ST. PETRSBURG, Fla. — Daniel Norris, Drew VerHagen and Joe Jimenez combined on a five-hitter Friday night to outpitch Charlie Morton, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 2-0.

Norris went the first three innings, VerHagen pitched five and Jimenez earned his seventh save by striking out Eric Sogard with two on to end the game.

VerHagen (3-2), who came into the game with an 8.03 ERA, gave up three hits and two were erased by double plays.

The Rays, who hold the American League’s second wild-card spot, opened a six-game homestand after returning from a 5-1 trip with a major league-best 40-23 record away from home. They are 31-29 at home.

Only three runners reached second base for the Rays, who have lost 10 of their last 17 at home.

Dawel Lugo scored the Tigers’ first run on a passed ball after a double by Niko Goodrum off Morton in the fourth. Doubles by Travis Demeritte and Jordy Mercer off reliever Pete Fairbanks made it 2-0 in the eighth.

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BLUE JAYS 7, MARINERS 3: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Randal Grichuk hit back-to-back home runs, Jacob Waguespack won his third straight decision and Toronto won at home.

Derek Fisher and Danny Jansen also went deep for the Blue Jays, who have hit 110 home runs since June 16.

YANKEES 3, INDIANS 2: Masahiro Tanaka pitched effectively into the seventh inning, Aaron Judge broke out of his slump with two hits and two runs, and New York won at home.

New York (82-42) clinched its 27th consecutive winning record, the second-longest streak in major league history behind the Yankees’ run of 39 seasons from 1926-64.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NATIONALS 2, BREWERS 1: Anthony Rendon hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth inning, and Washington won at home in the opener of a three-game series between National League playoff contenders.

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The Nationals’ five-game winning streak matched their longest of the season. At 66-55, they improved to 11 games over .500 for the first time since June 9, 2018. Milwaukee lost for the third time in nine games

Washington shortstop Trea Turner led off the eighth with a walk off Junior Guerra (6-4), moved to second on Adam Eaton’s sacrifice and scored on Rendon’s double off the wall in right.

CARDINALS 13, REDS 4: Dexter Fowler hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs, Paul DeJong and Paul Goldschmidt added two-run shots, and St. Louis won at Cincinnati.

Kolten Wong had a solo homer among his four hits, and Fowler, Marcell Ozuna and Tommy Edman each had three as the Cardinals piled up a season-high 18 hits and moved into sole possession of first place in the NL Central.

Aristides Aquino, who was the first player since 1900 to hit at least nine home runs in his first 14 games, made it a record 10 in 16 with a two-run shot deep into the left-field seats in Cincinnati’s three-run sixth. Rhys Hoskins previously held the record with nine in 2017 for Philadelphia.

PIRATES 3, CUBS 2: Pinch-hitter Cole Tucker drew a bases-loaded walk and Kevin Newman hit an RBI single, all with two outs in the ninth, as Pittsburgh rallied at home.

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Tucker, pinch hitting, worked a bases-loaded walk off Brandon Kintzler (2-2), and Newman followed with a single to center field on a full-count for his third game-ending hit of the season.

Kintzler walked three batters in a third of an inning, including an intentional walk to Josh Bell with two outs and the Cubs leading, 2-1. Erik Gonzalez entered as a pinch runner for Bell and scored on Newman’s single.

PHILLIES 8, PADRES 4: Bryce Harper homered for the third straight game, Roman Quinn and J.T. Realmuto also went deep and Philadelphia won at home.

The Phillies had 12 hits and tied their season-high winning streak at four while pulling even with the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild-card spot.


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