Renfroe’s slam leads 6 HRs as Red Sox rout Blue Jays 13-4

July 20, 2021 GMT
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Boston Red Sox's Hunter Renfroe, left, celebrates with Rafael Devers, right, after hitting a grand slam during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, July 19, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
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Boston Red Sox's Hunter Renfroe, left, celebrates with Rafael Devers, right, after hitting a grand slam during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, July 19, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam, Kiké Hernández drove in three runs with two homers and the Boston Red Sox snapped a two-game losing streak with a 13-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.

Rookie Jarren Duran hit his first major league homer, Dylan Santana and Rafael Devers also went yard, and J.D. Martinez broke out of a slump with four hits as the Red Sox improved their AL-leading road record to 29-19.

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta (8-4) allowed four runs on 11 hits and two walks while recording four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

Toronto used eight pitchers and had its five-game win streak halted.

Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling gave up six runs on four hits and two walks while getting only one out in his first appearance this season that didn’t extend into at least the fourth inning.

Cavan Biggio homered for the Blue Jays during a four-run rally in the fourth inning. Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk and Bo Bichette also drove in runs.

METS 15, REDS 11, 11 INNINGS

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jeff McNeil hit a tiebreaking single in the 11th inning, Kevin Pillar added a three-run homer and New York went deep seven times in a win over Cincinnati.

Michael Conforto connected twice, including a solo shot that capped a five-run outburst in the 11th as the Mets handed Cincinnati its fourth straight loss to open the second half.

New York shook off a season-high four errors — all in the first two innings.

While manager Luis Rojas served the first game of his two-game suspension, James McCann, McNeil, Home Run Derby champ Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith also homered for New York in a game that lasted 4 hours, 45 minutes.

Tyler Naquin drove in four runs for the Reds with five hits, including a tying single in the 10th.

Anthony Banda (1-0) was the winner in his Mets debut.

GIANTS 7, DODGERS 2

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Buster Posey and Wilmer Flores hit back-to-back homers in the first inning, Thairo Estrada had a key double in the seventh and San Francisco defeated Los Angeles in the opener of a pivotal four-game series between the NL West rivals.

Posey had two hits and drove in two runs in his first game back after he missed two weeks due to a bruised left thumb.

Max Muncy and Justin Turner homered for Los Angeles, which was held to four hits.

With the win, the Giants expanded their lead to two games over the defending World Series champion Dodgers.

Jarlín García (2-2), the third of six San Francisco pitchers, got the win by striking out two in 1 1/3 innings.

Tony Gonsolin (1-1) took the loss.

ORIOLES 6, RAYS 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rookie right-hander Spenser Watkins gave up one run in six innings as Baltimore tied a season high with its third consecutive win.

The 28-year old Watkins (2-0) scattered four hits, walked two and struck out seven.

Cole Sulser, Paul Fry and Tyler Wells completed the five-hitter.

Ryan Mountcastle, Anthony Santander, Kelvin Gutierrez, Austin Hays and Pat Valaika drove in runs in the win.

Ryan Yarbrough (6-4) allowed six runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. He was 5-0 in his previous 12 outings dating to April 30.

CARDINALS 8, CUBS 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dylan Carlson homered and drove in four runs, Jake Woodford pitched 5 2/3 strong innings in his first start of the season, and St. Louis beat Chicago.

Woodford (2-1) struck out six and didn’t allow a walk. He also pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth. John Gant pitched the final 2 1/3 innings of relief as the Cardinals ran their winning streak to three games.

Carlson and Paul Goldschmidt hit home runs in the sixth, the fourth time this season the Cardinals hit back-to-back homers.

Alec Mills (4-3) struck out six over four innings, but 28 of his 81 pitches came in the Cardinals’ four-run fourth.

ATHLETICS 4, ANGELS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Ramón Laureano hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning as Oakland got on the board once Shohei Ohtani left the mound and beat Los Angeles.

Laureano connected against Steve Cishek (0-1) after Ohtani left following six scoreless innings and eight strikeouts.

All-Star Matt Olson hit his team-leading 24th homer in the eighth for Oakland.

