The Boston Red Sox still own a one-game lead in the American League East following their lopsided win at Washington.
Eduardo Nunez and Xander Bogaerts slammed three-run shots before J.D. Martinez added his 26th homer of the season in the Red Sox's 11-4 assault on the Nationals. Martinez finished with four RBIs, including a two-run single that jumpstarted a six-run fifth.
Pedro Severino and Brian Goodwin homered for the Nationals, who have dropped four straight and seven of eight to fall to .500.
The Yankees remain one behind Boston after Giancarlo Stanton's two-run blast in the eighth inning helped New York secure an 8-5 win over the Braves. Aaron Hicks also belted a two-run homer and Kyle Higashioka added a solo blast and two RBIs while the Yanks were building an early 5-0 lead.
Ender Inciarte, Ozzie Albies and Nick Markakis homered for the Braves, whose lead in the NL East dropped to 2 ½ games over Philadelphia.
Rhys Hoskins lined a two-run double and Andrew Knapp supplied a tiebreaking, RBI triple as the Phillies downed the Orioles, 3-2. Zach Eflin gave up a pair of early runs and just five hits over seven innings of Philadelphia's fifth win in six games. Maikel Franco had two of the Phils' five hits and scored a run.
Eric Thames slammed a two-run homer and three pitchers combined on a two-hitter as the Brewers blanked the Twins, 2-0 to keep their one-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. Jake Odorizzi kept the Brewers in check until pinch-hitter Nate Orf walked in the fifth inning and scored on Thames' 12th home run of the season. Milwaukee's bullpen came through with four hitless frames after Junior Guerra worked the first five.
The Cubs have a five-game winning streak after turning a 3-0 deficit into a 5-3 victory over the Tigers. Anthony Rizzo singled home the tiebreaking run in the seventh and Kyle Schwarber belted his team-leading 17th home run. Jason Heyward hit an RBI double and scored the tiebreaking run for Chicago.
Paul Goldschmidt's 19th homer of the season was a go-ahead, three-run blast in the fifth inning of the Diamondbacks' 4-2 verdict over the Cardinals. Zack Greinke worked into the seventh inning and blanked St. Louis after the second inning. Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb each had two of Arizona's six hits.
The DBacks continue to pace the NL West by 1 ½ games over Los Angeles after the Dodgers slammed six more homers in an 8-3 rout of the Pirates. Max Muncy homered twice for the Dodgers, who also received round-trippers from Joc Pederson, Chris Taylor, Yasmani Grandal and Kike Hernandez. Clayton Kershaw allowed a pair of runs and only four hits over six innings for his first victory since April 15.
The Rockies blasted the Giants, 8-1 as Antonio Senzatela pitched seven scoreless innings in his first start of the season. Nolan Arenado hit his NL-leading 22nd home run and teammate Charlie Blackmon had three hits, including his first homer since June 20. Trevor Story tripled home a run for the Rockies, who've won five of six.
Dallas Keuchel won for just the second time in his last nine starts by holding the Rangers to two runs over seven innings of the Astros' 5-3 victory at Texas. Josh Reddick smacked a solo homer in the third before Tony Kemp's two-run drive put Houston ahead 5-0 later in the inning. Texas leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo walked twice and had two singles to extend his career-best on-base streak to 43 games, the longest in the majors since Atlanta's Freddie Freeman's 46-gamer two years ago.
The Mariners stayed won their eighth in a row and stayed a half-game behind the AL West-leading Astros by downing the Angels, 4-1. Wade LeBlanc surrendered Andrelton Simmons' solo homer but allowed just two other hits over seven innings. Kyle Seager hit a two-run double in the first inning and Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for his league-high 33rd save.
The Indians pushed their division lead into double-digits as Yan Gomes launched a go-ahead grand slam to lift the AL Central leaders past the Royals, 6-4. The slam made a winner out of Shane Bieber, who was reached for four runs and nine hits over six innings. Yonder Alonso had three hits and an RBI as Cleveland moved 10 ½ games ahead of Detroit.
Jed Lowrie laced a go-ahead, three-run double to spark the Athletics' five-run sixth in a 6-1 win against the Padres. Mark Canha hit a solo homer later in the sixth and Chad Pinder added a seventh-inning blast as Oakland won for the seventh time in eight games. San Diego has dropped 11 of 14 since an encouraging 12-5 stretch.
Jake Bauers and Daniel Robertson each doubled home a pair while the Rays scored five times in the 16th inning to outlast the Marlins, 9-6. Wilson Ramos socked a two-run homer and Roberson provided three of Tampa Bay's 20 hits. The Rays have won nine of their last 11.
The Reds lost for just the fourth time in 16 games as the White Sox scored four times on a pair of 12th-inning triples to post a 12-8 comeback win at Cincinnati. Yoan Moncada put Chicago ahead with a bases-loaded triple and scored on a three-bagger by Yolmer Sanchez. Scooter Gennett, Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall homered to put the Reds ahead 7-2 in the fifth, but the White Sox eventually tied the game on Avisail Garcia's solo blast in the ninth.
