Failing starter Justin Verlander threw seven strong innings for his first win in nearly six weeks, and flagging rookie Francisco Álvarez hit the first of three quick home runs that gave the flagging New York Mets a 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Apparently no team was happier turning the calendar on Saturday than the Mets.
“It’s July. July started well. “We’re hoping to build on that,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Trying to get where we want to go takes real responsibility.” The potential is still there for us.’
Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor launched back-to-back shots as the Mets went down three times in the third round within four batters against Anthony DeSclafani (4-8).
“Sometimes in the baseball world you don’t even know what day it is,” Nimmo said. “But sure, if the lads want to see it like it’s a new month and, hey, that’s a clean slate – anything that’s positive for me, I’m fully behind it.”
Mets pitcher Justin Verlander throws against the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning
Tommy Pham added an RBI double against Sean Manaea in game four, and New York (37-46) secured a much-needed win after losing 6-19 in their last 25 games.
“I’m glad June is over,” Showalter said before the game.
The 40-year-old Verlander (3-4) allowed five hits, hit out six and didn’t allow a earned run for his 247th win and first since May 21 against Cleveland.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner has been 0-2 in his last six starts.
“It wasn’t perfect, but I was able to throw when I needed it and felt a lot better than last time,” Verlander said. “Definitely a big step in the right direction and I’m just trying to build on that momentum.”
The right-hander has had a .84 ERA in his last five starts at Citi Field.
“I think he did a really good job of getting variety, throwing the batsmen off balance and staying off the run,” said Giants third baseman JD Davis. “He did his job and he’s one of the best at it.”
The only run the Giants scored was Thairo Estrada’s double-play grounder in the seventh round after a throwing error by first baseman Pete Alonso — his second in two days.
San Francisco then used two runners, but Verlander fanned Brandon Crawford with a full count break ball on his 29th pitch of the inning.
“It’s a big place. “You want to pick up your teammate,” said Verlander. “It feels amazing.”
Drew Smith threw a perfect eight and Adam Ottavino scored a sans hit in his sixth save, putting Estrada into a game-winning double play that was confirmed after a replay.
“That’s how you put it. “I think it was a well-played game overall,” said Nimmo. “I think that’s definitely what this team is made for. We just need more of that in the future.”
DeSclafani, who grew up in nearby New Jersey, went through three innings and fell back to 0-6 in nine starts and one relief appearance against the Mets, including a home loss on April 21.
San Francisco (46-37) lost to 14-5 in its last 19 games through June 11.
“We have no problem getting kicked in the face.” It’s no problem if we get spanked. “We’re a little bit like the Rocky Balboa in a way,” Davis said. “We just sit and wait for our shots and for our moments.”
Francisco Alvarez leads bases after hitting a home run from Giants pitcher Anthony DeSclafani
CARDINALS 11, YANKEES 4, GAME 1
YANKEES 6, CARDINALS 2, GAME 2
Harrison Bader had a sacrifice flight in the first inning on his return to St. Louis, rookie Anthony Volpe hit a three-pointer as part of his fifth straight multi-hit game and New York secured a doubleheader split by winning the nightcap.
St. Louis won the opener interrupted by rain, behind Paul Goldschmidt’s green three-run homer ahead of Luis Severino in a five-run third. Jack Flaherty threw six shutouts, Goldschmidt had four RBIs, and Nolan Gorman also hit a home run for the Cardinals, who hit double-digit runs for the first time since May 21.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored three in the second game as the Yankees won for the fifth time in seven games.
Lars Nootbaar hit a home run for St. Louis that fell to 34-48, their worst 82-game start since 1990. Nootbar hit a home run on opener Ian Hamilton in the first inning when the Yankees hit a bullpen because of Friday’s rain game played .
Michael King (2-4) allowed one while scoring a goalless relief in a season-high 3 1/3 innings. Wandy Peralta, Tommy Kahnle and Clay Holmes followed with one inning each.
Flaherty (5-5) won his second straight start after going 1-0 in each of his previous five games. He allowed four hits, hit four and walked two after giving up six runs in each of his two previous appearances.
Severino (1-3) gave up seven runs and nine hits in four innings. Jake Bauers hit a two-run homer ahead of Drew VerHagen in a ninth run of three for the Yankees, who had won four of their last five games.
Harrison Bader of the New York Yankees enforces a sacrificial flight and scores for DJ LeMahieu
PHILLIES 19, NATIONAL 4
Alec Bohm hit two homers and hit a career-high with six RBIs, and Philadelphia hit the most runs in five years, winning for the sixth time in eight games and 12th in 16.
