Bellinger’s grand slam lifts Dodgers over Mets for 5-2 win

NEW YORK — One timely swing by slumping Cody Bellinger turned a nip-and-tuck game in favor of the Dodgers.

Bellinger hit a grand slam to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning and Los Angeles beat the sinking New York Mets 5-2 on Friday night behind Alex Wood’s effective pitching.

“Yeah, it felt good,” said Bellinger, who began the night batting .231. “I was just honestly trying to hit the ball any way I could and luckily I connected.”

Yasiel Puig added a solo home run in the ninth, and the defending NL champions won their 10th straight against the Mets dating to May 2016. Los Angeles has outscored New York 75-20 in those games, winning each of the past eight by at least three runs — a first in Dodgers history against any opponent, according to STATS.

Wood (3-5) outdueled Zack Wheeler, allowing two runs and six hits in six innings to win consecutive starts for the first time since last August.

“With the last two, I feel I’ve made some steps forward, for sure. You’ve just got to keep building on it,” Wood said.

The left-hander with the funky delivery struck out seven and walked one as the resurgent Dodgers (39-35) improved to 23-9 since May 17 — the best mark in the majors during that stretch.

“I thought he threw the ball really well. So he’s back, for me,” manager Dave Roberts said . “He seems very confident now.”

Jose Bautista hit his first homer for the Mets, a two-run shot in the sixth.

“It’s nice to get on the board,” he said. “Hopefully a couple more coming.”

An error by second baseman Max Muncy gave New York a chance in the eighth, but with runners at the corners Scott Alexander got Bautista to ground into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.

Muncy made the turn after a smooth play by shortstop Enrique Hernandez.

“It’ll help him sleep a lot better tonight,” Roberts said.

Alexander tossed two shutout innings, and Kenley Jansen fanned two in a perfect ninth for his 19th save.

New York wasted a dazzling catch by center fielder Michael Conforto that saved a run. After opening 11-1, the Mets (31-42) have lost four in a row and 21 of 27 to fall a season-worst 11 games under .500. They are 1-11 in their past 12 home games and have gone 14 straight at Citi Field without eclipsing four runs.

“No real reason to explain it,” rookie manager Mickey Callaway said. “I wish we were playing better for our home fans and giving them more wins. They deserve more wins.”

Wheeler (2-6) walked the first two batters in the sixth — though his full-count pitch to leadoff man Joc Pederson certainly appeared to be in the strike zone. One out later, Matt Kemp blooped a single to right field to load the bases.

Bellinger connected on an 0-2 delivery, launching a 96 mph fastball into the second deck in right for his second career slam. Last season’s NL Rookie of the Year entered the day hitting .179 with runners in scoring position.

“He was kind of blowing it by me all day. But then again, he’s got three other pitches so you can’t sell out 100 percent. Like I said, I just tried to have a short swing,” Bellinger said.

RED SOX 14, MARINERS 10

BOSTON — J.D. Martinez homered and drove in five, and Boston rallied from a five-run deficit to beat Seattle despite a monster game from Nelson Cruz.

Cruz had a pair of three-run homers and drove in seven, but the Mariners still lost their season-worst fifth straight game, including three earlier this week at Yankee Stadium. Seattle led 4-0 and 10-5 before a wild Red Sox rally fueled by RBIs from eight different players.

Martinez went 4 for 5, including a two-run homer in the sixth and two doubles.

Reliever Matt Barnes (1-2) got the win with one scoreless inning. Juan Nicasio (1-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on four hits in one-third of a lousy seventh inning.

The only flaw to the second half of the game for Boston: shortstop Xander Bogaerts left in the seventh with a sprained index finger on his left hand.

ORIOLES 10, BRAVES 7, 15 INNINGS

ATLANTA — Manny Machado hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the 15th inning after each team staged dramatic ninth-inning rallies.

The Braves surrendered six runs in the ninth, and then scored four times in the bottom of the inning.

Peter Moylan, Atlanta’s eighth pitcher, hit Craig Gentry to open the 15th. Gentry moved to second on Austin Wynns’ sacrifice.

With first base open, the Braves pitched to Machado and the slugger lined his 19th homer into the Orioles’ bullpen. Moylan (0-1) gave up another run on singles by Colby Rasmus and Jonathan Schoop.

Mike Wright Jr. (1-0), Baltimore’s seventh pitcher, threw two scoreless innings.

REDS 6, CUBS 3

CINCINNATI — Eugenio Suarez hit a go-ahead homer off Jose Quintana in the fifth inning, and Cincinnati held on for its fifth straight victory.

