MLB ROUNDUP: Blue Jays sweep Mets in three-game series, Liam Hendriks records first post-cancer win

The New York Mets’ woes went from bad to worse Sunday as they suffered a series sweep at the hand of the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Toronto’s Brandon Belt broke a seventh-inning tie with a huge two-run homer and the Blue Jays beat the New York Mets 6-4 for a three-game sweep.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also went deep for the Blue Jays, who blew a four-run lead but quickly recovered. Toronto has won four straight and six of seven.

Tommy Pham hit two of New York’s four solo homers. Pete Alonso and Starling Marte also connected for the Mets (30-30), who completed a 3-3 homestand that started with a three-game sweep of Philadelphia.

Nate Pearson (3-0) gave up Alonso´s major league-leading 21st homer and Marte´s tying drive in the sixth before Toronto regained the lead against Dominic Leone (0-2). Alonso’s 72nd homer at Citi Field made him the career leader at the ballpark.

Guerrero, who homered in the third off Kodai Senga, ripped a single to center field in the seventh. Belt followed by hitting a slider off the protective wall surrounding the home run apple in center. 

It was Belt´s third homer and first since May 10 at Philadelphia. It also was his second in New York this season – the veteran first baseman went deep April 21 at Yankee Stadium.

After getting the go-ahead hit in the ninth inning Saturday against David Robertson when the Mets chose not to walk him, Guerrero homered for the first time since hitting a grand slam in the ninth at Tampa Bay on May 23.

Whit Merrifield hit a two-run double off an ineffective Senga. Matt Chapman doubled and scored on a two-base throwing error by New York rookie catcher Francisco Álvarez.

Pham homered in consecutive at-bats off starter Yusei Kikuchi, who allowed two runs and four hits in five innings.

Jordan Romano tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his 15th save in 18 opportunities.

Pitching on four days´ rest for the first time in the majors, Senga gave up four runs – three earned – and four hits in a career-low 2 2/3 innings.

The Mets totaled just five runs in the series and fell back to .500 for the 11th time. New York also lost for the seventh time in 12 games since winning five straight May 17-22.

Toronto had first and second with one out in the second when Merrifield lined a double to the warning track in center to easily score Chapman and Daulton Varsho for a 2-0 lead.

With one out in the third, Guerrero drove a first-pitch fastball into the left-field seats for his ninth homer.

 Blue Jays left fielder Whit Merrifield (15) and right fielder George Springer (right) celebrate 

WHITE SOX 6, TIGERS 2 

Jake Burger´s game-ending grand slam handed Liam Hendriks his first win since returning from cancer, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-2 on Sunday for a three-game series sweep.

Hendriks (1-0) worked a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out two. It was the third big league appearance for the All-Star closer since he missed the start of the season after he was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Yoán Moncada and Tim Anderson walked with one out to load the bases for Burger, who hit a drive to left-center off Alex Lange (3-1) for his 12th homer of the season. It was his first career slam and game-ending homer.

Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer for Detroit, which has dropped five of six. Matthew Boyd struck out nine while pitching five innings of one-run ball.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks reacts after Detroit Tigers’ Tyler Nevin struck out 

YANKEES 4, DODGERS 1

Anthony Rizzo scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a grounder and New York edged Los Angeles.

Anthony Volpe provided some insurance with a two-run homer in the ninth for the Yankees, who were without AL MVP Aaron Judge, after he injured his right foot after crashing into the right-field bullpen door while making a running catch on Saturday.

J.D. Martinez homered for the Dodgers, who dropped the final two games in the series.

The Yankees’ Domingo German and Los Angeles’ Bobby Miller matched zeroes as the teams combined for only four hits in the first six innings.

Clay Holmes (4-2) pitched one inning to pick up the win, and Wandy Peralta got the last four outs for his fourth save.

Evan Phillips (1-1) took the loss.

Anthony Volpe celebrates with Isiah Kiner-Falefa after they both scored off of a home run 

RANGERS 12, MARINERS 3

Marcus Semien extended MLB´s longest hitting streak this season to 23 games, Jonah Heim homered and drove in five runs, and Texas´ offense kept rolling.

