PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Nola pitched into the eighth inning to win his 10th game of the season, Rhys Hoskins homered again and the Philadelphia Phillies started a pivotal division series by beating the Washington Nationals 4-3 on Thursday night.
Hoskins hit a two-run shot in the seventh inning for his 13th home run of the year and a 4-1 lead that propelled the Phillies to within two games of idle Atlanta for first place the NL East.
Nola, who beat the Nationals in his last outing, pitched again like an All-Star and hasn’t lost in six turns since May 26. Nola (10-2) struck out eight and walked only two over 114 pitches and 72/3 sensational innings.
CUBS 11, DODGERS 5: Anthony Rizzo’s three-run double and Addison Russell’s two-run homer highlighted a seven-run seventh inning as Chicago broke loose after Clayton Kershaw exited to come away with a win in Los Angeles.
The Cubs pounded out 15 hits, including four by Rizzo. Russell drove in four runs in the final regular-season meeting between the teams that played each other in the NL Championship Series the last two years.
BREWERS 6, REDS 4: Eric Thames hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning, and Milwaukee slowed the Reds’ best surge of the season with a win at Cincinnati.
The game included a benches-clearing incident in the third as the Reds’ Joey Votto exchanged words with Brewers catcher Erik Kratz.
Milwaukee beat the Reds for the sixth straight time. The last-place Reds had won nine of their last 10 games.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, MARLINS 0: Zack Greinke pitched seven innings and was an offensive dynamo, too, helping Arizona to a win in Miami.
Greinke singled twice, drove in a run, stole a base and scored. He raised his season average to .300, and is 7 for 7 lifetime in steal attempts.
Greinke (8-5) won for the fifth time in his past six starts. He allowed seven hits – all singles – but walked none and benefited from several good defensive plays.
ROCKIES 9, GIANTS 8: DJ LeMahieu hit a two-run homer in the ninth and set a career high with five RBI, rallying Colorado to a win at San Francisco.
Nolan Arenado hit his 19th home run, tying him for the NL lead with Washington’s Bryce Harper. Trevor Story added three hits for Colorado, which had lost four straight at San Francisco.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
MARINERS 4, ORIOLES 2: Nelson Cruz homered and drove in three runs, and Seattle used two errors in the 10th inning to complete its first four-game sweep at Baltimore in franchise history.
The Mariners improved to 8-0 in extra innings this season. They prevailed in 11 innings on Wednesday.
After missing two straight games with lower back pain, Cruz celebrated his return with his 21st homer.
ASTROS 1, RAYS 0: Lance McCullers pitched seven strong innings, Jake Marisnick homered and Houston won at St. Petersburg, Florida, to tie a franchise record with its 11th straight road win.
McCullers (9-3) gave up three hits while striking out seven. The Astros have won his last six starts and have won 18 of 21 overall.
ATHLETICS 4, TIGERS 2: Jed Lowrie had two more hits, Sean Manaea pitched six strong innings and Oakland completed a four-game sweep at Detroit.
Lowrie went 9 for 17 (.529) with two homers and three doubles in the set, driving in at least one run in all four games.
TWINS 2, WHITE SOX 1: Max Kepler drew a two-out walk with the bases loaded in the 13th inning and Minnesota outlasted the White Sox at Chicago.
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