Baseball Capsules – Charlotte Observer

Matt Olson hit his first two major league home runs, Jaycob Brugman and Franklin Barreto also launched their first career shots and the Oakland Athletics routed the Chicago White Sox 10-2 on Saturday.

Barreto homered in his big league debut. He joined Olson and Brugman in becoming the second trio of teammates to hit their first homers in the same game, the Elias Sports Bureau said. It also happened in 1914 with the Kansas City Packers of the Federal League — the rival circuit lasted a couple of seasons, and included many big leaguers.

Former White Sox ace Mark Buehrle had his No. 56 jersey retired in a pregame ceremony. After the 30-minute tribute ended, the A’s roughed up James Shields (1-1).

Daniel Gossett (1-2) took advantage of an early 6-0 lead to win for the first time in three big league starts. He gave up two unearned runs in six innings.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria was ejected for the second straight game.

ORIOLES 8, RAYS 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Dylan Bundy helped Baltimore avoid a dubious pitching record, throwing seven solid innings as the Orioles beat Tampa Bay.

The Orioles had given up at least five runs in 20 straight games, matching the major league mark set by the 1924 Philadelphia Phillies.

Bundy (8-6) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings.

Jose Alvarado (0-3) walked the only batter he faced, Seth Smith, leading off the seventh. He was replaced by Jumbo Diaz, who gave up a two-run double to Mark Trumbo and Trey Mancini’s two-run homer that put Baltimore ahead 7-3.

NATIONALS 18, REDS 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Taylor homered twice among his four hits, Trea Turner went 5 for 5 and Washington romped.

Daniel Murphy had four RBIs for the Nationals. All of Turner’s career-high five hits were singles including a pair of run-scoring hits.

Joe Ross (4-3) blanked the Reds until Patrick Kivlehan’s pinch-hit home run in the sixth.

Homer Bailey (0-1) allowed eight runs and six hits with three walks in 1 2/3 innings in his season debut after shoulder surgery. Cincinnati has lost 13 of 14.

RANGERS 8, YANKKES 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Bibens-Dirkx pitched seven dazzling innings in his first shot at the New York Yankees after 12 seasons in the minors, and Carlos Gomez homered for Texas.

Robinson Chirinos also went deep and Elvis Andrus had a pair of run-scoring hits for the Rangers, who rebounded quickly from a difficult defeat that ended at 12:19 a.m.

Bibens-Dirkx (3-0), a 32-year-old rookie promoted to the majors last month for the first time, gave up Aaron Judge’s major league-leading 26th home run in his fourth big league start.

Luis Cessa (0-2) struck out eight in five innings.

ROYALS 3, BLUE JAYS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Vargas became the first major league pitcher to reach 11 wins this season, pitching seven efficient innings to lead surging Kansas City over Toronto.

The Royals won for the 11th time in 13 games and moved over .500 for the first time this season at 37-36.

Vargas (11-3) allowed two runs on eight hits. Troy Tulowitzki and Pillar homered off him.

Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his 18th save in 20 chances.

Alex Gordon hit a go-ahead triple in the seventh off Marco Estrada (4-6).

TWINS 4, INDIANS 2

CLEVELAND (AP) — Brian Dozier hit a leadoff homer against closer Cody Allen to break an eighth-inning tie and Minnesota defeated Cleveland.

Dozier homered into the left field porch on a 3-2 pitch and narrowed Cleveland’s lead over Minnesota in the AL Central to one-half game.

Cleveland’s Corey Kluber struck out a season-high 13 and allowed three hits in seven innings.

Taylor Rogers (4-1) got the win and Brandon Kintzler pitched the ninth for his 20th save. Francisco Lindor doubled with two outs, but center fielder Byron Buxton made a diving catch of Jason Kipnis’ liner to end the game.

Allen (0-3) was making his first appearance since Sunday. He was on the paternity list when his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child.

BRAVES 3, BREWERS 1

ATLANTA (AP) — Brandon Phillips homered for the third straight game, R.A. Dickey threw seven strong innings and Atlanta beat Milwaukee.

The Braves have won four straight and nine of 12.

Dickey (6-5) allowed one run in seven innings to improve to 5-1 at SunTrust Park. Jim Johnson got his 15th save, stopping the NL Central leaders in the ninth.

Phillips homered off Matt Garza (3-4).

CUBS 5, MARLINS 3

MIAMI (AP) — Jon Lester gave up a three-run homer to J.T. Realmuto in the first inning and then settled down to help the Chicago Cubs beat Miami.

