MLB ROUNDUP: Tigers bounce back with first combined no-hitter in Detroit history

The Tigers managed to bounce back in style with the first combined no-hitter in Detroit history as the Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Saturday.

Matt Manning, Jason Foley and Alex Lange teamed up for the combined no-hitter just one day after the Tigers allowed 12 runs to the Blue Jays. 

It’s the ninth no-hitter in Tigers history and first since Spencer Turnbull blanked Seattle on May 18, 2021. And, it’s the majors’ first combined no-hitter since three Houston Astros pitchers shut down the New York Yankees in June 2022.

Manning (3-1) struck out five, hit a batter and walked three in 6 2/3 innings, and Foley got four straight outs. Lange came in for the ninth and struck out Bo Bichette on three pitches. Brandon Belt lined out to center field, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to third on an 0-2 pitch, setting off a celebration at the mound.

Spencer Torkelson had an RBI double and Kerry Carpenter added an RBI triple for the Tigers, all in the first inning.

The Tigers managed to bounce back in style with the first combined no-hitter in Detroit history

Matt Manning, Jason Foley and Alex Lange (L-R) teamed up for the combined no-hitter

Kevin Gausman (7-5) allowed five hits, two walks and two runs, with seven strikeouts.

Carpenter made a spectacular catch in the fourth inning, sliding in foul territory to catch Guerrero’s pop fly down the right-field line. Báez made a big play in the sixth, racing into left field to catch Bichette´s fly ball with left fielder Zach McKinstry shifted to left-center field.

BRAVES 6, RAYS 1

The majors-best Atlanta Braves emerged victorious from the battle of the top teams with a 6-1 pounding of the slumping Tampa Bay Rays Saturday, 

All-Star Spencer Strider struck out 11 and won his seventh straight decision that gave the Braves their 20th victory in 22 games.

Strider (11-2) joined Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan and Arizona’s Zac Gallen as the only 11-game winners in the majors. He improved to 7-0 over his last eight starts and boosted his majors-leading strikeout total to 166.

Sean Murphy homered for the third straight game, a career best for Atlanta’s All-Star catcher. His three-run shot finished a four-run, fourth-inning against rookie Taj Bradley (5-5), who held the Braves hitless until Ronald Acuña Jr. opened the fourth with a double. He then scored on Matt Olson’s RBI single.

Murphy, whose two-run homer was the decisive blow in the Braves’ 2-1 victory Friday night in the series opener, hiked the lead to 4-0 and extended Atlanta’s streak of consecutive games with at least one home run to a franchise record-tying 25.

The Braves have homered in every outing since June 11, the longest active streak in the majors. They also had a 25-game streak in 1998 and lead the majors with 168 homers – the record for a team before the All-Star break.

In clinching the weekend series between the teams with the best two records in baseball, the Braves improved to 60-28. The Rays (57-35) have dropped a season-high seven straight games – their longest skid since June 2021 – but still have the top mark in the AL.

All-Star Spencer Strider struck out 11 and won his seventh straight decision in the Braves’ win

PHILLIES 3, MARLINS 5

Philadelphia suffered a double blow Saturday as it lost star slugger Bryce Harper and its game against Miami. 

Jorge Soler homered and hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly as Miami ended Philadelphia’s franchise-record tying 13-game road winning streak.

Rookie Dane Myers had two hits and drove in two runs, and Garrett Cooper singled twice for the Marlins.

Phillies star slugger Harper exited after being struck on his surgically repaired right elbow by a pitch from Marlins starter Braxton Garrett in the third. Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said after the game that X-rays on Harper’s elbow were negative.

Luis Arraez didn’t start, but had a pinch-hit, RBI single in the seventh, raising his major league-leading batting average to .388.

Garrett (5-2) was lifted after five innings. He allowed three runs, six hits, walked three and struck out three.

Ranger Suarez (2-4) took the loss, allowing eight hits and four runs, three earned, with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Phillies star Bryce Harper exited after being struck on his surgically repaired right elbow

REDS 8, BREWERS 5 

Elly De La Cruz became the first Cincinnati player since 1919 to steal second, third and home in the same inning in a victory over Milwaukee in a matchup of the NL West’s top teams.

De La Cruz broke a 5-5 tie in the seventh inning with a two-out RBI single off Elvis Peguero. He stole second and then, on a 1-2 pitch from Peguero (1-2), swiped third without a throw. The rattled reliever caught the ball from his catcher in front of the mound and turned his back as he walked slowly toward the rubber. Pausing only to put his helmet back on, De La Cruz walked down the third base line, broke into a sprint and easily beat Peguero´s rushed throw to the plate.

