NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez hit his 696th career homer, Ivan Nova grinded through six innings and the Yankees’ bullpen trio closed up shop for the second straight game to help New York beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 on Monday night.
Nova (7-5) loaded the bases in the first inning and needed 60 pitches to get through three but allowed just a solo homer to Jonathan Schoop. He handed a 2-1 lead over to New York’s bullpen troika of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman.
Chapman hit 105 mph while locking down his 19th save. He retired Ryan Flaherty on a grounder with a runner on first to end it, as the bouncing ball hit part of Flaherty’s shattered bat in the middle of the diamond before being easily handled.
ROYALS 7, INDIANS 3: Jarrod Dyson hit a grand slam that capped a seven-run rally in the eighth inning as host Kansas City broke loose after Corey Kluber cramped up.
Kluber scattered five hits and took the mound to begin the eighth with a 2-0 lead. But Manager Terry Francona and trainer James Quinlan came from the dugout and pulled Kluber before he could throw a pitch.
TIGERS 1, TWINS 0: Matt Boyd allowed three hits in six outstanding innings as host Detroit handed last-place Minnesota yet another loss.
Justin Upton homered in the second inning to back Boyd (1-2), who struck out seven with one walk and provided a welcome boost to a rotation that has shown little depth of late.
Three relievers finished for the Tigers, with Francisco Rodriguez pitching a hitless ninth for his 26th save in 28 chances.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CUBS 5, METS 1: Anthony Rizzo hit a three-run homer, and Jon Lester pitched 72/3 innings as Chicago stopped an eight-game losing streak against New York in a rematch of last year’s NL championship series.
With one out and two on in the third inning, Rizzo fouled off five straight 2-2 pitches from Steven Matz before driving a change-up deep into the right-center bleachers for his 22nd homer.
The crowd of 41,353 cheered wildly as Rizzo rounded the bases on a picturesque night at Wrigley Field. The All-Star slugger is batting .339 with three homers and 10 RBI in July.
REDS 8, BRAVES 2: Zack Cozart, Joey Votto and Eugenio Suarez homered in the fourth inning as host Cincinnati got the better of a matchup between the NL’s two worst teams.
The Reds (35-58) have taken three of five this season against the Braves, who have the majors’ worst record (32-61).
MARLINS 3, PHILLIES 2: Aaron Nola tossed two-hit ball over six innings, but Miami tied the game off Jeanmar Gomez in the ninth and won it in the 11th at Philadelphia.
Martin Prado hit a solo homer leading off the 11th off Brett Oberholtzer (2-2).
CARDINALS 10, PADRES 2: Mike Leake had his second straight double-digit strikeout game with no walks, joining Bob Gibson as the only Cardinals to accomplish the feat, as St. Louis won at home.
Leake (7-7) struck out a season-best 11, one shy of his career high, and allowed one run and six hits in six innings.
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