Angels Manager Phil Nevin, center, talks with starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani before taking him out of the game due to arm fatigue during the second inning Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds in Anaheim, Calif. Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 44th homer in the first inning before he abruptly left the mound in the second due to arm fatigue during the Los Angeles Angels’ 9-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader.
Elly De La Cruz had a career-high six RBI with a three-run homer and a three-run triple for Cincinnati following the latest early departure of Ohtani, who has been bothered by nagging injuries on the mound all summer.
Ohtani faced six batters and threw 26 pitches before he departed with a 2-2 count on Christian Encarnacion-Strand, following a brief consultation with the training staff. Ohtani skipped his previous turn in the Angels’ rotation to rest his arm, and he has now left five starts early this summer with injuries including finger blisters, a cracked fingernail and cramping.
The two-way superstar homered and pitched in the same game for the seventh time this season, with his two-run shot moving him past Atlanta’s Matt Olson to reclaim the MLB lead. Ohtani also left the game as Los Angeles’ designated hitter, and rookie Nolan Schanuel reached base four times after replacing him.
YANKEES 9, NATIONALS 1: Aaron Judge had his first three-homer game and tied his career high with six RBI, almost single-handedly breaking New York’s first nine-game losing streak in 41 years.
Two hours after general manager Brian Cashman called the season “a disaster,” Judge drove a first-inning curveball from MacKenzie Gore (6-10) over the Yankees bullpen in right-center.
Judge opened a 6-0 lead in the second with his fifth career grand slam, a shot into the netting above Monument Park in center field. In the seventh, he combined with DJ LeMahieu for back-to-back homers against Jose A. Ferrer, popping the ball over the right-field short porch just inside the foul pole.
RAYS 6, ROCKIES 5: Brandon Lowe hit a game-ending single leading off the bottom of the 10th inning, and Tampa Bay rallied from another late deficit to beat Colorado in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Lowe’s hit to right off Brent Suter (4-2) scored automatic runner Osleivis Basabe.
Yandy Díaz tied it at 5 with a two-run single in the ninth off Rockies closer Justin Lawrence. The AL batting leader went 2 for 4 and raised his average from .328 to .329.
CUBS 6, TIGERS 4: Yan Gomes hit a tie-breaking, two-out single in the eighth inning, and playoff-contending Chicago won at Detroit.
Detroit’s Kerry Carpenter hit a grand slam in the sixth inning off Jameson Taillon that tied the game at 4, but his teammates didn’t do much else at the plate.
The Cubs have won 24 of their last 34 games and took 2 of 3 from the Tigers, improving to 9-1-1 in their last 11 series. They currently hold the second NL wild-card spot and are trying to challenge first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central.
BREWERS 8, TWINS 7: Brice Turang beat out an infield hit with two outs in the 10th inning to bring home Willy Adames with the winning run, and host Milwaukee beat Minnesota.
Adames also homered for the second straight day and singled home the tying run earlier in the 10th to help the NL Central-leading Brewers complete a two-game sweep and win their fifth straight. Milwaukee rallied from a three-run deficit.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ORIOLES 7, BLUE JAYS 0: Anthony Santander homered twice, Dean Kremer threw six innings of five-hit ball and Baltimore won at home.
The Orioles extended their streak of series without being swept to 80 and maintained their two-game lead in the AL East over Tampa Bay. Toronto fell one game behind Seattle for the final AL wild-card spot.
WHITE SOX 5, MARINERS 4: Designated runner Tim Anderson stole third and scored the winning run on a throwing error — all on a failed pickoff play — as host Chicago snapped Seattle’s season-best eight-game winning streak with a win in the 10th inning.
Anderson was leading off second base when Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh threw to second base in a pickoff attempt following a pitch from Justin Topa. J.P. Crawford took the throw from Raleigh and threw wildly to third in an effort to get Anderson. But the Mariners couldn’t handle the overthrow and Anderson crossed the plate with the winning run.
ROYALS 4, ATHLETICS 0: Cole Ragans matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in six scoreless innings, Bobby Witt Jr. hit his 26th home run and visiting Kansas City avoided a three-game sweep.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
BRAVES 7, METS 0: Charlie Morton gave up two hits in seven innings while allowing no runs for the third straight start as Atlanta won at home.
Marcell Ozuna drove in four runs with three hits, including a two-run homer.
CARDINALS 6, PIRATES 4: Richie Palacios had a career-best three hits and drove in two runs, and visiting St. Louis avoided a three-game sweep.
PADRES 4, MARLINS o: Seth Lugo allowed three hits in six innings, Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer and San Diego beat visiting Miami.
GIANTS 8, PHILLIES 6: Paul DeJong had a memorable first day with the Giants with a two-run homer in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the 10th in San Francisco’s win at Philadelphia.
San Francisco salvaged the final game of the three-game series to finish 2-4 on the trip, rebounding after closer Camilo Doval blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Bryce Harper’s homer that rang off the foul pole in right field.
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