Braves’ 14-game win streak, Cubs’ 10-game skid both end

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs became the first team in 23 years to stop a losing streak of 10 or more game while ending an opponent’s winning streak of at least 10 games, beating the Braves 1-0 Friday to halt the Braves’ 14-game run.

Rookie Christoper Morel hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, helping the Cubs stop a 10-game slide, their longest since 12 straight losses from last Aug. 5-16.

Atlanta’s 14 consecutive wins were the most for the Braves since their post-1900 record of 15 from April 16 to May 2, 2000.

Morel drove in the game’s only run against reliever A.J Minter after striking out in his first three at-bats, then getting some advice from catcher Willson Contreras.

“It helped me concentrate on what I needed to do, what to focus on with that tough lefty,” Morel said. “Willson talked to me and told me, “Don’t look for stuff low around the plate. Look high.’”

A pair of double-digit streaks had not ended in the same game since Philadelphia beat Houston on Sept. 15, 1999, ending the Phillies’ skid at 11 and the Brewers’ winning streak at 12.

Chicago had not won 1-0 since May 28 last year against Cincinnati. The Braves lost 1-0 for the second time this year following a defeat at Milwaukee on May 16.

Minter (2-1) walked pinch-hitter Jonathan Villar leading off the eighth. He advanced on Andrelton Simmons’ sacrifice, stole third without a throw on Minter’s 2-1 pitch in the dirt to Morel and scored on Morel’s 277-foot fly to center with a steady wind blowing in at Wrigley Field.

Villar slid home headfirst as Michael Harris II’s throw was slightly up the first-base line.

With Chicago wearing unusual dark blue jerseys and pants with light blue letters, Chris Martin (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for his first win with the Cubs.

Atlanta loaded the bases against David Robertson in the ninth on two walks and a hit batter before Orlando Arcia grounded out. Robertson got his eighth save in 10 chances, completing a two-hitter on a day both teams combined for just five hits.

It was Atlanta’s first defeat since May 31 at Arizona.

“The first loss in June is good when you’re in the middle of the month,” said Matt Olson, who struck one of fourth deep flies that may have been held by wind.

“Our game is to get the ball in the air and we kind of got beat back here today,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.

Keegan Thompson, coming off poor outings at Baltimore and the New York Yankees, struck out a career-high nine while allowing two hits and two walks in six-plus scoreless innings — his longest big league outing.

“I think there was a conscious effort for us today to throw more fastballs,” Thompson said. “I haven’t had a lot of damage done so far off the fastball this year and I had kind of gotten away from the four-seam fastball the last two outings.”

Mychal Givens struck out Arcia with two on to end the seventh. Charlie Morton struck out nine, walked none and allowed three hits. Contreras narrowly missed a homer on a drive off the left-center wall. Left fielder Adam Duvall played the ball perfectly and held him to a single.

• • •

YANKEES 12, BLUE JAYS 3

TORONTO (AP) — Anthony Rizzo capped the Yankees’ eight-run fifth inning with a grand slam off the facing of the third deck in right, and New York extended its winning streak to eight games.

Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, and Joey Gallo also homered for the Yankees, who lead the major leagues with 105 home runs and are off to the best start since 1998 at 48-16.

Jordan Montgomery (3-1) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings to improve to 3-0 in his last five outings.

Ross Stripling (3-2) led 1-0 in the fourth, extending his shutout streak to 16 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Alejandro Kirk hit his sixth home run in the sixth as the Blue Jays lost to the Yankees for the seventh time in 10 games this year.

• • •

MARINERS 8, ANGELS 1

SEATTLE (AP) — Robbie Ray lost a no-hitter with two outs in the seventh inning on a grounder that bounced off his glove in Seattle’s victory over Los Angeles.

Ray lost his bid when Max Stassi hit a high chopper toward the mound that went right over the pitcher’s head. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner didn’t jump, and the ball skipped off the top of his glove, giving Stassi time to beat out an infield single.

Ray finished the seventh and came back out for the eighth, when Juan Lagares led off with a triple and scored on Andrew Velazquez’s double. Ray (6-6) was pulled after that, charged with a run three hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts.

