UNDATED (AP) — The Houston Astros have a little more breathing room in the American League West after Kyle Tucker and Zack Greinke led them to a 4-1 win over the Angels.
Tucker provided Houston’s scoring with his first career grand slam, a fourth-inning drive off Patrick Sandoval. That was enough offense for Greinke, who held Los Angeles to two hits over seven scoreless innings. Greinke fanned seven and retired his 14 final batters.
The win puts the Astros 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place Oakland.
The Athletics had won seven straight before Yohel Pozo hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the sixth inning of his major league debut to carry Texas to an 8-6 victory over the A’s. Pozo was called up Friday from Triple-A Round Rock, where he was second in Triple-A West in RBIs, fourth in batting and fifth in home runs.
Checking out Friday’s other major league action:
— Nelson Cruz homered in his return to Minnesota and the Rays moved a season-high 26 games over .500 with a 10–4 rout of the Twins. Cruz received a loud, extended ovation and tipped his helmet to the crowd before his first at-bat. Yandy Díaz, Mike Zunino and Kevin Kiermaier also homered as Tampa Bay maintained its five-game lead over Boston atop the AL East.
— Kyle Schwarber scored twice in his Red Sox debut, an 8-1 drubbing of the Orioles. Schwarber was in action for the first time since being acquired from the Nationals, a debut delayed by a strained hamstring. Xander Bogaerts, Bobby Dalbec and Hunter Renfroe homered for Boston.
— Jarred Kelenic drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to give the Mariners a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. Kelenic also scored on Tom Murphy’s two-run homer in the third. Kyle Seager and Abraham Toro sparked the winning rally with two-out walks against Adam Cimber.
— Rookie Ernie Clement slammed his first two big league homers in the Indians’ 7-4 win over the Tigers. Yu Chang homered and tripled in support of Zach Plesac, who allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings. Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera went 0-for-4 to stay at 499 career home runs.
— The Braves have regained a share of first place in the NL East, pulling even with Philadelphia and moving a half-game ahead of the New York Mets. Travis dÁrnaud, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Dansby Swanson belted solo homers to send the Braves past the Nationals, 4-2 in Washington. Charlie Morton spotted the Nats a 2-0 lead in the first inning before getting the win, allowing six hits in as many innings.
— Tyler Mahle tossed three-hit ball while striking out seven over seven shutout innings to lead the Reds to a 6-1 win over the Phillies. Cincinnati’s scoring came on home runs as Joey Votto hit a three-run shot, Eugenio Suarez delivered a two-run blast and Nick Castellanos added a solo homer. The Reds reached Cy Young candidate Zack Wheeler for four runs over six innings as the Phillies lost for the third time in four games since an eight-game winning streak.
— The Dodgers wasted a 4-0 lead before Will Smith belted a two-run homer to start the 10th inning and lead a 6-5 win over the Mets. The Mets rallied after Julio Urias held them to two hits over five shutout innings. New York wasted a chance to move into first place in the NL East.
— The NL West-leading Giants still enjoy a five-game lead over the Dodgers after Wilmer Flores unloaded a three-run homer in the first inning of San Francisco’s 5-4 decision over the Rockies. Anthony DeSclafani got the win by holding Colorado to two runs and five hits over five innings. The Giants gave up three runs in the ninth before improving to a major league-best 75-41 with their sixth straight win.
— The Diamondbacks celebrated a 3-2 win over the Padres after Daulton Varsho hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth. Varsho also drove in Arizona’s first run of the game with a single against Blake Snell in the second. Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner carried a shutout into the seventh, but Eric Hosmer reached on a leadoff single before Wil Myers tied it at 2 with his 13th homer.
— Nolan Arenado smacked his 23rd home run of the season and Jack Flaherty threw six scoreless innings as the Cardinals beat the Royals, 6-0. It was Flaherty’s first game since going down with a left oblique strain on May 31. Arenado and Tyler O’Neill went back-to-back in the fourth inning and Lars Nootbaar crushed a 441-feet solo homer into the fountains in right field in the ninth.
— The Marlins tied a team record by erupting for 11 runs in the second inning of a 14-10 slugfest over the Cubs. Bryan De La Cruz hit a grand slam and Alex Jackson added a three-run homer during a huge rally that sent Chicago to its ninth consecutive loss. Jesús Aguilar also homered for Miami, a two-run shot that gives him an NL-leading 82 RBIs.
— The Pirates and Brewers were rained out in Pittsburgh, creating a day-night doubleheader on Saturday.
