CHICAGO — Phillip Ervin hit a two-run homer to snap a tie in the seventh inning and had four RBI in his first major league start as the Cincinnati Reds rebounded from blowing a nine-run lead to defeat the Chicago Cubs 13-10 on Thursday.

Ervin, in right field in his fifth game, also had a single and double in four at-bats. On Wednesday, the 25-year-old homered as a pinch hitter for his first hit.

Joey Votto lofted a three-run homer in a nine-run, second-inning rally as Cincinnati raced to a 9-0 lead against Cubs starter Jon Lester, who left the game with left lat tightness.

Ian Happ hit two solo shots and a sacrifice fly, and Alex Avila went deep and had three RBI for the Cubs, who used six homers to erase a nine-run deficit for the first time since August 1989 versus Houston.

BRAVES 10, ROCKIES 4: Ender Inciarte hit two of Atlanta’s four homers and the Braves won at Denver.

Freddie Freeman and Tyler Flowers also homered, and Lucas Sims (1-3) got his first win in the majors for the Braves.

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The Rockies got a scare in the seventh, when All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado left the game with an apparent injury to his left hand but X-rays were negative.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

INDIANS, TWINS SPLIT: Max Kepler made up for a fielding mistake in the top of the inning with the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh, sending Minnesota to a 4-2 victory over Cleveland in the second game at Minneapolis on Thursday to salvage a doubleheader split.

Twins starter Aaron Slegers sailed through 61/3 innings in his debut, helping stop Cleveland’s six-game winning streak.

Yan Gomes and Jason Kipnis each homered and had three hits for the Indians in a 9-3 victory in the opener as the Twins set a franchise record with 19 strikeouts.

Minnesota’s Glen Perkins made his first appearance after missing more than 16 months because of shoulder trouble, but retired only one batter while allowing two runs.

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BLUE JAYS 5, RAYS 3: Justin Smoak hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning, Josh Donaldson added two solo blasts and Toronto won at home.

Smoak hit a two-run drive off Tommy Hunter (2-4), his 33rd, as the Blue Jays took three of four from the Rays to remain on the fringes of the AL wild card race. Toronto is 10-5 in August.

INTERLEAGUE

YANKEES 7, METS 5: Gary Sanchez homered and matched a career high with five RBI, Luis Severino got right back on track and the Yankees made it a four-game sweep in the Subway Series with a road victory.

Sanchez hit a three-run homer off struggling starter Steven Matz in the first inning and a two-run single in the fourth. Brett Gardner broke his 3-for-29 slump with a two-run double, and the Yankees won twice at Citi Field just as they did back home in the Bronx.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, ASTROS 0: Patrick Corbin came an out short of his first career shutout and as Arizona won at Houston.

After allowing a two-out double to Yuli Gurriel in the bottom of the ninth, Corbin was pulled by Arizona Manager Torey Lovullo. Archie Bradley took over on the mound and struck out Marwin Gonzalez.

Corbin (10-11) allowed four hits and one walk, struck out seven and threw just 105 pitches.


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