NEW YORK (AP) - Yu Darvish fit right in with the steamrolling Dodgers, striking out 10 over seven innings of three-hit ball during his Los Angeles debut to pitch the top team in the majors past the New York Mets 6-0 on Friday night.
Chris Taylor hit a leadoff homer against Jacob deGrom, and Mets nemesis Chase Utley added a two-run shot as Los Angeles improved baseball’s best record to 77-32 with its 11th victory in 12 games. Yasiel Puig also went deep for the Dodgers, who have outscored New York 42-11 in winning all five meetings this season.
In his first start since being acquired from Texas for three prospects just before Monday’s trade deadline, Darvish (7-9) only made the Dodgers look even better. With his confident teammates behind him, the four-time All-Star snapped a five-game losing streak and won for the first time in nine outings since June 12 at Houston.
DeGrom (12-5) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. He has dropped consecutive starts after winning eight straight.
NATIONALS 4, CUBS 2
CHICAGO (AP) - Daniel Murphy homered twice and Tanner Roark pitched into the seventh inning, leading Washington to the victory.
With the game-time temperature at 63, Murphy hit a two-run homer in the first and connected off Kyle Hendricks leading off the sixth for a 3-0 lead.
Roark (9-7) was working on a shutout before Javier Baez chased him with a two-run homer with one out in the seventh.
Hendricks (4-4) gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings. Chicago has lost three straight after winning 14 of 17 following the All-Star break.
Sean Doolittle worked the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances since he was acquired from Oakland on July 16.
INDIANS 7, YANKEES 2
CLEVELAND (AP) - Trevor Bauer won his third straight start, and Cleveland extended New York’s losing streak to four.
Bauer (10-8) allowed one run in seven innings, on Todd Frazier’s fifth-inning homer. Third baseman Giovanny Urshela made an outstanding defensive play on Clint Frazier’s grounder to throw out Ronald Torreyes at home plate, and Gary Sanchez stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout.
Traded from Atlanta to Minnesota to New York, Jaime Garcia (1-1) became the first pitcher to make three straight appearances as a starter for three different teams since Gus Weyhing in 1895, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Garcia gave up six runs, five earned, and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
TWINS 8, RANGERS 4
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Bartolo Colon threw his first complete game in two years to earn his first win with Minnesota.
Brian Dozier homered twice and Robbie Grossman also connected as the Twins won for just the third time in 11 games.
In his fourth start for Minnesota, the 44-year-old Colon (3-9) scattered nine hits in his 37th career complete game and first since Sept. 5, 2015, with the New York Mets.
Elvis Andrus had three doubles and Carlos Gomez homered for the Rangers. Martin Perez (5-10) got the loss.
DIAMONDBACKS 2, GIANTS 1
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Paul Goldschmidt had three hits for Arizona, and rookie Anthony Banda earned his first career win.
David Peralta doubled and reached twice to help the Diamondbacks (63-46) beat Madison Bumgarner and the Giants in the first matchup between the NL West rivals since early April.
One day after hitting a career-high three home runs at Wrigley Field, Goldschmidt reached on an infield single in the second, tripled in the fourth to drive in A.J. Pollock and tacked on an RBI single off the wall in left in the sixth.
Brandon Crawford drove in San Francisco’s lone run with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth. Bumgarner (1-5) was charged with two runs in seven innings.
Banda (1-1) allowed one run and three hits in six innings. Fernando Rodney retired three batters for his 25th save.
ROCKIES 4, PHILLIES 3
DENVER (AP) - Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland left with a strained left groin after facing three batters, and D.J. LeMahieu singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth for the Rockies.
Freeland, whose 11 wins this season lead major league rookies, appeared to tweak the leg after delivering a pitch to Aaron Altherr. Manager Bud Black and team trainers came out to check Freeland and made the decision to pull him after he threw several warmup pitches.
Rockies spokesman Warren Miller said there was no word on Freeland’s status for his next scheduled start.
Nolan Arenado hit a tying homer in the seventh, and Mike Dunn (4-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the victory. Greg Holland got three outs for his 34th save.
The last-place Phillies have dropped four in a row. Luis Garcia (1-3) got the loss.
RED SOX 3, WHITE SOX 2, 11 INNINGS
BOSTON (AP) - Mitch Moreland homered with two outs in the 11th inning, lifting the Red Sox to their fourth consecutive victory.
Moreland, a defensive replacement in the 10th, drove a pitch from Aaron Bummer (0-2) over the Green Monster for his 14th of the season. It was Boston’s second game-ending homer this week.
