays 2

Willi Castro homered for the second time in two games, Victor Reyes had three hits, and Detroit beat Toronto.

Javier Báez reached base three times, Harold Castro hit a two-run single and Riley Greene scored twice for the Tigers, who came in having lost five of eight since the All-Star break.

The Blue Jays lost All-Star right-hander Alek Manoah in the sixth inning after he was hit on the right elbow by Jonathan Schoop’s comebacker. The team said X-rays revealed no fracture.

Matt Chapman homered for the third time in two games, but Toronto managed only four hits against six Tigers pitchers.

Will Vest (3-2) worked 1 1/3 innings and Gregory Soto finished for his 19th save in 22 chances.

Manoah (11-5) allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Guardians 4, Rays 1

José Ramirez hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth, Shane Bieber struck out eight in seven innings and Cleveland beat Tampa Bay.

Ramirez's 21st homer, a drive off Jeffrey Springs (3-3), gave Cleveland a 3-1 lead. Ramirez added a two-out RBI single in the eighth after Steven Kwan's third single.

Bieber (5-6) is just 2-3 in nine starts since June 3. He needed 26 pitches in the first, when Ji-Man Choi hit a run-scoring single. The Rays stranded the bases loaded when Christian Bethancourt struck out.

Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 24 chances, getting Bethancourt to ground into a game-ending double play. The Guardians won for the third time in four games.

Tampa Bay has lost six of seven and leads Cleveland by 3 1/2 games for the AL's third wild card. The homestand opener drew just 14,671.

Bieber, who has pitched six innings or more in 11 of his last 13 starts, gave up one run and five hits.

Springs allowed three runs and six hits in five innings.

Rangers 7, Angels 2

Martin Perez worked seven strong innings, Adolis Garcia, Ezequiel Duran and Jonah Heim had RBI doubles and Texas broke open a close contest in the ninth inning and won consecutive games for the second time this month in beating Los Angeles.

Luis Rengifo had an RBI single for the Angels, who have a total of nine hits and two runs in the first two games of a four-game series.

The Angels lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games as reports circulated that the club is at least listening to trade offers for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (0 for 4).

The Rangers got on the scoreboard in the sixth with the help of Jo Adell. Semien doubled into the left-field corner, with the ball rebounding off the wall and slipping through Adell’s legs. He then dropped the ball while attempting to pick it up with his bare hand, allowing Semien to race all the way around the bases. Two batters after Semien scored, Jonah Heim walked and came home on Adolis Garcia’s double, giving Texas a 2-0 lead.

The Rangers put the game out of reach by scoring five runs in the ninth inning. Duran and Heim had RBI doubles and Leody Taveras had an RBI single, as Texas cashed in two more Angels gifts. Semien’s ground ball was misplayed, allowing Kole Calhoun to score, while Duran scored on one of two wild pitches by Elvis Peguero.

Perez (9-2) gave up one run on three hits over seven innings. Angels starter Patrick Sandoval (3-7) gave up two runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts.

Athletics 7, White Sox 3

Seth Brown hit two solo homers, Stephen Piscotty hit a three-run shot, and James Kaprielian pitched six strong innings as Oakland topped Chicago for its season-high fourth straight win.

Elvis Andrus also homered for Oakland, which improved to 7-2 since the All-Star break. Josh Harrison had a two-run shot for Chicago, which lost its second straight to fall below .500 (49-50).

Lance Lynn (1-4) went 5 2/3 innings and allowed five runs on six hits. He struck out eight and walked none.

Kaprielian (2-5) allowed one earned run and four hits, striking out four and walking one.

Interleague

Orioles 6, Reds 2

Cedric Mullins hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in a four-run ninth inning, and Baltimore beat Cincinnati to move two games over .500 for the first time since April 2021.

Baltimore had not been two games over since it was 4-2 last year. The Orioles, at 37-25 following a 14-24 start, is 16-7 in July, assured of consecutive winning months for the first times since May and June 2016.

Ramón Urías walked against Buck Farmer (0-1) leading off the ninth, Rougned Oder doubled and Mullins grounded a first-pitch changeup up the middle and into center field for a 4-2 lead. Trey Mancini followed with an RBI single. Ryan Mountcastle followed with a sacrifice fly.

Dillon Tate (2-3) earned the victory.

Joey Votto hit two-run homer in the first off Kyle Bradish, who made his first start since June 18 after a stint on the injured list caused by right shoulder inflammation. Bradish struck out seven in five innings, allowing five hits.

