Friday's MLB: Orioles outslug Red Sox, hit 5 homers in wild 15-10 win
Baltimore — Anthony Santander hit one of the Orioles’ five homers and drove in four runs, and Baltimore outslugged the Boston Red Sox 15-10 on Friday night.
Jorge Mateo, Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías also connected for the Orioles, who had combined to score three runs in their previous two games, both losses.
This time, the Orioles scored three runs in the second inning, three more in the third, four in the fourth and five in the fifth — after the Red Sox put up a five-spot in their half of the fifth to get within 10-9. Baltimore’s 15 runs were a season high, and the teams combined for 37 hits, with the Red Sox outhitting the Orioles 19-18.
But none of Boston’s hits left the ballpark, while all but one of Baltimore’s homers came with at least one man on base. Mateo got the Orioles rolling with a two-out, three-run shot to left in the second off Kutter Crawford (3-5) that made it 3-2.
Baltimore moved within 1 1/2 games of Tampa Bay for the final AL wild card spot.
Nick Vespi (5-0), the third of six Orioles pitchers, got the win, allowing one run in one inning.
Toronto 4, (at) New York Yankees 0: Kevin Gausman tossed seven sharp innings and Toronto became the latest team to shut out AL East-leading New York.
The Yankees were held to four singles and didn’t get a runner beyond second base as they lost for the 14th time in 18 games. They have been blanked three times in the last six games and five in the last 13.
The Blue Jays moved within eight games of the Yankees, the closest they’ve been to first place since June 13.
Gausman (9-9) allowed four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had an RBI groundout in the third before Alejandro Kirk led off the fourth by singling against Jameson Taillon (11-4). Teoscar Hernandez followed with a long homer to left-center.
(At) Atlanta 6, Houston 2: Austin Riley hit a three-run homer off Lance McCullers Jr., Kyle Wright won his 15th game to tie for the NL lead, and Atlanta beat Houston in the teams’ first meeting since last year’s World Series.
The defending champion Braves have won 10 of 11 and are 51-20 since June 1.
Houston left fielder Yordan Alvarez left the game in two outs in the bottom of the fifth. He reported feeling ill and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Wright (15-5) allowed two runs and six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in six innings.
McCullers (1-1) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings.
New York Mets 7, (at) Philadelphia 2: Pete Alonso hit his 30th home run and surpassed 100 RBIs, Starling Marte stole home and New York beat Philadelphia.
The NL East-leading Mets improved to 12-4 against the Phillies this season.
Chris Bassitt (11-7) gave up two runs on seven hits and threw 104 pitches in six innings.
Aaron Nola (8-10) allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings.
(At) Chicago Cubs 8, Milwaukee 7: Rookie Christopher Morel and Patrick Wisdom each hit a two-run homer and Chicago topped Milwaukee for its fourth straight win.
Andrew McCutchen, Hunter Renfroe and Rowdy Tellez homered for the Brewers.
Reliever Michael Rucker (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win and Brandon Hughes tossed a scoreless ninth for his second save.
Hoby Milner (3-2) surrendered Morel’s 12th homer and took the loss in relief of Aaron Ashby.
Kansas City 3, (at) Tampa Bay 2, (10 innings): Michael Massey hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and Kansas City's four-game skid ended.
Scott Barlow (5-4) got the win in relief with help from catcher Salvador Perez, who threw out Tampa Bay's Roman Quinn on an attempted steal of third in the 10th. MJ Melendez ended the game with a diving catch of Francisco Mejia’s sinking liner in left field.
Jalen Beeks (2-3) took the loss for the Rays, who have won five of seven and are in position for an AL wild card.
(At) Cleveland 5, Chicago White Sox 2: Triston McKenzie struck out a career-high 14 batters and Cleveland scored four runs in the seventh to rally past Chicago.
McKenzie (9-9) struck out eight of the last 10 hitters he faced and didn’t walk a batter in seven innings, but left with his team trailing 2-1.
Rookie Steven Kwan tripled into the right-field corner with two outs in the seventh against Reynaldo López (5-3) to score Luke Maile, who had doubled. Amed Rosario’s single gave Cleveland the lead.
Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his 28th save in 30 chances.
(At) Minnesota 2, Texas 1: Luis Arraez and Jose Miranda hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, and that was enough for Dylan Bundy as Minnesota beat Texas.
Bundy (7-5) gave up a run on two hits in 5 1/3 innings. Minnesota won its fourth straight and and kept pace with Cleveland, which leads the Twins by one game in the AL Central.
Jorge López walked a pair of batters but closed out his third save with the Twins and 22nd overall.
Martín Pérez (9-4) surrendered two runs on five hits and three walks in six innings.
