German wins 7th, Yankees beat Rays 4-3 in AL East showdown
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Domingo German became the majors’ first seven-game winner, Gio Urshela got a key hit set up by a pair of odd bounces and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Friday night.
The injury-filled Yankees pulled within a half-game of the AL East-leading Rays in the first of 19 meetings between the teams this season.
German (7-1) was matched up against Tyler Glasnow (6-1), who left in the sixth inning with right forearm tightness.
Glasnow struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings. He signaled for a trainer after striking out Gleyber Torres and was pulled.
German allowed three runs and five hits over five innings. Aroldis Chapman, the fourth Yankees reliever, worked the ninth for his ninth save.
Home runs by Austin Meadows and Ji-Man Choi gave the Rays a 3-2 lead entering the sixth.
Gary Sanchez opened the Yankees sixth with an infield single on a popup that struck the highest of four overhanging catwalks — approximately 185 feet high — and fell in the infield as Tampa Bay players scrambled to catch the carom.
Clint Frazier followed with a single and Torres fanned, finishing Glasnow. Emilio Pagan relieved and Miguel Andujar hit a grounder that took a crooked hop off the mound and went for an infield single that loaded the bases. Urshela then delivered a two-run single for a 4-3 lead.
BOSTON (AP) — Mitch Moreland hit a three-run home run, Rafael Devers and Andrew Benintendi each added a solo homer, and Boston moved above .500 for the first time this season with a win over Seattle.
Boston (20-19) has won nine of 11, scoring 80 runs during the stretch. Seattle (20-21) lost for the 10th time in 12 games and is under .500 for the first time since the end of the 2017 season.
Eduardo Rodriguez (4-2) pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out five to pick up his third win in four starts.
Rookie Erik Swanson (1-4) took the loss, allowing seven hits and seven runs over 4 2/3 innings. It marked the latest rough outing for a Mariners‘ pitching staff that has given up 11 or more runs four times in 12 games.
NEW YORK (AP) — Amed Rosario hit a grand slam during an eight-run outburst that marked the Mets‘ biggest first inning in three decades, and New York routed Miami.
Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil also homered for the previously slumping Mets, who set a season best with 15 hits and matched their high for runs. Zack Wheeler (3-2) struck out 11 over seven innings, reaching double digits for the third time in four outings.
After totaling only 15 runs on a 1-5 road trip, the Mets broke loose back home against Pablo López (2-5) and the major league-worst Marlins (10-28). New York sent 13 batters to the plate in the first, with J.D. Davis and Robinson Canó each getting two of the team’s eight hits.
CHICAGO (AP) — Gio González pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning and Ryan Braun homered, helping Milwaukee beat Chicago for its season-high seventh straight victory.
González outdueled José Quintana to help Milwaukee move into a virtual tie with Chicago for the NL Central lead. Yasmani Grandal and Jesús Aguilar each drove in two runs, and Hernán Pérez backed Gonzalez with a couple nice plays at second base.
The Brewers (24-16) moved a season-high eight games over .500 in their first visit to Wrigley Field since they topped the Cubs 3-1 in the division tiebreaker game Oct. 1.
Chicago (22-14) had won 10 of 11, but it was shut down by González (1-0) and five relievers. Quintana (4-2) allowed three runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings in his first loss since April 5.
TORONTO (AP) — Randal Grichuk hit a three-run homer, Teoscar Hernandez added a solo shot and Toronto snapped a season-worst five-game losing streak with a win over Chicago.
Grichuk’s two-out blast in the first inning was his sixth of the season and came off starter Dylan Covey (0-2).
Covey allowed four runs and three hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Toronto’s scheduled starter, right-hander Clay Buchholz, was scratched and placed on the 10-day injured list because of a sore shoulder. Right-hander Daniel Hudson opened for Toronto and allowed a run in the first on back-to-back doubles by Yoan Moncada and Jose Abreu.
Chicago’s Tim Anderson hit a solo homer in the fifth, and the White Sox cut it to 4-3 on Leurys Garcia’s RBI groundout in the seventh.
Joe Biagini (2-1) struck out Moncada for the final out of the seventh. Ken Giles got his ninth save in 10 chances.