De La Cruz has 16 stolen bases in 30 games and went 2 for 5 to improve his batting average to .328.

Lucas Sims (3-1) threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, Jonathan India´s sacrifice fly in the ninth gave the division-leading Reds a three-run lead, and All-Star Alexis Diaz got the last three outs for his 26th save in 27 chances.

Elly De La Cruz stole second base, third base and home during the same plate appearance

CUBS 3, YANKEES 6

Giancarlo Stanton hit a homer in the first inning and added a two-run shot after a video review in the fifth, leading New York past Chicago.

Josh Donaldson hit his 10th homer and Harrison Bader hit a two-run double as the Yankees avoided their third four-game losing streak this season.

Gerrit Cole (9-2) gave up a two-run homer to former Yankee Mike Tauchman on his final batter and allowed three runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings.

Drew Smyly (7-6) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a homer in the first and added a two-run shot after a review in the fifth

CARDINALS 3, WHITE SOX 0

Miles Mikolas pitched seven efficient innings, Jordan Walker hit a solo homer in the ninth inning and St. Louis beat Chicago.

Mikolas (5-5) allowed four hits – all singles – in his first win since May 30. The right-hander struck out six and walked none, throwing 71 of his 95 pitches for strikes. Giovanny Gallegos finished the seven-hitter for his seventh save.

White Sox right-hander Touki Toussaint (0-2) allowed five singles in five innings. He struck out five and walked one.

Chicago dropped to 10-18 in its past 28 games.

Miles Mikolas pitched seven efficient innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the White Sox

ORIOLES 6, TWINS 2

Adam Frazier had a two-run single in a six-run second inning and Tyler Wells worked six solid innings as Baltimore beat Minnesota.

Baltimore had all six of its hit and all of its runs in the second inning on the way to its fourth consecutive victory. Wells (7-4) allowed six hits and struck out four in winning for the first time in four starts.

Donovan Solano had three doubles for the Twins.

Sonny Gray (4-3) had his winless streak extend to a dozen starts since April 30 – just three losses – allowing a season-high six earned runs and six hits.

Adam Frazier had a two-run single in a six-run second inning as Baltimore beat Minnesota

ROCKIES 3, GIANTS 5

Michael Conforto and Austin Slater hit two-run homers to lead San Francisco past Colorado.

Blake Sabol added an RBI single as San Francisco won for the 12th time in 13 games against the Rockies.

Alex Wood (4-3) tossed five scoreless innings in relief to earn his first home win of the season. He allowed three hits and a walk, striking out three. Camilo Doval pitched a scoreless ninth for his majors-leading 26th save.

Austyn Wynns homered for Colorado, which has lost 11 of its last 12 road games. Connor Seabold (1-6) was the loser.

Michael Conforto (pictured)  and Austin Slater hit two-run homers to lead the Giants to a win 

RANGERS 3, NATIONALS 8

Jeimer Candelario and Joey Meneses hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Call also went deep, and Washington snapped a five-game skid with a win over AL West-leading Texas.

Jake Irvin (2-5) earned his first victory since May 8 for Washington, which had lost 15 of its last 16 games at Nationals Park. Washington is an NL-worst 14-32 at home.

Josh Jung homered twice for Texas, which has lost seven of its last 10 games. Rangers starter Andrew Heaney (5-6) trailed 4-0 before recording an out.

Heaney, who was activated from the paternity list Friday, yielded eight runs, seven earned, in three innings.

Jeimer Candelario (pictured right) and Joey Meneses hit back-to-back home runs in the first 

ATHLETICS 3, RED SOX 10

Jarren Duran and Alex Verdugo hit two-run homers, and Masataka Yoshida had his sixth consecutive multi-hit game in Boston’s win over MLB-worst Oakland.

Christian Arroyo and Duran each had three hits, Yoshida two and Duran scored three runs and drove in three for the Red Sox, who have won seven of eight.

Boston starter James Paxton (5-1) earned the win, while Brandon Walter earned his first save.

Manny Piña and Brent Rooker each hit a solo homer for Oakland, which fell to 25-66. Austin Pruitt (1-6), one of six Oakland pitchers in the game, took the loss.

