ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Zach Eflin pitched seven strong innings to become the AL’s third 11-game winner, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on Friday night in a matchup of the top teams in the American League.
Baltimore, which won 4-3 in 10 innings on Thursday night in the opener of the four-game set, leads the AL East with a .608 winning percentage compared to Tampa Bay’s .604.
Eflin (11-5) allowed two hits, struck out eight and walked one, improving to 10-1 in 11 starts at home.
After Colin Poche struck out the side in the eighth, Pete Fairbanks finished the two-hitter for his 11th save in 12 chances.
Isaac Paredes and Jose Siri homered for the Rays, who stopped a five-game skid.
Baltimore's Kyle Bradish (6-5) gave up two runs and six hits in six innings.
GUARDIANS 6, PHILLIES 5
CLEVELAND (AP) — Bryce Harper flashed some glove with a stunning catch in his first career start at first base, but Cleveland ended Philadelphia’s interleague winning streak at 12 games.
José Ramírez had four hits and David Fry drove in two runs for the Guardians. Trevor Stephan (5-4) got the win, and Emmanuel Clase worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 26th save in 33 tries.
J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run homer and Bryson Stott had a solo shot for Philadelphia, which squandered some early scoring chances and lost for just the fourth time in its last 19 road games. Ranger Suárez (2-5) was charged with the loss.
The Phillies finished one win shy of matching the record of 13 consecutive interleague wins shared by the New York Yankees (2003-04), Tampa Bay (2004), Miami (2013-14) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017).
PADRES 5, TIGERS 4
DETROIT (AP) — Juan Soto hit two long home runs, powering San Diego to the win.
Soto connected for a 447-foot solo drive in the first inning. He added a two-run shot in the third that traveled an estimated 463 feet. He has 19 homers on the season.
Seth Lugo (4-4) pitched six innings of two-run ball for the Padres. Josh Hader worked the ninth for his 24th save.
Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry homered for Detroit. Reese Olson (1-4) took the loss, allowing five runs and seven hits in five innings.
YANKEES 5, ROYALS 4
NEW YORK (AP) — Billy McKinney hit a three-run homer and made two key catches in center field as the Yankees got a much-needed win.
Franchy Cordero homered for the second straight game and Gleyber Torres also went deep for the Yankees, who stopped a four-game slide and won for only the third time in 12 games since July 4. Torres extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
New York right-hander Clarke Schmidt (6-6) was charged with three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Clay Holmes worked the ninth for his 12th save.
Michael Massey hit a three-run shot in the fourth for Kansas City and a solo shot in the eighth. Alec Marsh (0-4) allowed five runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
CUBS 4, CARDINALS 3
CHICAGO (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer, and the Cubs stopped the Cardinals' six-game win streak.
Bellinger capped Chicago’s four-run third inning with a 400-foot drive to right against Jack Flaherty. Bellinger, a possible trade target ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, is 10 for 20 in his last five games.
All-Star left-hander Justin Steele (10-3) struck out a season-high nine in 6 1/3 innings for Chicago. Adbert Alzolay worked the ninth for his eighth save.
Flaherty (7-6) was charged with four runs and eight hits and six innings. The right-hander went 4-0 with a 3.24 ERA in his previous four starts.
ROCKIES 6, MARLINS 1
MIAMI (AP) — C.J. Cron, Jurickson Profar and Elias Díaz homered for Colorado, and Peter Lambert pitched five shutout innings.
Miami dropped its seventh straight game since the All-Star break.
Lambert (2-1) surrendered three hits in his return from a three-week stint in the minors aimed at converting him into a starter after struggling as a reliever.
Miami starter Braxton Garrett (5-3) gave up six runs over three innings. Luis Arraez went 0 for 3 with a walk for the Marlins, dropping his major league-leading average to .373.
NATIONALS 5, GIANTS 3
WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas homered for Washington, and rookie Jake Irvin struck out a career-high nine in 6 2/3 innings.
J.D. Davis and Joc Pederson homered for the Giants, who have dropped three in a row since a seven-game winning streak that spanned the All-Star break.
Abrams homered off Alex Wood (4-4) with two outs in the second for his ninth of the season. He also doubled to lead off the fifth, chasing Wood.
Irvin (3-5) allowed three runs and five hits. Kyle Finnegan worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 13th save.
The Nationals had lost four of five.
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