Mike Trout homered in his seventh consecutive game, but it wasn’t enough for the Los Angeles Angels in a 5-4 loss to the host Cleveland Guardians on Monday night.
Trout became the ninth player in major league history to hit a home run in seven consecutive games, the most recent being the Reds’ Joey Votto last July.
The major league record is eight, held by Dale Long (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1956), Don Mattingly (New York Yankees, 1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (Seattle Mariners, 1993).
Amed Rosario’s seventh-inning double drove home Steven Kwan to snap a 4-4 tie and lift Cleveland to its fourth win in a row. Enyel De Los Santos (4-0) got the victory in relief over Angels reliever Aaron Loup (0-5). Emmanuel Clase pitched a perfect ninth inning for his major-league-best 34th save.
Astros 7, Tigers 0
Framber Valdez recorded the first complete-game shutout of his career and visiting Houston rolled to a victory over Detroit.
Valdez (15-5) limited Detroit to six hits and one walk while striking out eight in his 24th consecutive quality start. Kyle Tucker drove in three runs, while Jeremy Pena supplied three hits, two runs and an RBI.
The Tigers were shut out for the second consecutive game and a club-record 21st time this season. Detroit starter Eduardo Rodriguez (3-5) gave up five runs and 10 hits in five innings.
Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 0
Tyler Anderson pitched seven shutout innings, Mookie Betts slugged a three-run homer and Cody Bellinger ripped a two-run double as Los Angeles clinched a National League postseason berth with a shutout victory over host Arizona at Phoenix.
Trayce Thompson hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the seventh inning as Los Angeles locked down its 10th consecutive playoff appearance — a day after MLB incorrectly announced they had clinched. Anderson (15-3) allowed five hits, two walks and struck out two while continuing his career-best season.
Ketel Marte reached base three times on two hits and a walk for Arizona.
Giants 3, Braves 2
Alex Cobb threw seven shutout innings and San Francisco opened a three-game series against visiting Atlanta with a victory.
Second baseman Vaughn Grissom’s throwing error plated the game’s eventual difference-making run in the fifth inning, leading the Braves to a third straight defeat and preventing them from cutting into a 1 1/2-game deficit behind the New York Mets in the National League East.
Willie Calhoun, making his Giants debut, contributed a run-scoring single. Cobb (6-6) yielded just six hits without issuing a walk. He struck out seven. Dansby Swanson had a two-run single for the Braves.
Cubs 5, Mets 2
Javier Assad recorded his first big-league win, allowing one run over six innings as visiting Chicago beat New York.
Rafael Ortega had a homer and two RBIs and Zach McKinstry laced a two-run homer for the Cubs, who won for the third time in 10 games. Brandon Hughes allowed Francisco Lindor’s two-out homer in the ninth but threw 1 2/3 innings to record his fifth save.
Mets starter Chris Bassitt (13-8) was tagged for five runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Rangers 3, Marlins 2 (Game 1)
Mark Mathias drew a go-ahead, bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning as Texas rallied to defeat host Miami in the first game of a doubleheader.
Jonathan Hernandez (2-2) earned the win in relief. Jose Leclerc pitched a perfect ninth to earn his fifth save in five chances.
Steven Okert (5-3), who walked three batters in the eighth, took the loss.
Marlins 10, Rangers 6 (Game 2)
Rookie Charles Leblanc hit a pair of RBI doubles during an eight-run fifth inning as host Miami defeated Texas to earn a split of the doubleheader.
Marlins reliever Bryan Hoeing (1-1) logged his first major league win even though he gave up four runs on five hits in two innings. Miami’s Jon Berti had a two-run single, stole two bases and scored three times.
Marcus Semien led the Rangers with three hits, three RBIs and two runs. He fell a double short of the cycle.
Blue Jays 3, Rays 2
Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning and Toronto defeated visiting Tampa Bay.
The Blue Jays, coming off an 8-2 road trip, gave the Rays their third straight loss in the opener of a five-game series.
Tim Mayza (7-0) retired the only batter he faced for the win. Jordan Romano, helped by a superb catch in center field by defensive replacement Jackie Bradley Jr., threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his 33rd save. Jason Adam (2-3) took the loss after yielding Bichette’s homer.
Pirates 6, Reds 3
Home runs from Bryan Reynolds, Rodolfo Castro and Diego Castillo led visiting Pittsburgh to a win over Cincinnati.
Reynolds opened the scoring with a solo shot in the first inning. Aristides Aquino responded with a two-run blast for the Reds in the fourth before Pittsburgh regained the lead for good in the fifth when Castro socked a three-run homer and Castillo hit a two-run shot.
Bryse Wilson (3-8) earned the win after throwing 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball. Wil Crowe tossed two shutout frames for his fourth save. Reds starter Mike Minor (4-11) yielded all six Pittsburgh runs, four earned, in five innings.
