CINCINNATI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz hit a three-run homer, drove in four runs ad scored twice to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. De La Cruz, who had three hits, joined Eric Davis and Barry Larkin as the only Reds’ players with 25 homers and 65 stolen bases in a season. He stole his 100th career base in his 251st game on Friday night.
Rookie Rhett Lowder (2-2) made his fifth start for Cincinnati and allowed five hits in five innings. He has a 1.40 ERA through five starts, allowing one earned run or fewer in four of them.
NATIONALS 5, CUBS 1 CHICAGO (AP) — MacKenzie Gore struck out nine in seven sparkling innings, and Washington beat Chicago. Joey Gallo hit a three-run homer for Washington, which had dropped five in a row. José Tena had three of the Nationals’ 12 hits.
Washington played without All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams , who was demoted to the minors earlier in the day. Abrams isn’t expected to play for the big league team again this season. Gore (10-12) earned his second straight win.
The 25-year-old left-hander was working on a no-hitter before Patrick Wisdom connected for his eighth homer with one out in the seventh inning. TIGERS 6, ORIOLES 4, 10 INNINGS BALTIMORE (AP) — Beau Brieske pitched out of a jam in the ninth inning, Riley Greene drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th and Detroit inched closer in the AL wild-card chase by beating Baltimore. Detroit moved within a half-game of the Twins for the final A.