MLB: Happ wins 8th straight, Jays top Orioles 9-1

TORONTO — J.A. Happ won his eighth straight decision, Devon Travis homered and the Toronto Blue Jays used a seven-run fifth inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-1 Saturday and take sole possession of the AL East lead for the first time since early April.

Kevin Pillar had two hits and drove in four runs to match his career high. Major league RBIs leader Edwin Encarnacion drove in his 89th run.

Toronto won for the 16th time in 22 games. It had not been alone atop its division since a 2-0 start. Pedro Alvarez hit a solo homer for the Orioles. They matched a season high by losing their fifth straight and fell a half-game behind the Blue Jays.

Happ (14-3) allowed one run and three hits in seven-plus innings, walked three and matched his season high with 11 strikeouts. Yovani Gallardo (3-3) was the loser.

MARINERS 4, CUBS 1

CHICAGO — Leonys Martin hit a go-ahead, two-run double off new Chicago closer Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning, lifting Seattle past the Cubs.

Wade Miley (7-8) took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before allowing Kris Bryant’s single and Javier Baez’s RBI groundout.

Jake Arrieta (12-5) walked Mike Zunino and Shawn O’Malley starting the eighth, pinch-hitter Luis Sardinas sacrificed against Hector Rondon, and Nori Aoki grounded to third, where Bryant threw out pinch-runner Guillermo Heredia at the plate, a call upheld in a video review.

Making his third appearance for the Cubs since he was acquired from the New York Yankees, Chapman allowed Martin’s double to left-center that put Seattle ahead 2-1. Martin stole third and scored on a wild pitch, and Seattle added a run in the ninth. Steve Cishek pitched the ninth for his 25th save.

GIANTS 5, NATIONALS 3

SAN FRANCISCO — Joe Panik hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning and San Francisco beat Washington to snap a three-game losing streak.

Anthony Rendon hit a two-run homer in the third for the Nationals, who couldn’t protect an early 3-0 lead hours after acquiring All-Star closer Mark Melancon from Pittsburgh to replace the struggling Jonathan Papelbon.

San Francisco loaded the bases against former Giants reliever Yusmeiro Petit (3-2) with one out in the seventh to bring up Panik. The Giants won for only the third time in 14 games since the All-Star break.

Derek Law (4-1) pitched the seventh for the win. Santiago Casilla pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.

ROCKIES 7, METS 2

NEW YORK — Jorge De La Rosa earned his 100th career victory and Colorado eventually caught up with Bartolo Colon, beating New York in the rain for their fifth straight win.

The Rockies improved to 12-4 since the All-Star break and won despite losing NL home run leader Trevor Story to a jammed left thumb. He seemed to get hurt on a scrambling slide in the fourth, exited early and X-rays on the rookie shortstop were negative.

On the day the Mets retired Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza’s No. 31, the Mets lost their fourth in row. The 43-year-old Colon (9-6) faltered in his first start on three days’ rest since 2005, and slugger Yoenis Cespedes left in midgame because of a nagging quad injury.

Colorado retired New York’s last 16 batters. Mets manager Terry Collins was ejected in the ninth after umpires overturned their original call and took away a home run from Wilmer Flores, ruling a fan reached over the wall and prevented left fielder David Dahl from making a catch.

DJ LeMahieu drove in three runs and Dahl hit his second homer since making his big league debut this week, helping the Rockies reach .500 for the first time since late May.

De La Rosa (7-7) gave up two runs in six innings. He is 100-82.

ANGELS 5, RED SOX 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer, Hector Santiago survived a rocky five innings to win his sixth consecutive start, and Los Angeles beat Boston.

Santiago (10-4) has won seven consecutive decisions, but struggled throughout his latest effort, needing 119 pitches to get through five innings. He gave up only four hits, but walked and struck out six.

Boston’s Drew Pomeranz (8-9) gave up five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox got a leadoff home run from Mookie Betts and added a second run in the first on Hanley Ramirez’s RBI single, but couldn’t score again. Four relievers held Boston scoreless over the final four innings, with Houston Street earning his ninth save.

RAYS 6, YANKEES 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Drew Smyly struck out Alex Rodriguez three times en route to stopping an 11-start winless streak, and Tampa Bay sent New York to its third straight loss.

Smyly (3-11) gave up two runs and four hits in six innings, and Alex Colome worked the ninth to get his 24th save. Tampa Bay is 7-5 since losing 24 of 27.

Rodriguez, out of the starting lineup the previous six games, struck out in all four of his at-bats. The 41-year-old designated hitter has two hits in last 26 at-bats, dropping his season average to .206.

Tampa Bay’s Brad Miller hit a solo homer in the first, and Curt Casali had a two-run drive during the third. Tim Beckham made it 6-2 on a two-run shot in the seventh.

Brett Gardner and Chase Headley homered for the Yankees. Nathan Eovaldi (9-7) was the loser.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, DODGERS 2

LOS ANGELES — Braden Shipley pitched six scoreless innings for his first major league victory and Jean Segura hit a leadoff home run to help Arizona beat Los Angeles.

Shipley (1-1), Arizona’s 2013 first-round draft pick, held the Dodgers to five hits in his second career start. The Diamondbacks won for only the third time in 11 games.

