Reds top Marlins with battery-powered victory

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- Marlins manager Don Mattingly had seen rookie right-hander Luis Castillo on tape and had read the reports.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, the Miami Marlins had to face the pitcher who had been in their organization until he was traded, along with two other prospects, to the Cincinnati Reds in January.

Castillo beat his former organization and catcher Tucker Barnhart produced a season-high three RBIs as Cincinnati snapped a six-game losing streak with a 6-4 win over Miami on Sunday at Marlins Park.

Castillo (2-4) lasted a career-high eight innings. He allowed three hits, one walk and one run, striking out six. He is one of 13 rookie pitchers -- including eight starters - the Reds have used this year.

"Pretty favorably," Mattingly said when asked how Castillo looked in comparison to the scouting reports, "a guy throwing 100 (mph) who doesn't walk many batters.

"He used everything. He got his breaking ball over. He got his changeup on lefties. His velocity is something you've got to get going for."

Dan Straily (7-7), the player Miami received in the Castillo deal, lost his third straight start. He allowed seven hits, two walks and two runs in six innings.

"I was pretty excited that we were lined up to pitch against each other," Straily said of Castillo. "It's always fun when you get to match up against guys you've been traded for -- I've faced (St. Louis Cardinals outfielder) Dexter Fowler a few times. It's just another layer to baseball."

Castillo noted how he and Straily both wear No. 58 and added that he knows almost all of the Marlins players very well.

"It's amazing," Castillo said. "You face your ex-team. You face the pitcher you were traded for, and we wear the same number on the back of our jerseys. Thank God everything worked out for me today."

The Marlins (49-54) had their four-game win streak snapped. They had won eight straight games against the Reds at Marlins Park, setting a franchise record against any opponent.

This would've been just the 11th four-game sweep in Marlins history and the first against the Reds.

Instead, the Reds (42-63) improved to 3-14 since the All-Star break.

Cincinnati opened the scoring with a two-run second inning. Eugenio Suarez drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a single by Jose Peraza and scored when Barnhart golfed a 1-2 pitch to right for an RBI single.

Peraza scored when Castillo bunted on a safety squeeze. It was Castillo's first career RBI.

Straily suffered an undisclosed injury while fielding the bunt but remained in the game and escaped further trouble with a strikeout and a ground out, both with the bases loaded.

"My hamstring just grabbed real quick, a cramp," Straily said. "I wasn't going to throw another pitch until that was gone because then you would be leaving yourself vulnerable for another one."

Miami cut its deficit to 2-1 when Dee Gordon drew a walk and scored when backup catcher A.J. Ellis drilled a double over the glove of diving center fielder Billy Hamilton.

The threat ended when Christian Yelich's swing produced a two-foot grounder. Barnhart pounced on the ball, tagged Yelich -- who hadn't moved out of the box -- and threw out Ellis at third base for a double play.

Cincinnati extended its lead to 6-1 with a four-run seventh. Reliever Hunter Cervenka loaded the bases with no outs by allowing a single and two walks. Rookie reliever Drew Steckenrider inherited the mess, and the Reds capitalized with an RBI groundout by Adam Duvall, Peraza's RBI walk and Barnhart's two-run single.

The Reds held on despite Marcell Ozuna's three-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth off of reliever Raisel Iglesisas. Ozuna has 24 homers -- a career high -- and 81 RBIs this season. His 27 RBIs this month are a franchise record for July.

"It was good to put together a win," said Barnhart, Cincinnati's hitting hero. "I've been scuffling. I haven't felt like myself. This was a step in the right direction."

NOTES: Marlins C J.T. Realmuto hit his 12th homer of the season Saturday, breaking his previous career high of 11 set last year. Realmuto is fourth in the NL and eighth in the majors in homers by a catcher this year. ... RHP Merandy Gonzalez, 21, is considered the top prospect Miami received when they traded closer A.J. Ramos to the New York Mets. Gonzalez is 12-3 with a 1.78 ERA in 17 Class A starts this year. Miami also got CF Ricardo Cespedes, 19, who was hitting .255 in rookie league. The Marlins on Monday start a three-game series against the NL East-leading Washington Nationals. The teams have split six games this year. ... The Reds start a three-game series at the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. The Reds lead the season series 6-1. ... Reds RHP Homer Bailey, who starts Tuesday, has lost three straight starts, allowing 17 runs (15 earned) in 16 innings.

Rays halt Yankees' 6-game winning streak

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Jacob Faria celebrated his 24th birthday with a nice family dinner on Saturday night.

On the actual birthday, there was not much to celebrate, at least until his bullpen picked him up, especially the new veteran arms for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Newcomers Sergio Romo, Dan Jennings and Steve Cishek were among five relievers who combined on five scoreless innings as the Rays salvaged the finale of a four-game series against the New York Yankees by holding on for a 5-3 victory Sunday.

"It was awesome," said Faria, who allowed three runs and three hits in four-plus innings. "Anytime the bullpen has to get 15 outs, whether it's the best bullpen in the league or just not a good bullpen, that's really hard to do and they went five shutout innings. So it was really, really awesome to see."

Trevor Plouffe, Corey Dickerson, Wilson Ramos and Steven Souza Jr. delivered two-out RBI hits for the Rays, who snapped New York's six-game winning streak.

However, it was a bullpen that had contributed to Tampa Bay losing a major league-worst 33 times when holding a lead that paved the way for the Rays' third win in 11 games.

"It probably wasn't the prettiest thing," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "I think all the credit probably has to go to the bullpen and what they came in and just a lot of high-leverage, high-pressure situations. They calmed the situation down and continued to make good pitches."

None of it was easy once Faria was pulled following consecutive walks to Brett Gardner and Clint Frazier to start the fifth in a 4-3 game.

Romo recorded the first two outs, including a strikeout of slugger Aaron Judge after entering the game with a 7.71 ERA in his first three appearances after being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 22.

Left-hander Dan Jennings finished the fifth before putting two on in the sixth. He did so a day after allowing Gardner's bases-loaded, game-winning single in his second appearance since Thursday's trade from the Chicago White Sox.

Cishek loaded the bases with one out in the sixth but kept the one-run lead. He struck out Judge for the first out of the seventh, finished the inning quickly and was awarded the win by official scorer in his second appearance after Friday's trade from the Seattle Mariners.

"That's why we got those guys, high leverage situations," Faria said. "This whole series was like a playoff atmosphere."

Tommy Hunter breezed through the eighth and protected a two-run lead. Alex Colome put two on in the ninth but retired Judge and Matt Holliday to secure his 30th save 35 chances and end the nearly four-hour game, which saw Tampa Bay use each position players and every reliever except for Brad Boxberger and Chase Whitley.

"Today, it's kind of what they brought us in for, the help the cause out," Romo said. "Today the cause kind of fell in our favor."

While Faria only threw 47 of 92 pitches and issued five walks, the relievers combined to throw 45 of 75 pitches for strikes and issued two walks while facing 20 hitters.

Ronald Torreyes drove in career-high three runs for the Yankees. He hit a two-run homer and added an RBI double off Faria in his first two at-bats.

The rest of the Yankees went a combined 2-for-28, including Judge, who was 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. Judge hit his 33rd homer Friday but also is in a 3-for-19 slump, dropping his average to .302.

"I feel good," Judge said. "I'm hitting .303 in the big leagues with 33 homers. Every time I step to the plate, it's opening day."

Despite not capitalizing on seven walks, two Tampa Bay errors and going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, the Yankees remained ahead of the Boston Red Sox for the American League East lead for the third straight day.

"The thing we didn't take advantage of was free baserunners," Girardi said. "We had some golden opportunities in the fifth, sixth and did not score. That's the difference in the game."

Yankees rookie Jordan Montgomery (7-6) produced his shortest start of his rookie season, allowing four runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings.

NOTES: LHP Jamie Garcia was acquired from the Minnesota Twins, and Yankees manager Joe Girardi said their new acquisition would likely make his debut Thursday in Cleveland. ... Rays 1B Logan Morrison (bruised left heel) was not in the starting lineup for a third straight game, though manager Kevin Cash said Morrison was feeling better. Morrison struck out as a pinch hitter in the seventh on a close pitch he emphatically disagreed with. ... Rays OF Kevin Kiermaier, who is recovering from a fractured right hip, was scratched from a rehab game on Saturday due to back tightness. ... New York C Austin Romine exited after the sixth inning with a bruised left hand and X-rays were negative. Romine was injured when he was hit on the left hand by RHP Steve Cishek.

