SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Clayton Kershaw took a share of the major league lead with his seventh win and earned career victory No. 20 against the rival Giants, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers avoid a sweep by beating San Francisco 6-1 on Wednesday.
Kershaw (7-2) struck out five in seven shutout innings and retired the first 10 batters he faced before Justin Ruggiano’s fourth-inning single. The left-hander moved into a tie for most wins with Houston’s Dallas Keuchel.
Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run double in the first and Yasiel Puig singled in a pair of runs in the sixth as the Dodgers jumped on Johnny Cueto (4-3), who lost for the first time at home this season.
Kershaw allowed three hits and didn’t walk a batter for the fourth time in 2017 as the Dodgers snapped their three-game skid and ended the Giants’ season-best five-game winning streak.
The benches cleared briefly after the top of the third when Cueto and Grandal exchanged words. It happened just after Cueto’s high, inside pitch flew wildly past catcher Buster Posey, allowing another Dodgers run.
ASTROS 3, MARLINS 0
MIAMI (AP) - Lance McCullers paid tribute to the late Jose Fernandez and pitched like him, allowing no earned runs for the third start in a row, and Houston completed a three-game sweep.
McCullers (4-1) wore cleats with Fernandez’s initials and uniform number. Their friendship began when they were high school pitchers in the Tampa area, before Fernandez became the Marlins’ ace and then died in a boating accident last September.
McCullers limited Miami to three hits in six innings and lowered his ERA to 2.65.
The Astros (29-12) have the best record in the majors and their fourth consecutive win lifted them 17 games above .500 for the first time since 2004.
Jose Urena (1-2) limited Houston to three runs, one earned, in 5 2/3 innings.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, METS 4, 11 INNINGS
PHOENIX (AP) - Chris Herrmann homered off Rafael Montero leading off the 11th inning, sending New York to its season-high seventh straight loss.
Montero (0-3) relieved to start the 11th, and Herrmann worked the count full, fouled off a pitch and connected on a belt-high fastball for his first game-ending home run in the major leagues.
New York went 0-6 in Milwaukee and Arizona, the Mets’ longest winless trip since 1999, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. At 16-23, New York dropped seven games under .500 for the first time September 2014.
Tom Wilhelmsen (1-1) walked Matt Reynolds and Lucas Duda with two outs in the 11th before throwing a called third strike past Jose Reyes.
RAYS 7, INDIANS 4
CLEVELAND (AP) - Corey Dickerson hit a three-run shot - his third homer in two days - and Alex Cobb controlled Cleveland over seven innings as Tampa Bay completed its most successful road trip in a year.
Dickerson connected in the second inning off Josh Tomlin (2-5) and Logan Morrison hit a solo shot in the third for Tampa Bay, which went 4-2 on a swing through Boston and Cleveland. It’s the Rays’ first winning trip since last May.
Cobb (4-3) allowed three runs and six hits.
PIRATES 6, NATIONALS 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Gerrit Cole shut down the best offense in the majors, holding Washington to three hits in seven innings to win for the first time in a month.
Cole (2-4) struck out three, walked two and received an overdue dose of support when Josh Bell smacked a three-run homer in the sixth off Jacob Turner (2-2). Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and stole two bases for Pittsburgh.
Turner cruised through the first five innings in his second start of the year, but ran into trouble in the sixth.
Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman, who began the day with the top two batting averages in the majors, combined to go 0 for 8.
TIGERS 5, ORIOLES 4
DETROIT (AP) - Tyler Collins snapped an 0-for-30 skid in style, hitting two home runs for Detroit in a victory over Baltimore.
Hitless since May 1, Collins connected for a solo homer in the second inning and a three-run shot in the fifth, giving Detroit’s offense a boost while Miguel Cabrera sat out with a sore left side. Michael Fulmer (5-1) wasn’t at his best, allowing three earned runs and 10 hits in seven innings, but the Tigers gave him enough support.
Justin Wilson allowed two baserunners in the ninth but retired Adam Jones and Manny Machado for his third save in four chances. Machado struck out to end it when first base umpire C.B. Bucknor ruled he swung at the final pitch. Machado, who had tried to check his swing, slammed his helmet down in frustration after the call.
Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2) allowed five runs in five innings.
YANKEES 11, ROYALS 7
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Aaron Hicks hit a three-run homer to cap a five-run fourth inning, and New York piled up 16 hits against Kansas City.
Michael Pineda (4-2) allowed three runs and six hits over six-plus innings. The big right-hander was shaky throughout but good enough to win for only the second time in 16 road starts.
The Yankees teed off on Jason Vargas (5-2), who came into the game with a major league-leading 1.01 ERA. The left-hander allowed as many earned runs in the fourth as he had in his first seven starts combined, and was lifted after giving up six runs on seven hits and two walks in four innings.
Vargas had been unbeaten in his last 10 home starts. But he is 0-6 with a 7.15 ERA against the Yankees.
Starlin Castro had three hits for New York. Dellin Betances got one out for his first save since replacing injured Aroldis Chapman as closer.
Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer and Whit Merrifield also went deep for the Royals, who scored three times in the ninth.
CUBS 7, REDS 5
CHICAGO (AP) - Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber drove in two runs apiece, and Chicago handed sloppy Cincinnati its season-high fifth straight loss.
Kyle Hendricks (3-2) pitched six effective innings and drove in a run as the Cubs improved to 22-5 in their last 27 games against the Reds. Ben Zobrist reached three times after missing two games with lower back tightness.
Zack Cozart had three hits and two RBIs for Cincinnati, but Adam Duvall committed a big error in left field. Cozart extended his Wrigley Field homer streak to five games, matching a record for any player at the iconic ballpark.