Kyle Schwarber had a grand slam and Nick Castellanos hit home runs, singles and doubles with three RBIs for the Phillies, who hit their most runs since beating Miami 20-1 on April 7, 2018. Philadelphia had 18 hits, including four from Bohm, who suited his career best.
Zack Wheeler (7-4) won his fourth straight decision by giving up four runs and seven hits in five innings.
Bryce Harper doubled, had two hits and drove in two runs, and JT Realmuto also had two RBIs.
MacKenzie Gore (4-7) allowed seven runs, six hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. Amos Willingham, Joe La Sorsa and Thaddeus Ward each gave up four runs. Dominic Smith scored for Washington.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Alec Bohm hits an RBI single against Washington Nationals’ Thaddeus Ward
BRAVES 7, MARLINS 0
Ronald Acuña and Ozzie Albies hit a home run in a six-run first inning to lead Atlanta, while Major League batting leader Luis Arraez of Miami saw his average drop to .388.
Charlie Morton (8-6) had five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings and had four hits and a walk in his third straight start. Kirby Yates, Nick Anderson, Ben Heller and Joe Jiménez completed the shutout for the Braves from the bullpen.
Matt Olson was 2-4 on one run and Austin Riley was 2-4 on two runs for the Braves, who have won 23 of their last 27 games and lead the second-placed Marlins in the NL East by eight games.
Marlins rookie Eury Pérez (5-4) lasted just a third of an inning, conceding six runs and seven hits. He threw 35 throws.
Arraez went 1-for-4. He’s gone 3-for-16 in his last four games and his .388 average is his lowest since June 17.
Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) gestures after hitting a lone home run
PADRES 12, REDS 5
Juan Soto hit a crucial three-run homer in the sixth inning, Manny Machado followed three pitches later with the first of his two homers, and San Diego broke a six-game losing streak.
Soto had four RBIs and Machado and Fernando Tatis three each for the Padres, who haven’t lost seven straight games since Sept. 24 to Oct. 1, 2021.
Michael Wacha (8:2), who pitched on his 32nd birthday, won his third decision in a row. Wacha allowed a run and five hits in five innings in his first game since June 19 after missing a turn due to a shoulder problem.
San Diego (38-45) had fallen below .500 in eight games for the first time since late 2019, going 70-92. Cincinnati (44-39), who have secured the lead in NL Central, lost for only the fourth time in 19 games.
The San Diego Padres’ Juan Soto reacts as he rounds bases after hitting a triple home run
RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 6
Rafael Devers hit his 20th home run, Justin Turner hit one home run and scored three goals as Boston spoiled Toronto’s Canada Day celebrations.
Right fielder Alex Verdugo threw Bo Bichette on home plate for the final out of the game after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an RBI single against Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen. George Springer scored on that play, but Bichette was substituted by catcher Caleb Hamilton. Toronto’s challenge was unsuccessful.
Devers went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and scored two goals. Turner finished the game 3 for 5 and two RBIs as Boston returned to .500 at 42-42. Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford (3-4) pitched 5 2/3 innings to win for the second time in three starts.
Matt Chapman hit a two-run home run and Springer and Bichette had solo home runs.
Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong picks Toronto Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette for the finals
MARINERS 8, RAYS 3
Jarred Kelenic hit a tiebreak single in the sixth inning against Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernández added a two-run double in a seventh inning with three runs, and Seattle defeated Tampa Bay to stop a three-game deficit.
George Kirby (7-7) allowed two runs and two hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts, and the Mariners assisted him with 13 hits. Paul Sewald made his 15th save from 18 chances.
Yandy Díaz doubled the Rays’ first goal in the sixth round and Luke Raley hit a home run.
Glasnow (2-2) had 11 strikeouts and allowed seven hits and three runs with a walk.
The Seattle Mariners players dance wildly after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3
RANGERS 5, ASTROS 2
Nathan Eovaldi threw seven scoreless innings to become the second American League 10-game winner, and AL West leaders Texas defeated runners-up Houston.
Eovaldi (10-3) hit five strikeouts and limited the Astros to two singles, but also had a season-high four walks.
Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Josh Jung each drove one run for Texas. Switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim had three hits and one run.
Rangers reserve Joe Barlow fended off Kyle Tucker’s two-run home run with two outs in the ninth. Will Smith then advanced to the final with his 15th save from 16 chances.
Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi looks down at a runner at first base in the second inning
TWINS 1, ORIOLS 0
Bailey Ober allowed two hits over seven innings, Joey Gallo hit a home run, and Minnesota extended Baltimore’s losing streak to a season high of four games.
Ober (5-4) conceded a single to Gunnar Henderson in the second inning, hit Ryan O’Hearn with a pitch in the fourth and conceded a single to Anthony Santander in the seventh. Those were the only runners to reach the base. when the right-hander hit an eight and didn’t let any runner pass first.
