MLB: Nationals take eighth straight

WASHINGTON — After three straight walk-offs, the Washington Nationals went for a cakewalk instead.

Sure, winning late over and over again is a thrill, but it’s not good for the blood pressure — not to mention the workload of the bullpen. Stephen Strasburg provided much of the salve Tuesday night, allowing one run and three hits over a season-high eight innings as the Nationals ran their winning streak to eight games with an 8-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“I guess it’s what the doctor ordered,” Strasburg said.

That, along with a six-run third inning. Asdrubal Cabrera’s bases-clearing double blew the game open, giving Washington an overdue breather in what is now its longest winning run since August 2012.

“I think we’re just coming together,” said shortstop Ian Desmond, who had four RBIs. “We’ve kind of established our way, I guess you would say.”

Success had come with suspense for the Nats: four consecutive one-run games, including the last three decided by the final at-bat, and the last two in the 11th inning.

But Strasburg (10-10) did just what the Nationals needed him to do: eat up innings to give the overtaxed relievers a break. He struck out four to give him an NL-leading 198 for the season, besting his previous single-season high of 197 in 2012 — the year he was shut down early after returning from elbow surgery.

“The way Stephen pitched is, I hope, indicative of what we’re going to see in the future,” Desmond said. “He’s been great a lot in his career, but tonight was one of those games where it was really fun to watch.”

The Nationals sent seven batters to the plate in the third before the Diamondbacks could record an out. Rookie Chase Anderson (7-5) faced six of them, allowing five singles and a walk before he was pulled in the shortest outing of his young career.

Jayson Werth’s broken-bat single up the middle scored the first Nationals run, and Desmond’s single brought in two more. After Bryce Harper’s single loaded the bases, Anderson was pulled for Eury De La Rosa, who gave up Cabrera’s drive that took one bounce before hitting the wall in right-center.

“I just kind of didn’t attack the guys like I should attack,” Anderson said. “I think if you execute pitches and get ahead, you can kind of get anybody out. That’s just the name of the game.”

ASTROS 7, YANKEES 4

NEW YORK— Chris Carter snapped a ninth-inning tie with a colossal three-run homer, extending his second-half power surge.

Marwin Gonzalez knocked in two runs with a pinch-hit single, and the fourth-place Astros (53-73) won for the third time in four meetings with the Yankees this season.

Brian McCann hit a two-run homer, and Martin Prado had three hits for the Yankees.

David Robertson (1-4) walked consecutive batters and threw seven straight balls before Carter launched a 3-0 pitch into the raised concrete bleachers in left field for his 30th home run.

Josh Fields (3-6) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win on his 29th birthday. Chad Qualls worked a perfect ninth for his 14th save.

BRAVES 11, PIRATES 3

PITTSBURGH — Justin Upton smashed his 24th home run to spoil Andrew McCutchen’s return as Atlanta beat Pittsburgh.

Upton’s three-run homer off Francisco Liriano (3-10) in the third inning broke things open. He added a two-run single off reliever Brandon Cumpton in the fifth as the Braves extended Pittsburgh’s losing streak to a season-high seven games.

Jason Heyward went 2 for 5 with three RBIs for the Braves, and Evan Gattis hit his 19th homer. Atlanta has won five straight.

Aaron Harang (10-7) struck out four without a walk in 8 1-3 innings.

McCutchen went 0 for 4 in his first game back after missing two weeks with fractured cartilage in his ribs.

ANGELS 4, RED SOX 3

BOSTON — Chris Iannetta hit his second double of the game, a tiebreaking drive in the ninth inning off closer Koji Uehara that sent the Los Angeles Angels over Boston.

Brennan Boesch had a ground-rule double with two outs off Uehara (5-3) for the Angels’ first hit since the fourth. Iannetta then lined a double off the left-field wall.

Joe Smith (5-1) got the win for the AL West leaders, and Huston Street recorded his 34th save.

David Ortiz hit his 29th homer, a solo shot in the Boston first that increased his major league-leading total to 91 RBIs.

MARINERS 5, PHILLIES 2

PHILADELPHIA — Hisashi Iwakuma struck out a season-high 11 batters in eight scoreless innings, and Kyle Seager homered to lead Seattle over Philadelphia.

Mike Zunino was 0-for-17 before getting two hits and driving in two runs. The Mariners have won 11 of 14.

Iwakuma (12-6) was masterful while allowing four hits and no walks. Since July 1, the right-hander is 7-2 with a 1.63 ERA, 65 strikeouts and four walks in 72 innings over 10 starts.

Fernando Rodney, came on with two outs and the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning and struck out Cody Asche to record his 36th save in 39 opportunities.

The Phillies, who have scored three runs or less 65 times this season, got just one batter to second base against Iwakuma. They have lost six of eight.

MARLINS 4,

RANGERS 3, 10 innings

MIAMI — Giancarlo Stanton hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning, and Miami beat Texas for its third straight win.

