DENVER — Freddie Freeman hit a two-run home on the sixth pitch of the game, Clayton Kershaw won his fourth straight start, and Los Angeles beat Colorado.
Andy Pages had two hits, including a homer, as the Dodgers salvaged a split of the four-game series at Coors Field. Alex Freeland had three hits and was a homer short of the cycle, and Freeman and Mookie Betts had two hits apiece.
Kershaw (8-2) gave up three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, leaving one out short of his fourth consecutive quality start after Brenton Doyle’s two-out single in the sixth made it 8-3.
Kershaw, who struck out three and walked one, improved to 29-11 against the Rockies, his most victories against any opponent.
Doyle had two hits, including a homer and four RBIs, and Jordan Beck had two hits for the Rockies, who had won seven of nine.
NEW YORK — Rookie Roman Anthony hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and drove in three runs in a memorable Yankee Stadium debut and the Boston Red Sox survived struggles at the plate for a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
Nathaniel Lowe hit an RBI double off Luke Weaver (3-4) in the seventh to give Boston a 4-3 lead.
Anthony, who had an RBI single in the sixth, hit his fifth career homer when he connected off Yerry De Los Santos after first baseman Paul Goldschmidt committed New York’s fourth error.
The Red Sox went 3 for 19 with runners in scoring position, snapped a three-game losing streak and moved within one game of the Yankees for the AL’s first wild-card spot.
Ceddanne Rafaela scored Boston’s first run on a throwing error by catcher Ben Rice.
Rice homered and Goldschmidt hit an RBI single for the Yankees, whose fourth five-game winning streak was stopped and who lost for the fourth time in their past 13 games.
After Boston starter Lucas Giolito allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, five relievers combined on 5 1/3 scoreless innings, including Greg Weissert (5-4) who held the Yankees to one hit in 1 1/3 innings.
New York starter Luis Gil allowed two runs — one earned — and four hits in five innings. He issued five walks in his fourth start since returning from a lat strain.
CHICAGO — Brice Turang hit a two-run homer, Isaac Collins drove in two insurance runs and Milwaukee beat Chicago.
Turang and Sal Frelick each had two hits as the Brewers opened a seven-game lead over Chicago in the NL Central.
Milwaukee took the finale in a five-game series at Wrigley Field after the Cubs won three straight. The Brewers won Monday’s opener 7-0.
Milwaukee starter Quinn Priester allowed one run on three hits in 4 1/3 innings, but fell short of winning his 11th straight decision. The right-hander issued a season-high five walks while striking out four and was relieved by Nick Mears (5-3) in the fifth.
Five Brewers relievers limited Chicago to two hits. Trevor Megill worked around a single in the ninth for his 30th save.
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga (8-6) allowed two runs on three hits in seven innings, striking out five.
MINNEAPOLIS — Tyler Soderstrom went 4 for 4 to stretch his hitting streak to 19 straight games, and the Athletics swept Minnesota.
Lawrence Butler had a three-run double, Brent Rooker added an RBI double and Nick Kurtz hit his 26th homer of the season for the young A’s, who have won eight of their last 11 games and are 18-13 since the All-Star break.
Soderstrom, who also walked to reach base all five times he batted, logged his first career four-hit game. He’s batting .370 with eight doubles, four homers and 14 RBIs in 73 at-bats during his hitting streak, which is the longest active run in the majors.
A’s rookie Jack Perkins (3-2) won his third straight start, allowing two runs in five innings, and Osvaldo Bido earned a three-inning save to finish the first sweep of the Twins since Milwaukee won all three games at Target Field from June 20-22.
Twins stopgap starter José Ureña (0-1) took the loss by giving up six runs in five innings.
Royce Lewis had an RBI double among just five hits for the Twins, who saw Brooks Lee’s streak of six straight games with an extra-base hit end.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Vinnie Pasquantino homered for the fourth straight game, this time a go-ahead shot leading off the sixth inning, and Kansas City went on to beat Texas for its sixth win in its last seven games.
Nick Loftin also homered for the Royals, who boosted their playoff hopes by going 8-2 on a season-high 10-game homestand.
Michael Lorenzen failed to make it through five innings for Kansas City, but Angel Zerpa (5-1), Daniel Lynch IV, John Schreiber and Taylor Clarke were able to shut down the Rangers. Carlos Estévez handled the ninth for his AL-leading 33rd save.