Griffin Jax worked the eighth and Jhoan Duran hit three outs to complete the three-hitter and earn his 12th save from 14 chances.
Ober prevailed in a pitching duel with Kyle Bradish (4-4), who gave up a run and seven hits over six innings.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober throws a pitch to the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth game
ATHLETICS 7, WHITE SOX 6, 10 ININGS
Tyler Wade slipped the winning run home after second baseman Elvis Andrus misheard a grounder in the 10th inning to give Oakland a win over Chicago.
With Wade in second place as an automatic runner, former A pitcher Kendall Graveman (3-4) hit the first two outs of the tenth round. JJ Bleday routinely hit Andrus with a grounder. The ball bounced off the second baseman’s glove, and he retrieved the ball and threw it too late to first as Bleday slid over base. Wade kept running and slid across the plate to parry first baseman Gavin Sheets’ throw.
Shintaro Fujinami (4-7) dodged a batsman in the upper part of the 10th, hitting two of them.
Seth Brown hit a home run for the A’s and Bleday had two RBIs.
Eloy Jiménez hit his 11th home run and hit two runs for Chicago. Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal each added two hits, but Anderson had nullified a grand slam in the eighth inning via video briefing. Yasmani Grandal had an RBI single and Carlos Perez added a run-scoring double.
Oakland Athletics’ Tyler Wade (left) glides safely across home plate with the winning run
BREWERS 11, PIRATES 8
Corbin Burnes hit a perfect game in the sixth inning, Christian Yelich hit his tenth home run and Milwaukee survived a late rally to end Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak.
Burnes (6-5) knocked out the first 15 batters he faced before putting Jared Triolo ahead, who led sixth. A walk and a hit batter gave the bases two outs, and Jack Suwinski ended Burnes’ shot at a no-hitter with a clean two-run single to right field.
It was the only hiccup for Burnes, who hit seven walks for two in seven innings, winning for only the second time since May 12.
Yelich hit a three-run home run against Johan Oviedo (3-9) in the second, breaking the breakthrough. Raimel Tapia hit twice for Milwaukee, including his third home run. Willy Adames, Blake Perkins and Brian Anderson each had two goals for the Brewers.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes delivers in the second inning against the Pirates
ROYALS 6, DODGERS 4
Kansas City gave a rude welcome to Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías, who had returned from injury, by scoring five goals in the first inning and securing the rain-delayed win over Los Angeles.
Daniel Lynch (2-3) gave up almost all his support when he conceded three runs in the second set. But the left-hander settled down and eventually threw 108 pitches to last five innings. He allowed five hits and three walks with four strikeouts, helping the Royals beat the Dodgers for only the second time in their last ten games.
The Dodgers left bases in the eighth when Yonny Hernandez struck and Freddie Freeman went down, and Scott Barlow made the last four outs for his tenth save while capping four innings of a one-run ball through the Kansas City bullpen.
Urías (5-5) was struggling through his first game since suffering a hamstring injury on May 18. He went through three innings and allowed six hits and two walks.
Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez hits a punch from Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith
TIGERS 4, ROCKIES 2, 10 INNINGS
Zach McKinstry hit a crucial three-run homer in the 10th inning, putting Detroit past Colorado.
With Jonathan Schoop runner-up as an automatic runner, Eric Haase outplayed Pierce Johnson (1-4) and brought runners to the corners. McKinstry followed with his sixth home run, a 400-foot drive over the right center fence and into the Rockies’ bullpen.
Kris Bryant hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom half against Alex Lange (5-2), giving Detroit its 21st win from behind of the year.
Six Tigers combined a six-hitter as both teams played bullpen games.
Colorado’s Ezequiel Tovar hit a two-out RBI single in game six, extending his career-best scoring streak to 14 games.
Detroit Tigers’ Alex Lange celebrates with Zach McKinstry #39 after a win in the 10th inning
DIAMONDS 3, ANGELS 1
The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 after 7.1 innings of work from starter Ryne Nelson, who also had six strikeouts in the win.
Outfielders James McCarthy and Dominic Fletcher both recorded RBIs in the win.
MLB home run leader Shohei Ohtani had a quiet game and took a 4-0 lead. Third baseman Anthony Rendon hit a home run for the Angels’ only run that night.
Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno, 14, is greeted after scoring a run against the Angels
GUARDIANS 6, CUBS 0
The Cleveland Gurdians recorded an easy win as they defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-0 in a very one-sided game.
Cubs starting pitcher Tanner Bibee recorded nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings while also recording the win on the mound.
Marcus Stroman gave up five of the Guardians’ six runs in his 5.2 innings before being taken out of the game.