Padres 10, Twins 1

Jorge Alfaro launched a three-run homer, Luke Voit and All-Star Manny Machado each hit a two-run shot and San Diego had its first five-homer game in more than a year in a win over AL Central-leading Minnesota.

Kim Ha-Seong and Eric Hosmer added solo shots for the Padres, who gave left-hander Blake Snell (3-5) all the runs he needed in the first inning.

All-Star Byron Buxton homered for the Twins in the fourth, his 25th.

Right-hander Joe Ryan (7-4) yielded all five Padres homers, including Machado’s and Alfaro’s in a six-run fifth, when all the runs scored with two outs.

It was the Padres’ first five-homer game since July 16, 2021, at Washington, and their first at Petco Park since June 25, 2021, against Arizona.

Ryan allowed eight hits and 10 runs in 4 2/3 innings, struck out seven and walked two.

National League

Braves 5, Diamondbacks 2

Austin Riley had a homer and three RBIs, Kyle Wright earned his NL-leading 13th victory and Atlanta topped Arizona.

Riley homered in the first and drove in runs with doubles in the third and fifth. Wright has won five straight decisions and gave up five hits and two runs with two walks and five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

Geraldo Perdomo hit his third homer and Madison Bumgarner (6-10) took the loss, surrendering eight hits and five runs — four earned — in six innings.

Chris Devenski pitched the seventh for Arizona, making his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.

Dodgers 5, Rockies 4

Will Smith and Trayce Thompson hit two-run homers, Julio Urías pitched seven strong innings and Los Angeles edged Colorado.

The Dodgers overcame 13 runners left on base and a shaky ninth inning by Craig Kimbrel to improve to 20-4 in July and 67-32 overall, both the best marks in the majors.

Smith added a single and reached base four times, while Urías (10-6) held the Rockies to two runs and four hits and Kimbrel secured his 18th save.

Chad Kuhl (6-6) gave up three hits in the first inning. Smith’s 435-foot drive to left came on a 1-2 sinker. In the second inning, Thompson jumped on a first-pitch sinker and his 430-foot shot to center made it 4-0.

José Iglesias doubled, Randal Grichuk tripled and Ryan McMahon hit a sacrifice fly in the second as the Rockies got within two runs in their seventh loss in nine games.

Cubs 4, Giants 2

Patrick Wisdom homered again, Marcus Stroman pitched six scoreless innings for his first win in more than two months and Chicago beat struggling San Francisco, which lost for the eighth time in nine games.

Wisdom connected for the second consecutive day and also doubled in the ninth as the Cubs scored three times to take a 4-0 lead on the way to their seventh victory in eight games.

Wilmer Flores hit a two-run homer off closer David Robertson in the bottom of the ninth before the right-hander struck out Thairo Estrada to end it.

Stroman (3-5) got back into the win column despite a sluggish start, allowing eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Cardinals 6, Nationals 2

Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning as St. Louis beat Washington and won consecutive games for the first time since July 15-16.

Washington’s Juan Soto went 1 for 4 in what could be his final homestand with Tuesday’s trade deadline looming. The Nationals were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

Miles Mikolas (8-8) allowed two runs in seven innings, giving up six hits and a walk while striking out four for St. Louis.

Aníbal Sánchez (0-3) lost his third consecutive start for Washington, which has a majors-worst record of 34-67. He pitched into the sixth inning for the first time this season.

Dylan Carlson and Paul Goldschmidt had run-scoring groundouts sandwiched around Sánchez’s run-scoring wild pitch for the Cardinals.

Phillies 4, Pirates 2 (10 innings)

Rhys Hoskins drilled a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the 10th to lift Philadelphia past Pittsburgh.

Hoskins finished off a four-hit night by taking the third pitch he saw from Duane Underwood Jr. (0-3) and sending it to the grassy area beyond the center field wall for his 20th home run of the season to give the Phillies their third straight victory.

Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm and Matt Vierling had two hits apiece for Philadelphia. Seranthony Dominguez (5-3) retired the Pirates in order to force extra innings and Connor Brogdon worked a perfect bottom of the 10th to pick up his first career save.

Ke’Bryan Hayes hit his fifth home run of the season for Pittsburgh and collected his third three-hit game this month, but the Pirates’ bullpen faltered late to send the club to its fifth consecutive loss.