Yelich, Conley power Marlins past reeling Reds

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- Christian Yelich is taking advantage of hitting behind Giancarlo Stanton.

Adam Conley is taking advantage of his return to the majors after being banished to the minors for more than two months.

Together, they led the Miami Marlins to a 7-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night at Marlins Park.

Yelich, hitting third, one spot behind National League home run leader Stanton in the order, belted a three-run homer in the third inning that gave the Marlins a lead they never relinquished.

The two-out homer came on an 0-2 pitch. It also came after a walk to Stanton, who has 33 homers this year.

"I don't blame them," Yelich said of pitchers who walk Stanton. "He has 30-something homers. He's been red hot lately, hitting everything out of the park. It makes sense.

"Teams are going to be careful with him. If you make a mistake with the big fella, it's going a long, long way. I don't take (the walk to Stanton) personal."

Yelich has been making pitchers pay lately. He has 12 homers this season, including four in the past 10 games. He is hitting .342 during that span.

Conley (4-3) picked up the win, allowing five hits, two walks and two runs in a season-high 7 2/3 innings. He is 3-0 in three career starts against Cincinnati.

He had a 7.53 ERA for his first six appearances before getting sent to Triple-A New Orleans on May 8. In three starts since returning to the majors, Conley has a 1.74 ERA.

"I never lacked in confidence," Conley said. "What I lacked was my stuff and my ability to command the zone. I wasn't getting ahead. I wasn't able to put guys away.

"When I was getting hit around every fifth day, I would come back in the clubhouse and say, 'Who was that?' It didn't even feel like it was me."

Thanks to the revived Conley and Yelich's big homer, the Marlins (49-53) won their season high-tying fourth straight game. Miami has also won seven of its past nine and will go for a four-game sweep of the Reds on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati (41-63) has lost six games in a row. The Reds have also lost eight straight at Marlins Park.

Tim Adleman (5-9), who allowed Yelich's homer, took the loss. He gave up six hits, four walks and six runs in 4 1/3 innings.

"I was just bad," said Adleman, who has allowed at least one homer in 12 straight games. "My fastball command was awful, and my off-speed stuff was only sporadically good. I didn't do a whole lot well."

The Reds opened the scoring with two outs in the first. Joey Votto hit his 27th homer of the season, a solo blast that traveled 425 feet to center.

That lead was quickly erased. With two outs in the third, Yelich hit his opposite-field homer, sending the ball 403 feet to left-center field. Yelich said he has only hit two opposite-field homers in five years at Marlins Park.

Cincinnati cut its deficit to 3-2 in the fourth as Adam Duvall hit his 23rd homer of the season, a long drive to left.

Conley's leadoff walk started what became a three-run rally in the fifth. Dee Gordon singled and Stanton hit a two-run double to right center. Marcell Ozuna capped the inning with a double that sailed over the head of center fielder Billy Hamilton, giving Miami a 6-2 lead.

The teams traded one run each after that -- an RBI single by Miami's J.T. Realmuto and a run-scoring groundout by Cincinnati's Tucker Barnhart.

But that didn't change the result for a Reds team that is battling to stay positive despite losing 14 of its past 16 games.

"The clubhouse is not morose," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Some people think it should be, but we don't want the ballpark to be a place where no one wants to go."

NOTES: Reds C Devin Mesoraco (knee) was injured during the game and will not play Sunday. ... Cincinnati placed All-Star SS Zack Cozart (quad) on the disabled list. The Reds recalled RHP Kevin Shackelford, a reliever, from Triple-A Louisville. He pitched two innings and allowed one run, striking out three. ... RHP Brad Ziegler (back injury) came off the disabled and was made the Marlins closer, replacing A.J. Ramos, who was traded late Friday night. Ziegler, 37, has 85 career saves but has struggled this year with a 6.52 ERA. ... Ramos, 30, has 92 saves since the start of the 2015 season. He was an All-Star last season when he saved 40 games and posted his third straight season with an ERA below 3.00. His 90.9 save percentage this season is ranked fifth in the majors among relievers with at least 20 saves. ... Sunday's series finale features Marlins RHP Dan Straily against Reds RHP Luis Castillo. This will be the first time they have faced their former teams since they were traded for each other in January.

Yankees win 6th straight on Gardner's walk-off single

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- The group celebration was not waiting for Brett Gardner at the plate.

Bases loaded in a tie game with nobody out in the ninth inning, it seemed likely the celebration would occur near first base for the New York Yankees

Gardner created another celebration with a single that gave New York a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon.

Gardner recorded his second walk-off hit of the series and the eighth of his career. His latest occurred after the Yankees loaded the bases on a walk, a hit batsman and a bunt single by the bottom three hitters in the order against Brad Boxberger (2-3).

"When we needed the huge hit, he got it for us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's playing extremely well."

Left-hander Dan Jennings came on and two pitches into his at-bat, Gardner won it by lining a 1-and-0 pitch up the middle through a drawn-in infield.

"Today, there's no reason not to be comfortable in that spot," Gardner said. "That's the reason to play the game, to come up in a spot like that. Bases loaded, no outs, he's going to throw strikes."

As Gardner rounded first base, his teammates met him to celebrate New York's sixth straight win and eighth in nine games. Leading the celebration were Chase Headley and Gary Sanchez, who doused the veteran leadoff hitter with water.

Then Aaron Judge continued the celebration by dousing him with Gatorade while Gardner conducted his on-field interview. Judge did it after chipping a tooth celebrating Gardner's walk-off home run in the 11th in Thursday's 6-5 win.

The inning started when Headley drew a walk from Brad Boxberger (2-3). After pinch runner Jacoby Ellsbury stole second on a 1-and-0 pitch, Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch.

"It (stunk), no other way to put it," Boxberger said.

The Rays moved the corners in but Boxberger couldn't throw a strike as Ronald Torreyes attempted to bunt on the first three pitches. Torreyes was successful on the fourth pitch with a bunt single between the mound and third base, setting it up for Gardner.

"He's been spectacular," Yankees first baseman Chase Headley said of Gardner.

Not everything was spectacular for the Yankees, who blew a 4-3 lead when Lucas Duda hit a 2-and-0 curveball from David Robertson into the second deck in right field in the eighth. Duda's second homer forced the Yankees to create their breaks and rely on Gardner in the ninth.

Before Gardner won it, Headley slugged a pinch, two-run homer with one out in the sixth off Sergio Romo to give New York a 4-3 lead. After Robertson faltered, Aroldis Chapman (4-1) worked around two errors and stranded a runner at third in the ninth by retiring Evan Longoria.

Peter Bourjos and Steven Souza Jr. homered for the Rays, who used every position player and even starting pitcher Austin Pruitt as a pinch runner.

The Rays are 0-6 at Yankee Stadium this season, 2-7 in their last nine games and dropped their major league-leading 33rd game when holding a lead at some point.

"That team's on fire right now and it seems like a lot of things are going their way," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "Stuff's not going our way right now but we got to find a way to overcome it.

The Rays opened a 1-0 lead when Bourjos hit Caleb Smith's second pitch over the left-center field fence. The teams traded sacrifice flies as Didi Gregorius tied the game at 1-1 in the second and Duda put Tampa Bay ahead 2-1 in the third.

Sanchez tied the game with his 16th homer in the in the fourth and Souza gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead with his 22nd homer of the season in the fifth.

NOTES: Tampa Bay 1B Logan Morrison was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game (bruised left heel) but singled as a pinch hitter in the seventh. Manager Kevin Cash said Morrison was going for further testing after he struggled to run to first base on his hit. ... New York OF Aaron Hicks (strained right oblique) said he thinks he can start a rehab assignment by Wednesday. Hicks took swings and did some baserunning activity. Manager Joe Girardi said it's possible Hicks might return when New York returns from its next trip on Aug. 11. ... Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner took part in some of the ceremonies for "Military Appreciation Day" before the game. ... Plate umpire Dan Iassogna had a ball go off his mask in the fourth inning but stayed in the game after Yankees trainer Steve Donahue checked on him.

Marlins in need of closer ahead of game with Reds

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- When the Miami Marlins play the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night, don't look for closer A.J. Ramos.

He was traded late Friday night to one of their National League East rivals, the New York Mets.

