MLB roundup: Sean Murphy lifts Atlanta past Tampa in matchup of MLB’s best teams

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sean Murphy hit a two-run homer and the red-hot Atlanta Braves began a weekend series between teams with the best records in the major leagues with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.

With right-hander Charlie Morton (9-6) pitching into the seventh inning and Murphy extending a power surge that has seen Atlanta homer in 24 straight outings, the Braves won for the 19th time in 21 games to improve baseball’s best mark to 59-28.

The AL-best Rays (57-34) have lost a season-high six straight, although that wasn’t the lone reason for concern after starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (2-3) left in the sixth inning with what the club announced was “cramping.”

Murphy went deep in the fourth inning after Atlanta’s first baserunner, Matt Olson, reached on an error. The drive to right-center wiped out a 1-0 lead the Rays took on Wander Franco’s homer off Morton in the first.

CUBS 3, YANKEES 0: Jameson Taillon made a triumphant return to Yankee Stadium, allowing one hit in eight innings to outpitch Carlos Rodón in the All-Star’s injury-delayed Yankees debut and lift Chicago to its first-ever victory in the Bronx.

Taillon (3-6) limited the Yankees to just Gleyber Torres’ single to center in the first and a pair of walks. He struck out four, set his season high for innings and didn’t allow a runner past first base in his first victory since June 13.

Rodón (0-1), a 30-year-old lefty coming off consecutive All-Star seasons, started his career with the White Sox, spent 2022 with San Francisco and signed a $162 million, six-year contract with the Yankees last winter. He strained his left forearm during spring training and was slowed by a bad back during rehab, causing him to miss the first half of the season.

RANGERS 7, NATIONALS 2: Adolis García and Corey Seager homered, rookie Cody Bradford earned his first major league victory, and Texas won in Washington in the opener of a three-game series.

Garcia and Josh Jung each drove in two runs for Texas, which had dropped six of eight. The Rangers assured themselves of entering the All-Star break with at least a share of the AL West lead.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

GUARDIANS 3, ROYALS 0: Aaron Civale struck out a season-high nine over seven innings and Josh Bell hit a two-run homer, sending Cleveland to a win at home.

Civale (3-2) allowed two hits and did not walk a batter while throwing 100 pitches, 70 for strikes. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.56 in his seventh start since missing two months with a strained left oblique.

BLUE JAYS 12, TIGERS 2: Whit Merrifield homered and drove in four runs and Toronto won in Detroit for its fourth straight victory.

Toronto improved to 15-5 against American League Central teams, while the Tigers fell to 2-15 against the AL East.

George Springer added a home run and three RBI for Toronto, which sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run fourth and 11 in a five-run ninth. Kevin Kiermaier had four hits.

Alek Manoah (2-7) won for the first time since April 5, allowing one run on five hits in six innings. Manoah, whose 11-start winless streak started April 11 against the Tigers, struck out eight without walking a batter.

MARINERS 10, ASTROS 1: Luis Castillo threw seven strong innings, Mike Ford had a bases-clearing double during a nine-run fourth for Seattle, and the Mariners won in Houston.

Kolten Wong drove in two runs in the fourth, starting the scoring with an RBI single and concluding it with a two-out double. He was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.

After Wong’s single that made it 1-1, Julio Rodríguez hit a two-run single to chase Houston starter Hunter Brown (6-6). Phil Maton struck out Ty France but walked Teoscar Hernández before Cal Raleigh added an RBI fielder’s choice to make it 4-1.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 3: Pinch-hitter Cristian Pache hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning as visiting Philadelphia rallied to beat Miami and match the franchise record with its 13th straight road victory.

The Phillies, coming off a three-game sweep of the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays, moved within 1 1/2 games of the second-place Marlins in the NL East standings by tying the franchise mark for road wins set in 1976. The Atlanta Braves lead the division.

Miami had a 3-1 lead entering the ninth before J.T. Realmuto hit a leadoff single against reliever A.J. Puk (4-3) and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Alec Bohm then hit a one-out double that scored Realmuto and made it 3-2. Puk struck out pinch-hitter Josh Harrison to set the stage for Pache’s heroics.

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