MLB Roundup: Astros hold off Yankees to avoid series sweep

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NEW YORK — Yordan Alvarez and Jon Singleton each hit long homers in the first inning for Houston who beat the New York to avoid being swept in the season series.

Alvarez hit a two-out solo shot off Marcus Stroman (2-2) into the second deck in right field measured at 116.8 mph. Two batters later, Singleton hit a two-run homer off the facade along the third deck clocked at 115.4 mph.

The Astros are the first team in the Statcast era (2015-present) to hit two homers measured at 115 mph off the bat in the same inning. The homers were the hardest-hit balls against the Yankees this season.

Jeremy Peña had two hits, including a fifth-inning RBI single, for the Astros, who were outscored 40-18 in the first six games this season — all losses — against the Yankees, whom they beat in the AL Championship Series in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

Houston has never gone winless against an opponent in a season series lasting longer than six games.

Anthony Volpe hit a two-run homer off Ronel Blanco (4-0) in the third, while Aaron Judge went deep off Ryan Pressly in the eighth for the Yankees before Josh Hader got the final four outs for his fourth save. It was the first time Hader recorded more than three outs in a save since Aug. 14, 2020.

DIAMONDBACKS 5, REDS 4

CINCINNATI — Slade Cecconi pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, Corbin Carroll drove in the game-winning run with an eighth-inning single as Arizona hung on to beat Cincinnati 5-4 on Thursday, capping a series sweep and extending the Reds’ losing skid to eight games.

Joc Pederson homered in the first inning for Arizona, which won its fourth straight. Five different players drove in runs.

Spencer Steer’s two-out single in the seventh inning tied the game for the struggling Reds, but Carroll’s two-out hit in the eighth brought home Tucker Barnhart and gave Arizona a lead that stuck.

Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald struck out Will Benson and Tyler Stephenson and got TJ Friedl on a ground ball to pick up his first save.

Cecconi (2-2) went 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run and three hits while striking out two. Kevin Ginkel (2-0) pitched a scoreless inning to get the win.

Reds starter Hunter Greene had his streak of 15 1/3 scoreless innings snapped on Pederson’s homer.

TWINS 11, MARINERS 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Manny Margot highlighted a five-run first inning for Minnesota with a three-run double off Seattle ace Logan Gilbert, and Minnesota coasted to a victory over Seattle to win their fifth consecutive series.

Pablo López (4-2) pitched into the seventh with a season-high 10 strikeouts to win his third straight start. Ryan Jeffers and Max Kepler each homered and drove in two runs, Jose Miranda scored three runs on two hits and Margot matched his career high with five RBIs for the Twins (22-15), who won for the 15th time in their last 17 games.

This matchup of premier American League starting pitchers didn’t materialize at all. Gilbert (3-1) ominously issued a leadoff walk and hit his previous season high of five hits allowed in just eight batters.

ROCKIES 9, GIANTS 1

DENVER — Ezequiel Tovar had a triple and double and Brenton Doyle hit a three-run homer in a seven-run outburst in the fourth inning as Colorado snapped a four-game skid with a win over San Francisco.

Colorado, which entered the game with the worst record in the majors, won for just the ninth time and avoided being swept for the fourth time this season.

Charlie Blackmon drove in two runs and finished a homer shy of hitting for the cycle for Colorado. The 37-year-old Blackmon has 762 career RBIs, fourth on Colorado’s franchise list.

BREWERS 7, CARDINALS 1

MILWAUKEE — Rhys Hoskins, Jake Bauers and Joey Ortiz each homered to cool Sonny Gray as Milwaukee defeated St. Louis.

It was the fifth straight loss for the Cardinals, who opened a four-game series with the NL Central-leading Brewers.

William Contreras and Christian Yelich each went 3 of 4 for the Brewers. Jared Koenig (4-1) earned the win after pitching two scoreless innings of relief and working his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth.

Gray (4-2) has been one of the last-place Cardinals’ few bright spots since signing a three-year, $75 million contract in the off-season, but the 2023 AL Cy Young Award runner-up couldn’t stop St. Louis’ slide.

Through his first five starts, Gray allowed a total of six runs, and only three were earned. His 0.89 ERA was the lowest since 1910 by any Cardinals pitcher in his first five appearances with the organization.

WHITE SOX 3, GUARDIANS 2

CHICAGO — Erick Fedde worked six scoreless innings, Tommy Pham had two hits and an RBI and the Chicago White Sox held on to beat Cleveland Guardians 3-2.

Chicago won its second straight and for the fourth time in six games to improve to 10-28. The White Sox no longer have the worst record in the majors, moving ahead of the Colorado Rockies, who are 9-28.

José Ramírez and Josh Naylor launched back-to-back solo homers off Chicago reliever John Brebbia with two outs in the eighth inning as AL Central-leading Cleveland cut Chicago’s lead to 3-2.

The 36-year-old Pham, who doubled, is batting .313 in 12 games since joining the White Sox.

Andrew Vaughn and Paul DeJong added RBIs for Chicago.

Chicago rookie Bryan Ramos had a single and double in his sixth game since being recalled from Double-A Birmingham. He is 7 for 18 (.389) in his major league debut season. Eloy Jiménez had two hits, including a double to the base of the wall.

ROYALS 10, ANGELS 4

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Dairon Blanco had three hits, including a two-run homer in the third inning, Michael Wacha picked up his first win in over a month and Kansas City rolled to a victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Vinnie Pasquantino also had a two-run homer in the third and drove in three runs for the Royals, who have won three of four. Pasquantino has nine RBIs in his last five games.

Maikel Garcia added three hits, including a two-run double in the sixth.

The Angels had five hits and are 4-12 at The Big A, the worst home start in franchise history.