DENVER (AP) - Hometown rookie Kyle Freeland came within two outs of the first no-hitter by a Rockies pitcher at Coors Field before surrendering a sharp single to Melky Cabrera in Colorado’s 10-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
Freeland, who’s from Denver and grew up going to games at the hitter-friendly park, struck out the first batter of the ninth inning and then allowed Cabrera’s hit to left field on a 2-2 count.
The 24-year-old Freeland (9-7) threw 126 pitches. He was pulled immediately after the hit and left to a standing ovation. The lefty struck out a career-high nine, walked three and hit a batter.
Freeland was trying to throw the second no-hitter in Coors Field history. Hideo Nomo accomplished the feat in 1996 when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The only no-hitter in Rockies history was thrown by Ubaldo Jimenez in 2010 at Atlanta.
Edinson Volquez of the Miami Marlins pitched the lone no-hitter in the majors this season, doing it last month against Arizona.
Freeland even had an RBI single in the seventh for the Rockies’ last run.
Reliever Jordan Lyles got the last two outs to complete the one-hitter.
Pat Valaika drove in five runs, including a three-run homer as part of a five-run sixth that turned a 2-0 lead into a rout. Charlie Blackmon also hit a solo homer.
Carlos Rodon (1-2) was the loser.
ASTROS 19, BLUE JAYS 1
TORONTO (AP) - Carlos Correa homered twice and drove in a career-high five runs and Houston romped into the All-Star break, battering Toronto.
The runaway leaders in the AL West became just the fifth team in the last 40 years to reach 60 wins before the All-Star Game. They Astros joined the 1998 Yankees, 2001 Mariners, 2003 Braves and this year’s Los Angeles Dodgers, who got there Saturday. At 60-29, Houston heads into the break with a whopping lead in a division where no one else is over .500.
A day after his career-high 15-game hitting streak ended, Correa had four hits. The All-Star shortstop hit the 20-homer mark with his second of the day for his fifth career multihomer game and second this year.
Fellow All-Star Jose Altuve, Yuli Gurriel and Evan Gattis also homered for Houston. Altuve had three hits for the fifth consecutive game - he became the ninth major leaguer to do so in more than a century, and the first since George Brett’s record-tying six-game streak for Kansas City in 1976.
Gattis drove in four runs with two hits in Houston’s most-lopsided win of the season.
Brad Peacock (7-1) pitched six innings of shutout ball, holding the Blue Jays to five hits while walking five. The Astros hit three home runs in the second against J.A. Happ (3-6), the third time this season they’ve had at least three in an inning.
PIRATES 14, CUBS 3
CHICAGO (AP) - Francisco Cervelli and Andrew McCutchen capped Pittsburgh’s 10-run first inning with consecutive homers off Jon Lester, helping the Pirates pound Chicago.
Cervelli drove in five runs and Jordy Mercer had two hits and three RBIs as the Pirates closed out a 5-2 road trip with their fifth win in six games. All-Star Josh Harrison homered in the ninth and Chad Kuhl pitched three innings of one-run ball in an emergency start after Jameson Taillon was scratched due to flu-like symptoms.
Pittsburgh sent 15 batters to the plate in its highest-scoring inning since it got 10 in the seventh against Colorado on May 17, 2009. It was the first time it scored at least 10 in the first inning since June 8, 1989, against Philadelphia.
Cervelli hit his third career grand slam into the basket in left with two out. McCutchen followed with a drive to left-center for his 17th homer, chasing Lester and drawing a smattering of boos from a frustrated crowd of 41,604 at Wrigley Field.
Chicago (43-45) heads into the All-Star break with a losing record for the first time since it was 40-54 in 2014. The Cubs were 53-35 at the break a year ago on their way to their first World Series title since 1908.
Lester (5-6) was charged with four earned runs and six hits in the shortest start of his 12-year major league career. A.J. Schugel (1-0), the second of three Pittsburgh relievers, pitched three innings for the win.
DODGERS 5, ROYALS 2
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Clayton Kershaw tossed a six-hitter to become the majors’ first 14-game winner, Justin Turner homered twice, and NL West-leading Los Angeles beat defeated Kansas City to complete its major league-best 10th sweep and sixth straight victory.
The streaking Dodgers head into the All-Star break owning baseball’s best record of 61-29. They’ve won 18 of their last 19 at home, where they lead the majors with a 39-11 mark.
