MLB roundup: Hunter Pence hits inside-the-park HR, Rangers beat Red Sox 9-5

Hunter Pence hit a stand-up, inside-the-park home run and the Texas Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 9-5 Tuesday night in Boston after both managers were ejected.

Ariel Jurado (4-2) struck out six while pitching six innings of three-run ball, and Pence, Asdrubal Cabrera and Ronald Guzman each had two RBIs for the Rangers. Texas has won four of five, including Monday night’s extra-innings victory at Fenway Park.

Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts homered for Boston, which has lost three straight and five of six.

The Red Sox dropped to 34-34 on a night filled with frustrations. Andrew Benintendi was ejected in the fifth, and manager Alex Cora was also tossed defending his outfielder.

Darwinzon Hernandez (0-1) made his first major league start and struck out seven, but he struggled with his control and allowed four runs – three earned – on three hits and five walks. He faced two batters in the fourth, when Texas pulled ahead 4-3.

The Rangers added two more runs in the fifth on a double by Guzman, and the Red Sox began to unravel in the bottom half of the inning.

With Benintendi banished to the clubhouse, Pence took advantage of a realigned outfield for his 14th homer.

Texas manager Chris Woodward was tossed for the first time in his managing career by plate umpire Angel Hernandez when he argued a reversed call by second base umpire Jordan Baker in the sixth.

Yankees 12-4, Mets 5-10, Doubleheader

NEW YORK – Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer in the first inning off an ineffective James Paxton, J.D. Davis and Carlos Gomez also went deep, and the Mets wont the second game of a day-night doubleheader to earn a split with the Yankees.

Jason Vargas (3-3) wasn’t sharp early but got stronger as the night wore on, helping the Mets to only the fifth win in their last 23 road games.

Luke Voit hit a three-run homer off Zack Wheeler (5-4) in a five-run fourth inning as the Yankees overcame a three-run deficit to win the opener 12-5. After falling out of the AL East lead for the first time since the morning of May 19, the Yankees (41-25) moved back into a tie with Tampa Bay atop the division.

The Mets (33-34) have not been over .500 since May 3.

Paxton (3-3) remained winless in three starts since a trip to the injured list caused by left knee inflammation. He gave up a season-high six runs, seven hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, departing after RBI singles from Michael Conforto, Wilson Ramos and Adeiny Hechavarria.

In the opener, Masahiro Tanaka (4-5) gave up a three-run homer to Jeff McNeil that put the Mets ahead 4-1 in the third but rebounded to win for the first time in a month.

Gio Urshela homered, had four RBIs and was a triple short of the cycle for the Yankees. Gary Sanchez hit his 20th homer and had three RBIs.

Cardinals 7, Marlins 1

MIAMI – Rookie Dakota Hudson allowed one run in a career-high seven innings, and St. Louis handed Miami its sixth consecutive defeat.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina returned after missing 11 games because of a strained right thumb and went 2 for 5 with a single and double.

Marcell Ozuna punctuated the victory with a ninth-inning homer, his 18th.

Hudson (5-3) gave up four hits, struck out six and retired 10 in a row during one stretch for the Cardinals, who have won his past five starts.

The Marlins totaled five hits, all singles. They rank last in the majors in runs and have been outscored 31-10 in the past six games.

Elieser Hernandez (0-1), recalled from Triple-A New Orleans to make his first start of the year, allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Phillies 7, Diamondbacks 4

PHILADELPHIA – Scott Kingery hit a three-run homer, Jake Arrieta threw six effective innings and Philadelphia beat Arizona.

Arrieta (6-5) allowed three runs and six hits for his second win in eight starts. Hector Neris pitched the ninth for his 14th save in 14 tries.

Ketel Marte went deep for the Diamondbacks and the teams combined for only two homers a night after setting a major league record with 13.

Arizona lefty Jon Duplantier (1-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in three innings. The Diamondbacks’ five-game winning streak ended.

