PITTSBURGH — Gregory Polanco hit his first home run in eight months, and spot starter Steven Brault and six relievers did just enough to help the Pittsburgh Pirates edge the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Tuesday night.
Polanco sent a two-run shot to the first row of seats in right-center off Adrian Sampson (0-2) in the fifth, his first since dislocating his left shoulder in an awkward slide last September. Melky Cabrera added a pinch-hit two-run double off Sampson as the Pirates won for the fifth time in six games.
Brault, filling in for injured Jameson Taillon, gave up two runs in four innings in his first start since April 27, 2018. Michael Feliz (2-0) pitched a scoreless fifth. Felipe Vázquez worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save, including a three-pitch strikeout against Joey Gallo to end it. Gallo touched Vázquez for a 467-foot home run in Texas last week.
Hunter Pence drove in all four runs for Texas, doubling twice and adding his fourth home run. The rest of the Rangers went 2 for 27. Texas stranded eight runners and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Sampson allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings. The 27-year-old is still in search of his first major league win.
The Pirates have recovered from an eight-game losing streak thanks in part to a return to interleague play, where they’ve thrived since the start of 2013. Pittsburgh is an NL-best 80-48 against the AL over the last five-plus seasons, including a 16-5 mark since the beginning of 2018.
RAYS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 3: Brandon Lowe homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the first, opener Ryne Stanek and five other relievers combined on a seven-hitter, and host Tampa Bay moved to a season-high 11 games over .500.
Lowe drove in his second run on a grounder during a three-run seventh as Tampa Bay improved to 9-1-2 in series play by taking the first two games of the three-game set.
After Stanek struck out four in two innings, winner Jalen Beeks (2-0) gave up one run and three hits in 3 1/3 innings.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
WHITE SOX 2, INDIANS 0: Lucas Giolito carried a shutout into the eighth inning and James McCann stayed with hot with an RBI single, leading Chicago to a win at Cleveland.
Giolito (3-1) didn’t have to work hard against the Indians, who came in batting an AL-low .213 – 13 points lower than the next closest team, and 62 behind the league-leading Houston Astros.
The Indians wasted a strong outing by starter Jefry Rodriguez (0-2). Cleveland has been shut out twice in three games and scored just one run in the past 27 innings.
The Indians managed just five hits – three by Francisco Lindor, and two by Jason Kipnis.
McCann delivered a run-scoring single in the sixth off Rodriguez. MCann is batting .422 with nine RBI in his past 11 games.
TWINS 3, BLUE JAYS 0: Jose Berrios allowed four hits in seven innings, Mitch Garver homered and Minnesota shut out host Toronto for the second straight night.
Berrios (6-1) won a career-best fifth consecutive start as the AL Central-leading Twins won for the eighth time in 11 games and moved a season-high 10 games over .500. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out five.
Trevor Hildenberger and Trevor May worked the eighth, and Taylor Rogers pitched the ninth to complete the six-hitter and earn his fourth save.
Garver shook off a cut on the neck from a broken bat and went 3 for 3. His two-run homer in the sixth off Aaron Sanchez (3-3) was his seventh this season, tying a career high.
ANGELS 5, TIGERS 2: Griffin Canning (1-0) earned the win in his second career start, giving up two runs and four hits over 5 1/3 innings as Los Angeles won at Detroit.
Luke Bard and Ty Buttrey combined for 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief and Hansel Robles pitched the ninth for his third save in as many chances.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PHILLIES 11, CARDINALS 1: Bryce Harper hit a grand slam, his first with the Phillies, and Rhys Hoskins added four hits, including a homer, to spark Philadelphia at St. Louis.
Harper’s homer capped a six-run second inning. Philadelphia took advantage of two errors and two walks as all six runs were unearned.
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