Corey Seager also went deep as the Rangers won consecutive games by a combined score of 28-9 after taking the series opener 2-0. Nathan Eovaldi (8-2) pitched six scoreless innings for his seventh consecutive victory.

The AL West leaders scored at least 10 runs for a major league-leading 16th time in 58 games.

Seattle rookie Bryce Miller (3-3) was tagged for seven runs and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Texas Rangers’ Jonah Heim follows through on a three-run home run swing in the sixth inning 

RAYS 6, RED SOX 2

Yandy Díaz´s sixth-inning RBI single turned into a two-run Little League homer, and the major league-best Rays beat the sloppy Red Sox.

Josh Lowe, Luke Raley and Díaz each had two hits for the Rays (42-19), who are 6-1 against AL East rival Boston this season.

Alex Verdugo had two doubles, a triple and scored twice for the last-place Red Sox.

Rays rookie Taj Bradley (4-2) gave up two runs and six hits in five innings.

Red Sox starter Tanner Houck (3-5) allowed four runs and five hits over five innings.

Yandy Diaz recorded an inside the park homerun against the Red Sox thanks to awful defense

BRAVES 8, DIAMONDBACKS 5

Eddie Rosario hit a grand slam off Miguel Castro with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting Atlanta to the victory.

Arizona led 5-4 heading into the ninth after Ketel Marte hit a two-run homer and rookie Corbin Carroll connected for a solo shot.

Castro (3-2) appeared as if he might escape the jam after getting Travis d´Arnaud out on a soft liner, but Rosario just cleared the wall in right for his eighth homer.

A.J. Minter (3-5) got the win, and Raisel Iglesias worked around a walk in the ninth for his seventh save in eight chances.

Atlanta Braves’ Ozzie Albies is congratulated by teammates after scoring vs the Arizona

ANGELS 2, ASTROS 1

Shohei Ohtani hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth inning, and the Angels avoided a four-game series sweep.

Ohtani was hitless before clubbing a pitch from Phil Maton (0-1) off the wall in right field, driving in Gio Urshela for a 2-1 lead. The clutch swing gave Ohtani 41 RBIs on the season.

Luis Rengifo hit his third homer for Los Angeles, which stopped a three-game slide. Chris Devenski (3-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win against his first major league team, and Carlos Estévez got four outs for his 14th save.

Yainer Diaz connected for Houston, and Alex Bregman also had two hits. Bregman extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani (left) and Jared Walsh celebrate after game vs Houston 

GUARDIANS 2, TWINS 1

Triston McKenzie tossed five scoreless innings in his injury-delayed season debut, and Cleveland’s Josh Naylor delivered a breakthrough RBI double in the seventh.

McKenzie had 10 strikeouts and only one baserunner, a two-out single by Michael Taylor in the third. The 25-year-old right-hander had been sidelined by a muscle strain in his shoulder.

Twins starter Joe Ryan (7-3) was just as sharp as McKenzie until José Ramírez drew a two-out walk in the seventh. Naylor followed with a drive off the limestone facade that juts out over the right-field wall, putting the Guardians on the board.

Andrés Giménez then greeted Caleb Thielbar with an RBI triple.

Willi Castro homered for the Twins.

James Karinchak (2-4) got the win, and Emmanuel Clase posted his MLB-best 19th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie (24) throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning 

ORIOLES 8, GIANTS 3

Josh Lester drove in two runs for Baltimore with his first major league hit, and Tyler Wells won for the first time in his last four starts.

James McCann reached base three times for Baltimore, including his third home run. Adley Rutschman added two hits and Ryan Mountcastle drew a bases-loaded walk to help the Orioles to their 13th series victory of the season. A year ago, Baltimore didn´t win its 13th series until July 13.

Blake Sabol hit a two-run homer for the Giants. Anthony DeSclafani (4-5) allowed five earned runs in three innings.

Wells (4-2) had a career-high nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, including two in four of the first five innings.

Orioles’ Josh Lester hits a two-run single in front of San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey

CUBS 7, PADRES 1

Marcus Stroman pitched six sharp innings and Miguel Amaya hit his first big league homer, leading the Cubs to the victory.