The AL East-leading Red Sox moved three games ahead of the second-place Yankees, who lost 7-2 at Cleveland.
The White Sox were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base while losing their fourth in a row.
Eduardo Nunez hit a tying solo homer for Boston in the sixth, and Heath Hembree (2-3) got three outs for the win.
ASTROS 16, BLUE JAYS 7
HOUSTON (AP) - Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer and Marwin Gonzalez added a three-run shot as part of a nine-run fourth inning, helping Houston stop a three-game slide.
Tyler White homered twice for the Astros, and Yuli Gurriel also went deep. White finished with four hits and five RBIs.
Brad Peacock (10-1) got his seventh straight win despite allowing a season-high seven runs in six innings.
Kendrys Morales, Russell Martin and Ryan Goins homered for Toronto. Cesar Valdez (1-1) allowed six runs in 3 1/3 innings in his second straight rough start.
BRAVES 5, MARLINS 3
ATLANTA (AP) - R.A. Dickey won for the first time in seven starts, Nick Markakis hit a three-run homer and the Braves overcame Giancarlo Stanton’s two home runs to beat the Marlins.
Stanton hit his 34th and 35th homers, passing Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for most in the majors, to give the Marlins a 3-1 lead in the sixth. Markakis took Adam Conley (4-4) deep in the bottom half of the inning to make it 4-3.
Dickey (7-7) allowed three runs in six innings. Arodys Vizcaino worked the ninth for his fourth save in six chances.
BREWERS 2, RAYS 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Brandon Woodruff allowed seven hits in 6 1/3 innings in his major league debut and Orlando Arcia homered and scored both runs for Milwaukee.
The Brewers won for the third time in four games and moved within a half-game of the Cubs for the top spot in the NL Central.
Arcia’s three hits included a triple off Jake Faria (5-2) in the third and his 10th homer of the season in the eighth. Eric Thames followed the triple with an RBI single.
Woodruff (1-0) struck out six and walked two. Corey Knebel pitched the ninth for his 21st save.
Logan Morrison had three of Tampa Bay’s nine hits.
MARINERS 5, ROYALS 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - James Paxton tied a Mariners’ record by winning his seventh straight start, and Seattle moved back over .500.
Paxton (12-3) did not allow a hit until Mike Moustakas’ single with one out in the fifth, and Brandon Moss’ two-out single ended Paxton’s scoreless streak at 21 innings.
Paxton was charged with two runs in six innings. Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for his 22nd save in 26 chances.
Kansas City’s Jason Hammel (5-9) gave up three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
PIRATES 10, PADRES 6
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Gregory Polanco hit a three-run homer into the Allegheny River during Pittsburgh’s six-run seventh inning.
With Pittsburgh trailing 6-4 and two men on, Polanco belted a pinch-hit drive 434 feet onto the riverwalk beyond the right-field wall. Twenty-nine different players have hit 43 home runs into the river since PNC Park opened in 2001.
Padres right-hander Kirby Yates (2-2) recorded just one out and was charged with six runs.
A.J. Schugel (2-0) won for the first time since July 9, striking out one batter in the seventh.
TIGERS 5, ORIOLES 2
BALTIMORE (AP) - Justin Upton hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to back a strong pitching performance by Justin Verlander, and the surprising Tigers earned their fourth straight victory.
Jim Adduci also homered for the Tigers, who have won six of seven despite unloading three stars before the non-waiver trade deadline. Detroit’s four-game winning streak matches a season high.
Verlander (7-7) struck out 10 and gave up two runs and six hits over seven innings. Bruce Rondon, who entered with an 11.20 ERA, worked the ninth for his first save.
Tim Beckham went 4 for 4 with a home run and Manny Machado also went deep for the Orioles, who have dropped two in a row to Detroit following a five-game winning streak. Mychal Givens (7-1) got the loss.
ANGELS 8, ATHLETICS 6
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Pinch hitter Luis Valbuena hit a two-run single in Los Angeles’ four-run seventh, helping the Angels rally for their fourth straight win.
The Angels won for the sixth time in eight games to get back to .500 at 55-55. They are two games back in the race for the final American League wild-card spot.
Kole Calhoun, Andrelton Simmons and Ben Revere began the seventh with consecutive walks against reliever Daniel Coulombe (2-2). Valbuena tied it at six with a one-out single against Blake Treinen.
Yunel Escobar and Mike Trout added run-scoring hits for the Angels. Jesse Chavez (6-10) got the win and Bud Norris pitched the ninth for his 18th save.
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