Kershaw (14-2) allowed two runs and six hits on 99 pitches, struck out 13 and walked none to set the Dodgers’ record for most wins at the break.
The All-Star left-hander, who won’t pitch in Tuesday’s showcase in Miami, is 10-0 over his last 13 starts, all Los Angeles victories. He allowed a run for the first time in four outings.
Danny Duffy (5-5) gave up five runs and six hits in seven innings. He struck out nine and didn’t walk anyone.
BREWERS 5, YANKEES 3
NEW YORK (AP) - Travis Shaw and Stephen Vogt both homered and Milwaukee increased its surprising NL Central lead, topping New York.
The Brewers have won nine of 11. At 50-41, they go into the All-Star break in first place for the fifth time in franchise history, 5 1/2 games ahead of the reigning World Series champion Chicago Cubs and St. Louis.
The Yankees (45-41) have not won a series since June 9-11 and are 3 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East.
Shaw hit a three-run homer in the first off Masahiro Tanaka (7-8). Vogt added a solo shot in the second, his fourth since being plucked off waivers from Oakland two weeks ago.
Jimmy Nelson (8-4) pitched five-plus innings of three-run ball. Corey Knebel notched a four-out save, his 14th in 18 opportunities.
Clint Frazier homered for the Yankees, the rookie’s second shot in as many days and his third in just seven games since his debut.
NATIONALS 10, BRAVES 5
WASHINGTON (AP) - Anthony Rendon reached base four times, the Washington bullpen allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings, and the Nationals beat Atlanta.
Rendon scored twice and drove in a pair as the Nationals salvaged a split of the four-game series with the Braves to enter the All-Star break with a 9 1/2-game lead over Atlanta in the NL East.
Washington starter Joe Ross left the game with an apparent injury with one out in the fourth.
Reliever Matt Grace (1-0) allowed two runs, one earned, over 2 2/3 innings. Joe Blanton, Enny Romero and Matt Albers each threw a scoreless inning.
With Washington leading by one, Rendon provided an insurance run in the seventh. He walked, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Tyler Flowers, and scored on a Matt Wieters’ sacrifice fly.
Atlanta rookie Sean Newcomb (1-4) allowed four runs on four hits over four innings.
TIGERS 5, INDIANS 3
CLEVELAND (AP) - Michael Fulmer outpitched All-Star teammate Corey Kluber and Alex Presley hit a tiebreaking, two-run double and Detroit hung on late to salvage the series finale with Cleveland.
Fulmer (9-6) dominated Cleveland’s lineup until the seventh, when he gave up a two-run homer to Indians All-Star Jose Ramirez.
Detroit’s shaky bullpen barely held together over the last three innings. Shane Green worked out of a bases-loaded threat in the seventh and Justin Wilson did the same in the eighth while getting five outs for his 10th save in 11 tries.
Fulmer won’t pitch for the AL in Miami on Tuesday night, so he made the most of a nationally televised matchup against Kluber by beating the Central-leading Indians. He held Cleveland to one run and three hits over the first six innings and won his third start in a row.
Presley ripped his double just inside the left-field chalk in the sixth off Dan Otero after the Tigers loaded the bases against reliever Nick Goody (1-1), who replaced Kluber to start the inning.
The Indians were again without manager Terry Francona, who underwent a cardiac ablation to correct an irregular heartbeat and spent four days at the Cleveland Clinic. Francona is expected to rejoin the club following the All-Star break.
PHILLIES 7, PADRES 1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Freddy Galvis hit two of his team’s six home runs, Jerad Eickhoff threw five shutout innings, and Philadelphia topped San Diego.
Rookie Nick Williams began the run of homers with his first in the majors during the second inning.
Cameron Rupp followed two batters later with another solo homer and Galvis hit a two-run shot in the third inning. Odubel Herrera and Aaron Altherr added solo home runs in sixth and seventh innings respectively and Galvis went back-to-back after Altherr’s for his second of the game.
Eickhoff (1-7) returned from the disabled list with a strong start for the Phillies. He tied a season high with eight strikeouts and held the Padres to just five hits and a walk.
Trevor Cahill (3-3) struggled while striking out eight in five innings.
CARDINALS 6, METS 0
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Tommy Pham, Paul DeJong and Luke Voit homered and Lance Lynn pitched seven innings of three-hit ball to help St. Louis beat New York.
It was Lynn’s longest outing since May 23, when he threw 123 pitches in eight scoreless innings in a 2-1 loss to Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. Lynn’s two strikeouts is a season low, but he needed just 93 pitches while facing two batters over the minimum.