Segura hit Scott Kazmir’s third pitch of the game over the left-field fence for his fourth leadoff home run of the season. He added an RBI double in the second.

Kazmir (9-4) gave up four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Joc Pederson hit his 15th home run, and second in two nights, with two outs in the ninth inning for Los Angeles. Jake Barrett got the final four outs for his third save.

MARLINS 11, CARDINALS 0

MIAMI — Christian Yelich and Jeff Mathis each had three hits and drove in two runs in Miami’s victory over St. Louis.

Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run home run and Martin Prado had a two-run double for the Marlins. They drew even with the Cardinals at 56-48 for the second NL wild-card spot.

Miami outfielder Ichiro Suzuki remained at 2,998 hits, going 0 for 2 after entering as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning. Suzuki is 2 for 16 on the homestand that concludes Sunday.

David Phelps (5-5) was the winner in relief. St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia (7-8) took the loss.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a double in the fourth inning.

RANGERS 2, ROYALS 1

ARLINGTON, Texas — Mitch Moreland homered with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Texas past Kansas City.

Moreland’s 17th homer landed in the second deck of seats in right field.

Brooks Pounders (1-1) had gotten the first two outs in the ninth before Moreland homered for the fourth time in five games. He had two homers Thursday night when Texas won 3-2 in the series opener.

Matt Bush (4-2) pitched two scoreless innings, with one strikeout. Both starting pitchers, Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy and Rangers lefty Martin Perez, allowed one run over seven innings.

PADRES 2, REDS 1, 10 INNINGS

SAN DIEGO — Adam Rosales homered leading off the 10th inning to give San Diego the victory over Cincinnati.

Rosales sent a 2-2 pitch from Jumbo Diaz (0-1) over the fence in left-center field for his eighth homer of the season.

San Diego relievers Ryan Buchter, Brandon Maurer and Brad Hand (3-2) each threw a scoreless inning.

Matt Kemp was in the original lineup before he was scratched shortly before the game. San Diego later announced Kemp had been traded to Atlanta in exchange for Hector Olivera.

TIGERS 3, ASTROS 2

DETROIT — Jose Iglesias drove in the winning run with an infield single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Detroit past Houston.

With the Astros up 2-1, Houston closer Will Harris (1-2) retired the first two batters in the ninth but then walked Justin Upton. Tyler Collins singled and James McCann drove him in with another single.

Iglesias then hit a grounder between first and second base. First baseman Jason Castro ranged to his right to field it, but Iglesias beat Harris to the bag while Collins scored.

Justin Verlander (11-6) threw a complete game and allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out 11.

BREWERS 5, PIRATES 3

MILWAUKEE — Hernan Perez drove in three runs with a two-run homer and an RBI single, lifting the Milwaukee past Pittsburgh after the Pirates dealt closer Mark Melancon to Washington.

Shifted to third in the batting order because Ryan Braun was sidelined by with right-side tightness, Perez hit a two-run homer in the first off rookie Jameson Taillon (2-2).

Chase Anderson (6-10) gave up an unearned run and four hits in five innings, striking out a season-high seven. Jeremy Jeffress pitched the ninth for his 26th save, allowing Jordy Mercer’s RBI single.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis also homered for Milwaukee. Gregory Polanco homered for Pittsburgh.

PHILLIES 9, BRAVES 5

ATLANTA — Jeremy Hellickson pitched into the sixth inning and drove in the go-ahead run with a two-run double to help Philadelphia beat Atlanta.

Atlanta, the majors’ worst team, put on a clinic of bad baseball in the eighth while Philadelphia scored four runs without a hit. Hunter Cervenka issued four walks, Ryan Weber hit a batter and two infielders committed an error to bring a chorus of boos from the fans.

Hellickson (8-7) allowed nine hits, three runs and one walk and struck out two in 5 2/3 innings.

Braves starter Julio Teheran (3-9) was the loser.

INDIANS 6, ATHLETICS 3

CLEVELAND — Jason Kipnis, Jose Ramirez, Abraham Almonte and Mike Napoli homered in Cleveland’s victory over Oakland.

Cleveland broke a 2-all tie with a four-run fourth in which Almonte and Napoli homered. The rally came after Oakland’s Billy Butler tied the game with a home run in the top of the inning and flipped his bat several feet from home plate, a move the Indians quickly answered.

Josh Tomlin (11-3) allowed two runs in seven innings. Dillon Overton (1-2), recalled from Triple-A Nashville before the game, gave up five runs and 10 hits, including three homers, in 3 1/3 innings.

WHITE SOX 6, TWINS 5, 10 INNINGS

MINNEAPOLIS — Dioner Navarro hit a tiebreaking double in the 10th inning to drive in Avisail Garcia and lift Chicago past Minnesota.

Garcia led off with a double against Fernando Abad (1-4), and scored easily when Navarro drove a fastball from Abad to the left-field corner.

Michael Ynoa (1-0) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for his first win of the season, David Robertson pitched the 10th for his 25th save.

Chicago’s Justin Morneau homered and hit an RBI double against his old team. Eduardo Escobar homered for Minnesota.