CINCINNATI — Jackson Stephens lasted five innings in his major league debut and drove in the go-ahead runs with a bases-loaded single on Saturday, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-3 victory over the struggling Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs’ fourth loss in five games dropped them to 40-41, well off their pace from a year ago (51-30) when they were on their way to an NL Central title and a World Series championship.

Stephens (1-0) gave up a solo homer by Jon Jay and a two-run shot by Willson Contreras. He was called up to help the Reds fill an opening in the rotation created by Brandon Finnegan’s arm injury.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the fourth, Stephens singled up the middle off Eddie Butler (4-3) for two runs and a 4-3 lead, smacking his hands together as he reached base with his first major league hit.

BREWERS 8, MARLINS 4: Domingo Santana hit a two-run homer that glanced off Giancarlo Stanton’s glove, sparking a seven-run second inning that lifted host Milwaukee over Miami.

Santana tied it with a home run to right off Tom Koehler (1-3), who walked Travis Shaw to start the second. Stanton jumped and got the tip of his mitt on the ball, but it bounced off and fell into the seats. Stanton put his hands on his head as Santana circled the bases.

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Mets 7, Phillies 6: Asdrubal Cabrera hit a go-ahead homer, part of a four-run rally in the seventh inning that carried New York past visiting Philadelphia.

GIANTS 2, PIRATES 1: Denard Span scored on a wild pitch in the 11th inning as San Francisco won at Pittsburgh.

Cardinals 2, Nationals 1: Alex Mejia’s first two major league hits – including an eighth-inning home run – helped St. Louis beat visiting Washington.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

ASTROS 7, YANKEES 6: Houston scored four runs in the eighth inning and rallied past visiting New York.

TIGERS SWEEP INDIANS: Nicholas Castellanos tripled to break a seventh-inning tie and Detroit won the first game of its doubleheader at home against Cleveland, 7-4. Cleveland won the second game, 4-1.

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ROYALS 11, TWINS 6: Mike Moustakas hit his 22nd home run and Alex Gordon connected for a three-run shot as Kansas City rallied at home from a four-run deficit to defeat Minnesota in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

Moustakas tied his season high for home runs and matched Jermaine Dye in 2000 for the club record before the All-Star Game.

RANGERS 10, WHITE SOX 4: Cole Hamels overcame a shaky start to win for the first time since April, and Texas hit three homers to rout host Chicago.

RAYS 10, ORIOLES 3: Logan Morrison homered twice, Wilson Ramos hit a three-run drive and visiting Tampa Bay beat Dylan Bundy and Baltimore.

INTERLEAGUE

BRAVES 4, ATHLETICS 3: Dansby Swanson hit a tiebreaking double off closer Santiago Casilla in the ninth inning to drive in Danny Santana – one of two unearned runs scored by Atlanta – and the Braves held on to win at Oakland.

NOTES

ASTROS: Pitcher David Paulino has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone. He is 2-0 with a 6.52 ERA in six starts.

DODGERS: Manager Dave Roberts served a one-game suspension Saturday night for his role in an altercation with San Diego Padres Manager Andy Green on Friday night.


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