ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kyle Hendricks took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before giving up Jeremy Hazelbaker’s leadoff homer, and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 Monday night to close in on the NL Central crown.
Hazelbaker drove an 0-2 pitch into the right-field stands for his 12th home run. Hendricks (15-7), the major league ERA leader at 2.03, was relieved by Aroldis Chapman.
Ben Zobrist and Dexter Fowler homered for the Cubs, who lowered their magic number to three for clinching the division title. They lead the second-place Cardinals by 17 games and can wrap up the NL Central with a three-game sweep in St. Louis.
The Cardinals remained a half-game behind the Mets for the league’s second wild card.
Soon after Hazelbaker’s shot cleared the fence, teammates went to the mound to talk to Hendricks — leading to an argument between Cubs manager Joe Maddon and plate umpire Joe West.
Maddon was ejected, and Chapman entered to finish the one-hitter. He got three outs for his 14th save with Chicago, and is 34 for 37 overall this year with the Cubs and Yankees.
Hendricks, who threw 96 pitches, struck out seven and walked two.
It was the fourth no-hit bid broken up in the ninth inning this season. Cubs teammate Jake Arrieta tossed the lone no-hitter in the majors this year, winning 16-0 at Cincinnati on April 21.
Mike Leake (9-10) pitched six innings and allowed four runs (three earned).
NATIONALS 8, METS 1
WASHINGTON (AP) — Starting pitcher Mat Latos hit a solo home run and Anthony Rendon added a three-run shot as Washington beat New York.
Latos had a solid first start with the Nationals, but left the game with one out in the fifth inning when he appeared to injure his right leg.
Reynaldo Lopez (3-3) was among three relievers who combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings as the NL East leaders won their fourth straight. They increased their lead over New York to 10 games — matching their largest cushion of the season — and reduced their magic number to nine to clinch their third division title in five years.
Mets starter Rafael Montero (0-1) allowed six runs, five hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings.
RED SOX 12, ORIOLES 2
BOSTON (AP) — David Ortiz tied Mickey Mantle on baseball’s career home run list. David Price is in the longest winning streak of his career.
And the Boston Red Sox keep piling up victories.
Ortiz hit his 536th career home run on Monday night to tie Mantle for 17th all-time, and the Red Sox maintained a two-game lead in the AL East on Monday night with a 12-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Price allowed just a pair of solo homers for his seventh consecutive victory.
“We’re clicking in a number of ways, and at this time of year it’s happening at the right time,” manager John Farrell said when asked if the team was playing the best it has all year. “It’s hard to argue that we aren’t.”
Chris Young homered, doubled twice and singled, and Hanley Ramirez also homered for the Red Sox, who held onto a two-game lead over Toronto. The top-scoring team in the majors, Boston scored in each of the first seven innings before going down in order in the eighth, reaching 11 runs for the fifth time in 10 games.
“We all have that feeling in the clubhouse, out in the dugout,” Price said. “That’s what you want to be a part of. It’s not work; this is all fun.”
Price (16-8) allowed two runs on two hits and zero walks, striking out nine in eight innings for his seventh win in as many starts. It’s the longest winning streak in his career for the left-hander, who signed a seven-year, $217 million free agent contract over the offseason.
“A guy like David is pitching as well as anybody in baseball is right now,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “That’s why he can command those type of commitments they made to him. That’s a great example of how important those guys are.”
Former Red Sox starter Wade Miley (8-13) got just four outs, allowing five runs in the first inning before loading the bases in the second.
Ramirez hit his eighth homer in his last 15 games.
DODGERS 8, YANKEES 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge dropped Chase Utley’s fly ball to the right-field warning track and catcher Gary Sanchez threw wildly to second base, leading to four unearned runs that helped NL West-leading Los Angeles beat the AL wild-card chasing Yankees.
Jose De Leon (2-0) won in his second big league start. Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner homered for the Dodgers.
Bryan Mitchell (1-1) gave up six runs — two earned — and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings.
The Dodgers previously had played just one day at Yankee Stadium since interleague action started in 1997, splitting a doubleheader in 2013.
WHITE SOX 11, INDIANS 4
CHICAGO (AP) — Avisail Garcia matched a career high with four hits, including a tiebreaking solo homer, and Chicago routed the AL Central leaders.
Todd Frazier hit his career-best 36th homer and Adam Eaton also went deep for the White Sox.
The Indians’ division lead was trimmed to six games over Detroit.
Carlos Carrasco (11-8) lasted just 3 2/3 innings, hours after the Indians announced Danny Salazar could miss the rest of the season with a forearm injury.
Miguel Gonzalez (4-6) got the win.
BLUE JAYS 3, RAYS 2
TORONTO (AP) — Tampa Bay and Toronto cleared the benches and bullpens after the final out. No punches were thrown.
Steven Souza Jr. hit a liner for the last out and traded words with Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin after a verbal misunderstanding.
Toronto is the top wild-card team in the AL, one game ahead of Baltimore.
Jason Grilli (5-3) pitched one inning and Roberto Osuna got his 32nd save. Ezequiel Carrera had a tiebreaking, pinch-hit homer in the eighth off Brad Boxberger (3-1).