Yangervis Solarte crushed a game-tying, three-run homer and Lourdes Gurriel Jr supplied the go-ahead, two-run blast that gave the Blue Jays an 8-6 comeback win over the Mets. New York starter Zack Wheeler left the game with a 6-1 lead in the seventh before Toronto teed off on the Mets' bullpen. Homers by Asdrubal Cabrera, Devin Mesoraco and Wilmer Flores helped the Mets build a five-run lead before their relievers flushed it in the team's 11th loss in 13 games.
WORLD CUP
England and Sweden have moved into the World Cup quarterfinals and will square off Saturday in Samara, Russia.
England managed to survive a 4-3 win against Colombia on penalty kicks after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford deflected Carlos Bacca's kick on Colombia's fifth attempt, allowing Eric Dier to bury the winner and push England into the quarters for the first time since 2006.
Harry Kane scored the regulation goal for the Brits in the 57th minute, but Yerry Mina's header in stoppage time extended the game.
Emil Forsberg scored a deflected goal in the 66th minute to give the Swedes a 1-0 victory over Switzerland and its first quarterfinal appearance in 24 years. Forsberg's scruffy shot from the edge of the area was likely heading straight for Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer until it deflected off the boot of center back Manuel Akanji.
WIMBLEDON
There were a host of major surprises at Wimbledon on Tuesday, but the No. 1 woman and No. 2 man came out unscathed.
Top-ranked Simona Halep eased into the second round with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Kurumi Nara of Japan. The French Open champion was playing her first match since winning her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.
Two-time champion Rafael Nadal moved into the second round with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win over Dudi Sela. It was Nadal's first match since claiming his 11th French Open title last month.
But the list of first-round losers include seventh seed Dominic Thiem and No. 10 David Goffin on the men's side, and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the women's bracket.
Thiem became the third top-10 player to exit the men's draw when he retired from his match against Marcos Baghdatis with a back injury. Matthew Ebden upset Goffin, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 after dropping all three of his previous meetings with the 10th seed.
Kvitova was stunned in the first round by 50th-ranked Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0. The other top-10 loser on the women's side was No. 6 Caroline Garcia, who fell to Belinda Bencic, 7-6, 6-3.
Men's fourth seed Alexander Zverev, fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro and No. 12 Novak Djokovic advanced to the second round, as did women's third seed Garbine Muguruza, No. 11 Angelique Kerber and No. 12 Jelena Ostapenko.
NBA-NEWS
Avery Bradley was among a host of NBA veterans to accept a free agent contract on Tuesday. Bradley is staying with the Clippers after accepting a two-year package. Yahoo Sports first reported the agreement and said the contract will be worth $25 million. Bradley played in 46 games last season between the Detroit Pistons and the Clippers. He has averaged 12.3 points in 459 NBA games.
Mike Scott has taken a one-year deal with the Clippers after averaging 8.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 40 percent shooting from 3-point rage in his lone season with the Wizards.
Tyreke Evans is going to the Pacers. A person with knowledge of the negotiations says Evans has agreed to a one-year deal that will be worth $12 million. He spent last year with Memphis, averaging 19.4 points per game.
The Jazz have agreed to terms with Dante Exum on a three-year extension that will be worth around $33 million. Exum averaged 8.1 points and 3.1 assists for the Jazz last season, but he's played only 80 games over the last there years.
A person with direct knowledge of the agreement says versatile big man Kevon Looney will re-sign with the Warriors.
A person familiar with the deal says Jeff Green and the Wizards have agreed to a one-year contract for the veteran's minimum of $2.4 million.
A person involved in the negotiations says Michael Carter-Williams has agreed to a one-year minimum deal with the Rockets.
NHL-NEWS
Matt Martin is going back to the New York Islanders, while Calvin de Haan is leaving. The Isles have acquired Martin from the Maple Leafs for minor-league goalie Eamon McAdam. The thumping forward signed a four-year, $10 million deal with the Leafs prior to the 2016 season. He had been part of a hard-hitting fourth line that included Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck before Martin headed to Toronto. De Haan went south for a four-year, $18.2 million package with the Hurricanes. The former first-round pick had a goal and 11 assists in 33 games last season before missing the last 49 with a shoulder injury.
NFL-NEWS
The NFL has confirmed that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman will miss the first four games of the 2018 season for violating league policy on performance-enhancing substances. ESPN had reported last month that Edelman was facing a four-game suspension. He will be eligible to return to the Patriots' active roster on Oct. 1, enabling him to make his 2018 debut Oct. 4 against Indianapolis. He missed all of last season with a torn right ACL.
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster has been suspended without pay for the first two games of the regular season for violating the NFL's conduct and substance-abuse policy. The NFL says Foster will also be fined for violations from a weapons offense and misdemeanor drug charge that were resolved earlier this offseason. Foster will miss San Francisco's games against Minnesota and Detroit before being allowed to return on Sept. 17 before the Niners play Kansas City.
Terrell Owens has decided to celebrate his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Chattanooga, where he played college football. The former All-Pro receiver had already stated that he wouldn't attend the induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio, next month. Instead, he said in a statement that he would give his acceptance speech at his alma mater.
Copyright The Associated Press 2018. All rights reserved.
