CINCINNATI (AP) — Max Scherzer had given up a leadoff double to Tucker Barnhart leading off in the eighth, then retired José Peraza on a popup and fanned Nick Senzel. The nine-pitch at-bat pushed the three-time Cy Young Award winner’s pitch count to a season-high 117.
With Joey Votto coming to the plate, Washington manager Dave Martinez walked to the mound. Scherzer shook his head and said he wanted to stay in.
“I’ve got to hear it from him,” Martinez said. “He’d thrown a lot of pitches. We exchanged some non-professional words.”
Scherzer struck out Votto on three straight called strikes, freezing him with a 97 mph fastball on the low, outside corner. Scherzer screamed and pumped a fist, spit flying out of his mouth after his 15th strikeout — his most since May 2018. The Nationals held on for a 4-1 win Sunday.
“I knew I was strong,” Scherzer said. “I still had my arm strength. I knew I wanted to stay in.”
Scherzer (3-5) allowed three hits — all doubles — over eight innings to lead the Nationals to their 12th win in 14 games against the Reds. What was his message to Martinez?
“I’d rather not say,” the manager responded with a smile.
YANKEES 8, RED SOX 5
NEW YORK — David Price finally won at Yankee Stadium for the first time with the Boston Red Sox, backed by early homers from J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts.
Boston stopped a four-game losing streak and improved to 1-4 against the Yankees this season, preventing a three-game sweep in a series shortened by a rainout.
The third-place Red Sox moved within 8½ games of the AL East-leading Yankees, who have a 2½-game advantage over Tampa Bay. The next time baseball’s biggest rivals meet will be June 29-30 in London, with Boston the home team for the first two major league games in Europe. The Yankees, who lost for only the fourth time in 19 games, don’t visit Fenway Park until July 25-28.
Price (3-2) permitted two runs and six hits with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, outpitching CC Sabathia (3-2) in a matchup of AL Cy Young Award winners. Sabathia yielded three runs in six innings. Brandon Workman tossed a scoreless ninth for his second career save, both this year.
TWINS 9, RAYS 7
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jake Odorizzi (8-2) won his eighth straight decision, allowing three hits and striking out nine in six scoreless innings to lower his AL-best ERA to 1.96.
Minnesota, a big league-best 40-18, won three in a row after losing the series opener 14-3.
C.J. Cron had a three-run double during a four-run fifth off Ryan Yarbrough (4-2), helping the Twins open a 7-0 lead.
Taylor Rogers struck out the side for his fifth save.
WHITE SOX 2, INDIANS 0
CHICAGO — Lucas Giolito (8-1) tossed five-hit ball for 7 2/3 innings to win his sixth straight start. He struck out nine and walked none while extending his scoreless streak to 14 1/3 innings.
Aaron Bummer got two outs in the eighth and Alex Colomé finished for his 12th save
Tim Anderson homered leading off the fourth against Zach Plesac (0-1) and hit an RBI double in the eighth against A.J. Cole.
CARDINALS 2, CUBS 1
ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright (5-5) overcame a career-high seven walks to pitch eight shutout innings and beat Cole Hamels (4-2) as St. Louis completed a three-game sweep.
The Cardinals got just four hits in their fourth straight win. Chicago was limited to three hits, and lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Wainwright didn’t allow a hit until Kris Bryant singled with one out in the sixth. He gave up two hits and struck out eight.
Hamels gave up one unearned run and two hits over seven innings.
Kolten Wong hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth and pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter added a two-out, RBI single off Mike Montgomery in the eighth.
Addison Russell hit an RBI grounder in the ninth off John Gant, who got his third save when David Bote grounded out.
RANGERS 5, ROYALS 1
ARLINGTON, Texas — Adrian Sampson (4-3) struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings, allowing one run and eight hits as he earned his first major league win as a starter.
Brad Keller (3-7) gave up three runs in seven innings. Kansas City ended a 1-6 trip that left the Royals a major league-worst 8-23 on the road.
Texas took a 1-0 lead in the third on three opposite-field singles and added two runs in the fifth, the second on an opposite-field single by Nomar Mazara.
GIANTS 8, ORIOLES 1
BALTIMORE — Brandon Crawford had his first multihomer game since August 2015, and Evan Longoria had a solo shot that stopped an 0-for-21 skid.
Bruce Bochy needs one win to join John McGraw as the only managers in Giants history with 1,000.
Jeff Samardzija (3-4) allowed three hits and struck out six over six innings.
Gabriel Ynoa (0-2) gave up four runs — two earned — and five hits in five innings for the Orioles, a big league-worst 18-41.
Trey Mancini homered for Baltimore, which managed only four hits.
