CINCINNATI — Max Scherzer struck out a season high 15, allowing three hits over eight innings to lead the Washington Nationals over Cincinnati, 4-1, on Sunday, their 12th win in 14 games against the Reds.
When manager Dave Martinez visited the mound with a runner on second and two outs in the ninth, Scherzer told him emphatically to keep him in the game. Scherzer then fanned Joey Votto on three straight called strikes.
Scherzer (3-5) reached double figures in strikeouts for the fourth time in 13 starts this season and 86th time in his career, Sean Doolittle pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save as Washington won for the seventh time in nine games.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jake Odorizzi (8-2) won his eighth straight decision, allowing three hits and striking out nine in six scoreless innings to lower his AL-best ERA to 1.96.
Minnesota, a big league-best 40-18, won three in a row after losing the series opener 14-3.
C.J. Cron had a three-run double during a four-run fifth off Ryan Yarbrough (4-2), helping the Twins open a 7-0 lead.
CHICAGO — Lucas Giolito (8-1) tossed five-hit ball for 7⅔ innings to win his sixth straight start. He struck out nine and walked none while extending his scoreless streak to 14⅓ innings.
Aaron Bummer got two outs in the eighth, and Alex Colomé finished for his 12th save.
ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright (5-5) overcame a career-high seven walks to pitch eight shutout innings and beat Cole Hamels (4-2) as St. Louis completed a three-game sweep.
The Cardinals got just four hits in their fourth straight win. Chicago was limited to three hits, and lost for the sixth time in seven games.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Adrian Sampson (4-3) struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings, allowing one run and eight hits as he earned his first major league win as a starter.
Brad Keller (3-7) gave up three runs in seven innings. Kansas City ended a 1-6 trip that left the Royals a major league-worst 8-23 on the road.
BALTIMORE — Brandon Crawford had his first multihomer game since August 2015, and Evan Longoria had a solo shot that stopped an 0-for-21 skid.
Bruce Bochy needs one win to join John McGraw as the only managers in Giants history with 1,000.
ATLANTA — Dansby Swanson homered, drove in three runs and scored the tiebreaker on Freddie Freeman’s double off Joe Jiménez (2-3) in the eighth.
Touki Toussaint (3-0) got one out in the eighth.
PITTSBURGH — Zach Davies (6-0) allowed eight hits over eight-plus innings, struck out three and walked one.
Corbin Burnes inherited a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth but wiggled free for his first save this season and second of his big career.
LOS ANGELES — Rich Hill (2-1) struck out nine and scattered three hits over seven innings, and West-leading Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of East-leading Philadelphia.
Joc Pederson homered to cap a seven-run eighth inning. The Dodgers extended their winning streak to five with their seventh series sweep. Philadelphia has lost four in a row for the first time this season.
PHOENIX — Merrill Kelly (5-6) struck out a career-high 10, and Ketel Marte hit a long homer and had three RBIs.
Marte hit his first career leadoff home run, a 482-foot shot off Steven Matz (4-4) that matched Texas’ Nomar Mazara for longest in the majors this season. He added a two-run single in the eighth.
DENVER — Antonio Senzatela (4-4) allowed one run and four hits in six innings, Chris Iannetta homered and Colorado won its eighth straight game.
The Rockies swept their weekend set against struggling Toronto to close out a 9-1 homestand. Nolan Arenado homered and singled while extending his hitting streak to 13 games, and Raimel Tapia increased his hit streak to 12 games.
SEATTLE — Albert Pujols hit his 643rd homer, his 11th this year, and drove in five runs.
Called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday night, Juan Suarez (1-0) allowed three runs and five hits in 5⅔ innings to win his big league debut.
OAKLAND, Calif. — Rookie Myles Straw had three hits, three stolen bases and scored the go-ahead run on Michael Brantley’s single in the 12th inning to help Houston complete its second three-game sweep of the season against Oakland.
Yuli Gurriel added a single in the 12th for his second RBI of the game to give the Astros their sixth sweep in their last nine series in Oakland. Houston also swept the A’s at home in a three-game series in April.
The A’s were held to seven runs in the series with all the scoring coming on six homers. They have lost five straight following a 10-game winning streak and now trail Houston by a season-high 10 1/2 games in the AL West.
Three of those recent losses have been with Lou Trivino (2-3) in relief. He pitched a perfect 11th but ran into big trouble in the 12th for his second loss of the series and third in Oakland’s past four games. Straw, called up from the minors earlier in the week, got it started with a single and then stole second.
Alex Bregman walked with one out before Brantley and Gurriel followed with RBI singles that made it 6-4.
Josh James (3-0) pitched two perfect innings for the win.
The Astros overcame a pair of solo homers in the second by Robbie Grossman and Jurickson Profar to build a 4-2 lead. Gurriel hit an RBI double in the first, two runs scored on an infield grounder by Bregman in the fifth and Derek Fisher added an RBI single in the seventh.
But the A’s answered with solo homers by Ramón Laureano in the seventh off Will Harris and Matt Chapman in the eighth off Ryan Pressly to tie the game. That gave Oakland 28 homers during a 12-game streak.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: Houston’s long list of injured players including 2B Jose Altuve (hamstring) and OF George Springer (hamstring) got a day off from rehab for a recovery.
Athletics: LHP Brett Anderson, who was removed as a precaution Saturday after feeling something in his right side, got treatment and the A’s are hopeful he will be able to make his next start Friday at Texas.
SPEED KILLS
The Astros capitalized on their speed. Tony Kemp went from first to third on a single by Straw in the fifth. Straw then stole second and both runs scored on Bregman’s infield grounder. Shortstop Marcus Semien fielded the ball in the hole but his long throw to first was in the dirt and Matt Olson couldn’t scoop it. The ball rolled a few feet away and Straw raced home with the go-ahead run on Semien’s second error of the season. Straw then added another run in the seventh when he walked, stole second and scored on Fisher’s single.
GETTING TOSSED
Home plate umpire Alan Porter ejected two more A’s this game. He tossed Stephen Piscotty after he questioned a called third strike that ended the 10th inning. Manager Bob Melvin then came out to argue and was tossed as well. Porter ejected Semien on Saturday for arguing a foul ball call.
FOR STARTERS
Both starters ended up with no-decisions with Houston’s Gerrit Cole allowing two runs and four hits in six innings and Oakland’s Chris Bassitt giving up three runs and six hits in six innings.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Corbin Martin (1-1, 5.51) will make his fifth career start in the series opener Monday at Seattle.
Athletics: RHP Frankie Montas (6-2, 2.40 ERA) heads into the series opener Tuesday at the Angels having gone eight straight starts without allowing a home run.
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