The Reds have won the first two games in the series, a recent rarity in the rivalry. It’s only the second time in the last two years that they’ve won back-to-back games in a series against the Cubs. Chicago is 43-21 against Cincinnati over the last four seasons.

Suarez’s two-run shot in the fifth inning off Quintana (6-6) gave him a team-high 16 homers and put the Reds ahead 4-3.

Javier Baez drove in a run with a bunt single off Luis Castillo (5-8), and Kyle Schwarber followed with a two-run homer, his third in four games. Castillo went 5 2/3 innings for his first victory since May 24, ending a streak of four straight losses.

Raisel Iglesias retired the side in the ninth for his 12th save in 14 chances.

BREWERS 2, CARDINALS 1

MILWAUKEE — Jesus Aguilar homered to break up rookie Jack Flaherty’s no-hit bid in the seventh inning, then homered again in the ninth to lift Milwaukee over St. Louis.

Both teams got just three hits. The benches and bullpens briefly cleared in the eighth after Eric Sogard slid into St. Louis shortstop Yairo Munoz, who caught a wide throw on a bunt play in the eighth.

Cardinals reliever Bud Norris (3-2) started the ninth by striking out Travis Shaw. Aguilar followed with a drive an opposite-field drive to right for his 16th home run.

Corey Knebel (1-0) pitched the ninth for the NL Central leaders.

PHILLIES 12, NATIONALS 2

WASHINGTON — Odubel Herrera homered for the fifth straight game and finished with four hits, helping Philadelphia rout Washington.

Herrera hit a tiebreaking two-run shot in the third for his 13th homer, matching the club record for consecutive games with a long ball. He has connected in six of his last seven overall.

Herrera is hitting .472 (17 for 36) with six homers, 11 runs and 10 RBIs in his last eight games.

Carlos Santana homered and drove in four runs for Philadelphia, which has won five of six. Santana delivered a two-run single in the first, a two-run homer in the sixth and walked twice.

Zach Eflin (5-2) allowed baserunners in every inning except the first, but limited the damage to two runs over five innings to win his fourth straight start.

Washington’s Tanner Roark (3-8) gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings.

RAYS 2, YANKEES 1

ST. PETERSBURG. Fla. — Six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a five-hitter, and Tampa Bay beat New York.

Utilizing a bullpen day, the Rays improved to 14-31 against teams with a .500 or better record with the victory over the team with the majors’ best record.

Winner Ryan Yarbrough (6-3) entered in the second and allowed one hit in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Sergio Romo worked the ninth for his fifth save in nine chances.

Willy Adames put the Rays ahead 1-0 with a run-scoring single off CC Sabathia (4-3) in the fourth. Sabathia allowed two runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.

ANGELS 2, BLUE JAYS 1

ANAHEIM — Andrew Heaney (4-5) pitched seven solid innings in another quality start, allowing just one run and nine hits. The left-hander has gone at least seven innings in three of his last four starts.

The Angels got on the scoreboard with a two-run first inning, giving Heaney all the support he would need. Justin Upton drew a two-out walk and Albert Pujols doubled him in. Luis Valbuena singled in Pujols from second to give the Angels a 2-0 lead.

Cam Bedrosian threw a perfect eighth in relief, and Blake Parker pitched a perfect ninth to earn his ninth save.

Marco Estrada (4-7) had a fine start, too. He allowed just two earned runs and three hits in seven innings and struck out seven.

RANGERS 8, TWINS 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Mike Minor threw six solid innings, Shin-Soo Choo homered and Texas beat Minnesota for its sixth consecutive victory.

Bouncing back from a rough May, Minor (5-4) has thrown three straight quality starts for the first time since throwing six straight in 2014 for Atlanta. He allowed one run and three hits, lowering his ERA for June to 2.84.

Choo’s two-run shot off Fernando Romero (3-3) made it 4-0 in the fifth. It was his second homer on Texas’ six-game road trip.

Minor faced the minimum number of batters through five innings despite a first-inning single by Brian Dozier to deep left. Dozier tried to stretch for second, but Joey Gallo had a good jump and easily threw him out to end the inning.

DIAMONDBACKS 2, PIRATES 1, 13 INNINGS

PITTSBURGH — Ketel Marte’s two-out single in the 13th inning led Arizona to a victory over Pittsburgh.

Marte’s liner into center field off Tyler Glasnow (1-2) scored Jon Jay from second base as the NL West-leading Diamondbacks won for the fourth time in five games. Jay walked to start the rally, then advanced to second on a two-out wild pitch before Marte followed an intentional walk to David Peralta with his winning hit.

