NEW YORK — Bryan Mitchell earned his first major league win, combining with Luis Severino and Tyler Clippard to shut down the dangerous Toronto Blue Jays, and the New York Yankees kept up their surprising surge with a 2-0 victory Wednesday night that completed a three-game sweep.

Starlin Castro homered and Brian McCann had an RBI single for the Yankees, who have won four straight and 10 of 14. They closed within 21/2 games of Baltimore for the second AL wild card.

Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman struck out eight in five innings Wednesday, but the Yankees won 2-0 to finish off a three-game sweep in New York. Associated Press/Adam Hunger

WHO'S HOT

n Mets pinch hitters have hit 12 homers, tying a franchise record.

who’s Not

n Orioles reliever Mychal Givens has given up seven runs in his past eight innings.

Marcus Stroman (9-7) struck out eight in five innings but the Blue Jays lost for the fifth time in six games.

Toronto’s power-packed lineup has been shut out six times this year, three by the Yankees.

RAYS 7, ORIOLES 6: Corey Dickerson hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning to help Tampa Bay avoid a three-game sweep at home.

Dickerson, in a 2-for-28 slide, had made it 6-6 with an RBI single in the fifth.

J.J. Hardy drove in two on a second-inning double and Michael Bourn hit a solo homer during a three-run third that put Baltimore ahead 5-3.

INDIANS 6, ASTROS 5: Carlos Carrasco overcame a home run and an apparent bug in his eye to pitch into the eighth inning, and Cleveland defeated visiting Houston.

The game-time temperature was 87 degrees, causing swarms of midges to journey from Lake Erie to the muggy ballpark.

Carrasco (11-7) allowed Colby Rasmus’ two-run homer in the fourth, one batter after the game was stopped briefly when one of the bugs appeared to get in his eye.

The right-hander regrouped after the home run, allowing four runs in 71/3 innings.

WHITE SOX 7, TIGERS 4: Avisail Garcia hit a go-ahead single against his former team in a four-run eighth as host Chicago kept Detroit a game out of the last AL wild-card spot.

TWINS 6, ROYALS 5: Miguel Sano’s hustle led Minnesota to a pair of early runs and his RBI double tied the game in the decisive seventh inning, helping the Twins dodge a series sweep at home.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PIRATES 4, CARDINALS 3: Jung Ho Kang led off the eighth inning with a home run, leading host Pittsburgh past St. Louis to snap an eight-game losing streak.

Kang hit a drive deep into the bullpen in left-center off rookie Alex Reyes (1-1) for his 17th homer and third in two games.

METS 6, REDS 3: Jose Reyes homered on the first pitch of the game, Noah Syndergaard lasted five shaky shutout innings and visiting New York won its fifth straight.

Reyes and Curtis Granderson each homered for the second straight day as the Mets beat Cincinnati for the 14th straight time.

BREWERS 2, CUBS 1: Jonathan Villar hit two home runs and Keon Broxton robbed Anthony Rizzo of a homer in the ninth as Milwaukee won at home.

NOTES

ASTROS: Shortstop Carlos Correa was sent back to Houston because of inflammation in his left shoulder.

Manager A.J. Hinch said he was optimistic the reigning AL Rookie of Year would be able to play this weekend when the Astros host the Cubs.

DODGERS: Left-hander Scott Kazmir lasted less than an inning in his minor league rehab start at Oklahoma City, leaving with neck and ribcage issues, and will return to Los Angeles for evaluation.

ROYALS: Catcher Salvador Perez has only a bruise on his right wrist after getting hit by a pitch Tuesday, but was held out of the starting lineup against Minnesota.

Related Stories