ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Hunter Brown combined with two relievers on a two-hitter and the Houston Astros shut out the major league-best Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight game, 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Brown (3-0) had a career-high eight strikeouts and walked two in his seven innings. Hector Neris pitched a perfect eighth and Ryan Pressly worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.
The Astros had snapped the Rays’ 14-game home winning streak to start the season, the best in MLB since 1901, with Tuesday night’s 5-0 win. Luis Garcia and three relievers limited the Rays (20-5), who still lead the majors in scoring with 157 runs, to five hits Tuesday.
The Rays’ only hits in Wednesday’s game — which took 2 hours, 7 minutes — were singles by ninth-place hitter Manuel Margot against Brown in the third and sixth innings.
Alex Bregman was credited with an RBI when Rays shortstop Wander Franco was charged with an error for misplaying a potential inning-ending double-play grounder with runners on the corners in the first. Jeremy Peña singled and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches by opener Calvin Faucher (0-1) before scoring.
Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubón extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a fifth-inning single off Josh Fleming. It’s the longest by a Houston player since Hunter Pence’s 23-game run in 2011.
Fleming went six scoreless innings, and the Rays held the Astros to five hits.
Peña appeared to try a bunt for a single with two on and one out in the fifth but Fleming fielded it and got a force at third. The inning ended when Franco grabbed Kyle Tucker’s hard-hit grounder and got an out at second.
HOLDING COURT: Fred McGriff, who will enter the Hall of Fame in July, was at the game and spent batting practice talking with Houston manager Dusty Baker.
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YANKEES 12, TWINS 6
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aaron Judge had three hits and three RBIs and dodged an injury scare on his 31st birthday, helping the New York Yankees avoid a sweep and beat the Minnesota Twins 12-6 on Wednesday.
Gleyber Torres drove a two-run homer into the second deck in a six-run fourth inning against Kenta Maeda (0-4), who left the mound with Twins athletic trainer Nick Paparesta for the second straight start. He was tagged with a career-worst 11 hits and 10 runs.
Judge surprisingly tried to steal third base in the second inning after a three-run double, and he was thrown out on an awkward head-first slide as his shoulders lurched forward ahead of his arms. His right hand was jammed into the dirt underneath the weight of his body.
Jose Miranda homered twice and Joey Gallo also went deep against Yankees starter Domingo Germán (2-2).
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REDS 5, RANGERS 3
CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Senzel hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Jonathan Hernández (0-1), ending Cincinnati’s longest homerless draught since 1991. The Reds had gone eight games and 79 innings without a home run since April 17.
Brad Mills’ sacrifice fly off Lucas Sims (1-0) tied the score in the ninth.
Cincinnati (10-15) completed a three-game sweep of AL West-leading Texas (14-10), the first series sweep for the Reds since last July 8-10 over Tampa Bay. Texas has lost three in a row.
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BREWERS 6, TIGERS 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Victor Caratini and rookie Joey Wiemer homered to back Freddy Peralta (3-2), who allowed a pair of unearned runs and four hits over six innings as Milwaukee stopped a three-game losing streak.
Javier Báez, who entered with a 10-game hitting streak, left in the first inning after being struck on the left hand by a 93 mph pitch. The Tigers said Báez’s hand was bruised and X-rays were negative.
Michael Lorenzen (0-1), making his third start, gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings.
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GUARDIANS 4, ROCKIES 1
CLEVELAND (AP) — Tanner Bibee (1-0) struck out eight and allowed one run and six hits over 5 2/3 innings to win his major league debut as Cleveland avoided a three-game sweep.
Germán Márquez (2-2) made his first start since April 10 because of right forearm inflammation but was removed with two outs in the fourth. Márquez allowed three runs and threw 58 pitches in 3 2/3 innings.
Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer in the first and Oscar Gonzalez had an RBI double in the fourth. Emanuel Clase got his eighth save.
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BLUE JAYS 8, WHITE SOX 0
TORONTO (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi (4-0) allowed four hits and struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings, Bo Bichette hit a solo home run and Toronto completed a three-game sweep that extended Chicago’s losing streak to seven.
The White Sox, blanked for the second straight game, have lost nine of 10 and 15 of 18.
Blue Jays star George Springer left in the fourth, one inning after he was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Michael Kopech (0-3). X-rays did not reveal a fracture.
Chicago has lost nine of 10 and 15 of 18. Things aren’t getting any easier for the White Sox, who host MLB-leading Tampa Bay in a four-game series beginning Thursday.