Julio Rodriguez had three hits, Ty France drove in three and Cal Raleigh hit his eighth homer of the season for Seattle.

The Angels finished the night with four hits, two of them from Stassi. Michael Lorenzen (6-4) took the loss, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits, with three strikeouts and three walks.

• • •

PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 7, 10 INNINGS, GAME 2

PHILLIES 5, NATIONALS 3, GAME 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — J.T. Realmuto hit a go-ahead two-run single in the 10th inning with the aid of an obstruction call and Philadelphia completed a doubleheader sweep of Washington for its 14th victory in 16 games.

Bryce Harper had three hits against his old team, helping the Phillies win the opener.

Josh Bell homered twice in the nightcap and three times on the day for the Nationals.

Matt Vierling’s first multihomer game helped the Phillies in the second game, when Washington’s losing streak stretched to seven.

Philadelphia’s José Alvarado (1-1) earned the win. Washington fell to an NL-worst 23-45. The Nationals have lost 10 of 12 overall and 10 consecutive home games to the Phillies.

In the first game, Nick Castellanos hit a two-run double in the first off Joan Adon as the Phillies built an early 4-0 lead. Brad Hand worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth for his second save.

Ranger Suárez (5-4) allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings as the teams made up a game postponed by the lockout. Adon (1-11), summoned as the Nationals’ 27th man, allowed four runs in five innings while extending his major league lead in losses.

• • •

ORIOLES 1, RAYS 0

BALTIMORE (AP) — Dean Kremer pitched six scoreless innings and rookie Adley Rutschman singled home the game’s only run in the seventh as Baltimore sent Tampa Bay to its fourth straight loss.

Kremer allowed five hits and matched the six scoreless frames thrown by Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz. Then Ryan Mountcastle hit a one-out double off Calvin Faucher (0-1), and Rutschman followed with a single to center.

Félix Bautista (3-2) struck out the side in the seventh for the Orioles and retired all four of his batters to earn the win. Jorge López picked up his 10th save in 12 chances.

• • •

BREWERS 5, REDS 4

CINCINNATI (AP) — Keston Hiura hit a tiebreaking home run off Ross Detwiler in the seventh inning and Milwaukee beat Cincinnati in a battle of long balls.

Hunter Renfroe’s three-run homer in the fourth and Willy Adames’ solo shot in the fifth built a 4-0 lead against Hunter Greene on a night every run scored on a homer.

Albert Almora Jr. hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Brandon Drury and Tommy Pham followed with solo drives in the sixth on Eric Lauer’s first two pitches of the inning to tie the score 4-4.

Detwiler (0-1) entered with one out in the seventh and Hiura, the No. 9 batter, hit a first-pitch fastball the opposite way to right-center.

Lauer (6-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Brad Boxberger earned his first save since Aug. 2.

• • •

GIANTS 2, PIRATES 0

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Carlos Rodón scattered two hits over eight innings and San Francisco edged Pittsburgh.

Rodón (6-4) won his second straight start after striking out eight with two walks as the Giants sent the Pirates to their 10th loss in 11 games. Camilo Doval worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save.

Luis González took the game’s third pitch from Zach Thompson (3-5) and sent it over the right-field seats for his third home run. Joc Pederson hit his 14th homer leading off the fourth.

Thompson issued a career-high five walks while losing for the first time in almost a month.

• • •

RANGERS 7, TIGERS 0

DETROIT (AP) — Jonah Heim doubled, homered and drove in three runs and Texas sent Detroit to its sixth straight loss.

Jon Gray (2-3) pitched seven scoreless innings to end a five-start winless streak. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal (5-4) allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings. The Tigers have been outscored 43-7 in the six losses and have scored one run in their last 35 innings.

Heim had a two-run double in the first and hit his eighth homer of the season in the fifth.

• • •

RED SOX 6, CARDINALS 5

BOSTON (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched neatly into the sixth inning against his former team and Boston shut down St. Louis’ rally in the ninth.

The NL Central-leading Cardinals trailed 6-1 going into the ninth and reliever Austin Davis retired the first two batters. St. Louis loaded the bases and reliever Tanner Houck gave up an RBI double to Tommy Edman that made it 6-3 and a two-run double to Brendan Donovan.