Lester (5-4) went seven innings, retiring 13 in a row after Realmuto’s seventh homer of the year. Wade Davis completed the four-hitter with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 15th save.

The Cubs took the lead for good in the sixth against Nick Wittgren (1-1).

METS 5, GIANTS 2

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jacob deGrom pitched eight strong innings and Wilmer Flores homered as the New York Mets defeated San Francisco.

DeGrom (7-3) struck out seven and allowed one run while scattering four hits.

The Giants, who are on pace to lose more than 100 games for the first time since arriving on the West Coast, have dropped 11 of 12. Sam Dyson (0-1) took the loss.

PIRATES 7, CARDINALS 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison homered and starter Gerrit Cole pitched six innings, lifting Pittsburgh over St. Louis.

Cole (6-6) extended his winning streak to three games, allowing five hits and one run with five strikeouts and two walks.

Lance Lynn (5-5) struggled for the second consecutive start.

ANGELS 6, RED SOX 3

BOSTON (AP) — JC Ramirez rebounded from his shortest career start with six solid innings, Cameron Maybin doubled home a run and scored another and the Los Angeles Angels held off the Boston Red Sox.

Ramirez (7-5) allowed one run and four hits with five strikeouts after lasting just three innings and giving up five runs in his previous start. Blake Parker struck out pinch-hitter Chris Young with the bases loaded for the final out for his first save of the season after Boston scored twice in the ninth.

David Price (2-2) allowed three runs — two earned — with five strikeouts and a walk in six innings. Mitch Moreland hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who lost for only the third time in their last 13 home games.

Red Sox manager John Farrell was ejected by third-base umpire and crew chief Bill Miller after Fernando Abad was called for a balk, scoring a run that made it 5-1 in the seventh.

ASTROS 5, MARINERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Josh Reddick homered, Brian McCann added a three-run double and Lance McCullers pitched into the sixth inning in his return from the disabled list to lift the Houston Astros over the Seattle Mariners.

McCullers (7-1), who had been sidelined with lower back discomfort, allowed one run on four hits in five-plus innings. He struck out eight and walked none in his first start since June 8.

Reddick staked the Astros to a 2-0 lead in the third with his eighth home run. George Springer singled to open and Reddick drove a 1-0 pitch from Sam Gaviglio (3-2) over the wall in center.

Seattle, which had won six straight, scored one in the ninth off Ken Giles on a double and three consecutive walks, but Carlos Ruiz struck out looking with the bases loaded.

DIAMONDBACKS 9, PHILLIES 2

PHOENIX (AP) — Jake Lamb homered, Chris Herrmann drove in three runs and Daniel Descalso had three hits, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Diamondbacks broke open a one-run game with three runs in the sixth inning and got another effective pitching performance from Robbie Ray (8-3), who allowed two runs and six hits through 6 1/3 innings. Ray is 6-0 over his last seven starts with a 1.31 ERA in that span. He had five strikeouts and four walks.

Phillies starter Ben Lively (1-2) hit a two-run home run for his first career RBIs, but gave up four earned runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

DODGERS 4, ROCKIES 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw threw six innings and Joc Pederson kept the streaking Dodgers’ power surge alive with a home run in a victory over the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles’ ninth consecutive win. The Dodgers have won 15 of their last 16 games and are the first National League team to reach the 50-win mark (50-26).

Pederson’s solo home run in the third was his sixth of the year and pushed the Dodgers’ streak to 16 consecutive games with at least one home run. It’s the first time the Dodgers have reached that mark since 1960.

Kershaw (11-2) pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning then retired the next 13 Rockies. He allowed four hits and a walk, while striking out eight. The Dodgers have won his last 10 starts.

Tyler Chatwood (6-8) had control issues all night, walking eight in just 3 1/3 innings.

PADRES 7, TIGERS 3

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez slugged a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning, powering the Padres past Detroit and sending the Tigers to their eighth consecutive loss.

With the Padres trailing 3-2, Shane Greene (1-2) walked leadoff man Erick Aybar to start the eighth. Sanchez, a backup catcher who was batting for pitcher Kirby Yates, was hitting .087 in 23 at-bats when he slammed Greene’s 0-1 pitch for his second homer of the season. Cory Spangenberg added a two-run single and Austin Hedges drove in another run on a squeeze bunt — both against Alex Wilson — in the five-run inning.

Greene was charged with four runs and two hits with two walks in just one-third of an inning.

Yates (2-1) threw a scoreless eighth to earn the win for the Padres.