NEW YORK (AP) — Mitch Garver homered to snap a scoreless tie in the seventh inning and the Texas Rangers, finally emerging from a slump, beat the New York Mets 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Ezequiel Duran had an RBI single and Andrew Heaney rebounded from a rough stretch with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 shutout innings for the Rangers, who began the day a game behind AL West-leading Seattle. They've won three of four following a season-worst eight-game slide that helped drop them out of first place for the first time since early April.
Chris Stratton (2-1) entered with two on in the sixth and retired cleanup hitter Pete Alonso on a foul popup before striking out rookie slugger Francisco Alvarez. It was Stratton's first win for Texas since being acquired from St. Louis on July 30 in the trade that also netted starter Jordan Montgomery.
Brock Burke fanned two in a one-hit seventh and Will Smith worked a perfect eighth, combining with first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for a difficult glove-to-glove flip on Jeff McNeil's drag bunt.
Aroldis Chapman allowed a two-out homer to Mark Vientos in the ninth before finishing for his fourth save this season and second with Texas since being obtained from Kansas City in late June.
ASTROS 6, RED SOX 2
BOSTON (AP) — Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez hit back-to-back homer runs in the first inning and Houston continued its late-August surge with win over Boston.
Mauricio Dubon added a two-run double in the sixth for the Astros, who kept pace in a tight race for the AL West after entering the night one game behind division-leading Seattle.
The Astros opened a 3 1/2-game lead over Toronto for the final AL wild card spot and are 1 percentage point behind Texas and Seattle, who are tied for second. Texas and Seattle also lead the AL West.
Since dropping three straight last week, including a pair of losses to the Red Sox in Houston, the defending World Series champion Astros have slugged their way to four straight wins, scoring 45 runs during the streak.
J.P. France (10-5) pitched 5 2/3 innings, holding Boston to two runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
Adam Duvall homered for Boston, which has lost four of five and fell one step closer to being knocked out of playoff contention with 29 games remaining.
ATHLETICS 3, MARINERS 1
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle's two-day stay alone atop the AL West ended in a loss to major league-worst Oakland, which built an early lead on home runs by Seth Brown and Shea Langeliers and beat the Mariners for the first time in nine games this season.
Seattle had won 12 of its previous 13 games, turning a 7 1/2-game deficit into a one-game lead over Texas. The Rangers won 2-1 at the New York Mets, matching the Mariners at 75-57. Houston is a percentage point back at 76-58.
Star outfielder Julio Rodríguez was scratched of a pinch nerve in his left foot that left him day to day, and starter pitcher George Kirby was scratched before the game because of illness and replaced by Luke Weaver (2-5). First baseman Ty France left after two innings with a bruised left thumb sustained on a pickoff.
Sean Newcomb (1-0), the third of six A’s pitchers, struck out four in 1 2/3 innings innings for his first win with Oakland. Trevor May got his 15th save in 18 chances, finishing a four-hitter.
RAYS 11, MARLINS 2
MIAMI (AP) — Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe and Isaac Paredes homered as Tampa Bay rallied from two early deficits and beat Miami for their ninth win in 11 games.
Jose Siri hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning and Yandy Diaz added two singles for the Rays, who trail AL-leading Baltimore by 2 1/2 games in the East Division and maintained their 5 1/2-game lead in the race for the AL's top wild-card spot. With the win, Tampa Bay improved to 81-52, ensuring the Rays will go a seventh straight season without a losing record.
Miami slugger Jorge Soler left the game in the seventh inning due to right hip tightness. Soler, who has 35 homers this season, swung at a pitch from Tampa Bay reliever Erasmo Ramirez and stepped away from the plate.
Aaron Civale (7-3) overcame a 32-pitch first inning and worked five frames of two-run ball. The 28-year-old right-hander allowed seven hits and struck out five in his fifth start since arriving in Tampa Bay in a trade from Cleveland on July 31.
Trailing 1-0 after one inning and 2-1 after three, Siri's double capped a three-run sixth against Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara and put Tampa Bay ahead 4-2.
NATIONALS 5, BLUE JAYS 4
TORONTO (AP) — Keibert Ruiz hit a three-run home run, Carter Kieboom had a two-run drive and Washington dropped Toronto 3 1/2 games behind Houston for the final AL wild card.
Washington’s Jacob Young got his first major league hit, a bunt single in the seventh and threw a runner out at the plate to end the eighth.
Washington (62-71) is 17-9 in August and moved two games ahead of the last-place New York Mets in the NL East.
Rookie Davis Schneider homered for Toronto, which has lost five of seven.
Washington left-hander MacKenzie Gore (7-10) allowed one run and six hits in five innings to win for the first time in six starts since July 23. Kyle Finnegan picked up his 25th save in 32 chances.