Kingery gave the Phillies a 3-0 lead in the second with a drive to left, his seventh homer and third in two games. Bryce Harper ripped an RBI double to right to make it 4-0.

Carson Kelly’s two-run double with two outs in the fourth cut it to 4-2. Eduardo Escobar’s sacrifice fly in the fifth got Arizona within a run.

The Phillies regained their two-run lead in the bottom half. Bruce had an RBI single after J.T. Realmuto hit a double on which Rhys Hoskins scored following a throwing error by left fielder David Peralta.

Orioles 4, Blue Jays 2

BALTIMORE – Rookie John Means tied a season-high with seven strikeouts and Baltimore took the series opener from Toronto.

Means (6-4) allowed one run on four hits with three walks over five innings and lowered his ERA to 2.60.

Baltimore reliever Shawn Armstrong threw a pair of scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Anthony Santander had three hits and an RBI-double for Baltimore, which can win consecutive games for the first time since May 4-6 and a series for the first time since April 22-24.

Eric Sogard led off the game with his sixth home run for the Blue Jays, who dropped their fifth straight game and have lost 11 of 13.

Blue Jays rookie right-hander Trent Thornton (1-5) loaded the bases on three walks in the second, but the Orioles couldn’t capitalize. Thornton allowed three runs and seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks over five innings.

Athletics 4, Rays 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Mike Fiers pitched six effective innings, Matt Olson and Khris Davis hit consecutive homers, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Fiers (6-3) allowed two runs and three hits, and is 4-0 in seven starts beginning with his no-hitter against Cincinnati on May 7.

Liam Hendriks, Lou Trivino and Blake Treinen, who gave up Willy Adames’ RBI single in the ninth en route to his 15th save, combined to strike out six and complete the four-hitter.

Tommy Pham homered for the Rays, who are 16 games over .500 despite an 18-15 record at home.

After Matt Chapman reached on shortstop Adames’ throwing error in the sixth, Olson hit a two-run homer and Davis then went deep two pitches later off Emilio Pagan (1-1) as Oakland took a 4-2 lead.

Indians 2, Reds 1, 10 Innings

CLEVELAND – Rookie Oscar Mercado hit a bases-loaded single with one out in the 10th inning, leading Cleveland past Cincinnati in the intrastate matchup.

Mercado lined a 1-2 pitch from Raisel Iglesias (1-6) to left field and was mobbed by his teammates after rounding first base.

Mike Freeman drew a one-out walk and took third on a single by Leonys Martin. Francisco Lindor was intentionally walked, setting the stage for Mercado.

Brad Hand (3-2) pitched two scoreless innings and struck out the side in the 10th.

Cleveland has won five of seven on its homestand, taking two of three from Minnesota and the Yankees.

Indians starter Trevor Bauer allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings and threw 118 pitches. Red starter Luis Castillo allowed a solo homer to Carlos Santana in the fourth and struck out six in six innings.

Astros 10, Brewers 8

HOUSTON – Rookie Yordan Alvarez hit one of Houston’s four home runs to become the first player in franchise history to homer in his first two major league games.

Yuli Gurriel, Robinson Chirinos and Tyler White also homered for the Astros, who won for the fourth time in five games.

Travis Shaw hit a solo homer for the Brewers, who added a run on a bases-loaded walk in the eighth and got within two on Yasmani Grandal’s three-run homer in the ninth. But Devenski struck out Eric Thames to end it.

Houston starter Brad Peacock (6-3) yielded seven hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings for the win.

Freddy Peralta (3-3) took the loss by giving up eight hits and six runs in four-plus innings.

Christian Yelich hit his MLB-leading 25th home run and finished a triple shy of the cycle as Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak was snapped.

Royals 3, Tigers 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jorge Soler had the tying RBI double in the eighth inning and Cheslor Cuthbert followed with the go-ahead run-scoring single to lead Kansas City over Detroit.