Ramos, 30, has 92 saves since the start of the 2015 season, including 20 this year. He was an All-Star last season when he saved 40 games and posted his third straight season with an ERA below 3.00. His 90.9 save percentage this season is ranked fifth in the majors among relievers with at least 20 saves.

"This was especially tough," Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said of the Ramos trade. "A.J. is a guy we drafted and developed. We wish him the best -- except when he's playing us."

The move to deal Ramos could affect Saturday's third game of the series against the Reds as well as many other games going forward.

Miami had already traded veteran reliever David Phelps to the Seattle Mariners last week. Relievers Kyle Barraclough and Brad Ziegler are on the disabled list.

That leaves Marlins manager Don Mattingly with no obvious choice to use as his new closer. Options include veterans such as Dustin McGowan, who picked up the win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night with one scoreless inning of work, or Junichi Tazawa, who has a 5.28 ERA.

Rookies Drew Steckenrider and Jarlin Garcia are long shots to be the new closer, and the same goes for three pitchers who have spent most of this season in the minors: Brian Ellington, Hunter Cervenka and Odrisamer Despaigne.

The timing of the trade was interesting became it was announced well after the Marlins defeated the Reds 7-4 on Friday night. And the Marlins (48-53) are playing well, winning six of their past eight games.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati (41-62) has lost five games in a row and 13 of its past 15.

On Saturday, the Marlins will send left-hander Adam Conley (3-3, 5.62 ERA) to the mound against Reds right-hander Tim Adleman (5-8, 5.11).

Conley is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in two career appearances, both starts, against Cincinnati. Adleman will be making his first career appearance against the Marlins.

Judging by the numbers, neither pitcher has had a great year. Conley had a promising start to his career, going 12-7 combined in his first two years, recording an ERA below 4.00 in both seasons.

But then this season happened and Conley was brutal, getting himself demoted to the minors after his May 8 start sporting a 7.53 ERA.

In Conley's defense, he has gotten himself back on track since returning to the majors. He has allowed just two runs in 13 innings, covering his first two starts back in the majors, good for a 1.38 ERA. He has eight strikeouts and two walks during that span.

Adleman, meanwhile, has had trouble with the long ball. Opponents have hit 11 homers against him in his past seven starts, tied for the most in the majors during that span. He has allowed at least one homer in 11 straight games.

Yet there are some promising signs for Adleman, who has been durable, making 19 consecutive starts this year. He has seven quality starts, which is second on the Reds.

The Reds, who have lost seven straight games at Marlins Park, are hoping Adleman can produce his eighth quality start on Saturday.

But Reds manager Bryan Price cautioned not to make too much of his team's skid in Miami.

"You look at our winning percentage since the second half of 2014, and it hasn't been very good," he said. "We haven't won a lot of games anywhere. I don't think this is any different than any other venue."

Yankees go for sixth win in a row against Rays

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- When things were not going well with the New York Yankees for about a month, the most frequent question was when would the season get turned around?

It seems apparent that the Yankees are turning things around from a month filled with close losses and injuries.

The Yankees can tie a season high with their sixth straight win Saturday afternoon when they continue a four-game series agaisnt the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Yankees were 38-23 on June 12 when they last won six straight. During the next four weeks, they were 7-18 in a span of 25 games. But since the break, things are going reasonably well and of late it's going really well for New York.

After Masahiro Tanaka struck out a career-high 14, Aaron Judge, Clint Frazier and Brett Gardner homered in Friday's 6-1 win. The Yankees are 10-5 since the All-Star break and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They lead the American League East by a half-game.

"It's in front of us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of getting to first place. We're right there. We have a ton of games in our division. For me, it's there for us to go get and, we have to play well. That's the bottom line."

The Rays will add a new player for the third straight game and fourth time in the last week. After acquiring Sergio Romo last Saturday night along with Dan Jennings and Lucas Duda on Thursday, Tampa Bay acquired Steve Cishek from the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

So far, the moves have yet to cure the Rays of their recent slump. By dropping the first two games of the series, Tampa Bay is 2-7 in its last nine games and 2 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals for the second wild-card spot.

Duda made his debut Friday and homered. He became the 48th player used by the Rays this year, and when Cishek gets into a game after being activated Saturday, he will become the 49th, surpassing last season's total.

"I've been following them," Duda said. "I know where they are in the standings. It seems like they have a good shot to maybe take the division. So it's going to a fun next couple of months and I'm excited to be here and I'm looking forward to playing baseball."

Blake Snell would like to end a dubious streak Saturday when he starts for the Rays. At 0-6, he is the first Tampa Bay pitcher to lose at least his first six decisions since Edwin Jackson dropped his first eight decisions in 2007.

Snell last pitched Monday in a 5-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles when he lasted into the eighth inning for the first time. He went two batted into the eighth and allowed three runs and six hits while throwing 109 pitches, the second most of his career.

"I was really challenging hitters and I was proud about that," Snell said. "It's what I've been trying to do for some time now. ... I can see that what everyone's telling me works, and it's true, so just keep battling and keep it going."

Snell made his major league debut in New York on April 23, 2016, in a game decided on Brett Gardner's game-winning homer off Erasmo Ramirez. In five career starts against the Yankees, he is 2-1 with 2.38 ERA.

Snell took a no-decision in his last appearance against the Yankees when he allowed two unearned runs in 4 2/3 innings of an 8-4 loss on April 12 at Yankee Stadium.

Last season, he joined Jake Odorizzi (2014), Chris Archer (2013) and Wade Davis (2010) as the fourth rookie starter to beat the Yankees twice in a season.

For the time being, Caleb Smith is New York's fifth starter and he makes his second career start Saturday, a day after turning 26. If he makes another is likely contingent on how this start goes and if the Yankees acquire a starting pitcher before Monday's non-waiver trade deadline.

Smith made his first career start in Sunday's 6-4 win at Seattle and did not get a decision when he allowed four runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings. In two appearances since joining the Yankees on July 16, Smith has allowed six earned runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Realmuto powers Marlins past Reds

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- J.T. Realmuto swung at nothing but air in the first inning, stranding three runners.

But he more than made up for his early failure, snapping a tie score with a seventh-inning solo homer down the left-field line as the Miami Marlins rallied to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 7-4 on Friday night at Marlins Park.

Realmuto came back from the early bases-loaded strikeout and ended up with a huge game, finishing a triple shy of a cycle. He went 3-for-4, including his career-high 12th homer of the season, an upper-deck shot that traveled 411 feet.

"Mine don't go up there too often," Realmuto said, "so I'm going to enjoy this one."

Reds rookie starter Sal Romano, who got a no-decision, worked out of a first-inning, base-loaded jam by getting Realmuto on a 1-2 breaking pitch that was way outside. Romano then struck out Derek Dietrich on a breaking ball in the dirt.

Those two Marlins hitters had the last laughs, however, as they combined to go 5-for-8 with three doubles and one homer. And the Marlins (48-53) walked away with their sixth win in their past eight games.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati (41-62) has lost five games in a row and 13 of its past 15.

Dusty McGowan (6-1) earned the win with one scoreless inning of relief. Wandy Peralta (3-2), who gave up Realmuto's homer, took the loss.

Miami starter Vance Worley struggled early as Cincinnati scored three runs in the first. Leadoff batter Billy Hamilton drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch, stole his major-league-leading 44th base of the season, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Joey Votto's single to center.

The next batter, Adam Duvall, drove a 1-0 pitch, a fastball clocked at 89 mph, to left center for his 22nd homer.

"They hit mistakes that were down the middle," Worley said. "After that, I settled down."

Miami scored twice in the fourth. The Marlins loaded the bases on a double by Realmuto and a pair of walks. With one out, pinch hitter Tomas Telis hit a comebacker, but Romano's throw home was several feet wide of catcher Tucker Barnhart. Dee Gordon then hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-2.

The Reds escaped further damage when Christian Yelich popped out to end a bases-loaded threat, but Romano was still bothered by his poor throw home when he spoke to the media after the game.

"This game could have been a lot different if I make that play," he said. "It (should've been a double play. ... There's no excuse for that -- the ball just sailed out of my hand."

Miami's Giancarlo Stanton tied the score 3-3 with an RBI groundout in the sixth.

The Marlins then took their first lead, going ahead 7-3 in the seventh after Realmuto's homer, consecutive doubles by Dietrich and Tyler Moore and a two-run homer by pinch hitter Mike Aviles.

Cincinnati closed the scoring with Scott Schebler's solo homer in the ninth. It was his 23rd homer of the year.