Paul Goldschmidt then was called out on strikes, giving Houck his third save.

Trevor Story and Rafael Devers each drove in two runs for Boston. Nolan Arenado hit his 12th homer for the Cardinals.

Wacha (5-1) struck out five and allowed one run on six hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five.

Adam Wainwright (5-5) went 6 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk.

• • •

METS 10, MARLINS 4

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor homered after being surprised by his mom’s first visit to see him at Citi Field, Pete Alonso slugged a grand slam in the sixth inning and New York beat Miami.

Lindor’s wife, Katia, surprised her husband by flying in his mother, Maria Serrano, for her first visit to New York since Lindor was acquired from Cleveland in January 2021.

Lindor pointed to his family in the suites after hitting a three-run homer in the first inning off Pablo López (4-3). The Puerto Rican star was later hit by two pitches — including one with the bases loaded.

Carlos Carrasco (8-2) allowed three runs on eight hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

Jorge Soler, Garrett Cooper and Avisaíl García had two hits apiece for the Marlins, who outhit the Mets 10-9.

• • •

ASTROS 13, WHITES SOX 3

HOUSTON (AP) — Michael Brantley’s grand slam was one of three homers in a 10-run sixth inning that propelled Houston past Chicago.

Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker also homered in the sixth on a night when the Astros hit five homers and tied a season high for runs. Alex Bregman (two-run homer) and Yuli Gurriel (solo homer) added blasts, and Tucker had an RBI double, extending his hitting streak to a career-long 15 games, the longest active run in the majors.

Houston starter Framber Valdez (7-3) yielded eight hits and three runs with seven strikeouts in six innings.

AJ Pollack hit a three-run homer and White Sox starter Lucas Giolito (4-3) allowed seven hits and a season-high eight runs in five-plus innings.

• • •

ROCKIES 10, PADRES 4

DENVER (AP) — C.J. Cron homered twice among his three hits and drove in five runs, Randal Grichuk also went deep and Colorado snapped a seven-game home losing streak.

Charlie Blackmon added three hits for the Rockies, including a run-scoring triple and RBI single.

Trent Grisham homered for San Diego, which lost its eighth straight to the Rockies at Coors Field.

Rookie MacKenzie Gore (4-3) had another rough outing against the Rockies. He went four-plus innings and was tagged for a career-high eight runs on nine hits, including both of Cron’s homers and Grichuk’s three-run drive in the bottom of the fourth.

Kyle Freeland (3-5) pitched seven innings, six scoreless. The Padres tagged him for four runs in the fifth inning.

• • •

DIAMONDBACKS 7, TWINS 2

PHOENIX (AP) — Jordan Luplow homered twice to back Madison Bumgarner and Arizona beat Minnesota.

Bumgarner (3-6) labored through his first three innings, giving up eight hits but limiting the Twins to two runs. The veteran left-hander then permitted just one hit in the next three innings before being relieved, finishing with three strikeouts and a walk in 103 pitches over six innings.

Byron Buxton hit his 19th home run of the season on the second pitch of the game, a 446-foot blast to the back of the left-field stands for Minnesota.

Jake Hager had three hits in his first career multi-hit game for Arizona. Luplow’s sixth career multi-homer game drove in the first three Arizona runs and gave him nine homers for the season.

Twins starter Devin Smeltzer (3-1) lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs, six earned.

• • •

ROYALS 5, ATHLETICS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Daniel Lynch had a career-high 10 strikeouts in five innings to win for the first time in nearly two months, and Kansas City prevailed over Oakland in a matchup of teams with the worst records in the major leagues.

Salvador Perez doubled and homered for the Royals. Whit Merrifield added three hits, while Andrew Benintendi and Michael A. Taylor each had two to send the A’s to their 21st loss in 24 home games.

Lynch (3-6) allowed four hits and struck out the side in the third and fifth.

Elvis Andrus had two hits for Oakland and scored the A’s only run on Lynch’s second wild pitch in the second inning. Frankie Montas (3-7) took the loss, allowing 10 hits and five runs (three earned) in five innings. He walked three and struck out four.