Around the Horn

Around the Horn

Thursday’s other MLB games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 3

BOSTON

J.D. Martinez hit his 41st home run and Boston moved closer to clinching the AL East title, completing a three-game sweep. Xander Bogaerts scored the go-ahead run on an eighth-inning error after the Blue Jays rallied in the top half with two runs to tie it 3-all. Rafael Devers also homered for the major league-leading Red Sox (101-46).

Orioles 5, Athletics 3

BALTIMORE

Dylan Bundy had eight strikeouts in six solid innings as Baltimore ended Oakland’s six-game winning streak. Stephen Piscotty homered for the A’s, who fell 31/2 games behind first-place Houston in the AL West and 11/2 back of the Yankees for the top wild-card slot. Oakland activated lefty Brett Anderson from the 10-day disabled list to make his 14th start of the season. In his return from a forearm injury, Anderson (3-5) allowed four runs and didn’t make it out of the fourth inning.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Mets 4, Marlins 3 Mets 5, Marlins 2

NEW YORK

Michael Conforto drove in three runs, Jason Vargas pitched six effective innings and the Mets swept a doubleheader. Conforto clubbed a hard-hit double in front of the visitors’ bullpen in right-center field in the fifth inning, scoring two runs and putting New York in front 3-2. The hot-hitting outfielder added an RBI single in the seventh.In the first game, Conforto and Todd Frazier hit back-to-back solo homers with two outs in the ninth. The Mets had been held to just two hits up to that point, including starter Steven Matz’s first career home run. Rookie Tomas Nido got New York on the board in the fifth inning of the nightcap with his first big league homer, a solo shot into the left field seats off Jeff Brigham. Vargas and Amed Rosario followed with consecutive singles, chasing Brigham (0-2) for reliever Jarlin Garcia. Vargas (6-9) allowed two runs on three hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out seven. The veteran left-hander is 4-1 with a 3.09 ERA over his last six starts.

Dodgers 9, Cardinals 7

ST. LOUIS

Manny Machado homered and drove in three runs to back Clayton Kershaw, and Los Angeles beat St. Louis in the opener of a four-game series between playoff contenders. The Dodgers snapped a five-game losing streak against the Cardinals and moved to within one game of St. Louis for the final NL wild-card spot. The Cardinals, who went 22-6 in August, lost their second straight game and fell to 5-7 in September. Kershaw (8-5), pitching at Busch Stadium for the first time since taking the loss in Game 4 of the 2014 NL division series, struck out eight in six innings, allowing four runs — three earned — on eight hits and two walks.

Rockies 10, Diamondbacks 3

DENVER

Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered, Kyle Freeland pitched effectively into the seventh, and Colorado beat Arizona to extend its NL West lead. David Dahl had three hits and two RBIs to help Colorado take a 11/2 lead over Los Angeles and a 41/2-game advantage over the third-place Diamondbacks. Diamondbacks right-hander Clay Buchholz was scratched from the start because of tightness in his right elbow. Matt Koch (5-5) started in his place and allowed four runs on eight hits in three innings. A.J. Pollock homered for Arizona. The Diamondbacks are 3-12 in September. Freeland (15-7) allowed only two hits and one run through six innings before giving up a triple to Steven Souza Jr. and a double to Nick Ahmed in the seventh.

Cubs 4, Nationals 3 10 innings

WASHINGTON

Javier Baez drove in the go ahead run with a bunt single in the 10th inning, and Chicago beat Washington in a makeup of a game postponed earlier in the week. Kris Bryant doubled with one out in the 10th against Sean Doolittle (3-3) and moved to third on ex-National Daniel Murphy’s infield single. Baez, who homered in the sixth and drove in three on the day, bunted just to the right of first baseman Ryan Zimmerman to score Bryant. Baez has 31 homers and leads the NL with 103 RBIs. Chicago stretched its lead in the NL Central to 11/2 games over idle Milwaukee. Pedro Strop (6-1) pitched 12/3 scoreless innings for Chicago, and Randy Rosario worked the 10th for his first career save. Spencer Kieboom homered for the Nationals.

Associated Press