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MLB ROUNDUP: RED SOX ENTER ALL-STAR BREAK ON 9-GAME WINNING STREAK

Anthony Siegler had the tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning Sunday for the visiting Boston Red Sox, who won their ninth straight  game by edging the New York Mets 3-2 in the finale of a three-game interleague series.

Andrew Monasterio had a bases-loaded walk and Jarren Duran had an RBI single in a crucial ninth inning for the Red Sox that forced extra innings. Aroldis Chapman (1-3) picked up the win after working around Jared Young’s one-out single in the ninth, while Garrett Whitlock notched his second save by retiring all three batters in the 10th. Boston’s winning streak is its longest since the team won 10 in a row last July.

Francisco Lindor had a run-scoring double in the first and homered in the sixth to account for all of the Mets’ scoring. However, his one-out error in the ninth inning kept the door open for the Red Sox.

Rookie Zach Thornton did his best to try to help New York avoid the sweep, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out five over seven innings in his first time pitching in the majors since June 26. Brooks Raley (4-4) picked up the loss after giving up Siegler’s sacrifice fly.Baseball

Pirates 14, Brewers 5

Pittsburgh scored 10 runs in the fourth inning of a blowout win against visiting Milwaukee to sweep the three-game series.

Up 4-2 entering the frame, the Pirates went through 14 batters and chased two pitchers in the massive inning. Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes (8-8) allowed two runs on three hits and struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings. Jared Triolo had three of the Pirates’ 15 hits.

Brewers starter Robert Gasser (2-4) surrendered seven runs on eight hits in three-plus innings. He got the call in place of Jacob Misiorowski (arm fatigue). Jackson Chourio had a team-high two hits, including a double, for Milwaukee.

Orioles 8, Royals 2

Leody Taveras homered and later drove in the tiebreaking run as Baltimore completed a three-game sweep of visiting Kansas City, heading into the All-Star break on a season-best four-game winning streak.

Samuel Basallo also homered, Gunnar Henderson posted three hits and Blaze Alexander had two hits and scored two runs. Taveras finished with three RBIs. Grant Wolfram (2-2), who worked two-thirds of an inning, was the winning pitcher. He was the second of Baltimore’s five relievers.

Lane Thomas notched three hits and Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits for the Royals, who’ve lost five games in a row. They racked up nine hits, but left nine runners on base.

Yankees 5, Nationals 3

Ben Rice hit a two-run eighth-inning triple to help New York once again use a late-inning rally to beat host Washington for the third straight day. New York rallied in the ninth inning Friday, the eighth inning Saturday and again in the eighth Sunday to close out the first half of the season with a sweep.

Ryan Yarbrough (2-0) got the win. Given a late lead, the Yankee bullpen once again held it with Paul Blackburn pitching two innings for his first save. Cody Bellinger had two hits for the Yankees, who have won four straight and enter the break second in the American League East and first in the AL wild-card race.

James Wood homered leading off the first for the second straight day and Curtis Mead also went deep for the Nationals, who enter the break fourth in the National League East and in wild-card contention.

Phillies 5, Tigers 0

Zach Wheeler struck out 10 in six dominant innings and visiting Philadelphia blanked Detroit to enter the break on a two-game winning streak.

Wheeler improved his record to 10-1. Jose Alvarado, Orion Kerkering and Jonathan Bowlan each pitched a perfect inning of relief to complete the two-hit shutout. J.T. Realmuto led the offense with two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs. Bryson Stott and Kyle Schwarber each had two hits and an RBI.

Tigers starter Tarik Skubal (5-5) allowed two runs, four hits, one walk and struck out five in five-plus innings. Riley Greene and Zack McKinstry had Detroit’s only hits, a single apiece.

Cubs 8, Reds 4

Alex Bregman had three hits, including a three-run homer in the seventh inning, to help visiting Chicago down Cincinnati in the rubber match of the three-game series.

Michael Busch had two hits, an RBI and a run, and Kevin Alcantara drove in two runs for the Cubs, who have won five of seven heading into the break. Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (5-1) won his third straight start after allowing four hits and six runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Eugenio Suarez homered for the Reds, who have dropped three of four. Starter Andrew Abbott allowed four runs on four hits in four innings before Chase Petty (1-2) took the loss after two-plus innings of work.

Guardians 5, Marlins 2

Brayan Rocchio and Chase DeLauter slugged home runs and Joey Cantillo struck out nine batters in five innings, leading Cleveland to a win over host Miami.

Rocchio went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs. Guardians right fielder Kahlil Watson also had a solid  game, going 2-for-5 with one RBI, one stolen base and one outfield assist. Cantillo (8-4) allowed six hits and one run to help Cleveland enter the break on a four-game winning streak.

The Marlins, who entered the series on a six-game winning streak, were swept, scoring five total runs in the series. Griffin Conine homered and Xavier Edwards delivered an RBI single for Miami, which went with a bullpen game and saw opener Tyler Phillips (2-4) take the loss, giving up two hits and two runs in one inning.