(At) Pittsburgh 5, Cincinnati 4: Michael Chavis hit a bases-loaded single in the ninth to cap Pittsburgh's rally past Cincinnati.
Kevin Newman tied it in the ninth with a one-out RBI double against Joel Kuhnel (2-2). Chavis lined his single to short left against Ross Detwiler.
Wil Crowe (5-7) got the last four outs for the Pirates, who have won back-to-back games following a six-game losing streak.
(At) Colorado 7, San Francisco 4: Rookie Elehuris Montero homered twice and drove in five runs to back the solid pitching of José Ureña, and Colorado snapped a five-game skid.
Connor Joe also homered for Colorado, which sent San Francisco to its third straight loss.
Ureña (2-4) went 6 2/3 innings and allowed three hits.
Alex Wood (8-10) allowed seven hits and seven runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Braves OF Ozuna facing more legal woes following DUI arrest
Atlanta — Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested early Friday morning and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Ozuna spoke to reporters for 18 seconds before the game against the Houston Astros. He made a statement, but didn't take any questions.
“I disappointed my team," he said. “I disappointed my family. I don't have anything to say more. It's a legal matter."
It was the second arrest in as many years for Ozuna. He was arrested on May 29, 2021, on charges of aggravated assault by strangulation and battery after police officers said they witnessed him attacking his wife. Those charges were dropped after he completed a pretrial diversion program.
Ozuna was arrested by a Norcross Police officer in metro Atlanta and booked into the Gwinnett County jail at about 4:30 a.m. Friday. He was charged with DUI and failure to maintain lane and was released on $1,830 bond.
“The Atlanta Braves are aware of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest this morning and are still gathering all the facts pertaining to the incident,” the team said in a statement. “Our organization takes these matters very seriously and are obviously disappointed by the situation. As this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment until the process is complete.”
Ozuna's was not in Friday's lineup — the fifth straight game he has missed due to poor performance on the field, manager Brian Snitker said.
Snitker spoke to Ozuna earlier Friday but didn't elaborate on their conversation.
“No, like I said, I think everything’s been said," Snitker said. “We’re disappointed that it happened, and we’ll just go on."
Ozuna, 31, is in his third season in Atlanta and in the second year of a $65 million, four-year contract. He hit .338 and led the National League with 18 homers and 56 RBIs in 2020, but has dropped below .215 for two consecutive seasons.
Ozuna is hitting .214 with 20 homers and 46 RBIs this season. This season's substandard production led to reduced playing time even before the arrest.
Snitker didn’t know whether Ozuna will face a suspension.
Following the 2021 arrest, Ozuna was placed on administrative leave during a MLB investigation and missed Atlanta’s World Series championship run. He was then suspended for 20 games under its domestic violence policy in November, allowing him to return for the start of this season.
Ozuna apologized to his teammates and fans at spring training in March.
“My fans, I’m going to give you the best and I’m going to be a better person, and I’m sorry,” Ozuna said at the start of spring training.
Ozuna's pretrial diversion program, which led to the previous charges being dropped, included 3-6 months of supervision, a 24-week family violence intervention program, at least 200 hours of community service and an anger management course.
Astros slugger Alvarez hospitalized with shortness of breath
Atlanta — Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez was taken to a hospital during Friday night's game against Atlanta because of shortness of breath that was exacerbated by the Braves' in-game fireworks, Houston manager Dusty Baker said.
Alvarez departed the game under his own power with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. There was a pause in the action when Braves rookie Vaughn Grissom fouled a ball off his foot and was being tended to by a trainer.
That's when Alvarez, who is batting .295 with 31 homers and 77 RBIs, made his break for the Houston dugout.
“He’s being analyzed by the doctors," Baker said. “They said all his vitals are good. He’s feeling normal but he still has to see our doctor. He was just, he had shortness of breath, and then when they shot the fireworks off, the smoke kind of made it worse.
“I’m glad we got him out when we did because I looked up and he was in the dugout and it was kind of a scary moment because it could be anything, but they said he’s doing fine at the moment."
Baker said no one in the Astros' dugout knew Alvarez, an AL All-Star this year and the 2019 Rookie of the Year, was in any distress.
“We didn’t see anything," Baker said. “I just looked up in the dugout and he was there. After that we had to take it into emergency action to find out what’s wrong and then the emergency crew came over and took him to the hospital."
Losing Alvarez, who ranks first in AL on-base percentage and second in homers, slugging percentage, OPS and runs, for any length of time would be a big blow to Houston. The AL-leading Astros are 77-44 and primed for another deep postseason run.
They lost in the World Series last year to Atlanta.
“He’s a big, big part of this team," Baker said. “He’s our big boy in the middle, so we’re not thinking about losing him. We’re thinking about getting him back and hopefully he’ll be all right tomorrow.”