Chicago’s Jonathan Villar, left, scores on a sacrifice fly by Christopher Morel as Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud applies a late tag during the eighth inning Friday in Chicago. Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs became the first team in 23 years to stop a losing streak of 10 or more game while ending an opponent’s winning streak of at least 10 games, beating the Braves 1-0 Friday to halt the Braves’ 14-game run.
Rookie Christoper Morel hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, helping the Cubs stop a 10-game slide, their longest since 12 straight losses from last Aug. 5-16.
Atlanta’s 14 consecutive wins were the most for the Braves since their post-1900 record of 15 from April 16 to May 2, 2000.
A pair of double-digit streaks had not ended in the same game since Philadelphia beat Houston on Sept. 15, 1999, ending the Phillies’ skid at 11 and the Brewers’ winning streak at 12.
Chicago had not won 1-0 since May 28 last year against Cincinnati. The Braves lost 1-0 for the second time this year following a defeat at Milwaukee on May 16.
A.J. Minter (2-1) walked pinch-hitter Jonathan Villar leading off the eighth, advanced on Andreton Simmons’ sacrifice, stole third without a throw on Minter’s 2-1 pitch in the dirt to Morel and scored on Morel’s 277-foot fly to center with the wind blowing in.
Villar slid home headfirst as Michael Harris II’s throw was slightly up the first-base line.
PHILLIES 5, NATIONALS 3: Bryce Harper had three hits against his old team, and Philadelphia beat skidding Washington in a doubleheader opener in Washington for its 13th win in 15 games.
Nick Castellanos drove in two runs and scored another for the Phillies, who improved to 12-2 under interim manager Rob Thomson. Philadelphia’s 10-game winning streak against the Nationals is its longest against the franchise since 10 in a row against 1991 Montreal Expos.
Harper raised his average to .323.
Washington has lost six straight, dropping to an NL-worst 23-44. Josh Bell homered for the Nationals, who have lost nine of 11 overall and nine straight home games to the Phillies.
BREWERS 5, REDS 4: Keston Hiura hit a tiebreaking home run off Ross Detwiler in the seventh inning, and visiting Milwaukee beat Cincinnati for its third win 13 games.
Hunter Renfroe’s three-run homer in the fourth and Willy Adames’ solo shot in the fifth built a 4-0 lead against Hunter Greene on a night every run scored on a homer.
GIANTS 2, PIRATES 0: Carlos Rodón scattered two hits over eight sharp innings and visiting San Francisco edged reeling Pittsburgh.
Rodón (6-4) won his second straight start and lowered his ERA to 2.84 after striking out eight against two walks as the Giants sent the Pirates to their 10th loss in 11 games. Rodón has allowed two runs or fewer in 11 of his 13 starts this season. Camilo Doval worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save.
Luis González took the game’s third pitch from Zach Thompson (3-5) and sent it over the right-field seats for his third home run. Joc Pederson hit his 14th homer leading off the fourth. The Giants have won six of seven and 12 of 18.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ORIOLES 1, RAYS 0: Dean Kremer pitched six scoreless innings and rookie Adley Rutschman singled home the game’s only run in the seventh as Baltimore handed Tampa Bay Rays its fourth straight loss, in Baltimore.
Kremer allowed five hits and matched the six scoreless frames thrown by Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz.
Then Ryan Mountcastle hit a one-out double off Calvin Faucher (0-1), and Rutschman followed with a single to center.
RANGERS 7, TIGERS 0: Jonah Heim doubled, homered and drove in three runs and visiting Texas extended Detroit’s losing streak to six games.
Jon Gray (2-3) pitched seven scoreless innings to end a five-start winless streak. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.
NOTES
PADRES: San Diego right-hander Joe Musgrove has been placed on the COVID-19 injured list, interrupting his stellar season. The team announced the move on Friday night.
Musgrove’s 1.59 ERA ranks second in the majors, and he is 8-0 on the season, tied with four others for the major league lead in wins. He has recorded a quality start in each of his 12 appearances, becoming the seventh pitcher since 1994 to begin a season with at least that many in a row.
ANGELS: Los Angeles third baseman Anthony Rendon will undergo surgery for a right wrist injury and miss the rest of the season, the team announced.
Rendon reaggravated a previous injury to the wrist during Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and has not played since.
Rendon, 32, has played in 155 of the Angels’ 384 games during the first three seasons of the $245 million, seven-year deal he signed before the 2020 season.
ROYALS: Kansas City infielder Nicky Lopez lost his salary arbitration case with the Royals and will get $2.55 million instead of his $2.9 million request, a decision that clinched management’s third straight winning record.
Teams lead 8-3 with just three cases pending, involving New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Atlanta left-hander Max Fried and Miami catcher Jacob Stallings. Hearings are scheduled through next week.
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