Corey Seager had three hits and Josh Smith drove in a pair of runs for Texas. Jacob Webb (4-4) served up Pasquantino’s homer.
WASHINGTON — James Wood broke out of a slump with a three-run homer, Riley Adams hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the fifth inning, and last-place Washington beat New York to take two of three from its banged-up NL East rivals.
Wood’s opposite-field shot to left in the ninth was his 26th homer of the season but just his second since the second-year slugger played in his first All-Star Game.
Rookie Brady House had three hits and an RBI for the Nationals, who got another strong performance from their inexperienced bullpen after All-Star MacKenzie Gore couldn’t get through the fifth. Jackson Rutledge (2-2), Clayton Beeter, PJ Poulin, Cole Henry and Jose A. Ferrer combined to allow one hit in 4 2/3 innings, with Ferrer getting the last four outs for his fourth save.
Francisco Lindor broke the Mets’ franchise record for leadoff homers in a season with his eighth. It was his 25th homer of the season and 28th career leadoff shot.
Starling Marte also homered for the Mets, who didn’t have regulars Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil in the lineup due to nagging injuries. McNeil struck out looking as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
SAN DIEGO — Manny Machado drove in three runs against Justin Verlander and San Diego beat San Francisco in a sloppy game.
The Padres took three of four from the Giants and have won three straight going into a second straight weekend showdown against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles swept the Padres last weekend at Dodger Stadium and comes in with a one-game lead in the NL West.
San Francisco’s Rafael Devers hit a 435-foot home run off Dylan Cease (6-11), leading off the sixth, and Willy Adames followed with a 400-footer, also to right-centre.
The Giants took a 2-0 lead after the Padres misplayed three straight balls to open the third, the first two by right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis called for Luis Matos’ flyball as he and centre fielder Ramón Laureano converged, but he pulled up and it fell in for a triple. Tatis, who made a spectacular leaping catch to rob Devers of a homer on Wednesday night, then misjudged Andrew Knizner’s fly ball that fell in for an RBI double. Jung Hoo Lee reached on second baseman Jake Cronenworth’s fielding error and Knizner scored on a double play.
San Diego tied it in the fourth on Machado’s RBI single and Xander Bogaerts’ sacrifice fly. The Padres scored six in the fifth, the first two coming when the Giants committed two errors on Freddy Fermin’s bunt single. Machado’s two-run double chased Verlander (1-10) and Bogaerts and Laureano each had an RBI base hit.
Cease allowed four runs and six hits in five innings, struck out seven and walked two.
Verlander allowed seven runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
BALTIMORE — Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz homered, Jesús Sánchez ended a lengthy slump with five hits and Houston beat Baltimore to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Astros scored early and often against Baltimore rookie Brandon Young, who six days earlier in Houston had a perfect game ruined with two outs in the eighth inning. In the rematch, the AL West leaders built a 7-1 lead in the third and coasted.
Walker hit a two-run homer in the first, Carlos Correa singled in two runs in the second and Diaz connected in the third with a runner on after Sánchez delivered an RBI single.
Sánchez broke an 0-for-29 skid with a first-inning single and finished 5 for 5, his most productive day with Houston since being acquired from Miami in a July 31 trade. The five hits tied a career high.
Young (1-7) gave up seven runs and nine hits before leaving with one out in the sixth after hurting his left hamstring while covering first base on a grounder.
Jason Alexander (4-1) allowed two runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings for Houston. Since being claimed off waivers from the Athletics on May 18, the right-hander is 4-1 with a save in eight appearances.
TAMPA, Fla. — Willson Contreras homered, Alec Burleson’s two-run single highlighted a five-run second inning and St. Louis beat Tampa Bay.
Sonny Gray (12-6) allowed three runs on six hits in five innings, with six strikeouts and a walk for the win. Kyle Leahy, Matt Svanson and JoJo Romero (fourth save) combined to limit Tampa Bay to one run and five hits the rest of the way.
Trailing 1-0 going into the second, the Cardinals got run-scoring hits from Nathan Church and Lars Nootbaar before another run scored on a wild pitch and Burleson drove in two runs with a single to right field. Ivan Herrera added an RBI single in the fourth and Contreras hit his 18th homer of the season in the seventh off Bryan Baker.
Tampa Bay’s Yardy Diaz hit a two-run homer in the third. It was his 17th homer at Steinbrenner Field and 21st of the season overall.
Joe Boyle (1-3) took his first home loss this season. He allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits with five strikeouts and three walks in five innings.