Yan Gomes and Trey Mancini connected for back-to-back homers for Chicago in the second. Amaya drove in Gomes with a two-run shot in the third, lifting the Cubs to a 7-0 lead.

Stroman (6-4) allowed an unearned run and four hits. He struck out six and walked three in his fourth consecutive win.

Fernando Tatis Jr. had two of San Diego’s five hits. Ryan Weathers (1-4) was tagged for five runs and seven hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman works against a San Diego Padres batter during the first inning 

PIRATES 2, CARDINALS 1

Rich Hill pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning, and the Pirates beat the Cardinals for a three-game series sweep.

Ji Hwan Bae´s two-run single off Miles Mikolas (4-2) in the first provided all the offense Hill would need. Ke´Bryan Hayes singled three times and is hitting .562 (9 for 16) over his last four games.

The 43-year-old Hill (5-5) struck out six in 6 2/3 innings. David Bednar worked the ninth for his 13th save and third in as many days.

Andrew Knizner hit his seventh homer for St. Louis in the seventh inning. Luken Baker – called up to the majors for the first time early Sunday – picked up the first two hits of his career. But the Cardinals lost for the fifth time in six games.

 Pirates celebrate after getting the final out of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals 

BREWERS 5, REDS 1

Adrian Houser pitched seven sparkling innings and Andruw Monasterio hit his first career homer, leading the Brewers to the victory.

Victor Caratini also went deep as Milwaukee (32-27) won for the fourth time in five games. The NL Central-leading Brewers also clinched their first road series win since they swept a three-game set at Seattle from April 17-19.

Houser (2-1) allowed six hits, including Jake Fraley´s seventh homer in the seventh.

Cincinnati (26-33) dropped its fourth straight game. Reds right-hander Ben Lively (3-3) was charged with five runs and six hits in seven innings in his first loss since May 19.

Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich celebrates with Joey Wiemer and Blake Perkins after win

PHILLIES 11, NATIONALS 3

Kyle Schwarber hit two three-run homers, and the Phillies beat the Nationals in the rubber game of their weekend set.

Philadelphia’s Drew Ellis hit his first two homers of the season. J.T. Realmuto went deep for the second day in a row for the Phillies, who finished a 4-6 road trip. Nick Castellanos had three hits.

Phillies left-hander Ranger Suárez (1-2) pitched seven innings of one-run ball.

Ildemaro Vargas hit a two-run homer for Washington. Trevor Williams (2-4) was charged with four runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber celebrates with teammates Brandon Marsh and Drew Ellis after HR

MARLINS 7, ATHLETICS 5

Luis Arraez hit a tiebreaking infield single in the eighth inning, and Miami beat Oakland to complete a three-game series sweep.

Joey Wendle doubled against A´s reliever Austin Pruitt to lead off the inning, and then advanced on Jacob Stallings´ single. Stallings took second on right fielder Ramon Laureano´s throw to the plate as Wendle remained at third.

Sam Moll relieved Pruitt (1-3) and struck out pinch-hitter Jorge Soler before Arraez´s hard smash over a drawn-in infield bounced off second baseman Aledmys Diaz´s glove to give Miami a 6-5 lead. Nick Fortes ran for Stallings and scored from third on Shea Langeliers´ passed ball.

Garrett Cooper went deep for the Marlins. Tanner Scott (4-1) got the win, and Dylan Floro closed with a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Marlins catcher Nick Fortes, and relief pitcher Dylan Floro congratulate each other after win

ROYALS 2, ROCKIES 0

Brady Singer pitched five-hit ball into the sixth inning, leading the last-place Royals to the victory.

Michael Massey hit an RBI single in the fifth for Kansas City. Maikel Garcia led off the eighth with his first major league homer.

Singer (4-4) struck out seven and walked none in 5 2/3 innings. Scott Barlow worked the ninth for his seventh save.

Mike Moustakas and Nolan Jones each had two of Colorado´s eight hits. Kyle Freeland (4-7) allowed four hits in seven-plus innings.