Yainer Diaz hit a three-run homer in the first inning off a struggling Luis Severino, Yordan Alvarez homered in the fifth to knock out the right-hander and the Houston Astros beat the New York Yankees 7-3 on Friday evening.
Rookie Hunter Brown (8-7) won back-to-back starts for the first time since April, allowing two runs and five hits over six innings. Brown struck out four, walked one and got eight on the ground – three on the first pitch.
“This is a big win for us,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said.
Including last year’s sweep in the ALCS, the Astros are 10-3 against the Yankees since the start of last season. Houston also improved to 13-7 from the All-Star break and 7-4 on an eight-of-nine series streak against opponents with winning records.
Aaron Judge has been left out of the starting lineup for the second time since returning from a toe injury last week.
The loss dropped the Yankees to 57-53 this season.
Yordan Alvarez of the Astros leads the bases after hitting a fifth-inning home run on Friday
Luis Severino (left) continued his struggles allowing five earned runs in just four innings
Houston has won 10 of the last 13 games against the Yankees, which puts a lot of smiles on Jose Altuve (left)
ROYALS 7, PHILLIES 5
Bobby Witt Jr. homered and stole a base, Michael Massey also went wide, and Kansas City beat Philadelphia for its seventh straight win.
Witt became the first player in MLB history with at least 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in each of his first two seasons. Dairon Blanco drove in three runs and stole three bases for Kansas City.
Nick Castellanos homered for the Phillies, who opened a 10-game homestand. Philadelphia started the game holding the second wildcard spot in a tight playoff race.
Dairon Blanco of the Royals hits a two-run single against the Phillies in a 7-5 win on Friday
Michael Massey (right) of the Royals reacts after hitting a home run in the sixth inning
BRAVE 8, SMALL 0
Max Fried dominated for six innings on his return with a stretched left forearm, Sean Murphy and Marcell Ozuna homered back-to-back in Atlanta’s seven-run fourth inning, and the Braves cooled Chicago.
Fried allowed three base runners, all singles, in his first start since May 5
Austin Riley added a deep solo shot in the seventh for major league leaders Atlanta, which has won three in a row and six of seven. Fried (3-1), an NL Cy Young Award finalist last season, retired eight goals before going out after 72 shots.
RAYS 8, TIGERS 0
Jose Siri homered and drove in three runs, Zack Littell earned his second straight start and Tampa Bay defeated Detroit.
Littell (2-2) allowed three hits and walked one in six innings.
Harold Ramírez had three hits and scored twice, and former Tiger Isaac Paredes had two hits and two RBIs. The Rays won for the fourth time in five games.
Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Jose Siri (22) hits a two-run homer in the second inning
NATIONALS 6, CUBS 3 (10 ROUNDS)
Lane Thomas hit his second homer of the game in the 10th inning to seal the Washington Nationals’ 6-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
Thomas’ two-point shot, his team-leading 18th of the season, went close past Alexis Díaz (3-3) and followed a brace from Jake Alu that broke a 3-3 tie.
A two-run homer by Joey Meneses off Reds starter Graham Ashcraft tied the game in the eighth. The Reds had been leading since the first inning behind strong throws from Ashcraft and three solo homers.
ORIOLES 10, DISHES 3
James McCann had three hits and five RBIs and Jordan Westburg hit a three-run homer to help Baltimore rout the Mets when New York manager Buck Showalter returned to Camden Yards.
Showalter received a video tribute and standing ovation from Baltimore fans, where he coached from 2010 to 2018 and guided the Orioles to three playoff appearances. Then leaders AL East won for the sixth time in eight games to stay two ahead of Tampa Bay.
Ryan O’Hearn hit an RBI single against Phil Bickford (2-4) to break a tie at 2 in the sixth — Westburg, who was running downfield, scored from the first. McCann added a two-run double later in the inning and Adley Rutschman hit a sacrifice fly.
Mets manager Buck Showalter was honored by the Orioles before his former team won 10-3
GUARDIANS 4, WHITE SOX 2
Andrés Giménez hit a two-run homer among his three career extra hits, Logan Allen earned his first home win in more than three months and Cleveland beat Chicago.
Giménez fouled out on the first two pitches of his at-bat in the fifth inning, attempting to put down a bunt and move Steven Kwan to second base. He then moved away, sending a fastball from Mike Clevinger (4-5) into right field to break a tie at 2.
Allen (5-4) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, ending a six-start winless streak at Progressive Field. The southpaw, who struck out five and walked four, hadn’t won at home since going six innings in his major league debut against Miami on April 23.
BLUE JAYS 7, RED SOX 3
Davis Schneider hit his first major league home run and Toronto tied its season high with five home runs to beat Boston.
Whit Merrifield, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Daulton Varsho and Matt Chapman also went deep to help the Blue Jays increase their lead over Boston for the third and final wildcard AL spot.
Toronto starter Alek Manoah (3-8) pitched 6 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs and struck out five.
Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho (right) celebrates his solo home run with George Springer
RANGERS 6, MARLINS 2
Adolis García hit two drastically different solo homers, Corey Seager also went deep, and newly acquired southpaw Jordan Montgomery worked in the seventh inning to help Texas beat Miami.
Garcia put the Rangers in front to stay when he went the opposite direction with a 334-foot high homer just inside the right-field post for a 3-2 lead in third. In the sixth, the slugger known as “El Bombi” hit a 433-foot drive that landed in the second seating deck above the visitor’s enclosure at center left.
Montgomery struck out six, walked one and allowed two runs before dropping two batters in the seventh.
TWINS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2
Michael A. Taylor homered to start the seventh inning, Minnesota’s third solo shot of the game in their win over Arizona.
Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler went deep against Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly, who otherwise went six innings with nine strikeouts.
Taylor hosted Scott McGough (1-7) with an opposite-field drive on a 1-2 fastball into the flower boxes above the limestone facade beyond right field that put the Twins in front.
Michael A. Taylor of the Twins homers off the Diamondbacks to give his team the lead
PIRATES 8, BREWERS 4
Alfonso Rivas hit a three-run homer and a triple among his three hits, leading Pittsburgh past Milwaukee.
Rivas was playing his second game with the Pirates since acquiring San Diego on Tuesday.
Bryan Reynolds also went 3-for-5 with a homer, and Henry Davis and Josh Palacios also went deep for the Pirates. Palacios and Reynolds hit back-to-back homers off Bryse Wilson in the sixth inning to extend Pittsburgh’s lead to 8-3.
ROCKIES 9, CARDINALS 4
Nolan Jones had four hits and three RBIs and Colorado beat St. Louis in a last-place club matchup.
Elias Díaz had two hits and drove in two runs as Colorado won only the third time in nine games. The Rockies finished with 15 hits.
Nolan Gorman hit two solo home runs for St. Louis, which has lost six of eight.