Hunter Renfroe, center, celebrates after hitting a two-run home run to lift the Angels to a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays on Sunday in Toronto. Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP
TORONTO — Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Renfroe’s 17th home run of the season came off Blue Jays right-hander Yimi García (3-4). It was the Angels’ first hit with a runner in scoring position in the series. Los Angeles (55-51) had gone 0 for 27 in such situations before Renfroe’s one-out drive to left.
Renfroe went 3 for 4 and drove in all three runs. He also hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the third.
Carlos Estévez (5-1) pitched the final two innings for the win. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in automatic runner Bo Bichette with a leadoff single in the 10th, but the Blue Jays (59-47) couldn’t tie it.
RAYS 8, ASTROS 2: Brandon Lowe hit a two-run homer and drove in three, Josh Lowe capped a four-run first with a three-run double and Tampa Bay won in Houston.
Brandon Lowe, who finished with three hits, hit his homer to right in the sixth to increase Tampa Bay’s lead to 8-2. He also had an RBI single in the fourth.
The Rays got to Houston starter Brandon Bielak (5-6) for four runs in the first, with Yandy Díaz scoring on a fielding error by José Abreu before Josh Lowe hit his three-run double.
ORIOLES 9, YANKEES 3: Adam Frazier hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run first inning for Baltimore, and the Orioles went on to a victory over New York at Camden Yards.
The Orioles led 6-0 before they even made an out against Luis Severino (2-5), and they took two of three in the weekend series. The win kept Baltimore 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay atop the AL East. The Yankees are 3 1/2 behind the last playoff spots in the American League after missing a chance to gain on Houston and Toronto.
ROYALS 2, TWINS 1: Freddy Fermin hit a homer, Maikel Garcia had an RBI double, Ryan Yarbrough gave up one run over seven innings and the Royals completed a sweep of Minnesota in Kansas City, Missouri.
It’s the first sweep by the Royals since last September, which was also against Minnesota.
Yarbrough (4-5) had his best start of the season going seven innings, allowing one earned run and giving up seven hits while fanning five. It’s his third quality start of July and he lowered his ERA to 2.19 in the month of July with 15 strikeouts and just two walks.
GUARDIANS 5, WHITE SOX 0: José Ramírez homered twice and drove in three runs, helping Aaron Civale and Cleveland win in Chicago.
Steven Kwan also homered in Manager Terry Francona’s 1,927th win, breaking a tie with Casey Stengel for 13th on the career list.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
METS 5, NATIONALS 2: Justin Verlander earned his 250th career victory in what could be his final start for New York Mets, who beat visiting Washington after trading Max Scherzer to Texas.
Francisco Lindor homered and had three hits for the fourth-place Mets (50-55), who took three of four from last-place Washington. Pete Alonso drove in two runs.
BRAVES 8, BREWERS 6: Matt Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run blast in the eighth, and Atlanta beat Milwaukee to finish a sweep in Atlanta.
Olson has 35 homers, the most in the NL, and 88 RBI, the most in the majors. The Braves scored 29 runs in the three-game sweep in the matchup of NL division leaders.
REDS 9, DODGERS 0: Elly De La Cruz, Joey Votto and Matt McLain homered, and Cincinnati won easily in Los Angeles to take over sole possession of first place in the NL Central.
De La Cruz went 4 for 5 and scored twice as the Reds rapped out 14 hits in taking two of three from the NL West-leading Dodgers. It was LA’s worst loss since a 15-0 defeat to San Francisco on June 17.
CARDINALS 3, CUBS 0: Steven Matz and two relievers combined on a five-hitter, and St. Louis won at home to snap Chicago’s eight-game winning streak.
Tyler O’Neill, Andrew Knizner and Paul Goldschmidt drove in runs in the first two innings for the Cardinals before the pitchers took it from there.
PIRATES 6, PHILLIES 4: Josh Palacios hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning, and Pittsburgh rallied twice from two runs down to win at home.
With Jared Triolo on as the automatic runner, Palacios led off the 10th by driving a slider from Andrew Vasquez (2-1) 367 feet to right. He celebrated his 28th birthday with his second homer of the season as the Pirates (47-58) took two of three from the Phillies (56-49).
INTERLEAGUE
MARLINS 8, TIGERS 6: Garrett Cooper and Jean Segura homered, newly acquired relievers Jorge López and David Robertson played key roles and Miami won at home.
López (5-2) got the last two outs in the seventh and Robertson closed with a perfect ninth in his Marlins debut for his 16th save.
ROCKIES 2, ATHLETICS 0: Ty Blach tossed five strong innings, Ryan McMahon had two hits and drove in both runs, and Colorado beat Oakland to salvage the final game of the three-game series in Denver.
MARINERS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 0: Luis Castillo threw six sharp innings, J.P. Crawford connected for a solo homer and Seattle beat Arizona in Phoenix.
The Mariners took two of three games in the weekend series, improving to 54-51 for the season as the team’s front office tries to decide whether to be buyers, sellers, or do nothing as Tuesday’s trade deadline approaches.
PADRES 5, RANGERS 3: Gary Sanchez homered twice, Juan Soto doubled in Fernando Tatis Jr. from first base and left-hander Blake Snell had another strong start for the Padres, who finished off a three-game sweep in San Diego.
NOTES
BLUE JAYS: Toronto Jays strengthened their depleted bullpen by acquiring right-hander Jordan Hicks in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Toronto sent minor league right-handers Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse to St. Louis for the 26-year-old Hicks. The Blue Jays (59-47) are tied with Houston in the wild-card race, four games behind Tampa Bay. Toronto trails Baltimore by five games in the AL East.
RANGERS: Texas placed ace Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain and recalled right-hander Grant Anderson from Triple-A Round Rock.
The move was made retroactive to July 27. Eovaldi and Manager Bruce Bochy both said they expect the right-hander to be ready to go when he’s eligible to come off the IL.
• The Rangers continued to load up on pitching by acquiring left-hander Jordan Montgomery and reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Rangers sent left-hander John King, minor league infielder Tommy Saggese and Double-A right-hander T.K. Roby to the Cardinals. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rangers designated right-hander Joe Barlow for assignment.
ORIOLES: Baltimore sent right-hander Tyler Wells to Double-A Bowie after three straight shaky starts following the All-Star break.
Baltimore selected the contract of right-hander Joey Krehbiel from Triple-A Norfolk, although optioning Wells to the minors will only fuel speculation that the AL East leaders will add to their rotation before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Baltimore’s starters have had moments of excellence this season, but the position players and bullpen have been the driving forces behind the team’s rise to the American League’s best record.
ANGELS: Outfielder Taylor Ward was placed on the 10-day injured list with facial fractures a day after he was hit by a 91 mph pitch from Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah.
Ward was taken to a Toronto hospital after being struck in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 6-1 loss. He was released from hospital Saturday evening.
• Los Angeles reacquired slugger C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk in a trade with the Colorado Rockies.
The Angels sent minor league pitchers Mason Albright and Jake Madden to the Rockies on Sunday in the deal that brought two former Angels first-round draft picks back to the team.
BREWERS: Milwaukee placed right-hander Julio Teheran on the 15-day disabled list with a right hip impingement.
The move came after Teheran allowed nine runs on 11 hits in five innings in Saturday night’s 11-5 loss to his former team, the Atlanta Braves.
BRAVES: Atlanta added veteran infielder Nicky Lopez in a trade with the Kansas City Royals.
The major league-leading Braves sent left-hander Taylor Hearn to Kansas City for the 28-year-old Lopez, who can play shortstop, second base and third.
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