Andrew Chafin (1-0) pitched one scoreless inning for the win, and T.J. McFarland notched the first save of his six-year career with a perfect 13th.

The game was scoreless until both teams scored an unearned run in the 11th following a pitcher’s duel between Arizona’s Patrick Corbin and Pittsburgh’s Ivan Nova.

ROYALS 1, ASTROS 0

HOUSTON — Rookie Rosell Herrera kept the game scoreless with a home-run robbery in the eighth inning and hit an RBI triple in the ninth, and struggling Kansas City beat Houston.

Herrera helped the Royals end a nine-game skid by bringing back Alex Bregman’s would-be homer. The right fielder reached over the short outfield wall to snag the first out in the eighth.

Adalberto Mondesi then singled off Ken Giles (0-2) to start the ninth, stole second and took third on a flyout by Whit Merrifield. Herrera then sent a ball to center field to score Mondesi and make it 1-0.

Danny Duffy pitched six innings of two-hit ball for the Royals, and the bullpen didn’t allow another knock. Justin Grimm (1-2) pitched a scoreless eighth and Tim Hill threw a perfect ninth for his first save.

ROCKIES 11, MARLINS 3

DENVER — Jon Gray struck out 12 in seven dominant innings, Nolan Arenado homered in a six-run fourth, and Colorado won its fourth in a row by beating Miami.

It was Gray’s 12th career 10-plus strikeout game and the fourth this season. He had at least two strikeouts in five of his innings, including striking out the side in the sixth. Gray (7-7) walked none and withstood a solo homer in the third by Derek Dietrich, who drove a 2-0 pitch the opposite way into the left-field bleachers.

Arenado had three hits, including his team-leading 17th homer, a two-run drive. Tom Murphy had two doubles among his three hits and two RBIs.

Wei-Yin Chen (2-4) matched Gray through three innings, but then ran into trouble in the fourth — some of it not of his own doing. Second baseman Starlin Castro bobbled the ball after getting a relay throw, allowing Ian Desmond to score from third with the first of the Rockies’ six runs in the inning.

INDIANS 10, TIGERS 0

CLEVELAND — Rookie Shane Bieber struck out nine in a career-high seven innings, Yonder Alonso hit a grand slam and Cleveland beat Detroit for its fifth straight victory.

Edwin Encarnacion also connected for Cleveland, which leads second-place Detroit by six games in the AL Central. Encarnacion finished with three RBIs, and Francisco Lindor added a solo shot.

The 23-year-old Bieber (2-0) allowed four hits and walked one in his third major league start. The Tigers only pushed two runners past first base in his 97-pitch gem, stranding them both at third.

Bieber became the third Indians pitcher with six or more strikeouts in his first three big league appearances, joining Herb Score (eight in 1955) and Luis Tiant (three in 1964).

Tigers right-hander Mike Fiers (5-4) surrendered four runs in five innings. He has one win in his last seven starts.

PADRES 6, GIANTS 2

SAN FRANCISCO — Clayton Richard (7-6) pitched three-hit ball over six innings for his fourth consecutive win. He retired 17 straight during one stretch, allowed only two runners past second base and struck out four.

Eric Hosmer and Manuel Margot each had two hits and two RBIs as the Padres snapped a five-game skid. Travis Jankowski and Cory Spangenberg added two hits apiece.

Padres manager Andy Green used three relievers to get out of the seventh. Kirby Yates allowed a leadoff single in the eighth before setting down the next three. Brad Hand retired all three batters he faced in the ninth.

Chris Stratton (8-5) allowed three runs and nine hits in six innings.

ATHLETICS 11, WHITE SOX 2, FIRST GAME

WHITE SOX 6, ATHLETICS 4, SECOND GAME

CHICAGO — Lucas Giolito (5-7) pitched into the eighth inning before Xavier Cedeno worked out of a jam, and Chicago snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating Oakland to salvage a doubleheader split.

The White Sox bounced back after getting pounded behind a pair of three-run homers by Franklin Barreto in the first game. They stopped their worst skid since a nine-game rut last July and ended Oakland’s season-high win streak at five.

Joakim Soria retired all three batters in the ninth for his 11th save in 13 opportunities. Chris Bassitt (0-3) got tagged for five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings in the late game.

Barreto connected against James Shields (2-9) to cap a four-run second inning and off Luis Avilan in the eighth. Oakland’s Sean Manaea (7-6) went seven innings, allowing one run and five hits.

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