TIGERS 4, TWINS 2
DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler homered and Detroit scored two runs in the seventh inning on close plays at the plate.
The Tigers pulled within a game of Baltimore for the AL’s second wild card.
Brian Dozier hit his 40th homer for Minnesota.
Shane Greene (4-4) won in relief. Francisco Rodriguez walked two in the ninth but held on for his 41st save in 45 chances.
Alex Wimmers (1-2) took the loss.
ATHLETICS 16, ROYALS 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Khris Davis and Marcus Semien hit three-run homers as Oakland matched a season high with 17 hits while drawing 10 walks.
Kansas City remained four games behind for the second AL wild-card spot.
Daniel Coulombe (3-1) earned the win in relief.
Royals starter Dillon Gee (6-8) was battered for five runs on five hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.
PADRES 4, GIANTS 0
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Paul Clemens fought through flu symptoms to combine with five relievers on a five-hit shutout as San Diego blanked San Francisco.
Hector Sanchez homered and singled twice against his former club. Yangervis Solarte drove in two runs while helping the Padres to their fourth consecutive win over the Giants.
San Francisco dropped four games behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West after trimming two games off the lead last weekend.
With 19 games left, however, the Giants still lead the race for the league’s top wild card.
Clemens (3-5) pitched five smooth innings to help end San Francisco’s three-game winning streak. The right-hander allowed three hits.
Sanchez connected off Jeff Samardzija (11-10).
RANGERS 4, ASTROS 3, 12 INNINGS
HOUSTON (AP) — Rougned Odor had three hits and three RBIs, including a solo homer in the 12th inning that lifted Texas over Houston.
The Rangers, who have the best record in the American League at 86-59, improved to 14-3 against AL West rival Houston this season.
Odor launched his 31st homer off James Hoyt (1-1) in the 12th. Odor, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, has six home runs, six doubles and 19 RBIs in 16 games against the Astros this season.
Keone Kela (5-1) tossed two scoreless innings and Jake Diekman pitched a perfect 12th for his fourth save.
Evan Gattis hit a solo homer off Sam Dyson in the ninth to tie it at 3.
MARINERS 8, ANGELS 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Leonys Martin went 4 for 4 with three doubles and three runs, and Robinson Cano homered to help Seattle beat Los Angeles for its sixth straight victory.
Cano went 3 for 5 with his 33rd home run. Ben Gamel added his first major league homer, a two-run shot in the eighth inning.
Ariel Miranda (4-1) shut out the Angels over six innings in his third straight win.
Ricky Nolasco (5-14) gave up four runs and six hits in six-plus innings.
PHILLIES 6, PIRATES 2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Roman Quinn had two hits, two RBIs, a stolen base and made a big impression in his second major league game, leading Philadelphia over Pittsburgh.
A day after he was promoted to the big leagues, Quinn hit second and played right field in his second straight start. Quinn, an accomplished base stealer and the Phillies’ second-round draft pick in 2011, doubled in the second and sixth innings to help the Phillies snap a seven-game home losing streak.
Quinn’s two-run double in the second one-hopped the wall as part of a five-run inning against Gerrit Cole (7-10), who allowed five runs in two innings in his first start off the disabled list.
Jeremy Hellickson (11-9) struck out six and allowed an unearned run over 6 1/3 innings.
DIAMONDBACKS 12, ROCKIES 9
PHOENIX (AP) — Yasmany Tomas hit his first career grand slam, and Arizona came back from a three-run deficit after squandering a five-run lead to beat Colorado.
Tomas had four hits and five RBIs, including an opposite-field slam to right in the sixth inning off Jordan Lyles (4-5). Brandon Drury also had four of Arizona’s 16 hits, including a solo homer in the seventh.
Tomas matched his career high for hits in a game. His 29 home runs lead the Diamondbacks.
Mitch Haniger hit his first major league home run in the Arizona seventh. Randall Delgado (4-1) got the win and Daniel Hudson earned his third save.
Daniel Descalso homered and drove in three runs, and Carlos Gonzalez doubled three times and added three RBIs for the Rockies. Colorado’s 15 hits included four for Gonzalez and three for Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon.
BRAVES 12, MARLINS 7
ATLANTA (AP) — Nick Markakis doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, Tyler Flowers had four RBIs and Atlanta outslugged Miami.
The teams combined for 34 hits. Atlanta, which ranks 28th in runs, finished in double digits for just the third time this year and the first time at Turner Field.
The Marlins erased a seven-run deficit in the sixth.
Chaz Roe (2-0) got the win. Brian Ellington (2-2) took the loss.
REDS 3, BREWERS 0
CINCINNATI (AP) — Scott Schebler hit a two-run single in Cincinnati’s three-run first inning and four pitchers teamed up on the Reds’ eighth shutout of the season.
Keyvius Sampson started and Blake Wood (6-3), Michael Lorenzen and Raisel Iglesias followed as the Reds posted their seventh shutout since the All-Star break.
Iglesias pitched the final two innings for his third save in four opportunities as the Reds extended their winning streak to four games.
The Brewers, who had hit at least one home run in nine consecutive games, have lost three of their last four. Wily Peralta (6-10) allowed six hits and three runs with one walk and five strikeouts in six innings.