Valdez and Peña help Astros trounce Brewers to avoid sweep

MILWAUKEE Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings and Jeremy Pena homered and drove in four runs as the Houston Astros defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 9-1 on Wednesday.

Houston earned just its second victory in seven games to snap Milwaukees three-game winning streak and leave both teams with .500 records.

The Brewers were attempting to sweep a series from the Astros for the first time since 2012.

The Astros led 3-1 before Pena broke the game open by delivering a three-run homer to left off reliever Elvin Rodriguez with two outs in the sixth inning.

Valdez (2-4) struck out seven while allowing three hits, two walks and one run to earn his first win since the Astros March 27 season opener.

He threw a season-high 101 pitches.

Milwaukees only run off Valdez came on Eric Haases fifth-inning homer, a 425-foot drive to center.

DODGERS 10, MARLINS 1 In Miami, Freddie Freeman singled twice and hit a bases-loaded triple and Los Angeles beat the Marlins.

Freeman drove in four runs and extended his hitting streak to 12 games as the MLB-leading Dodgers (25-12) took two of three at Miami and won their fourth straight series.

Freeman went 8 for 13 in the series with six RBIs and two home runs.

Shohei Ohtani tripled and drew three walks Wednesday, including an intentional pass during a six-run seventh against reliever Lake Bachar.

Pinch-hitter James Outman padded the Dodgers lead with a three-run homer in the ninth.

Landon Knack (2-0) allowed four hits and no runs while striking out five after being called up earlier Wednesday from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Matt Sauer, who was also recalled, relieved Knack and pitched the final four innings for his first career save.

CARDINALS 5, PIRATES 0 In St.

Louis, Sonny Gray pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, and the Cardinals beat slumping Pittsburgh for their fifth straight victory.

Gray (4-1) struck out eight and walked one in his first win since April 14.

The right-hander went 0-1 with a 5.51 ERA in his previous three starts.

The Cardinals returned to .500 at 19-19, including a 15-6 record at home.

They are 4-2 against the Pirates this year after finishing a three-game sweep.

GIANTS 3, CUBS 1 In Chicago, Robbie Ray pitched six sparkling innings, Wilmer Flores had three hits and San Francisco beat the Cubs.

Ray (5-0) allowed one run and three hits in his second straight win.

Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers each got three outs before Ryan Walker handled the ninth for his seventh save.

San Francisco took two of three at Chicago to improve to 24-14.

The Giants scored nine runs in the 11th inning in a wild 14-5 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday night.

GUARDIANS 8, NATIONALS 6 In Washington, Carlos Santana kick-started an eight-run sixth inning with a bases-clearing double , and Cleveland beat the Nationals to win two of three at Washington in a 24-hour span.

The Guardians sent 13 men to the plate in the sixth against Michael Soroka (0-2) and relievers Jorge Lopez and Andrew Chafin.

The first seven reached, and all of them scored.

Leadoff man Steven Kwan scored twice in Clevelands biggest inning of the season.

MARINERS 6, ATHLETICS 5 In Sacramento, Calif., Leody Taveras hit a game-tying two-out single in the eighth inning of his debut with Seattle before scoring the go-ahead run on Dylan Moores base hit and the Mariners rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Athletics and win their ninth straight series.

Andres Munoz gave up a leadoff single to Luis Urias in the ninth, before striking out Jacob Wilson looking to earn his 13th save.

Munoz hasnt allowed an earned run in 18 innings.

Taveras drove in pinch runner Miles Mastrobuoni with one out then stole second before scoring on Moores single off Noah Murdock (1-1).

Wilson had two doubles and drove in a run in his first four-hit game to help the Athletics jump to a 5-0 fourth-inning lead off Mariners starter Bryan Woo.

JJ Bleday had a two-run double, and Lawrence Butler added a solo homer.

METS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 1 In Phoenix, Juan Soto homered in consecutive at-bats, Kodai Senga overcame early control problems to pitch six scoreless innings and New York beat the Diamondbacks.

Soto hit a solo homer off Merrill Kelly (3-2) in the seventh inning and added another off Jalen Beeks in the eighth, his seventh of the season.

Soto also followed Francisco Lindors two-run double in the ninth with a sacrifice fly to put New York up 7-1.

New York earned a split of the four-game series.

The Mets have won nine of 11 overall to improve to a major league-best 20-9.

RED SOX 6, RANGERS 4 In Boston, Alex Bregman hit a tiebreaking two-run single and had a solo homer, Wilyer Abreu added two solo shots and the Red Sox beat Texas to snap a three-game losing streak.

Bregman and Abreu each drove in three runs for Boston, which was 1-4 against the Rangers this season before pulling out the victory.