BRAVES 7, TIGERS 4
ATLANTA — Dansby Swanson homered, drove in three runs and scored the tiebreaker on Freddie Freeman’s double off Joe Jiménez (2-3) in the eighth.
Touki Toussaint (3-0) got one out in the eighth.
Atlanta took two of three from the Tigers for its first home interleague series win since also winning two of three against Detroit in 2016. Atlanta was 0-5-3 in its last eight home series against American League teams.
BREWERS 4, PIRATES 2
PITTSBURGH — Zach Davies (6-0) allowed eight hits over eight-plus innings, struck out three and walked one.
Corbin Burnes inherited a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth but wiggled free for his first save this season and second of his big career.
Eric Thames hit a two-run homer and an RBI double for Milwaukee.
Jordan Lyles (5-3) gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings.
DODGERS 8, PHILLIES 0
LOS ANGELES — Rich Hill (2-1) struck out nine and scattered three hits over seven innings, and West-leading Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of East-leading Philadelphia.
Joc Pederson homered to cap a seven-run eighth inning. The Dodgers extended their winning streak to five with their seventh series sweep. Philadelphia has lost four in a row for the first time this season.
David Freese homered for the second straight game, connecting in the seventh against Vince Velasquez (2-3).
DIAMONDBACKS 7, METS 1
PHOENIX — Merrill Kelly (5-6) struck out a career-high 10, and Ketel Marte hit a long homer and had three RBIs.
Marte hit his first career leadoff home run, a 482-foot shot off Steven Matz (4-4) that matched Texas’ Nomar Mazara for longest in the majors this season. He added a two-run single in the eighth.
Eduardo Escobar also hit a two-run shot in the first.
ROCKIES 5, BLUE JAYS 1
DENVER — Antonio Senzatela (4-4) allowed one run and four hits in six innings, Chris Iannetta homered and Colorado won its eighth straight game. The Rockies swept their weekend set against the struggling Blue Jays to close out a 9-1 homestand.
Nolan Arenado homered and singled while extending his hitting streak to 13 games, and Raimel Tapia increased his hit streak to 12 games. David Dahl added an RBI double.
Toronto completed a winless six-game trip. Aaron Sanchez (3-6) lost his career-worst fifth straight decision, allowing four runs and seven hits in six innings.
ANGELS 13, MARINERS 3
SEATTLE — Albert Pujols hit his 643rd homer, his 11th this year, and drove in five runs,
Called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday night, Juan Suarez (1-0) allowed three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings to win his big league debut. The 21-year-old lefty became the youngest pitcher to start for the Angels since Tyler Chatwood in 2011.
Luis Rengifo hit his first career home run, a solo drive in the Angels sixth that landed above the Hit It Here Cafe in left field.
Marco Gonzales (5-6) was tagged for 10 runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. He is 0-6 with a 7.79 ERA in his last seven starts.
ASTROS 6, ATHLETICS 4, 12 INNINGS
OAKLAND, Calif. — Rookie Myles Straw had three hits, three stolen bases and scored the go-ahead run on Michael Brantley’s single in the 12th to help the Houston Astros complete their second three-game sweep of the season against the Athletics.
Yuli Gurriel added a single in the 12th for his second RBI of the game to give the Astros their sixth sweep in their last nine series in Oakland. Houston also swept the A’s at home in a three-game series in April.
The A’s were held to seven runs in the series with all the scoring coming on six homers, including shots Sunday by Robbie Grossman, Jurickson Profar, Ramón Laureano and Matt Chapman. They have lost five straight following a 10-game winning streak and now trail Houston by a season-high 10 1/2 games in the AL West. Three of those recent losses have been with Lou Trivino (2-3) in relief.
Josh James (3-0) pitched two perfect innings for the win.
MARLINS 9, PADRES 3
SAN DIEGO — Jorge Alfaro homered, doubled and drove in a career-high four runs for the Miami Marlins, who beat the Padres in a game delayed 28 minutes after a swarm of bees settled on a microphone on the netting near the home dugout.
Trevor Richards (3-5) held San Diego to one hit in five scoreless innings while striking out eight for the Marlins, who won two of three. Miami outscored San Diego 18-6 in the final two games.
With the Padres trailing 9-1, they had rookie third baseman Ty France pitch the ninth and he allowed just a single. Austin Hedges, who got the day off from catching, played third.
Hunter Renfroe homered twice for San Diego and drove in three runs.
Alfaro hit a two-run homer with two outs in the second, his ninth, off left-hander Matt Strahm (2-5). He added a two-run double in the fourth. Garrett Cooper hit a solo homer with two outs in the third.
