Rookie Cowser's bat, arm lift AL East-leading Orioles to 3-2 win over Phillies

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rookie Colton Cowser hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning after helping to throw out the potential go-ahead run in the eighth, lifting the surging Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.

Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg homered for the AL-East leading Orioles, who have won 13 of 16 games and moved 2 1/2 games ahead of idle Tampa Bay.

Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber drove in runs for the defending NL champion Phillies. Philadelphia has lost five of six.

Cowser entered as a defensive replacement for Aaron Hicks in the third inning after Hicks was hurt making a diving catch. In the ninth, he lofted a flyball to left against Craig Kimbrel (6-2) that went off the glove of diving left fielder Schwarber.

Bryan Baker (4-3) got the win in relief of Dean Kremer, who allowed one run on three hits in seven innings. Cionel Pérez pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his first save.

ASTROS 10, RANGERS 9

HOUSTON (AP) — Chas McCormick homered and drove in a career-high six runs, and Yanier Díaz's game-ending RBI single in the ninth lifted Houston over AL West rival Texas.

The Astros moved within two games of the division-leading Rangers.

Rookie Alex Speas (0-2) walked Kyle Tucker to start the ninth. McCormick walked with one out. Díaz then lined his single to right field and Tucker slid in just before the tag. The play was upheld after a video review.

Ryan Pressly (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth. The Rangers led 9-6 when Aroldis Chapman walked consecutive batters with one out in the seventh. McCormick tied it with a three-run shot to left-center.

BREWERS 3, REDS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit a game-ending single, Sal Frelick launched his first major league home run and Milwaukee beat Cincinnati.

Milwaukee overcame a 456-foot,l two-run homer by Elly De La Cruz, who was robbed of a home run earlier on a leaping catch by center fielder Joey Wiemer.

Despite going 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position, the first-place Brewers moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Cincinnati, which had won five straight.

All-Star closer Alexis Díaz (3-2) entered in the bottom of the ninth inning and didn’t get an out. He walked Blake Perkins and allowed a single to pinch-hitter Jesse Winker before Yelich drove in Perkins with a grounder into right field.

Devin Williams (5-2) pitched a perfect ninth for Milwaukee.

ROYALS 5, GUARDIANS 3

CLEVELAND (AP) — Salvador Perez became the 10th player in major league history to hit 200 homers as a catcher and Ryan Yarbrough allowed one run in six innings, lifting Kansas City over Cleveland.

Perez hit a two-run shot in the sixth off Logan Allen (4-3) to put Kansas City ahead 4-0. He has 240 homers overall in 12 seasons. Hall of Famer Mike Piazza holds the big league record for homers as a catcher with 396.

Yarbrough (3-5) won at Cleveland for the second time in 15 days. Scott Barlow gave up two hits in the ninth before picking up his 12th save.

Kansas City ended a five-game skid while Cleveland fell four games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.

TWINS 4, MARINERS 3, 10 INNINGS

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Correa’s flare to right field evaded a sliding Teoscar Hernández and scored automatic runner Donovan Solano in the 10th as Minnesota won its second straight game in extra innings.

Solano moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Christian Vázquez against Paul Sewald (3-1), and Ryan Jeffers reached when no Seattle player covered first base on another bunt. Correa then sent a soft liner to right that Hernández couldn't catch.

Jorge Lopez (4-2) retired all three batters he faced in the top of the 10th for Minnesota, which is 9-2 since the All-Star break.

Max Kepler had an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game for the Twins. Kolten Wong hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer with two outs in the top of the inning for the Mariners.

ROCKIES 10, NATIONALS 6

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nolan Jones hit a two-run homer, Alan Trejo had a double and three singles, and Colorado beat Washington.

Karl Kauffman (1-3) pitched four-plus innings of one-run relief for his first major league win as last-place Colorado (40-60) improved to 6-3 since the All-Star break.

Jeimer Candelario had a three-run homer and a double for the Nationals, who were looking for their first four-game winning streak of the season.

Patrick Corbin (6-11) gave up six runs — five earned — and 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings.

TIGERS 5, GIANTS 1

DETROIT (AP) — Tarik Skubal struck out nine while recording his first victory in over a year and Detroit handed San Francisco its season-worst sixth straight loss.

Skubal (1-1) held the Giants scoreless on two hits in five innings in a game that was a makeup of an April 16 postponement. His previous victory came against Oakland on July 21 last season. He had flexor tendon surgery in August.

Zack Short hit a two-run homer and Kerry Carpenter also drove in two runs for Detroit.

Ross Stripling (0-4) gave up three runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings.

___

AP MLB:

https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

and

https://twitter.com/AP_Sports