Miami (63-62) surpassed last year’s win total of 62. The Marlins moved over .500 for the first time since June 20.

Jeff Baker reached with one out in the 10th on first baseman Mike Carp’s error. Donovan Solano’s infield single with two outs moved Baker to second.

Neftali Feliz relieved Neal Cotts (2-7) to face Stanton, who singled to right field.

Sam Dyson (2-0) struck out the side in the 10th.

Marcell Ozuna hit his 17th home run and Christian Yelich had three hits for the Marlins.

ORIOLES 5, WHITE SOX 1

CHICAGO — Chris Tillman threw eight strong innings, and AL East-leading Baltimore won its third in a row, beating the Chicago White Sox.

Nick Hundley homered, Chris Davis had a two-run double, and Adam Jones and Delmon Young also drove in runs for the Orioles.

Tillman (10-5) matched a career high with nine strikeouts, giving up one run and three hits. He won for the third time this month as Baltimore improved to 38-26 away from Camden Yards.

Tillman’s lone mistake came in the first when he allowed Jose Abreu’s 32nd home run, tying the Orioles’ Nelson Cruz and Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton for the most in baseball. The homer was Abreu’s first of the month.

Jose Quintana (6-10) lost his third straight start, allowing four runs and eight hits in six innings. Chicago matched a season worst by falling eight games below .500.

INDIANS 7, TWINS 5

MINNEAPOLIS — Yan Gomes had three hits including a home run, rookie pinch-hitter Tyler Holt hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the sixth inning, and Cleveland rallied to beat Minnesota.

Oswaldo Arcia homered in his third straight game for Minnesota, capping a five-run first in which Joe Mauer and Kennys Vargas also drove in runs.

Indians starter Trevor Bauer settled down and retired the next 14 batters before coming out for Kyle Crockett (3-0), who got the final out in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Cody Allen — the last of seven Indians relievers — earned his 16th save in 17 chances.

BREWERS 6, BLUE JAYS 1

MILWAUKEE — Mike Fiers pitched seven dominant innings, and Jonathan Lucroy and Aramis Ramirez each had a pair of doubles as Milwaukee topped Toronto.

In his third start since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Aug. 9, Fiers (3-1) held the Blue Jays to two hits and one run and retired the final 18 batters he faced. Fiers, who posted a career-high 14 strikeouts while pitching six innings in a win over the Chicago Cubs in his previous start on Thursday, struck out six and walked one.

He has given up two runs over his three starts.

Milwaukee won its fifth consecutive game. The Blue Jays have lost six of seven.

TIGERS 8, RAYS 6, 11 innings

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Victor Martinez drew a tiebreaking bases-loaded walk during a three-run 11th inning, and Detroit beat Tampa Bay.

Ian Kinsler opened the 11th with a triple off Grant Balfour (1-5), a flare to right that got past a diving Kevin Kiermaier. Torii Hunter walked and Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked before Martinez got his free pass.

Hunter scored on Jeff Beliveau’s wild pitch, and Bryan Holaday added a sacrifice fly that gave Detroit an 8-5 lead.

Jim Johnson (5-2) worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the 10th. Joe Nathan gave up Evan Longoria’s RBI single in the 11th before getting his 26th save.

The Tigers, the AL second wild-card leader, won for the fifth time in 13 games.

James Loney homered for the Rays, who had a club-record stretch of 13 consecutive games holding opponents to four runs or less end.

ROYALS 7, ROCKIES 4

DENVER — Omar Infante had three doubles and drove in four runs to help streaking Kansas City knock off Colorado.

James Shields pitched six solid innings to get the win for the Royals, who have won 21 of 26.

Rookie Tyler Matzek (2-9) came into Tuesday with a 9.60 ERA in August, ran into trouble in the seventh. Matzek got the first two outs before allowing a pinch-hit single to Josh Willingham and walking Nori Aoki.

Adam Ottavino came on and gave up consecutive doubles to Infante and Salvador Perez to give the Royals a 4-2 lead.

The Royals scored three more runs in the eighth off Colorado’s bullpen. Infante had a two-run double with the bases loaded.

Shields (12-6) allowed two runs on nine hits and struck out six. Greg Holland threw one pitch to record his 39th save in 40 chances.

CARDINALS 5, REDS 4

ST. LOUIS — Jon Jay was hit by a pitch from J.J. Hoover with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, lifting St. Louis over Cincinnati.

Matt Holliday drew a leadoff walk to start the winning rally. He advanced to third on Matt Adams’ single. After Peter Bourjos ran for Holliday, Jhonny Peralta walked to load the bases. Hoover (1-10) then plunked Jay to force in Bourjos with the winning run.

Pat Neshek (6-0) pitched one inning of scoreless relief as the Cardinals won for the fifth time in six games and remained 2 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.

The Reds have lost four in a row.