The game ended when Reds pinch hitter Patrick Kivlehan hit a fly ball just short of the wall in left-center field. Miami center fielder Yelich ran it down, further frustrating the Reds, who have lost seven straight games at Marlins Park.

"That ball would've been way out of our ballpark," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "(Playing at Marlins Park) changes the whole complex of the game."

NOTES: Miami traded RHP A.J. Ramos to the New York Mets for two prospects. ... Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki tied Craig Biggio with career hit No. 3,060, a double down the right-field line. Suzuki and Biggio are tied for 22nd on the hit list. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto picked up career RBI No. 800 in the first inning. ... Marlins 3B Martin Prado (right knee) had surgery Friday and is expected to miss about one month. ... Miami placed RHP Nick Witgren (elbow) on the disabled list and recalled RHP Odrisamer Despaigne from Triple-A New Orleans. ... Reds 2017 All-Star SS Zack Cozart (right quad) missed his third straight start but might be able to return this weekend. ... The Marlins are reportedly willing to trade RHP Dan Straily, a starter who is under contract through 2020. ... Friday's homer by INF Mike Aviles was his first as a Marlins player. He was called up on July 25.

Yankees roll as Tanaka overpowers Rays

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- When it was over, Masahiro Tanaka was glad he kept fans entertained with his dazzling array of pitches.

In an inconsistent season for the Tanaka, the New York Yankees are hoping for more entertainment from the pitcher projected to be their ace.

Tanaka retired the first 17 hitters and set a career high with 14 strikeouts in eight dominant innings as the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 on Friday night for their fifth straight win.

Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier homered off Austin Pruitt but it was all about Tanaka. Didi Gregorius added an RBI single for New York's final run.

Tanaka lowered his ERA from 5.37 to 5.09 by working quickly and racking up strikeouts early. He had nine by the time Adeiny Hechavarria hit his 69th pitch just past Gregorius' diving attempt at shortstop and into center field but rebounded quickly and struck out Mallex Smith for a third time.

Tanaka (8-9) allowed a run and two hits and did not walk a batter, while hardly resembling the pitcher who has confounded the Yankees to the point where general manager Brian Cashman referred to solving the mystery of Tanaka's struggles as "CSI: The Bronx."

"Just to see him dealing like that is encouraging," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "You want to see him get on a roll."

Tanaka helped continue the Yankees' current roll -- a 10-5 record since the All-Star break and eight wins in the last 10 games to move them back into first place in the American League East for the first time since June 28.

Tanaka reached five three-ball counts all night, including to Tim Beckham, whom he struck out with a full-count sinker on the ninth pitch of the at-bat for the final out of the eighth.

Finishing off Beckham earned Tanaka a loud ovation from the crowd as he walked off the mound.

"Hopefully I was able to entertain everybody," Tanaka said through an interpreter.

Well not everybody, especially the Rays, who beat him twice earlier this year but tied a season low for hits, fell to 0-5 in New York and lost for the seventh time in nine games.

"Tanaka was pretty much the story," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "He really came out early with his approach. Right out of the gate, he went his split, his cutter, his slider. Kept of us off-balance, racked up a ton of strikeouts. From the side there didn't appear to be many pitches that guys could handle. It wasn't like we were missing pitches. ... (A) bunch of quality to perfect pitches. That's the way it goes sometimes."

The right-hander produced his 10th career double-digit strikeout game and surpassed his previous career high of 13 set in a 4-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics on May 26.

"It means I had a lot of swings and misses," Tanaka said.

Tanaka struck out the side in the first and eighth, recorded at least one strikeout in every inning and had multiple strikeouts of Smith, Evan Longoria, Steven Souza Jr., Wilson Ramos and Beckham. The only player who did not strike out against Tanaka was Hechavarria.

Tanaka snapped a three-start winless skid against the Rays after posting a 20.25 ERA in two previous starts this season.

"He established that he was kind of going to be able to live at the bottom of the zone," Cash said. "He was painting at the bottom of the zone."

Pruitt (5-2) made his second career start and allowed five runs and four hits in five innings.

Lucas Duda made his debut for Tampa Bay after being acquired from the New York Mets on Thursday and broke up Tanaka's shutout with a homer in the seventh.

"He probably had the best at-bats of anybody," Cash said of Duda.

Tanaka recorded nine of his first 15 outs via strikeout, getting Smith and Souza Jr. two times apiece. He also struck out Duda on the 10th pitch of his at-bat with a sinker to start the second.

The Yankees took a 1-0 lead when Gardner hit his fourth leadoff homer of the season and went up 2-0 with one out in the fourth when Judge hit a 1-2 fastball over the left field wall.

New York upped the lead to 5-0 when Frazier hit an 0-1 pitch over the visiting bullpen and into the left-center field bleachers with two outs in the fifth.

NOTES: Tampa Bay made a trade for a third straight day, acquiring RHP Steve Cishek from the Seattle Mariners for RHP Erasmo Ramirez. Cishek is expected to be activated for Saturday's game and he will become the 49th player used by the Rays this season. ... RF Aaron Judge said his upper front left tooth was chipped by a batting helmet hitting his mouth during the celebration at the plate following CF Brett Gardner's game-winning homer in the 11th inning Thursday. Said manager Joe Girardi: "I'm sure the ribbing will continue for a number of days. This will not stop after today." ... New York DH Matt Holliday batted sixth in the starting lineup for the first time since July 19, 2005, at Washington when he was with the Colorado Rockies.

Defensive gem keys Marlins' win vs. Reds

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- After setting a franchise record by scoring 22 runs on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers, the Miami Marlins followed up by making a textbook play on defense.

Yes, Miami's obvious heroes Thursday in a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Marlins Park were Derek Dietrich, who hit a solo homer and drove in three runs, and rookie left-hander Chris O'Grady, who pitched seven scoreless innings.

But it was a fielding play in the fifth inning that really stood out as Miami was protecting a 1-0 lead.

With two outs, Joey Votto was hit by a pitch. However Votto then tried to score from first on a double down the left field line by Adam Duvall, but he was thrown out at the plate.

Left fielder Marcell Ozuna got the relay throw to shortstop Miguel Rojas, who made a stellar one-hop throw to catcher J.T. Realmuto.

"That's how you draw it up," said Dietrich, who had a good view from his position at third base.

"(Marlins infield coach) Perry Hill has a defensive video that he makes every year, and that play is probably going to go on it because ... from start to finish ... Ozuna made a great relay, and (Rojas') great arm strength with a long hop right to J.T. ... It was flawless."

O'Grady called the play "amazing," adding that it was a game-changer.

"It could've been a tie game, and I'm still pitching, and then you never know what happens," O'Grady said.

"(On the play), I went to back up home plate, and I was watching Votto round third. And the whole time I was thinking, 'We've got a shot at this with a good throw.' And two good throws did it, and I was standing right there to see the whole thing. It was exciting."

That play was indeed key as the Marlins (47-53) won for the fifth time in seven games. The Reds (41-61) have lost four games in a row and 12 of their past 14. Cincinnati also has lost six consecutive games at Marlins Park.

Dietrich has eight RBIs in the past two games after driving in a career-high five on Wednesday.

O'Grady (2-1) allowed five hits, including four singles, and two walks, lowering his ERA from 5.40 to 3.68. He struck out five while earning his second major league win and his first at home.

Reds right-hander Robert Stephenson (0-4) lost to the Marlins for the second time in less than a week. He walked a career-high seven batters on Thursday and lasted just 4 1/3 innings.

"I knew what was going on," said Stephenson, who allowed four hits and three runs. "I just wasn't able to fix it."

Catcher Tucker Barnhart helped keep the Reds in the game by throwing out Dee Gordon trying to steal second base in the first and sixth innings. Barnhart wasn't able to get Stephenson to throw enough strikes, though.

"He didn't pitch as well as he would've liked, but he kept us in the game," Barnhart said. "You have to find a silver lining in a lot of things."

Things started to slip away from the Reds in the fourth inning, when Dietrich broke a scoreless tie, pulling a 1-0 fastball, clocked at 93 mph, for a solo homer to right-center. It was his fifth home run of the season.

Miami extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth, getting Dietrich's RBI walk and a sacrifice fly by Tyler Moore. Miami's rally featured three walks and an infield hit.

The Marlins increased their lead to 4-0 in the seventh when Dietrich's pop fly fell for an RBI single in short left field.

