Freeman streak reaches 16 games in Dodgers’ win


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- In a tense and tight matchup of division leaders, Freddie Freeman and the Los Angeles Dodgers came out on top.

Freeman extended his hitting streak to 16 games, Max Muncy and Miguel Vargas homered, and the National League West-leading Dodgers beat the MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 on Saturday.

Freeman finished 2 for 3 with 2 walks and is hitting .444 (28 for 63) with 18 RBIs during his streak.

Mookie Betts had an RBI single and Freeman followed with a run-scoring double off Colin Poche (3-1) as Los Angeles took a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning. Vargas added a solo shot in the eighth.

"That was a gritty win," Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said. "So much respect for this Tampa team, the way they play. They don't give you anything. And for us to get a lead and lose it and come back and fight back, it was just overall just a good win -- and now we have a chance to win a series."

Harold Ramirez hit the Rays' major league-leading 100th homer, but Tampa Bay dropped to 25-6 at home. Tampa Bay reached 100 home runs in 54 games, fifth-fastest of any team since 1901. Los Angeles has 84 home runs, which is second in the National League.

Neither starting pitcher, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw nor Tampa Bay right-hander Tyler Glasnow, made it past the fifth inning.

Yency Almonte (3-0) worked a perfect sixth. Caleb Ferguson gave up Wander Franco's RBI single before getting his second save.

"This is such a great team win. ... I didn't have anything to do with it, unfortunately," Kershaw said. "The bullpen pitched four solid innings. Freddie, guys had clutch hits."

NATIONALS 4, ROYALS 2 CJ Abrams hit a two-run double in Washington's four-run sixth inning and Corey Dickerson got his 1,000th career hit as visiting Washington beat Kansas City.

MARINERS 5, PIRATES 0 Luis Castillo struck out 10 in six crisp innings, and host Seattle beat Pittsburgh. Castillo allowed one hit -- Tucupita Marcano's double on the game's first pitch -- and walked two.

YANKEES 3, PADRES 2 (10) Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a game-ending single with one out in the 10th inning as host New York Yankees beat San Diego. After Anthony Volpe and Aaron Judge hit into double plays in the eighth and ninth, the Yankees got their fifth walk-off win when Kiner-Falefa sent Nick Martinez's 2-0 pitch down the line just past the glove of third baseman Rougned Odor to score Greg Allen.

RED SOX 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1 Reese McGuire's safety squeeze bunt with the bases loaded scored Triston Casas, which proved to be the difference as Boston beat host Arizona.

CARDINALS 2, GUARDIANS 1 (10) Brendan Donovan homered in the second inning and scored on a passed ball in the 10th to lift St. Louis over host Cleveland.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PHILLIES 2, BRAVES 1 Zack Wheeler struck out 12 in eight shutout innings, and visiting Philadelphia beat Atlanta. Wheeler (4-4) allowed three hits, walked one and hit a batter in his first win since April 29

GIANTS 3, BREWERS 1 Mitch Haniger hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning and Logan Webb allowed one run over seven innings to pace visiting San Francisco over Milwaukee.

REDS 8, CUBS 5 Jonathan India homered twice and drove in five runs, leading Cincinnati past host Chicago.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

ASTROS 6, ATHLETICS 3 Jeremy Pena hit a two-run home ru, backing another solid outing from Framber Valdez as visiting Houston sent Oakland to its 10th consecutive loss. Alex Bregman had three hits and three RBI for Houston.

TWINS 9, BLUE JAYS 7 Willi Castro homered twice for his first career multi-homer game, Matt Wallner homered among his career-high four hits, and host Minnesota held off Toronto, which lost for the 10th time in 13 games.

TIGERS 5, WHITE SOX 3 Zach McKinstry homered in a three-run seventh as host Detroit rallied to beat Chicago. McKinstry went 3 for 4 with a sacrifice fly and has reached base 19 times in the past seven games.

RANGERS 5, ORIOLES 3 Andrew Heaney pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, Marcus Semien extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a two-run single and Texas beat Baltimore.


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