Chicago went ahead to stay with five runs in the second against Scott Feldman (2-4), who was chased in the third.
BRAVES 8, BLUE JAYS 4
ATLANTA (AP) - Kurt Suzuki hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run first inning, and Atlanta held off Toronto in a testy game after Freddie Freeman left with an injury.
Freeman was struck on the left wrist by a pitch in the fifth inning. The umpires initially ruled that Aaron Loup’s pitch did not hit Freeman. But with the Atlanta star in obvious pain, the Braves challenged and the call was reversed after a video review.
Freeman headed to the clubhouse instead of first base, and X-rays were inconclusive. He will have more tests Thursday, including an MRI.
Things got heated in the late innings after Kevin Pillar apparently thought Atlanta reliever Jason Motte quick-pitched him, yelling toward the mound before Suzuki stepped in to calm things.
In the eighth, the benches cleared after Toronto’s Jose Bautista homered, standing briefly at home plate to admire the drive before flipping the bat away. Jace Peterson appeared to say something to Bautista as he rounded first, and Suzuki was waiting for Bautista when he touched home. No punches were thrown.
Atlanta has won three consecutive games against the Blue Jays. After the Braves took two straight in Toronto, the teams shifted to SunTrust Park to complete the four-game, home-and-home series.
The Braves, who scored 19 runs in their two wins at Toronto, jumped all over Joe Biagini (1-2) their first time up.
Mike Foltynewicz (2-4) went six innings for the win, allowing three runs.
RANGERS 9, PHILLIES 3
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Andrew Cashner finally won in his home state of Texas, pitching seven solid innings to help the Rangers match the longest winning streak in the majors this year at eight games with a victory over Philadelphia.
The right-hander from the Houston area also got his first win with the Rangers, who scored all nine of their runs in the first five innings after getting just six in the first six starts by Cashner (1-3) when the stocky 30-year-old was in the game.
Texas turned four double plays in the first five innings behind Cashner. The Phillies also turned four double plays.
Jared Hoying hit his first big league homer and had his first four-hit game in his second start since coming up from the minors to replace injured center fielder Carlos Gomez.
Delino DeShields matched a career high with four hits, all singles that included two bunts and another infield hit.
Shin-Soo Choo had three hits with three RBIs among a season-high 17 hits for the Rangers, who matched the Yankees for the longest winning streak this season and are on their best run since August 2013. The defending AL West champs (21-20) are over .500 for the first time this year.
Zach Eflin (0-1) allowed 11 hits and seven runs in four innings as the Phillies dropped to 3-11 in May. The right-hander hit Joey Gallo with a pitch to become the first Phillies pitcher since at least 1913 to hit a batter in five straight games.
RED SOX 5, CARDINALS 4, 13 INNINGS
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Pinch-hitter Chris Young singled home the tiebreaking run in the 13th inning and Boston rallied past St. Louis to sweep their two-game interleague series.
Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run homer in the seventh off starter Mike Leake to begin Boston’s comeback from a four-run deficit. The Red Sox tied it in the eighth against reliever Trevor Rosenthal when Xander Bogaerts hit an RBI triple and scored on Andrew Benintendi’s sacrifice fly.
Mitch Moreland doubled with two outs in the 13th and Bradley was intentionally walked before Young singled off Sam Tuivailala (2-1).
Fernando Abad (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings for the win, and Ben Taylor got three outs for his first major league save.
Dexter Fowler hit a leadoff homer for the Cardinals, who had won eight of 10.
Boston improved to 3-17 when trailing after seven innings, while St. Louis fell to 19-1 when leading after seven.
BREWERS 3, PADRES 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Jett Bandy singled in the go-ahead run with one out in the ninth inning and Milwaukee beat San Diego to take over first place in the NL Central.
The Brewers, who have won five of six, had only two hits going into the ninth before getting four straight with one out against reliever Brandon Maurer (0-3). Travis Shaw, who missed the previous two games with a swollen right index finger, started the rally with a double. Domingo Santana reached on a single that glanced off the glove of leaping shortstop Erick Aybar, and Bandy hit a bouncer up the middle to score Shaw.
Keon Broxton singled to load the bases, and Santana scored on Orlando Arcia’s groundout.
Jacob Barnes (1-0) pitched the eighth for the win, and Corey Knebel earned his second save.
The Padres wasted a brilliant effort by Jhoulys Chacin, who struck out eight in seven innings and retired 19 straight batters during one stretch.
MARINERS 4, ATHLETICS 0
SEATTLE (AP) - Christian Bergman pitched two-hit ball into the eighth inning for the best start of his career, Jean Segura extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a two-run single and Seattle blanked Oakland.
Bergman (1-1) held the Athletics hitless until the fifth in his first win since May 5, 2016, with Colorado against San Francisco. He had a career-high nine strikeouts and tied James Paxton for the most in a game by a Mariners pitcher this year.
Nelson Cruz drove in two runs for the Mariners, who took two of three in the series.
Jesse Hahn (1-3) gave up four runs - three earned - in five innings. Oakland has lost five of six.
ANGELS 12, WHITE SOX 8
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Mike Trout homered for the fifth time in six games, Cameron Maybin had three more hits and the Los Angeles Angels completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox.
Trout’s 13th homer of the season, a three-run shot, keyed a four-run sixth inning for the Angels. Maybin, batting leadoff for the second time in an Angels uniform, went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and drew a walk a day after a career-best five hits.
Matt Shoemaker (3-2) gave up two runs in each of the first two innings, but settled down to earn the win. He finished with four runs allowed - three earned - and nine hits with nine strikeouts and one walk in 6 1/3 innings.
Miguel Gonzalez (3-4) allowed five runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out two.
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