Cincinnati got to Miami's bullpen in the eighth as Scooter Gennett broke up the shutout bid with an RBI single off Junichi Tazawa.

The Reds had an opportunity for more in the eighth, but Marlins closer A.J. Ramos came in and got Barnhart to ground out with the bases loaded, ending the threat.

Ramos also pitched a scoreless ninth, earning his 20th save of the season.

"We've been talking since spring training that we can use A.J. like that," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Ramos' four-out save. "With the game on the line, I want A.J. out there."

NOTES: Reds 2017 All-Star SS Zack Cozart (right quad) missed his second game in a row. He leads all NL shortstops in batting average, on-base and slugging percentage. ... Reds INF Dilson Herrera will have season-ending right shoulder surgery on Tuesday. ... Miami has won three straight road series for the first time since May 2012. ... Since Miami hit the road on July 20, the Marlins put three players on the disabled list: 1B Justin Bour (oblique), SS JT Riddle (biceps) and RHP Kyle Barraclough (shoulder). They also demoted RHP Tom Koehler and recalled C Tomas Telis, INF Mike Aviles, LHP Hunter Cervenka and RHP Drew Steckenrider.

Gardner's blast in 11th gives Yanks win over Rays

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- To hear his teammates and manager say it, Brett Gardner is "the heart and soul" of the New York Yankees.

On Thursday, Gardner was responsible for giving the Yankees a pulsating victory.

Gardner scored the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning and led off the 11th with the winning homer as the Yankees outlasted the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 in the opener of a four-game series.

Gardner gave the Yankees a fourth straight win when he slugged a 1-1 pitch from Andrew Kittredge (0-1) over the right-field fence as the game approached the four-hour mark.

"Excited. I'm just happy I was able to come through in a big spot like that," Gardner said.

It was his career-high 18th homer and his third career walk-off homer. Gardner's previous game-ending blast came on April 23, 2016, off Tampa Bay's Erasmo Ramirez.

"He's the heart and soul," Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia said. "He gets everybody going. It's great to see him have a great year."

"He is an energetic guy that stirs the pot, that keeps the guys loose," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's a leader. He plays hard every day. There's just so many different things."

The homer touched off a wild celebration at the plate that ended with Aaron Judge getting hit in the face by a helmet and chipping a tooth.

"He's too big to get hurt by something like that," Gardner said. "He'll be all right."

The late heroics were made possible when Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez hit the tying single with two outs in the ninth. The Rays botched a ground ball on a shift play. Sanchez's ground ball got in between second baseman Tim Beckham and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria after Beckham hesitated for a second, and Gardner scored after opening the inning with a triple.

Beckham was shifted to the third-base side of the bag, but the infielders just looked at each other and neither player made the play as the ball trickled into center field.

"We were in the right position," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Fair to say there was some miscommunication. Both guys appeared to give up on the ball."

Before taking a major-league-worst 32nd loss after holding a lead at some point, Tampa Bay grabbed a lead on pinch hitter Brad Miller's two-run double in the fifth and went up 5-3 on Corey Dickerson's solo homer in the sixth.

"It's a tough loss," Beckham said. "Tough pill to swallow. Our pitching came out, they did their job and we've got to get them the win right there. It was our game to win."

Those hits occurred off Chad Green, but four more New York relievers followed with four scoreless innings, and Aroldis Chapman (3-1) pitched two perfect innings.

New York, which blew an early 3-0 lead, made it a one-run game in the eighth on pinch hitter Matt Holliday's RBI groundout against Brad Boxberger.

Jacoby Ellsbury and Todd Frazier collected RBIs in the second inning off Chris Archer, and Sanchez homered off the right-hander in the third.

Evan Longoria started Tampa Bay's comeback with his eighth career homer off Sabathia, in the fourth. Peter Bourjos hit an RBI double off Sabathia in the fifth before the Rays took the lead.

Archer allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out 10, including Frazier and Tyler Wade with the bases loaded to finish his 25th career double-digit strikeout game.

Sabathia allowed four runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.

NOTES: Tampa Bay made a pair of trades, acquiring LHP Dan Jennings from the Chicago White Sox and 1B Lucas Duda from the New York Mets. Duda is expected to join the Rays in time for the Friday game. The Rays designated RHP Diego Moreno and OF Shane Peterson for assignment to make room for their new players. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said OF Aaron Hicks (strained right oblique) and 1B/OF Tyler Austin (strained right hamstring) would begin rehab assignments when New York starts its next road trip Aug. 4 in Cleveland. ... Girardi was ejected for arguing balls and strikes by plate umpire Stu Scheurwater after objecting to a called Strike 1 by RHP Sergio Romo to RF Aaron Judge. It was Girardi's third ejection of the season and 33rd since becoming New York's manager in 2008. Afterward, Girardi said: "I just thought it was really inconsistent tonight."

Rays, Yankees begin pivotal series

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- A week ago, the Tampa Bay Rays began play with a 1 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees for the top wild-card spot in the American League.

As the teams get set to begin a four-game series Thursday night at Yankee Stadium, it is the Yankees who are holding the lead and the Rays are no longer occupying the second wild-card spot.

Tampa Bay (53-49) held its lead by owning a 51-45 record after winning four of its first five games after the break and seven of 10. A five-game skid that featured three one-run losses combined with Kansas City's hot streak pushed the Rays out of the second spot.

The Rays head into their second trip to Yankee Stadium following two straight wins over Baltimore. After getting blanked in the opener, the Rays scored 10 runs in the final two games and notched a 5-1 victory Wednesday.

"It's great," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "We want to have smiles on the flight. We'll have them today. Obviously we got an exciting four days coming up here in New York but good to see these guys back. It was a rough homestand. The finish to it was good."

Among those good things was Evan Longoria hitting his 15th homer and getting three hits. He heads into New York hitting .400 (18-for-45) since the break.

"Longo, he's going to do his part, no doubt about it," Cash said.

The Yankees (53-46) swept the Rays in their first home series of the season and are on a three-game winning streak. They are 8-5 since the All-Star break after Luis Severino pitched seven outstanding innings in a 9-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.

"It's an important series, really important," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We still have 63 games to go, I think, but these are all important games, especially when they're within your division and you're all close and you're trying to continue to gain on the Red Sox, they're really important."

Aaron Judge was given Wednesday off but is expected back Thursday after not starting for the fifth time. Judge is hitting .310 with 32 homers and 73 RBIs but since the break, the right fielder is 7-for-41 (.171).

"He's been going hard," Girardi said. "He's a little physically beat up but nothing serious. We just felt with a quick turnaround a day off would be good before we continue with this homestand."

Chris Archer will start the series opener for the Rays and looks to get back on track against the Yankees. He is 6-6 with a 2.73 ERA in 16 starts against the Yankees, who struggled against him early in his career but have turned it around.

Archer began his career by going 5-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his first eight starts against the Yankees. Since Sept 6, 2015, he is 1-6 with a 3.86 ERA in his last eight starts

Archer last faced the Yankees May 21 and took a 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay when he allowed three runs and six hits and struck out 12. He also faced the Yankees in the season-opening 7-3 win when he allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Archer is 7-6 with a 3.77 ERA in 21 starts overall this season after allowing four runs (one earned) and four hits and striking out 11 in seven innings of a 4-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday.

Despite the loss, it was his 24th career double-digit strikeout game, the most in team history and his sixth this season. Archer pitched at least six innings for the 12th straight time, which is the longest streak of his career.

The current active roster of the Yankees is hitting a combined .285 (45-for-158) against Archer. That includes Jacoby Ellsbury, who is a .500 hitter (20-for-40) against the right-hander, and Gary Sanchez, who is 1-for-9 against him.

CC Sabathia starts for the Yankees and is six strikeouts shy of tying Hall of Famer Cy Young for 20th on the all-time strikeouts list. He recorded five more Friday on his 37th birthday, when Sabathia allowed one run and four hits in five innings in a 5-1 win at Seattle.

Sabathia is 9-3 with a 3.44 ERA this season and is looking to get double-digit wins for the 14th time in his career.

The left-hander is 16-14 with a 3.73 ERA in 43 career starts against Tampa Bay, which is the team he has faced the most. Since joining the Yankees in 2009, Sabathia is 9-13 with a 4.23 ERA in 32 starts against the Rays and 4-6 with a 4.69 ERA in 16 starts at Yankee Stadium.

