AMERICAN LEAGUE

Bregman's double gives Astros 12th win in row

Houston Astros' Alex Bregman, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a game-winning double to score two runs against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 18, 2018, in Houston. The Astros won 5-4. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Astros' Alex Bregman, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a game-winning double to score two runs against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 18, 2018, in Houston. The Astros won 5-4. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

AMERICAN LEAGUE

ASTROS 5, RAYS 4

HOUSTON -- Alex Bregman hit a game-ending two-run double with one out in the ninth inning and the Houston Astros beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 Monday night to match a franchise record with their 12th consecutive victory.

Houston trailed 4-0 after three innings but cut the lead to one entering the ninth.

Sergio Romo (1-2) walked Marwin Gonzalez to start the ninth, then allowed a single to Max Stassi. Tony Kemp's sacrifice bunt moved both runners up, and Houston loaded the bases when George Springer reached on interference by catcher Wilson Ramos.

Bregman then drove a ball that bounced off the wall in left-center. He lifted both arms as he trotted into second base, and teammates mobbed him in the infield.

Collin McHugh (2-0) struck out two in a scoreless ninth for the win on a night Gerrit Cole walked a career-high five to help the Rays build the early lead.

Houston also won 12 consecutive in 2004 and 1999. The Astros will go for No. 13 today with ace Justin Verlander on the mound.

Romo was the seventh pitcher the Rays used as they employed a reliever as a starter for the 16th time in 30 games.

Cole walked Jake Bauers with one out in the first before Ramos launched a fastball into the seats in right field to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.

Matt Duffy drew a walk with one out in the third, stole second base and took third on an error by catcher Brian McCann. Cole, who hadn't walked more than three in a game this season, walked Bauers and Ramos to load the bases. A two-out single by Joey Wendle came next to score two and push the lead to 4-0.

Cole settled down after that, retiring 13 of his final 14 batters, with Tampa Bay's only baserunner coming on a walk by Carlos Gomez with one out in the seventh. He allowed 3 hits and 4 runs in 7 innings.

INDIANS 6, WHITE SOX 2 Trevor Bauer shut out Chicago for seven innings before a rain delay ended his night, and Jason Kipnis homered to lead the host Cleveland Indians over the sliding and sloppy White Sox. Bauer (6-5) allowed just three hits, struck out eight and was in line to potentially pitch his first shutout. However, the game was halted by rain in the seventh inning for 35 minutes, and Manager Terry Francona pulled the right-hander following the delay and 100 pitches.

RANGERS 6, ROYALS 3 Bartolo Colon earned his 244th victory, passing Hall of Famer Juan Marichal for the most by a pitcher born in the Dominican Republic, and visiting Texas beat skidding Kansas City.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PHILLIES 6, CARDINALS 5 (10) Left fielder Marcell Ozuna dived for and missed Aaron Altherr's two-run double with two outs in the 10th inning, allowing the host Philadelphia Phillies to rally over the St. Louis Cardinals. Tommy Pham hit a solo home run in the top of the 10th, one inning after a wild pitch on a strikeout kept the game going. Rhys Hoskins hit a bloop single to start the bottom of the 10th off Matt Bowman (0-2). Odubel Herrera dived headfirst into first to seemingly beat out an infield single, but the play was overturned by a video review. After Carlos Santana was intentionally walked, Bowman struck out Jesmuel Valentin. Altherr then hit a sinking liner that appeared to skip off Ozuna's glove before bouncing to the wall.

METS 12, ROCKIES 2 Brandon Nimmo homered twice during a huge night at the plate, including an inside-the-park shot to begin the game, and visiting New York finally gave Jacob deGrom some run support in a victory over. Wilmer Flores and Devin Mesoraco also went deep for New York, which won its their third consecutive.

PIRATES 1, BREWERS 0 Trevor Williams pitched one-hit ball over seven innings and two Pittsburgh Pirates relievers closed out a two-hitter over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Williams (6-4) struck out seven and walked two for his first victory in a month. Jordy Mercer drove in the lone run with a seventh-inning double, and the Pirates won for the fourth time in five games.

INTERLEAGUE

NATIONALS 5-2, YANKEES 3-4 Juan Soto's pinch-hit two-run homer in the sixth inning of a game that began and was suspended because of rain last month, five days before he made his major league debut, lifted the host Washington Nationals over the New York Yankees in the opener of an unusual doubleheader. Game 1 resumed with the score 3-3 and the Nationals about to bat in the bottom of the sixth. After Anthony Rendon singled, Soto drove a 97 mph fastball from Chad Green (4-1) to the back of the second deck in right field. It was the 19-year-old outfielder's sixth homer since he was called up from Class AA Harrisburg on May 20. Aaron Hicks' go-ahead two-run homer sparked chants of "Let's go, Yankees!" on the road and helped New York beat Washington in the second game.

Sports on 06/19/2018

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