Mariners 8, Rays 2

Weston Wilson and Randy Arozarena each went deep in Seattle’s four-run fourth inning, helping the team salvage one win on its six-game Florida road trip by defeating Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.

J.P. Crawford went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs, a run and a walk, and Josh Naylor reached base three times on a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch for the Mariners. Emerson Hancock exited in the second inning, one frame after he fielded a comebacker barehanded. Jose A. Ferrer (2-1) replaced him and escaped a second-inning jam with a clutch strikeout.

Jonathan Aranda homered to reach 64 RBIs, while Yandy Diaz was 2-for-4 with a run for the Rays. Ian Seymour (6-2) surrendered six runs (five earned) on six hits in 3 1/3 frames.

White Sox 9, Athletics 1

Rookie Braden Montgomery went 2-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs, including a three-run home run in a six-run first inning, and Sam Antonacci also homered as host Chicago routed the skidding Athletics.

Noah Schultz (3-6), a rookie left-hander, picked up his first victory since May 1, limiting the A’s to one run and four hits in five innings. The White Sox relief corps of Jordan Hicks, Seranthony Dominguez and Tyler Schweitzer allowed two hits in four innings with four strikeouts. The pitching staff did not issue a walk.

Shea Langeliers connected on a solo shot to give the Athletics a lead three batters into the game, marking the first time the club has held a lead since July 1. Starter J.T. Ginn (7-6) yielded eight runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings with three walks and seven strikeouts. The A’s have now lost nine straight and 13 of 14.

Twins 4, Angels 2

Taj Bradley tossed seven strong innings and Ryan Jeffers hit a go-ahead two-run double in the third, helping Minnesota beat Los Angeles in Minneapolis.

Bradley (9-3) allowed two runs on six hits while striking out six to improve to 4-0 in his last five starts. Trevor Larnach pitched in with an RBI single and a solo homer as the Twins recorded their fifth straight series win.

Josh Lowe and rookie Denzer Guzman launched solo homers for the Angels, but Los Angeles couldn’t muster anything else. Jose Soriano (8-6) surrendered three runs on five hits in five innings to fall to 0-2 over his last five starts. The Angels have lost 10 of their last 12 games to drop to a season-worst 21 games under .500 (38-59).

Braves 4, Cardinals 3

A ninth-inning throwing error by Gold Glove-winning St. Louis shortstop Masyn Winn allowed the go-ahead run to score, helping lift visiting Atlanta, which salvaged a win from the series after dropping the first two games.

JoJo Romero (1-3) threw the top of the ninth for the Cardinals, allowing Ozzie Albies’ one-out double. Matt Olson’s groundout advanced Albies to third. Romero then hit Michael Harris II with a pitch — a ruling that prompted the ejection of St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol for arguing. Mauricio Dubon followed with a grounder and Albies scored on Winn’s misplay.

The Braves’ Raisel Iglesias tossed a perfect ninth, posting his 19th save in 20 attempts. Atlanta opener Danny Young allowed a run in two-thirds of an inning before JR Ritchie threw 4 1/3 innings of one-run, one-hit ball. Tyler Kinley (5-3) earned the victory with a strikeout of Winn in the bottom of the eighth.

Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 3

Ildemaro Vargas delivered a go-ahead single in the sixth inning and Tim Tawa hit a home run as visiting Arizona rallied for a victory over Los Angeles to complete a three-game series sweep.

Nolan Arenado and Ryan Waldschmidt also drove in runs for the Diamondbacks, who head into the break on a four-game winning streak, their longest since a five-game run of success in May. Mitch Bratt filled in for an injured Zac Gallen and gave up three runs over three innings before the bullpen came to the rescue with six no-hit innings. Ryan Thompson (4-2) pitched a scoreless inning to earn the win, while Paul Sewald worked the ninth for his 22nd save.

Shohei Ohtani hit a solo homer for Los Angeles, while Tommy Edman had a two-run single. Edgardo Henriquez (4-1) gave up the go-ahead run in the sixth after Emmet Sheehan gave up three runs over 5 1/3 innings. The Dodgers head into the break a majors-best 61-34 despite losing three straight games for the first time since they dropped four in a row in early May.

Rangers 6, Astros 5

Brandon Nimmo’s walk-off single capped off a 3-for-5  game for Texas, which notched a victory over Houston in the rubber match of the in-state series in Arlington, Texas.

Nimmo also had an RBI triple for the Rangers, who won despite blowing a 4-1 lead. Kyle Higashioka homered for Texas, which enters the break winners in four of their last six. Starter MacKenzie Gore was effective on three days’ rest, allowing one run on two hits over four innings. Jacob Latz (2-1) escaped a ninth-inning jam with a double play.

Cam Smith hit his 12th home run of the season and Jose Altuve blasted his 11th for the Astros. Cristian Javier allowed three runs on four hits over three innings. Josh Hader (3-1) took the loss in the ninth, allowing hits to all three batters he faced, capped off by Nimmo’s game-winner.