"I think anytime you play a team in your division, it's going to be a tough series," Sabathia said. "It's going to be big games."

Sabathia is 2-0 against the Rays this season. He opposed Archer May 21 and allowed one run and four hits in five innings, and he also pitched five innings in a 5-0 win at St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 4.

The current Rays own a .335 average (54-for-161) against the Sabathia and most of the damage against him has been done by Longoria and Steven Souza. Longoria is a .405 hitter (30-for-74) with seven homers and 16 RBIs in those matchups while Souza is 6-for-16 (.375).

Ever-changing Marlins host Reds

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins return home on Thursday night -- but without three key players who were here the last time they played at Marlins Park on July 19.

Reliever David Phelps was traded to the Seattle Mariners last week. Starting pitcher Tom Koehler was sent to the minors on Sunday. And first baseman Justin Bour and rookie shortstop JT Riddle -- both rookies -- were placed on the disabled list on Monday.

More changes are likely coming before the trade deadline arrives on Monday afternoon.

In the meantime, the Marlins (46-53) open a relatively meaningless four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds (41-60).

Neither team is even remotely in a playoff race. And the Marlins' 22-10 drubbing of the Texas Rangers on Wednesday doesn't mean all that much considering they are still far back in the standings. They trail the Washington Nationals by 14 games in the NL East, and they are also far back in the wild-card race, with many teams to leap over.

The Reds, who are in last place in the NL Central, will start right-hander Robert Stevenson (0-3, 8.10 ERA) on Thursday. Miami will counter with left-hander Chris O'Grady (1-1, 5.40 ERA).

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Koehler, who is 1-5 with a 7.92 ERA, just wasn't getting any better. Koehler was 0-3 with a 9.87 ERA in his past four starts.

"It's been a tough year for Tom," Mattingly told reporters. "Sometimes you have a year where things just don't fall your way."

Unfortunately for the Marlins and Reds, lots of their players can say the same thing.

O'Grady is trying to fill the void left by Koehler's departure, as well as Marlins rotation members who are on the disabled list -- such as Edinson Volquez and Wei-Yin Chen.

A 27-year-old journeyman from George Mason University, O'Grady was drafted in 2012 and battled his way through the minors until finally reaching the majors this year on July 8.

O'Grady has made three starts so far and has failed to go farther than 5 1/3 innings. He has allowed three earned runs in each of his starts, but his control became a major problem during his last appearance.

That was at the Reds, and O'Grady walked six batters in 4 2/3 innings. He attributed his issues to the humidity in Cincinnati.

O'Grady seemed to find a solution, however, when he started to use the rosin bag to stop the sweat on his left hand. It will likely be hot again in Miami on Thursday night; but, since the roof will likely be closed, it may not be a problem.

Stevenson, 24, made his major league debut last year, and it wasn't pretty. He went 2-3 with a 6.08 ERA in eight starts.

This year, Stevenson has been even worse. His home-run rate is up from last year, to 2.7 per nine innings. His walk rate is up to 5.4 per nine innings. And he is allowing more hits, up to 12.3.

The Reds are just 3-11 when he pitches, although his first start of the year didn't occur until last week, when he allowed eight hits, two walks and five runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Marlins.

Things could get much worse for Stevenson on Thursday if the Marlins maintain their momentum from Wednesday.

Cincinnati manager Bryan Price is hoping his offense will also heat up soon, which would help Stevenson on Thursday. But the Reds have lost three straight games, including a 9-5 defeat at the hands of the New York Yankees.

The Reds are 2-11 since the All-Star Game, and the lineup has yet to find its stride in the second half of the season.

"We don't have anybody who's on fire," Price said. "We haven't gotten to our power in the second half, which had been our strength in terms of driving the ball for extra-base hits."

Cobb, Longoria power Rays to series win over Orioles

(TSX / STATS) -- ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Two days removed from a five-game losing streak, the Tampa Bay Rays got another stellar start from Alex Cobb, and Evan Longoria's sixth-inning home run helped them to a 5-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field.

The Rays (53-49) took two of the three from the Orioles, bouncing back nicely from their longest losing streak of the season. They hit the road for the next eight tough games against the New York Yankees and Houston Astros.

The Orioles (48-53) led 1-0 into the sixth behind starter Ubaldo Jimenez, but Longoria crushed a two-run home run to give Tampa Bay the lead.

The only run from either team in the first five innings came from Baltimore's Jonathan Schoop, who hit a solo shot in the fourth for his 22nd homer on the season. Cobb (9-6) settled down and pitched seven innings of four-hit baseball to win for the third time in four starts.

"Alex Cobb has become and will continue to be the stopper for us," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Hopefully we're not looking to stop things going forward and we just get on a run."

Cobb struck out six and benefited from stellar defense, like a double play in the sixth as shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria flipped from his glove to Tim Beckham after a Manny Machado single.

"(Cobb) is in the top 10, probably 9 or 8 now in the American League in ERA," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "That's a convenient excuse, but those are the type of games you'd like to figure out a way to scratch out a couple more."

Jimenez (4-7), who entered the game with a 7.19 ERA, walked Rays outfielder Mallex Smith in the sixth, and Longoria hit a two-out home run to left field -- his 15th of the season, for a 2-1 lead.

"That Smith walk he'd probably like to have back, but the 3-0 pitch pretty much split the heart of the plate," Showalter said. "He was good, real good, and facing one of the best pitchers in the league. 'Baldo did his part. ... He was almost as good as Cobb was."

Steven Souza Jr. added a solo home run in the seventh -- his 21st of the year -- off reliever Darren O'Day to extend the lead to 3-1.

Tampa Bay added two insurance runs in the eighth, with Logan Morrison getting an RBI single off Zach Britton and Souza following with an RBI groundout for a 5-1 lead. The late offense allowed the Rays to avoid using closer Alex Colome.

The Rays' bullpen, which has struggled of late, got a scoreless eighth from Tommy Hunter and a scoreless ninth from Brad Boxberger.

"A lot better to get on a flight after a win," Cash said. "A lot of good things to like today. Alex Cobb, first and foremost, the way he pitched and continues to keep us in ballgames and navigate through a lineup."

NOTES: The Rays placed RHP Jake Odorizzi on the 10-day disabled list with a lower back strain. Odorizzi was scheduled to start Friday at the Yankees, but that's now TBA as the team evaluates its option. RHP Andrew Kittredge was recalled from Triple-A Durham, rejoining the bullpen. ... The Orioles get Thursday off before continuing on the road with three games at the Texas Rangers this weekend. ... Rays C Wilson Ramos was back in the starting lineup Wednesday after taking six staples to close a laceration on his head. He sustained the injury Monday night after Ruben Tejada's broken bat hit his helmet on his backswing. Ramos was a pinch-hitter in Tuesday's win.

Marlins roll over Rangers 22-10

(TSX / STATS) -- ARLINGTON, Texas -- Yu Darvish walked off the field to a smattering of applause on a wild and weird Wednesday night at Globe Life.

The Darvish drama was just the appetizer in a game in which the Miami Marlins set a franchise scoring record and a probable Hall of Famer was ejected for standing in the wrong spot.

When the dust finally settled after four hours, the Marlins had recorded a 22-10 victory over the Texas Rangers.

"It's one of those games that happens every so often," Miami manager Don Mattingly said. "They actually become hard games to play, trying to preserve arms and not embarrass anybody."

The Marlins (46-53) won two of three at Globe Life Park and return to Miami having won three straight road series.

Miami broke open the game by breaking down Darvish, the Texas ace, in a nine-run fourth inning.

All nine starters in Miami's lineup had at least one hit and one RBI in an offensive onslaught that produced the most runs in club history and a season high for hits (22).

Dee Gordon, Christian Yelich, J.T. Realmuto and Giancarlo Stanton each hit home runs. Derek Dietrich and Marcell Ozuna each drove in five runs. Stanton leads the majors with 33 long balls.

"That's really cool," Stanton said. "Be even cooler at the end of the season. I'm in a good spot now. Just got to keep it going."

Marlins starter Jose Urena was the beneficiary, improving to 9-4 with his third win in the last four decisions. The right-hander worked five innings, giving up five runs on four hits and four walks.

Darvish dropped to 6-9 after a season-worst performance with all of baseball watching. The 30-year-old righty is the subject of rampant speculation going into Monday's non-waiver trade deadline.

Darvish admitted to hearing the noise surrounding him.