Adolis Garcia and Josh Jung each hit a solo homer for the Rangers, who have dropped eight of 11.

Abreu hit his second of the game deep into the seats in right in the eighth, making it 6-3.

Brennan Bernardino (2-1) worked a perfect inning of relief for the victory and Aroldis Chapman got the final three outs for his fifth save despite allowing Jungs homer.

REDS 4, BRAVES 3 In Atlanta, TJ Friedl hit two home runs and Cincinnati beat the Braves to snap a four-game losing streak despite losing right-hander Hunter Greene to a right groin injury after only three innings.

Greene struck out six batters and allowed only two hits in three scoreless innings.

He was unable to complete his warmup before the fourth inning.

Greene threw only two warmup pitches, including a pitch that hit the dirt, before stopping his routine.

Left-hander Brent Suter (1-0) replaced Greene on the mound and gave up a fifth-inning homer to Braves rookie catcher Drake Baldwin.

Right-hander Emilio Pagan, who blew a save in the Braves 2-1 win in 10 innings on Tuesday night, pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

Pagan gave up a two-out single to Michael Harris II before pinch-hitter Eddie Rosario struck out to end the game.

ROYALS 2, WHITE SOX 1 In Kansas City, Mo., Bobby Witt Jr.

hit a two-run homer to give Michael Wacha all the support he needed as the Royals defeated Chicago.

It was the third straight quality start for Wacha (2-4), who allowed just three hits in seven innings, walked one and struck out five.

The Royals, who won for the 14th time in their last 16 games, lead the majors with 18 quality starts.

The White Sox got a run in the ninth off Carlos Estevez on a single by Luis Robert, but left the tying run stranded at third.

Estevez allowed one run and three hits, but struck out two, including Josh Rojas for the final out to earn his 11th save.

Jonathan Cannon (2-4) took the loss, allowing two runs and nine hits in six innings.

PHILLIES 7, RAYS 0 In Tampa, Fla., Cristopher Sanchez allowed one hit over six innings, Trea Turner, Bryson Stott and Bryce Harper each drove in two runs, and Philadelphia beat the Rays.

Sanchez (4-1) allowed a single by Junior Caminero in the first and walked Danny Jansen but didnt allow a player past first base the rest of the night, finishing with three walks and five strikeouts.

He lowered his ERA from 3.45 to 2.89.

Turner hit a line-drive solo homer to left-center in the third off Shane Baz (3-2).

The Tampa Bay starter then unraveled in the fourth, when Johan Rojas dropped a squeeze bunt to score J.T.

Realmuto from third.

Philadelphia followed with three straight hits in a five-run inning, and Harpers two-run double chased Baz.

Realmuto was the only Philadelphia starter without a hit.

He left the game in the seventh with a left foot contusion after fouling a pitch off his shoe.

Kyle Schwarber singled in the first to reach safely in a 42nd consecutive game, the longest active streak in the majors.

TWINS 5, ORIOLES 2 In Minneapolis, Byron Buxton homered for a third straight game and Harrison Bader had a pinch-hit homer to lift the Twins to a win over Baltimore for their fourth consecutive victory.

Buxton hit a three-run shot to the second deck in left field off Orioles starter Charlie Morton (0-7) in the bottom of the third inning to put the Twins up 3-1.

Buxton also had a three-run homer in Tuesdays 9-1 win over Baltimore and hit a solo blast Sunday in Boston.

Danny Coulombe (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning of relief to earn the win.

Jhoan Duran earned his fifth save with a clean ninth inning for the Twins, who matched their longest winning streak of the season.

The Orioles have lost a season-high four in a row.

YANKEES 4, PADRES 3 (10 INNINGS) In New York, pinch-hitter J.C.

Escarra came through with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and the Yankees, held hitless into the seventh, rallied past San Diego.

Cody Bellinger homered with one out in the seventh for New Yorks first hit off Padres starter Dylan Cease, who exited moments later with a cramp in his right forearm.

Max Fried tossed seven splendid innings in a pitchers duel with Cease before San Diego scored twice against the Yankees bullpen to build a 3-1 lead in the eighth.

Pinch-hitter Trent Grisham tied it in the bottom half with a two-run homer after Oswaldo Cabrera drew a leadoff walk from Jason Adam.

It was Grishams 10th home run, eclipsing last years total.

Cabrera led off the bottom of the 10th with a sacrifice bunt that moved automatic runner Jasson Dominguez to third.

Escarra then came off the bench and lofted a long fly into the left-field corner against Jeremiah Estrada (1-2) that allowed Dominguez to score easily..

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