Kyle Hendricks took a no-hitter two outs in the eighth inning, Christopher Morrell drove in three runs with a home run and a single, and the Chicago Cubs scored two straight runs with a 4-0 win over the host San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
Hendricks was aiming for the Cubs’ first no-hitter since a four-man combined effort on June 24, 2021. Hendricks (1-2) had allowed only one baserunner – a Michael Conforto with one out in the second inning – before Mitch Haniger hit the left field fence on a full count with the right-hander just four outs away from history. Double lashed.
Matt Mervis gave Hendricks an early lead and led off with a home run off Giants’ bulk innings reliever Jacob Junis in the third inning. It was Mervis’ third homer of the season. Morell did the rest of the Cubs’ offensive losses.
After opener John Brebbia threw two hitless innings, Junis (3–3) took the loss for the Giants, being charged with striking all four Cubs runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Brave 6, National 4
Marcel Ozuna and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit two-run homers in the second inning, and host Atlanta rolled over Washington to extend its winning streak to seven games. The Nationals have lost six in a row.
Ozuna’s homer, his 13th, went 426 feet to left-center field and scored Travis d’Arnaud, who had walked. After Kevin Pillar’s double, Acuna connected with a curveball, sending it 413 feet to right-center for his 13th homer. Both long balls came off starter McKenzie Gore (3-5).
Acuna went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and three RBI. He is hitting .364 (8-for-22) on the current homestand. Atlanta starter Jared Shuster (3-2) pitched five more innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. AJ Minter surrendered a homer to Stone Garrett to open the ninth, but retired the next three batters to save the ninth.
Rangers 8, Rays 4
Corey Seager had a career day 5-for-5, including a two-run home run, and Texas won over Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Rangers scored three runs in the second inning and three more in the fourth to take a 6–0 lead. Seeger played a key role in both innings, driving in two runs with a double in the second and a home run in the fourth. Nathan Eovaldi (9-2) earned the win despite giving up four runs on seven hits and walking three in 6 1/3 innings.
The Rays rallied with a four-run fourth, highlighted by a three-run homer by Francisco Mejia that sent a 1–0 cutter from Eovaldi into the right field seats. Tampa Bay starter Taj Bradley (4-3) took the loss after his shortest outing of the season, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits over 3 2/3 innings.
Diamondbacks 5, Tigers 0
Lourdes Gurril Jr. returned from injury to hit a three-run homer, and four pitchers combined on a six-hitter while visiting Arizona handed Detroit its eighth consecutive loss.
Gurril had missed the last four matches due to a groin injury. Nick Ahmed added a two-run homer. Rainn Nelson (3-3) allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings while striking out four for the Diamondbacks, who have won four straight and 10 of their last 12.
Matthew Boyd (3-5), Detroit’s starter, gave up all five runs and six hits in five innings. Kerry Carpenter had three hits and Miguel Cabrera had a double, but the Tigers were blanked for the eighth time this season and third time during their slide.
Reds 8, Cardinals 4
Rookie Andrew Abbott blanked St. Louis for 5 2/3 innings as visiting Cincinnati rolled to a win.
Abbott (2-0), who allowed five hits and three walks, started his big-league career with 11 2/3 scoreless innings. Luke Mel and Spencer Steuer each scored three runs for the Reds, who won for the fourth time in their last six games.
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (4-3) allowed five runs on seven hits over six innings. Dylan Carlson went 3-for-3 with two walks and a two-run homer to power the offense. Nolan Arenado also went deep for St. Louis, losing six of eight.
Twins 9, Blue Jays 4
Carlos Correa hit his second career grand slam in a seven-run eighth inning as Minnesota went on to defeat Toronto.
Max Kepler added a three-run homer for the Twins in the eighth. Trevor Larnach hit a solo shot in the seventh for the Twins, who have won the first two games of the three-game series. Minnesota starter Joe Ryan allowed three runs, six hits and one walk while striking out four in six innings. Jorge López (2-2) earned the win in relief.
Adam Cimber (0-2) took the loss after being tagged for six runs on five hits and allowing just one run in the eighth. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Whit Merrifield, Santiago Espinal and Nathan Luks each had an RBI for the Blue Jays.
