MLB Roundup: Shohei Ohtani hits a 39th homer to lead the MLB before leaving with cramps as Aaron Judge’s Yankees return is spoiled by Orioles

Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run for the Angels before leaving the game with leg cramps, as the Toronto Blue Jays slugged three solo homers and rallied to beat Los Angeles 4-1 on Friday night.

Ohtani, who homered on the first pitch he faced Friday, went deep in three straight at-bats over two games. He was replaced by pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic when his at-bat came up with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. 

Angels manager Phil Nevin said after the game Ohtani left due to cramps. 

A day earlier, Ohtani left the second game of a doubleheader at Detroit because of cramps.

Stefanic struck out looking as Toronto ended the Angels’ four-game winning streak.

Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches his solo home run vs. the Blue Jays in the first

Ohtani was subbed by infielder Michael Stefanic with bases loaded in the ninth due to cramps

Blue Jays’ Whit Merrifield is congratulated in the dugout for his home run the seventh inning

Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman allowed just one run and five hits in six-plus innings

Matt Chapman, Danny Jansen and Whit Merrifield homered for the Blue Jays, who are 24-11 when they hit two or more home runs.

Kevin Gausman (8-5) allowed one run and five hits in six-plus innings to win for the first time since June 21 at Miami. Gausman walked three and struck out nine, increasing his AL-leading total to 171. 

Lucas Giolito (6-7) allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings in his first start for the Angels since being acquired from the White Sox. He walked one and struck out five.

METS 5, NATIONALS 1

Pete Alonso homered twice to become the second player in Mets history with four 30-homer seasons, leading New York over Washington. 

The Mets won their second straight a little less than 24 hours after sending closer David Robertson to Miami for two rookie-ball prospects.

Alonso joined Mike Piazza as the only players with four 30-homer seasons for the Mets.

Max Scherzer (9-4) allowed six hits and struck out seven in seven solid innings. Scherzer carried a shutout into the seventh, when Luis García hit a leadoff homer.

MacKenzie Gore (6-8) gave up three runs in five innings.

The Mets’ Pete Alonso (20) celebrates with teammates after a three-run home run in the fifth

ORIOLES 1, YANKEES 0   

Anthony Santander homered off Tommy Kahnle in the ninth inning to give the Baltimore Orioles a 1-0 victory over New York on Friday night, spoiling Aaron Judge’s return for the Yankees.

Judge walked three times in his first game back from a toe injury, but the Orioles kept New York off the scoreboard with a spectacular defensive effort – particularly in the eighth inning, when Santander made a lunging, sliding catch in right field and second baseman Adam Frazier made a diving stop on Anthony Rizzo’s grounder with a man on second.

Orioles rookie Grayson Rodriguez pitched 6 1/3 scoreless inning, going toe to toe with New York’s Gerrit Cole, who went seven. Félix Bautista (6-1) struck out two in a scoreless ninth. Kahnle (1-1) couldn’t match that in the bottom half, allowing Santander’s one-out drive that went well beyond the fence in right-center field.

The Orioles remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay atop the AL East, and they now lead the last-place Yankees by nine.

The game was delayed 2 hours, 32 minutes. Judge lined out to right field on the first pitch to him in the first, but he reached base the other three times.

Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) runs to first base after being walked in the sixth inning

MARLINS 6, TIGERS 5 

Jon Berti’s second hit of the game was a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning, helping Miami beat Detroit.

Luis Arraez doubled and had two singles to raise his major league-leading batting average to .380, and Bryan De La Cruz homered and doubled and drove in three runs for the Marlins.

Marlins reliever J.T. Chargois (2-0) earned the win. Tigers reliever Jason Foley (2-3) took the loss.

Andy Ibañez, Nick Maton and Spencer Torkelson drove in runs for Detroit.

Tigers’ star slugger Miguel Cabrera went 0 for 3 and was hit by a pitch. Cabrera, who will retire at the end of the season, spent the first five seasons of his career with the Marlins. The club honored Cabrera with a video tribute and gifts before the game.