Lynn (7-6) did not allow a runner past first and lowered his ERA to 3.61.
Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the eighth and John Brebbia pitched a scoreless ninth as the Cardinals finished a 6-4 homestand and moved into a tie with the Chicago Cubs for second place in the National League Central.
Steven Matz (2-2) gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, his shortest outing since June 3.
MARLINS 10, GIANTS 8
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, the second coming after A.J. Ellis’ tiebreaking two-run home run in the 11th inning, and Florida held on to beat San Francisco.
Miami blew a 7-4 lead when the Giants scored three runs off Kyle Barraclough in the eighth before Ellis and Stanton lifted the Marlins in extra innings.
J.T. Realmuto reached on shortstop Brandon Crawford’s throwing error leading off the 11th. After JT Riddle flew out, Ellis hit a tiebreaking two-run home run. It was Ellis’ first career pinch hit home run.
Stanton, who homered in the fifth off starter Johnny Cueto, then tacked on No. 26 against George Kontos (0-3).
The Marlins head into the All-Star break having won five of six.
Nick Wittgren (2-1) retired six batters for the win and A.J. Ramos pitched the ninth for his 17th save.
REDS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1
PHOENIX (AP) - Homer Bailey went 6 2/3 strong innings, Scott Schebler doubled in the go-ahead run and Cincinnati beat Arizona, sending the Diamondbacks to their fifth loss in six games.
Bailey (2-2) gave up a run on seven hits in his fourth start since returning from February surgery to remove small bone spurs from his elbow. He struck out five and walked four.
A.J. Pollock homered for Arizona, his first since a six-week stint on the disabled list with a groin injury. Patrick Corbin (6-9) allowed two runs in six innings but took the loss. The left-hander scattered seven hits and matched his season high with nine strikeouts.
Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save in 17 tries.
RAYS 5, RED SOX 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Brad Miller hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning and Tampa Bay took three of the four from AL East-leading Boston.
Miller connected with two outs off Joe Kelly (3-1), sending a drive over the center field wall. Kelly had made a career-best 23 straight scoreless appearances.
Brad Boxberger (1-0) worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the eighth before Alex Colome got three outs for his 25th save.
Tampa Bay, at 47-43, has 13 more wins than last year at the All-Star break and trails the Red Sox by 3 1/2 games.
ORIOLES 11, TWINS 5
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Adam Jones homered twice and drove in five runs to lead a 15-hit attack in Baltimore’s victory over Minnesota.
Ruben Tejada and Seth Smith each had three hits for the Orioles, who won their second straight and earned a split of the weekend series.
Max Kepler had a double and a triple and Robbie Grossman drove in two runs for Minnesota, which reached the All-Star break at 45-43. It’s only the second time in the past seven seasons the Twins have been above .500 at the break.
Ubaldo Jimenez (4-4) worked five innings for his third win in his past five starts. He allowed four runs in the second inning, but otherwise held off the Twins. Kyle Gibson (5-7) was the loser.
ANGELS 3, RANGERS 0
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - J.C. Ramirez outpitched All-Star Yu Darvish and Albert Pujols hit his 604th career home run as four Anaheim pitchers combined to beat Texas.
Ramirez (8-7) allowed two hits in six innings. Angels relievers allowed only one walk with Bud Norris earning his 13th save with a perfect ninth inning.
Ramirez made his 16th straight start since mid-April after his previous 108 career appearances in the major leagues were in relief. The 28-year-old was moved into the starting rotation after Los Angeles lost multiple starters to injury.
Darvish (6-8) gave up two runs while pitching 7 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits, fanning six and walking four in a start that cost him a potential appearance in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.
MARINERS 4, ATHLETICS 0
SEATTLE (AP) - Felix Hernandez rediscovered some of his past form allowing two hits over six dominant innings, and Nelson Cruz hit his 17th home run of the season to lift Seattle past Oakland.
Making his fourth start since coming off the disabled list late last month, Hernandez had the best command of his pitches perhaps all season.
Hernandez struck out a season-high eight, including a stretch with four of five outs retired via the strikeout in the fourth and fifth innings. Hernandez had better separation in the speeds between his fastball in the low-90s and a changeup in the mid-80s and an excellent curveball.
Hernandez (4-3) allowed only a third-inning double to Matt Joyce and a two-out single to Jaycob Brugman in the fifth. Daniel Gossett (1-4) was the loser.
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