"Yesterday, the day before the game, of course I thought about (trade rumors) a little bit," he said. "But today, going to the game, I was able to focus on just today's game."

If he's dealt, his final game with Texas won't foster any warm memories. Darvish was battered for 3 2/3 innings, giving up 10 runs on nine hits and two walks before leaving.

Adrian Beltre inched closer to 3,000 hits, with a solo home run in the fourth, an RBI double in a three-run sixth and another two-bagger in the seventh. The third baseman is just four hits away from the milestone.

Beltre didn't get a chance for a fourth hit because he was ejected while waiting on deck in the eighth. Second-base umpire Gerry Davis told Beltre to stand in the on-deck circle -- Beltre was on the home-base side of the circle. Instead of moving toward it, Beltre picked up the on-deck circle mat and moved it to where he was standing.

Davis immediately ejected Beltre, who was left dumbfounded after the game.

"Everybody stands in the same spot, so I didn't want to move," Beltre said. "I didn't want to get hit, so I turned around and that was it. Second base umpire came down and told me I need to move.

"If you see the video, you see everybody stand in the same spot. Why was that a problem today? I've been staying in the same spot the whole series."

Rangers manager Jeff Banister came out to protest and was tossed moments later.

"This is a man that's chasing history, opportunity to get another at-bat in front of our fans," Bannister said. "That's about all I've got to say about it."

Gordon continued his streak of scoring the first run in each game of the series. The leadoff blast into the right-field seats on the first pitch from Darvish was Gordon's first homer this season.

Seven pitches later, Yelich cleared the wall in center with his 12th homer to give Miami a 2-0 lead.

The Rangers came back with a run on Nomar Mazara's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame.

The Marlins turned the contest into a rout in the fourth as Darvish struggled with his control. Miami pounded out eight hits in the frame, with seven against Darvish, and sent 13 batters to the plate.

Ichiro Suzuki opened the floodgates with a ground-rule double that scored Ozuna, who had led off with a double. Derek Dietrich had a two-RBI single, Stanton drove in a run with a single and Ozuna came back with a bases-loaded triple that spelled the end for Darvish.

His replacement, Jeremey Jeffress, promptly gave up a two-run homer to Realmuto to close the book on Darvish.

NOTES: Miami opens a four-game series Thursday at Marlins Park against Cincinnati. ... Texas OF Carlos Gomez, dealing with soreness on his left side, was initially given Wednesday off but came on to pinch hit in the sixth. ... The Marlins placed RHP Kyle Barraclough on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to July 25, with a right shoulder impingement. The team recalled RHP Drew Steckenrider from Triple-A New Orleans. ... Texas C Robinson Chirinos was available in an emergency situation after missing the previous two games with a sprained ankle. ... Marlins 2B Dee Gordon hit the club's first homer to lead off a game this season. It was the fifth leadoff home run of Gordon's career.

Rays hold on to beat Orioles, end 5-game skid

(TSX / STATS) -- ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- All it took was one big inning to end the Tampa Bay Rays' five-game losing streak.

The Rays struck for five runs in the second inning, then didn't get another hit until the eighth, but it was just enough for a 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday at Tropicana Field.

Tim Beckham had the big hit for the Rays, a three-run home run off Orioles starter Wade Miley (4-9).

Rays rookie Jake Faria (5-1) continued an impressive start to his career, going 7 1/3 innings and holding the Orioles to three runs. He recorded an eighth quality start in nine major league appearances.

"You always want to have confidence in your defense," said Faria, grateful for a second-inning double play after the first two batters reached base. "You've got gold playing at third base (Evan Longoria) every day. That was a little push that helped a lot."

The Orioles (48-52) couldn't find the bats as they had Monday in a 6-0 win in the series opener.

Baltimore made things interesting in the eighth, as the Rays walked the bases loaded -- one by Faria and two by reliever Tommy Hunter. With two outs, Welington Castillo hit a two-run single to left to pull the Orioles within 5-4, leaving two on for pinch hitter Hyun Soo Kim. Hunter struck out Kim to end the inning.

The Orioles got the leadoff man on in the ninth against Alex Colome on a throwing error, but Adam Jones hit into a double play. With two outs, Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop singled to put the tying run at third base. Colome still closed it out, forcing a Mark Trumbo groundout for his American League-leading 29th save.

"I don't get shaken up when they hit the ball hard," Faria said. "This is a team that hits a lot of home runs. They're a good hitting team. They're going to hit the ball hard, but if they make an out, I don't care how they make the out."

The Rays broke loose in the second inning, tagging Miley for five runs on five hits.

Steven Souza, Brad Miller and Adeiny Hechavarria singled to load the bases with one out, and Mallex Smith started the scoring with an RBI single. Jesus Sucre's sacrifice fly made it 2-0, and Beckham followed with his 12th home run of the season.

Miley allowed only the five runs and five hits in six innings.

"One inning, sometimes at this level, it kind of snowballed on him," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "I thought his command was better, and he gave us a chance (after). He figured out a way to keep us in that ballgame and kept us from using a lot of the bullpen."

Faria, who came in with a 2.52 ERA, was again in control. The Orioles had a chance at a big inning with the bases loaded in the fifth but got only Machado's sacrifice fly. Trey Mancini added a solo home run in the sixth inning, his 16th, to cut the lead to 5-2.

"He has a winning pedigree and he has command," Showalter said of Faria. "He's not a one-pitch guy. Everything works off command of the fastball. ... They've done a nice job of developing him."

NOTES: Rays C Wilson Ramos was out of the starting lineup a night after he needed six staples to close a laceration on his head when Ruben Tejada's bat broke and hit his helmet on the backswing. Ramos grounded out as a pinch hitter Monday. ... Orioles 2B Jonathan Schoop was named American League Player of the Week for the week of July 17-23 -- he batted .433 (13-for-30) with three home runs and 16 RBIs in seven games. It's his first AL weekly honor. ... Orioles rookie 1B Trey Mancini hit his 16th home run on Tuesday. His 14 before the All-Star break were the most ever by an Orioles rookie, edging the 13 by Eddie Murray (1977) and Curt Blefary (1965).

Gallo homers twice as Rangers rout Marlins

(TSX / STATS) -- ARLINGTON, Texas -- Joey Gallo knows he's not going to be in the lineup every day. In addition to struggling against left-handers, he has been bothered by a sore hamstring lately.

So when the Texas Rangers left fielder made a rare start in left field Tuesday, the slugging lefty made the most of it.

"Been feeling good," Gallo said after a mammoth night at the plate. "I just kind of like playing against righties right now. I just try to work as hard as I can with the coaches and just be ready when my name is called."

Gallo responded by launching two of Texas' four home runs as the Rangers pounded the Miami Marlins 10-4 at Globe Life Park.

Texas (49-51) evened the three-game interleague series ahead of the rubber match Wednesday night.

The Rangers' power surge backed a solid showing from Cole Hamels (5-1), who bounced back from his first loss of the season. The left-hander worked six innings, giving up four runs and six hits while striking out five and walking two.

"The hitters came through and really put up some good runs," Hamels said. "That's kind of nice. It alleviates a lot of pressure and you can step back and try to get to your game plan and execute."

Gallo upped his team-high home run total to 25 with his second career multi-homer game in his first start in the outfield since June 3. Mike Napoli added his 22nd long ball and Rougned Odor hit his 20th.

Texas finished with a season-best 31 total bases, the most for the club since totaling 33 against the Houston Astros in 2015. The Rangers had 15 hits, with Napoli and Nomar Mazara leading the way with three apiece.

"We try to put a couple runs up early in the game to Cole," Mazara said. "We had good at-bats and kept the lineup moving. We were on a roll today."

Marlins starter Dan Straily (7-6) lasted only four innings, his shortest stint since he also went four innings on June 10. The right-hander gave up a season-high six earned runs and 10 hits.

"Way too many pitches over the plate," Straily said. "I just didn't have it tonight. It's a game I want to forget about as quick as possible."

Miami (45-53) got a three-run homer from Christian Yelich, who had all four RBIs and three hits.

"He got the little bouncer with the infield in to give him kind of a cheapie, and then he has two good at-bats where it squares it up in left center and hits that rocket to right, so he looked pretty good tonight," Miami manager Don Mattingly said. "I still expect (Yelich) to have a big second half and do some damage."

The Marlins got on the board in the first inning for the second straight night, both times after Dee Gordon opened with a hit. Yelich's double to right plated the leadoff hitter for a 1-0 lead.