Dodgers 9, Phillies 0
JD Martinez belted a three-run homer and rookie Bobby Miller scattered three hits over six innings to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Philadelphia.
Martinez’s blast capped a six-run seventh inning for the Dodgers, who have won two of their last three starts. The homer was Martinez’s 16th of the season and seventh in the last 12 games. Mookie Betts had a pair of RBI singles and joined James Outman in scoring twice. Freddy Freeman also had an RBI single.
The offense was more than enough for Miller (3-0), who struck out seven batters during his 104-pitch performance. The 24-year-old has allowed two runs on 12 hits with 23 strikeouts over 23 innings. Aaron Nola (5-5) was charged with six runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings to take the loss for Philadelphia.
Padres 3, Rockies 2
Manny Machado had three hits, Fernando Tatis Jr. had two hits and a pair of runs, and San Diego defeated Colorado in Denver.
Drew Carlton (2-0) tossed two innings of relief and Josh Hader earned his 15th save for the Padres, who have won three straight and four of five. Nolan Jones homered and Ezequiel Tovar had two hits for Colorado, which lost six in a row.
Jake Byrd (1-1) relieved Rockies starter Kyle Freeland and gave up the lead in the sixth. Xander Bogaerts single and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Tatis then singled to right to drive in two runs and give San Diego the lead.
Mets 5, Pirates 1
Mark Kanha drove in three runs, including a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh, as visiting New York defeated Pittsburgh to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Francisco Alvarez homered and Brandon Nimmo added an RBI single for the Mets, whose losing streak was the longest of the season. New York starter Kodai Senga (6-3) gave up one unearned run and two hits, both singles, while striking out six and walking four in seven innings.
Ji Hwan Bae had an RBI fielder’s choice for the Pirates, who have lost three of four. Pittsburgh starter Johan Oviedo (3-5) allowed two runs and four hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 6 1/3 innings.
Orioles 6, Royals 1
Cole Irvin pitched 5 1/3 strong innings for his first win of the season when Baltimore visited Kansas City.
Anthony Santander doubled twice and scored two runs, and Gunnar Henderson and Adam Frazier each scored for the Orioles. Irvin (1-2), in his first season in Baltimore’s organization, allowed one run on six hits without a walk, striking out five.
Royals starter Brady Singer (4-5), who had won his previous two decisions, worked 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on six hits and three walks. Edward Olivares had three hits, but Kansas City lost its fifth game in a row.
Athletics 2, Brewers 1 (10 innings)
Aledmys Diaz had three hits, including the game-winning single in the 10th inning, as visiting Oakland edged Milwaukee.
Diaz drove in automatic runner Tony Kemp to center off Milwaukee reliever Joel Payemps (2–1) and put the A’s in the top of the 10th. Oakland left-hander Sam Long, with automatic runner Victor Caratini at second, pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th for his first save.
The game began as a duel between Oakland’s Paul Blackburn and Milwaukee’s Julio Teheran. Teheran worked through the seventh, allowing six hits with one walk. He struck out six and threw 98 pitches, both season highs. Blackburn scattered just four singles, walked one and pitched five over six innings.
Astros 6, Guardians 4
Jose Abreu pitched in the first inning for the second straight game and drove in three runs as Houston snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Cleveland.
JP France (2-1) allowed three runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. Brian Abreu homered and allowed an unearned run in the ninth before Ryan Pressley earned his 12th save in 14 chances.
Cleveland grounded into three double plays and its three-game winning streak was snapped. Josh Naylor went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games. Houston recorded a season-high six stolen bases and jumped on Cleveland starter Tristan McKenzie (0-1) for three runs in the first inning.
Marlins 5, White Sox 1
Gene Segura hit a two-run double in the ninth inning as part of a five-run rally that put Miami past host Chicago.
The Marlins’ offense was stoked, but it finally broke through in the ninth against right-hander Joe Kelly (1-3). Miami left-hander AJ Pook worked around Yoan Moncada’s double in the ninth to seal the win. Steven Okert (3-0) got the win.
Jorge Soler had three hits and Luis Arraz added two for the Marlins, who have won seven of their last eight games. Arraz went 3-for-4, raising his batting average from .400 to .402. Andrew Vaughn homered for the White Sox, who totaled five hits.
– Field Level Media