The A’s managed just three hits through Ohtani’s six innings, but Cole Irvin (7-8) hung tough shutting down the Los Angeles lineup over seven scoreless innings.

Brandon Marsh hit an RBI single in the ninth against Lou Trivino, who finished for a two-inning save.

ASTROS 4, INDIANS 3

HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez snapped an 0-for-22 slump with a two-run homer, helping Houston beat Cleveland.

The Astros were up by 1 with one out in the fifth inning when Alvarez connected off rookie J.C. Mejía (1-5).

Alvarez also doubled and Michael Brantley added two hits to help the Astros to their second straight victory.

Houston starter Zack Greinke (9-3) yielded five hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Ryan Pressly picked up his 17th save.

Franmil Reyes hit a solo homer and an RBI single for the Indians, whose two-game winning streak ended.

Mejía permitted seven hits and four runs while striking out a career-high eight in 4 1/3 innings in his eighth major league start.

TIGERS 14, RANGERS 0

DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera drove in five runs, including a bases-loaded double in a four-run fifth inning, and Detroit blanked Texas.

The Rangers have lost six straight, the last three by a combined score of 29-0.

Tigers starter Casey Mize was only expected to pitch three innings as the team tries to limit his workload. However, when he retired the first nine hitters, he came back out for the fourth, allowing one single. He struck out four. Joe Jiménez (4-1) got the win in relief.

Kyle Gibson (6-2) allowed eight runs on 10 hits and two walks in five-plus innings.

Akil Baddoo had a two-run homer, finished with four RBIs and scored three times.

NATIONALS 18, MARLINS 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jon Lester pitched seven scoreless innings and homered, Juan Soto hit a pair of home runs and Washington routed Miami.

Lester (3-4) allowed six hits while striking out seven without a walk. Lester hit his fourth career homer and added a single for his fourth career multi-hit game.

Soto continued his torrid post-All Star game pace, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored. He’s 10-for-17 (.588) with five homers and 11 RBIs in four games since the break.

Trea Turner drove in four runs with a homer and a triple and Tres Barerra hit his first career homer for Washington.

Miguel Rojas had a home run among his three hits for the Marlins, who lost their third straight.

Ross Detwiler (1-1) started the bullpen game for Miami and was lifted with no outs in the second after allowing eight runs on seven hits, four of them home runs.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, PIRATES 2

PHOENIX (AP) — Caleb Smith pitched 6 2/3 stellar innings, Eduardo Escobar hit a two-run homer for the second straight game and Arizona beat Pittsburgh.

Smith (3-6) gave up two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven. Joakim Soria pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.

Chase De Jong (1-4) took the loss for the Pirates, giving up four runs over five innings. He walked two and gave up seven hits, including three homers.

The Pirates pulled within 4-2 in the seventh after Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds hit back-to-back RBI singles.

Pavin Smith and Josh VanMeter hit back-to-back solo homers in the second for the D-backs.

TWINS 3, WHITE SOX 2, 8 INNINGS, 1ST GAME

WHITE SOX 5, TWINS 3, 2ND GAME

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Gavin Sheets hit a game-ending three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, giving Chicago split in a doubleheader with Minnesota.

Minnesota won the opener in eight innings, but the White Sox avoided a sweep when Sheets turned on a 3-1 fastball from Twins ace José Berrios and drove it deep to right for his fifth home run. Berrios (7-4) entered the seventh having allowed only two hits — solo shots by José Abreu and Yoán Moncada — before Brian Goodwin led off with a single and Berrios hit Andrew Vaughn with a pitch.

A wild pitch moved the runners up, then Sheets connected to win the game for Chicago.

Aaron Bummer (2-4) pitched a scoreless seventh for the White Sox.

Mitch Garver homered in his first two at-bats of the nightcap.

The White Sox have won eight of 10.

In the first game, Nelson Cruz hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth after tying the game with a solo homer in the sixth. Jorge Polanco added an RBI single in the eighth as Minnesota ended a three-game losing streak.

Tyler Duffey (2-2) pitched a scoreless seventh, working around two walks, for the win.

Tim Anderson homered for the third straight game and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 16 before sitting out the second game.

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