Straily surrendered the early advantage by giving up solo blasts to Napoli in the second and Gallo in the third. Texas wasn't done in the third. Adrian Beltre added a sacrifice fly and Jonathan Lucroy beat out an infield hit to score Mazara for a 3-1 edge.

Gallo ripped another homer down the right field line to lead off the fourth. Elvis Andrus followed with a one-out triple and came home on a Mazara single to put Texas up 6-1.

Miami cut into the deficit in the fifth against Hamels, with Yelich smashing his 10th home run of the season to score Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton to make it 6-4.

Marlins reliever Brian Ellington replaced Straily in the bottom of the inning and wasn't much better. The right-hander was promptly greeted by Odor depositing a pitch into the back of the Texas bullpen in left-center field.

After hitting Lucroy and walking Gallo, Ellington gave up a two-run double to Shin-Soo Choo. Andrus followed with a RBI single to make it 10-4 and chase Ellington.

NOTES: The Marlins placed 1B Justin Bour (right oblique strain) and SS JT Riddle (left biceps tendinitis) on the 10-day disabled list, with the Riddle move retroactive to July 22. The club recalled C Tomas Telis from Triple-A New Orleans and selected the contract of INF Mike Aviles from New Orleans. ... The Colorado Rockies are interested in trading for Texas C Jonathan Lucroy, according to multiple reports. ... Rangers RHP A.J. Griffin is a leading candidate to replace RHP Tyson Ross in the rotation for a Saturday start against Baltimore. Ross recently went on the DL, while Griffin had a solid rehab start Monday. Griffin has been out since May 27 with a strained left intercostal muscle.

Rangers seek to extend interleague success vs. Marlins

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- ARLINGTON, Texas -- A weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla., was exactly what the Texas Rangers needed.

A three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays not only turned around a season that appeared to be quickly unraveling, but it also reminded the Rangers of what they did so often last year on the way to a second consecutive American League West title.

The Rangers hope to ride that momentum when they begin a nine-game homestand against the other franchise that calls the Sunshine State home. A three-game interleague set against the Miami Marlins starts Monday night at Globe Life Park.

Comebacks and close wins were Texas' calling card in 2016, and that was the daily recipe against Tampa Bay. The Rangers trailed by multiple runs in each game only to win all three by a single run, including 6-5 Sunday.

"Our guys know what the urgency is to win baseball games," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said after Texas' first sweep of at least three games at Tampa Bay since 1999. "And to win them in the fashion we did in this set of three comeback wins, an extra-inning win -- just a show of the heart and the grit these guys have. I think it's a huge plus for us going forward."

Texas (48-50) had lost five straight before getting to Tampa Bay and appeared on the verge of falling out of the wild-card race, along with becoming sellers at the trade deadline.

Instead, the Rangers are just 2 1/2 games out of the second AL wild card as they return home.

The Marlins (44-52) had a five-game road winning streak snapped Sunday with a 6-3 loss at Cincinnati, but arrive in Texas having won their past six road series. Miami took two of three against the Reds.

The return of shortstop Miguel Rojas last week was a welcome boost to the Marlins after he missed more than two months with a fractured thumb. He drove in a run Sunday and went 1-for-4, leaving him 4-for-15 in four games back.

"It's good to be back with the boys," Rojas told MLB.com. "I think the energy that you feel in the big-league levels is different than when you play in the minors or when you play in a rehab game.

"I was trying to get ready for this opportunity, for this situation, because I knew I was going to get my opportunities to play a little bit more, and I want to make sure that I'm ready to go. I'm pretty happy with these couple days."

The Marlins are sending Adam Conley (2-3, 6.75 ERA) to the mound in the Monday in the series opener. The lefty is making his second start since being recalled from the minors last week. He threw six innings of two-run ball Tuesday in a no-decision against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Conley has never faced the Rangers.

Texas counters with Martin Perez (5-7, 4.72), who is making his 100th career start. The left-hander is 1-0 with a 2.95 ERA over three starts against the National League this season, though he has never opposed the Marlins. He had a three-game winning streak snapped in his last start, a 10-2 loss to Baltimore on Wednesday. He gave up five runs in six-plus innings.

Texas is 7-11 in his 18 starts.

The Rangers and Marlins last met in 2014, splitting home-and-home series. Texas is 3-5 all-time at home against Miami. The Rangers are 10-2 (.833) vs. NL clubs in 2017, baseball's third-best winning percentage in interleague games this season. The Marlins are 7-10 against the AL this year.

Rangers rally past Rays again to complete sweep

(TSX / STATS) -- ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- For a team that came to Tropicana Field on a five-game losing streak, the Texas Rangers' three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays has been surprising but promising as Texas tries to claw back into postseason contention.

For the third day in a row, the Rangers rallied late to erase a two-run deficit and stun the Rays, ending a series sweep with a 6-5 win on Sunday at Tropicana Field.

The Rays (51-48) led 5-3 in the eighth inning, but the Rangers (48-50) got a two-run homer from Rougned Odor -- his second of the game -- to tie it, then a solo home run from Carlos Gomez off reliever Brad Boxberger (2-2) put them ahead.

"Our guys know where the urgency is to win baseball games, and to win them in the fashion we did in this set of three, comeback wins, just to show heart and grit that these guys have is a huge plus for us moving forward," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "We can go home and get in front of our fans and have some of that energy."

Tampa Bay had looked to flip the script, rallying from an early 2-0 deficit for a 5-2 lead, but the bullpen, asked to come up with five innings after a short day by starter Jake Odorizzi, couldn't hold the lead. Boxberger, who came in with a 1.42 ERA, saw that balloon to 4.91 after giving up a walk to Mike Napoli, then the two home runs.

"It's tough. We just haven't been able to get it done this series," Boxberger said. "Just bad pitches. On Odor's home run, tried to go down and left it up, and on Gomez, a slider didn't get where it needed to."

The Rays entered the series with a 42-4 record when leading after seven innings but went 0-2 in those situations against Texas and lost another lead in the sixth inning Saturday.

"We just have to find a way -- we've been close these last three, but not good enough," Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Tampa Bay has dropped four games in a row but remains in the thick of the American League wild-card race, which had four teams within one game of each other entering Sunday, plus the resurgent Rangers, now 2 1/2 games behind the Rays.

Matt Bush (3-4) won after pitching a scoreless seventh, with Jason Grilli pitching a 1-2-3 eighth for Texas and Jose Leclerc working around two walks in the ninth for his second save, striking out Steven Souza Jr. with two on to end the game.

"An amazing feeling," Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said. "That's what it's all about for us right now -- don't give up until the last opportunity. Today, we did it again."

The Rays had taken control Sunday with three runs in the fourth off Rangers starter Tyson Ross. The biggest hit came on a two-run double by Mallex Smith.

Texas jumped ahead 2-0 in the second inning against Odorizzi, as Adrian Beltre tripled and scored on Napoli's sacrifice fly, with Odor following with a solo home run -- his 18th of the season -- off the catwalk. Odorizzi left with the lead but didn't last long enough to be eligible for the win, giving up a home run in his 15th straight appearance to extend his team record.

The Rays, who blew 3-1 leads in 4-3 losses each of the previous two days, bounced back, tying the score in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Adeiny Hechavarria and then a run-scoring double play for a 2-2 score.

Ross ran into trouble in the fourth, giving up a walk to Souza and single to Shane Peterson. The Rays executed a double steal, and a walk loaded the bases for Smith, whose two-run double made it 4-2. Texas got an out at the plate, but a bases-loaded walk to Brad Miller extended the Rays' lead to 5-2.

Joey Gallo hit a solo home run -- his 23rd of the season -- to cut the Rays' lead to 5-3, and Odorizzi walked the next two batters, with Erasmo Ramirez taking over. He got Beltre to pop out to the catcher and struck out Napoli to end the inning.

NOTES: The Rays acquired RHP Sergio Romo from the Los Angeles Dodgers after Saturday's game to bolster their bullpen, but he had not joined the team before Sunday's game. A roster move will be made to make room for him once he arrives. ... Rangers C Robinson Chirinos suffered a left ankle sprain on a collision at the plate in the fourth inning and was replaced by Jonathan Lucroy. He'll get a precautionary X-ray to check on the severity of the injury. ... Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre had two singles, giving him 2,789 hits for his career, closing in on Roberto Clemente (3,000) for 30th on baseball's all-time list.