Adalberto Mondesi started the rally with a double with one out and scored on Soler’s hit off Victor Alcantara (2-1). Terrance Gore ran for Soler and stole third. He then scored on Cuthbert’s single between three fielders in right field to put the Royals ahead.

Scott Barlow (2-2) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to get the win, and Ian Kennedy got the last three outs for his fifth save.

Jakob Junis had a quality start for Kansas City, allowing two runs and five hits with five strikeouts in seven innings.

The Tigers’ Nicholas Castellanos hit his 100th career homer, all with Detroit. Brandon Dixon hit a 447-foot homer in the fourth.

Twins 6, Mariners 5

MINNEAPOLIS – Jorge Polanco scored the tying run on a wild pitch and Marwin Gonzalez hit the go-ahead RBI single during Minnesota’s three-run rally in the eighth inning.

Polanco reached base all four times he batted. He tried for a hustle double on each of his three hits, beating the tag at second base twice. That included the eighth against reliever Brandon Brennan (2-5), when Polanco followed Max Kepler’s leadoff double with his own on a head-first slide to cut the lead to 5-4.

After advancing on a long fly out by Eddie Rosario, Polanco raced home on a stray slider by Austin Adams that skipped in the dirt past catcher Tom Murphy. Gonzalez put the surging Twins in front with his sharp single.

Matt Magill (2-0) pitched a perfect eighth for the Twins, winners in 19 of their last 25.

White Sox 7, Nationals 5

CHICAGO – Welington Castillo hit a grand slam and top rookie Eloy Jimenez homered at home for the first time, powering Chicago.

Castillo got his second career slam, with the other coming June 14, 2017, in the same ballpark when he played for the Baltimore Orioles.

Jimenez went 2 for 5 with two RBIs and three runs. He drove a 1-1 pitch from Washington starter Patrick Corbin (5-5) over the batter’s eye in center and onto the concourse for an estimated distance of 462 feet.

Anthony Rendon homered twice for the Nationals, who snapped a three-game winning streak.

Reliever Evan Marshall (1-0) retired all four batters he faced to get the win.

Alex Colome got the final five outs – working out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth – for his 14th save in 14 chances.

Rockies 10, Cubs 3

DENVER – Rookie Peter Lambert went five strong innings and baffled Chicago for a second time in five days as Colorado won its 10th straight at home.

Lambert (2-0) allowed one run and three hits in his Coors Field debut.

Daniel Murphy led the Rockies offense with three hits, including a two-run double in the first. Charlie Blackmon added a three-run homer as part of a five-run sixth to break open the game.

Chicago lefty Jose Quintana (4-6) allowed four runs, three earned, over 4 2/3 innings. He also took the loss in Lambert’s debut.

Jason Lambert homered in the second for the Cubs.

Braves 7, Pirates 5, 8 Innings

ATLANTA – Brian McCann hit one of four Atlanta homers in the second inning and took Pirates starter Chris Archer deep again with a tiebreaking, three-run shot in the sixth to lead the Braves.

The Braves, tied for first in the NL East, have won five straight. The game was called following a 1-hour, 48-minute rain delay after the eighth inning.

Touki Toussaint (4-0), who relieved after another ineffective start by Mike Foltynewicz, earned the win. He allowed two hits and struck out two in 1 2/3 innings.

Giants 6, Padres 5

SAN FRANCISCO – Evan Longoria hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning and made a stellar defensive play in the ninth as San Francisco rallied past San Diego.

Joe Panik singled twice and Pablo Sandoval added a sacrifice fly for the Giants. Steven Duggar hit a home run, his first since mid-April.

Fernando Tatis Jr. homered on the first pitch of the game and drove in two for San Diego. Ian Kinsler also went deep.

Mark Melancon (3-1) retired three batters to win. Will Smith pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 15th save in 15 tries. Longoria backed Smith with a leaping grab on Manuel Margot’s hard liner for the second out of the inning.