Masataka Yoshida had his sixth consecutive multi-hit game in Boston’s win over Oakland

ROYALS 6, GUARDIANS 10 

Top prospect Gavin Williams struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings for his first victory in the majors, brothers Bo and Josh Naylor drove in two runs apiece and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 10-6 on Saturday.

Williams (1-1) gave up three runs on eight hits and walked one in his fourth start. The right-hander made his debut June 21, two years after being drafted in the first round by Cleveland out of East Carolina.

Both Naylors had two singles and a double as the Guardians collected a season-high 18 hits, taking over first place in the AL Central from Minnesota at 45-44. They built a 5-0 lead after four innings en route to moving above .500 for the first time since April 19.

Top prospect Gavin Williams struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings for his first victory in the majors

PIRATES 2, DIAMONBACKS 3 – 10 INNINGS

Corbin Carroll singled with the bases loaded in the 10th inning for NL West-leading Arizona in a win over Pittsburgh.

Alek Thomas homered to tie it in the eighth, then singled in the tying run in the 10th against David Bednar (3-1). The infield hit followed a throwing error by Bednar on a bunt and scored automatic runner Dominic Canzone, making his major league debut. After Geraldo Perdomo sacrificed, Ketel Marte was intentionally walked and Carroll lined a single just fair down the right-field line.

Jared Triolo´s single put the Pirates ahead in the top of the 10th against Scott McGough (1-6), who went the final two innings.

Arizona used seven pitchers in the bullpen game. They combined to allow four hits, two in the 10th, and had 15 strikeouts.

Corbin Carroll singled with the bases loaded in the 10th for  Arizona in a win over Pittsburgh

MARINERS 2, ASTROS 3

Martín Maldonado hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the eighth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.

The game was tied at 2-all with one out in the eighth when Maldonado sent a slider from Andrés Muñoz (2-2) 371 feet to left-center to put the Astros on top.

The Mariners squandered a chance to take the lead in the top of the inning when Hector Neris (5-2) struggled with control. He hit Ty France with a pitch to start inning and France moved to second on a wild pitch. Neris then walked Teoscar Hernandez and Eugenio Suárez to load the bases.

But he escaped the bases-loaded jam by striking out pinch-hitter Cal Raleigh on three pitches, retiring pinch-hitter Mike Ford on a pop out and fanning José Caballero to end the inning.

Neris screamed and beat his chest as he left the mound to a huge ovation. Ryan Pressly walked Julio Rodríguez with two outs in the ninth but retired France on a fly ball to get his 20th save.

Kyle Tucker doubled with an RBI and Alex Bregman drove in a run for the Astros, who snapped a two-game skid and collected their 50th win of the season.

Martín Maldonado hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the eighth to lift the Astros to a 3-2 win

ANGELS 5, DODGERS 10

All-Star Mookie Betts hit his 10th leadoff homer – most in the first half in major league history – and the Los Angeles Dodgers busted out with five homers for the second straight game to beat the slumping Angels 10-5 on Saturday night.

The Dodgers head into the All-Star break a season-high 13 games over .500 with a record of 51-38, a half-game behind NL West-leading Arizona.

The Angels dropped their season-high fifth straight to fall below .500 at 45-46. It was their 10th consecutive loss in the Freeway Series, the club’s longest-ever skid against the Dodgers. The Angels gave up 11 hits in an 11-4 loss Friday.

Angels All-Star Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 32nd homer, a 433-foot, two-run blast in the seventh. He came up a double shy of hitting for the cycle. The two-way superstar singled in the first and tripled in the third.

Betts´ 408-foot solo shot, his 26th of the season, came on the second pitch of the game by Reid Detmers. Betts eclipsed the mark of nine homers set by Houston´s George Springer in the first half of the 2017 season. His 46th career leadoff homer tied Philadelphia´s Jimmy Rollins for seventh all-time.

All-Star Mookie Betts hit his 10th leadoff homer as the Dodgers routed the Angels 

METS 1, PADRES 3

The San Diego Padres derailed the New York Mets’ winning streak, cutting it short at six games Saturday. 

Blake Snell allowed only one hit and struck out 11 in six shutout innings, Matthew Batten hit a two-run shot for his first homer in the majors and the Padres beat the Met 3-1.

The Padres ended the Mets’ winning streak at six, winning for the fourth time in five games.

Snell (6-7) had his fifth double-digit strikeout game of the season, all in his past six starts. He has won his last six decisions, lowering his ERA to 2.85.

Josh Hader pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save of the season.