Miami Marlins’ Bryan De La Cruz (R) celebrates his two-run homer with Jorge Soler in the first

WHITE SOX 3, GUARDIANS 0 

Luis Robert Jr. and Jake Burger homered, Touki Toussaint pitched five innings for his first win and Chicago snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over Cleveland.

Chicago’s victory came on the tail end of a day in which it dealt pitchers Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman, continuing a deadline selling spree.

Toussaint (1-3) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out four. Gregory Santos earned his second save.

Xzavion Curry (3-1) took the loss and Josh Naylor had a double and two singles, accounting for half the Guardians’ six hits.

White Sox’s Gavin Sheets high-fives Jake Burger (30) after Burger hit a home run in the sixth

PHILLIES 2, PIRATES 1 

Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run home run and reached base in all five plate appearances, Zack Wheeler struck out 11 in 6 2/3 innings, and Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh.

Schwarber’s blast, his 27th of the season, came off All-Star Mitch Keller in the third inning and carried into the Phillies’ bullpen in center field. Brandon Marsh walked to lead off the inning before Schwarber unloaded with one out. Bryson Stott had two hits for Philadelphia.

Wheeler (8-5) gave up one run and three hits while walking one after being winless in his previous three starts. He was removed from the game following a 42-minute rain delay in the seventh inning. Craig Kimbrel earned his 17th save.

Keller (9-7) lasted 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs and six hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. Ji Man Choi hit a run-scoring double in the fourth to draw the Pirates to 2-1.

Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run home run and reached base in all five plate appearances, Friday

BRAVES 10, BREWERS 7 

Ozzie Albies singled in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning, Austin Riley and Matt Olson hit back-to-back homers in a four-run seventh and the major league-leading Atlanta Braves snapped a two-game skid.

Marcell Ozuna also went deep for Atlanta, hitting his 19th homer.

Raisel Iglesias worked a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances.

Abraham Toro hit a three-run homer for Milwaukee (57-47), which began the night with a 1 1/2-game lead in the NL Central.

Adrian Houser (3-3) took the loss after allowing eight hits and six runs in four innings. Collin McHugh (4-1) gave up one hit in 1 1/3 innings.

Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies runs on an Austin Riley line drive in the fifth inning against the Brewers

RAYS 4, ASTROS 3

Brandon Lowe hit a three-run homer early and José Siri doubled and scored the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning for Tampa Bay.

The game was tied entering the ninth when Siri doubled to left field off Ryan Pressly (3-3) and moved to third on a sacrifice fly by Christian Bethancourt. The Rays took a 4-3 lead when Siri scored on a sacrifice fly by Yandy Díaz.

Colin Poche (8-3) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win.. Pete Fairbanks picked up his 13th save as Tampa Bay won for just the third time in 11 games.

Houston’s Cristian Javier yielded three hits and three runs with eight strikeouts in six innings to remain winless since June 3.

Tampa Bay’s Jose Siri scores the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly hit in the ninth by Yandy Diaz

CUBS 3, CARDINALS 2

Patrick Wisdom homered and Trey Mancini had a tiebreaking RBI single to lead Chicago past St. Louis for its ninth win in 10 games.

Drew Smyly (8-7) allowed just two hits in 4 1/3 effective innings in relief as the Cubs won their seventh straight game.

Reliever Adbert Alzolay got the last four outs for his 12th save in 13 opportunities. He retired pinch-hitter Alec Burleson on a fly ball to deep center with a runner on third to end the game as Mike Tauchman reached over the fence to take away a potential game-winning home run.

Lars Nootbaar homered twice for St. Louis, which has lost three of five.

Jordan Montgomery (6-9) took the loss, allowing three runs and five hits over six innings.

The Cubs’ Patrick Wisdom rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning

ROYALS 8, TWINS 5, 10 INNINGS

Bobby Witt Jr.’s grand slam in the 10th inning gave Kansas City a win over Minnesota.

Witt finished 4 for 5 with six RBIs, falling a triple short of the cycle and pulling out the game for the Royals after they blew a 4-2 lead in the ninth.

Brady Singer struck out a season-high 10 in five innings for the Royals, who needed their 13th comeback win of the season after Jorge Polanco’s two-run double with two outs in the ninth tied it at 4-all.