Giants 3, Rockies 1

Willy Adames had three hits, including an RBI single as part of a two-run eighth inning, Trevor McDonald combined with two relievers on a four-hitter and San Francisco outlasted visiting Colorado.

After the teams traded single tallies in the first four innings, the Giants manufactured the difference-making runs off Rockies reliever Antonio Senzatela (9-2). McDonald allowed three hits and one run over seven innings. Erik Miller (1-1) struck out Mickey Moniak to escape an eighth-inning jam and then worked a scoreless ninth.

Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy launched an inside-the-park home run on McDonald’s second pitch of the game for Colorado’s only run. Michael Lorenzen lasted five innings, giving up one run and five hits.

Padres 5, Blue Jays 4

Ty France’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning snapped a tie and lifted San Diego to a win over visiting Toronto.

Manny Machado tied the game with an RBI single earlier in the inning off Jeff Hoffman (5-6) for his third hit of the game. Padres starter German Marquez tossed four innings, yielding six hits and three runs before Adrian Morejon (7-2) picked up the win despite allowing a run in the eighth, and Mason Miller secured his 25th save in as many chances.

The Blue Jays scored all of their runs on a trio of homers from Nathan Lukes, Ernie Clement and Jonatan Clase, the last of which gave them a 4-3 lead in the eighth. Kevin Gausman worked six innings, allowing four hits and three runs.

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PHILADELPHIA’S SÁNCHEZ TO START ALL-STAR GAME AT HOME FOR NL. TORONTO’S CEASE THE PICK FOR AL

Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies will start Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in his home ballpark, taking the mound for the National League against Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays announced Sunday that Cease will be the American League’s starter. Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who is managing the NL, said Sanchez is his starter.

“I think he deserves it. He’s the hometown ballplayer and I think the city of Philly will enjoy watching him and supporting him,” Roberts said. “I had a conversation with him this morning. … He was very grateful. In a time when guys are not wanting to participate, this guy in the Midsummer Classic for fans, I think this is a good thing. He’s very excited about pitching.”

Also Sunday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said New York right-hander Cam Schlittler is not planning to pitch in the All-Star Game. Schlittler will still be at the game and there is no replacement planned for the AL roster.

Sanchez is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA this season. He’s third in the major leagues with 144 strikeouts. The left-hander’s streak of 50 2/3 scoreless innings was a highlight of the major league season so far.

Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, who leads the majors in ERA (1.62), WHIP (0.76) and strikeouts (167), was replaced on the All-Star team earlier in the week, when it appeared he would be starting for the Brewers on Sunday. Then Milwaukee scratched him from that start because of arm fatigue.
Cease is 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA for the Blue Jays. He nearly threw his second career no-hitter Wednesday against San Francisco, but it was broken up in the ninth inning.

Cease is the first Toronto pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roy Halladay in 2009.

Cease got the word from his manager, John Schneider, who will skipper the AL squad, during a team meeting before Sunday’s series finale at San Diego.

“It’s pretty surreal. I didn’t know what to say. Everyone’s saying, ‘Give a speech,’ and I’m like, I was pretty speechless, so it was just a really cool experience,” Cease said.

“It’s really cool how all of these things have lined up, you know, even being able to pitch in it and having a good enough first half to be in the running for it and all that. And the fact that pretty much our entire staff is going, it’s really a really great recipe,” Cease added.

Schlittler was a candidate to start, boasting an AL-leading ERA of 2.05, but he pitched for the Yankees on Saturday.

“Just feels like on his recovery day to go back out there throwing 100 mph is something that I think he felt a little apprehensive about,” Boone told reporters before New York’s game at Washington. “Certainly support that decision and obviously I think he understands what’s at stake here in the second half too for us and for him.”

Schlittler could start the opening game of the second half against the Dodgers on Friday at Yankee Stadium.

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REPORT: TARIK SKUBAL TELLS FRIENDS HE’D LIKE TO STAY WITH TIGERS

Two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal has informed friends that he would like to remain with the Detroit Tigers, USA Today reported.

Skubal, who has spent his entire seven-year career with the Tigers, has been the subject of trade talks throughout the season. The left-hander is in the final year of his contract, with many believing that he could command the biggest pitching free-agent deal in history.

Per USA Today, Skubal feels the Tigers have a realistic shot at winning the World Series this year. The outlet quoted Skubal as saying “I’ve never lost faith.”

Detroit has turned around its fortunes, winning nine of its last 11 to move within 5 1/2 games of the first-place Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central.

Skubal, 29, is 5-4 with a 3.06 ERA in 12 appearances (all starts) this season. He has struck out 84 batters and walked only 10 in 70 2/3 innings heading into today’s start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

He has a 59-41 record and a 3.07 ERA in 149 career games (146 starts) for the Tigers since 2020. He has struck out 973 batters compared to 182 walks in 837 1/3 innings.

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