NEW YORK (AP) — The Cleveland Indians swept a pair from the New York Yankees yesterday to increase their lead in the AL Central to seven games over Minnesota. Trevor Bauer won his seventh consecutive decision and Jose Ramirez had four hits in the Indians’ 2-1 victory over the Yanks in Game 1. Edwin Encarnacion (ehn-kahr-nah-see-OHN’), Yan Gomes (yahn gohmz) and Francisco Lindor (lihn-DOHR’) homered in the nightcap as the Tribe battered the Bombers, 7-1.
TORONTO (AP) — The Red Sox lead the AL Central by 5 ½ games over the Yankees following Boston’s 7-1 win at Toronto. Pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland supplied a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh and singled home a pair in the Bosox’s four-run eighth. Rick Porcello helped the Red Sox complete a three-game sweep by limiting the Blue Jays to a run and six hits over 6 2/3 innings.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Houston’s lead in the AL West is down to 11 ½ games over Los Angeles after the Astros absorbed an 8-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at St. Petersburg, Florida. Mike Napoli belted a three-run homer to back Andrew Cashner, who was reached for just one run and three hits over eight innings. Carlos Gomez lined a two-run single while Texas tagged Astros ace Dallas Keuchel (KY’-kul) for six runs in the fourth inning.
UNDATED (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ drove in four runs apiece as the Chicago Cubs bashed the Pirates, 17-3. Schwarber slammed a pair of two-run homers, Happ added a two-run blast and Anthony Rizzo added a solo shot. Jose Quintana gave up three runs over six innings for the Cubs, who won their third in a row to maintain their 3 ½-game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central.
UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Nationals’ lead in the NL East is up to 15 games over Miami, while the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 17-game lead in the NL West. Stephen Strasburg went the distance on a four-hitter and belted his second home run of the season as the Nationals blanked the Marlins, 4-0. Homers by Paul Goldschmidt, Adam Rosales and Chris Herrmann sent the Dodgers to their season-high fourth straight loss as Arizona beat L.A., 6-4.