Minnesota then went ahead on Kyle Farmer’s RBI single in the 10th off Taylor Clarke (2-4) before Witt won it with his 17th homer of the season off Jhoan Duran (2-5).

Kyle Isbel hit a 400-foot home run for the Royals off Twins starter Sonny Gray in the third. It was the first homer allowed by Gray against the Royals since August 2014.

Bobby Witt Jr.’s grand slam in the 10th inning gave Kansas City a win over the Minnesota Twins

ATHLETICS 8, ROCKIES 5 

Zack Gelof and Ramon Laureano homered, JP Sears won for the second time this season and Oakland snapped a three-game skid.

Shea Langeliers had a double, a triple and scored twice, Laureano had two hits and scored twice and Tony Kemp had two doubles as the major league-worst A’s pounded out 14 hits. They were 3-13 in their previous 16 games.

Sears (2-7) gave up four hits, including a homer to Randal Grichuk, struck out five and walked one while breaking a four-game losing streak.

Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland (4-11) gave up nine hits and five runs, three earned, in his first start since suffering a right shoulder injury when he dove for a popup in San Francisco on July 9. He struck out three and hit a batter.

Oakland’s Zack Gelof watches his two-run homer off against Rockies pitcher Gavin Hollowell

RED SOX 3, GIANTS 2 

Moved up in the batting order, Triston Casas homered and hit an RBI double to back Kutter Crawford, and the Boston Red Sox beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Friday night for their fifth straight win.

Second baseman Justin Turner delivered the defensive gem of the night to save at least one run in the seventh. He backhanded a two-hopper by pinch-hitter Blake Sabol and flipped the ball to shortstop Yu Chang for the force out on Patrick Bailey. Josh Winckowski then struck out the last two batters.

Crawford (5-5) dueled with Giants ace Logan Webb (8-9), striking out seven with one walk, while allowing one run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Crawford surrendered only Michael Conforto’s RBI single in the sixth.

Boston Red Sox’s Triston Casas, right, is congratulated by Alex Verdugo after Casas’ home run 

MARINERS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 2 

Cal Raleigh and Tom Murphy hit back-to-back, two-run doubles in a four-run first, Logan Gilbert threw 6 1/3 strong innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the skidding Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 on Friday night.

The Mariners have won three straight and are 8-6 since the All-Star break. The Diamondbacks continued their extended slide, falling to 6-15 in July.

Seattle jumped all over D-backs starter Tommy Henry (5-4) in the first, scoring four runs on four hits, including three doubles. Seattle loaded the bases when three of the first four batters reached, then Raleigh and Murphy followed with their doubles that each brought home a pair of runs.

That was more than enough of a cushion for Gilbert (9-5), who navigated through the D-backs’ lineup with relative ease. The lanky right-hander gave up two runs on nine hits, striking out five and walking none.

Paul Sewald worked the ninth for his 21st save, which broke his career high of 20 set last season.

Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove works against a Texas Rangers batter in the first inning

PADRES 7, RANGERS 1  

Joe Musgrove pitched six strong innings on the night his boyhood hero, Jake Peavy, was inducted into the Padres’ Hall of Fame, Fernando Tatis Jr. homered and San Diego beat the AL West-leading Texas Rangers 7-1 on Friday night.

Musgrove (10-3) was facing the Rangers for the first time since throwing the first no-hitter in Padres history, in just his second start with his hometown team, on April 9, 2021, at Texas. Musgrove won for the ninth time in 10 decisions by holding Texas to four hits while striking out five and walking two.

Musgrove grew up a Padres fan in suburban El Cajon and idolized Peavy, who won the 2007 NL Cy Young Award. Musgrove began wearing Peavy’s No. 44 after he was traded to the Padres before the 2021 season.

The Rangers, managed by former Padres skipper Bruce Bochy, lost for the fifth time in seven games but kept a two-game lead over Houston.

The Rangers added a bit of drama when they loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth and Luis Garcia walked Marcus Semien. Garcia then struck out former Padres player Travis Jankowski to end it.