ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tyler O’Neill homered, Steven Matz pitched six strong innings and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 6-2. Matz (3-7) allowed one run and five hits while striking out six to improve to 3-0 with a 2.06 ERA in six starts since rejoining the Cardinals’ rotation on July 9. Rockies starter Ty Blach (1-1) allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings in his third start of the season. Ryan McMahon hit his 100th career home run and 19th of the season to right field off St. Louis reliever Andre Pallante in the eighth inning.
CHICAGO (AP) — Dansby Swanson homered against his former team in a five-run first inning and the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen staved off the major league-leading Atlanta Braves in a rain-soaked 8-6 win. Jeimer Candelario hit his first home run since being reacquired by the Cubs, and Ian Happ also went deep. Chicago went into the game leading the majors in runs since the All-Star break and bounced back after getting shut out 8-0 by Atlanta on Friday. The Cubs began the day 2 1/2 games behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee and two games out of a wild-card spot. Chicago opened a 5-0 lead in the first and held on. After an error by first baseman Matt Olson allowed two runs to score, Swanson hit his 17th home run off All-Star Bryce Elder.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander began his second stint with the Houston Astros by pitching seven solid innings, but he gave up a go-ahead homer to Jake Bauers that sent the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory. Gleyber Torres also went deep for New York, and Nestor Cortes struck out a season-high eight over four innings during an encouraging return from two months on the injured list. Verlander allowed two runs and seven hits, losing a regular-season start to the Yankees for the first time since June 2015 with Detroit. It was his first start for the Astros since winning Game 5 of the World Series in Philadelphia last November. The three-time Cy Young Award winner signed with the Mets in December, then was traded back to the Astros on Tuesday.
