Rookie catcher Adrian Del Castillo, a Miami native playing his first pro game in his hometown, slugged a grand slam and drove in six runs, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-6 win over the host Marlins on Monday night. Del Castillo went 2-for-4 with a walk and his first career stolen base. He also threw a runner out attempting to steal second.
Brandon Pfaadt (8-6) earned the win despite allowing nine hits, two walks and four runs in 5 1/3 innings. The Diamondbacks have won five straight games in which Pfaadt has pitched. Nick Fortes had a solo home run and a sacrifice fly as Miami lost for the fourth time in five games.
Mets 4, Orioles 3 Francisco Alvarez hit a walk-off homer -- the first of his career -- in the ninth inning for host New York, which took the opener of a three-game series against Baltimore. Edwin Diaz (4-1) logged a perfect ninth inning for the Mets, who won for the fourth time in 10 games to move within 1 1/2 games of the idle Atlanta Braves in the race for the final National League wild-card spot. Ramon Urias and Ryan Mountcastle had two hits apiece while combining to score all three runs for the Orioles, who fell a half-game behind the idle New York Yankees in the race for first place in the American League East and the top overall seed in the AL.
Rangers 4, Pirates 3 Corey Seager slammed two home runs to account for all of Texas' offense as the Rangers earned a win against Pittsburgh in the opener of a three-game series at Arlington, Texas. Marcus Semien had two hits and scored a run for the Rangers, who have won two in a row for the first time since a five-game winning streak from July 21-25. Jose Urena (4-8) pitched four innings of shutout relief for the win.
Jared Triolo hit a three-run homer as the Pirates fell for the 12th time in 14 games. Pittsburgh starter Luis L. Ortiz (5-4) gave up four runs and five hits in six innings.
Reds 6, Blue Jays 3 TJ Friedl had a solo homer among his three hits as visiting Cincinnati defeated Toronto. Ty France added two hits and two RBIs for the Reds, who ended a three-game losing streak. Cincinnati right-hander Julian Aguiar made his major league debut and allowed two runs and four hits in four innings.
Tony Santillan (1-1) earned the win. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ernie Clement hit solo home runs for the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series that begins a seven-game homestand.
Astros 5, Red Sox 4 Yainer Diaz belted his first career walk-off home run with one out in the ninth inning as Houston overcame an error-prone performance and claimed a win over visiting Boston. Diaz drilled a first-pitch cutter from Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (3-2) 401 feet to left-center field. It marked the 14th home run of the season for Diaz and made a winner of Astros closer Josh Hader (6-6), who worked a perfect top of the ninth.
Boston's Masataka Yoshida snapped a 2-2 deadlock with a two-run pinch-hit homer in the top of the sixth. Houston committed a season-high four errors. Royals 5, Angels 3 Salvador Perez drove in three runs and Paul DeJong homered to lead Kansas City past visiting Los Angeles, the Royals' fifth consecutive win.
In the opener of a three-game series, Perez began the scoring in the third inning with a two-out RBI single, and he added a two-run double in the seventh. The Angels put two runners on base in the first inning against Seth Lugo, who then retired 10 consecutive batters. Lugo (14-7) registered his 18th quality start of the year, tied for fourth most in the major leagues, and leads the majors with 166 2/3 innings pitched.
Dodgers 3, Mariners 0 Gavin Stone struck out 10 over seven innings, Gavin Lux and Max Muncy hit home runs in the seventh, and Los Angeles shut out Seattle to open a nine-game homestand. Stone (11-5) had his career strikeout high by the fourth inning when he had fanned eight Mariners. He gave up just two hits, matching his lowest mark ever in a start, equaling his performance in an April 26 win at Toronto.
Muncy delivered in his return from a three-month absence caused by an oblique injury and a rehab that included three separate setbacks in his recovery. Lux homered for the third time in seven games. Padres 5, Twins 3 Jackson Merrill's three-run double snapped a third-inning tie and put San Diego ahead to stay as the Padres started a three-game series with a victory over visiting Minnesota.
Michael King (11-6) got the win after pitching six innings and allowing two runs on four hits. Three relievers finished up, with Robert Suarez working the ninth for his 28th save in 31 chances this season. Zebby Matthews (1-1) absorbed the loss in his second major league game.
The right-hander allowed four hits and five runs (two earned) in five innings. Christian Vazquez had two hits and an RBI for the Twins. Athletics 3, Rays 0 Joe Boyle and three relievers combined on a two-hitter, JJ Bleday hit a two-run homer and Oakland opened a four-game series against visiting Tampa Bay with a victory.
Boyle (3-5) threw a career-high 104 pitches and struck out six while walking three for his first victory since April 29. He allowed both Tampa Bay hits. Mason Miller pitched the ninth for his 19th save in 21 opportunities this season.
The Rays had their three-game winning streak snapped and managed only a pair of singles in the opener of a 10-game road trip. Tampa Bay starter Taj Bradley (6-8) lost his fourth straight start, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings. Giants 5, White Sox 3 Kyle Harrison threw six strong innings, Tyler Fitzgerald doubled and scored in a four-run fifth, and San Francisco opened a three-game home series against Chicago with a win.
Winless in his three previous August starts, Harrison (7-5) limited the White Sox to one run and five hits. He walked two and struck out five. The rookie pitched out of no-out jams in the third with the bases loaded and the fourth with two aboard, retaining a scoreless tie in an early pitchers' duel with Chicago's Jonathan Cannon (2-7).
The White Sox also got two aboard in the ninth before Jordan Hicks recorded the final two outs on flyballs to lock down his first save of the season. --Field Level Media.
