The slumping Chicago White Sox are playing a team that didn’t give up on its season despite a terrible start [url=http://www.officialdevils.com/authentic-adidas-patrick-maroon-jersey]Patrick Maroon Jersey[/url] , so maybe they decided that was a pretty good strategy to adopt.

The White Sox could have easily given up on their Tuesday night game against the surging Cincinnati Reds despite falling behind 4-0 before they’d gotten an out and 7-2 following Adam Duvall’s three-run homer in the fifth inning.

And given up on the series, too, since the Reds beat them 5-3 on Monday for their 15th victory in a span of 20 games, the National League’s best record since June 10. The Reds also were 7-1 in interleague games.

Instead, the White Sox managed to tie it first at 7-all on a Leury Garcia pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth and at 8-all on Avisail Garcia’s second home run of the game and third of the series, in the ninth.

The White Sox finally broke through to win it 12-8 in the 12th on Yoan Moncada’s bases-full triple that right fielder Brandon Dixon brought back over the wall to prevent a homer but couldn’t keep in his glove, and Yolmer Sanchez’s RBI triple — both off reliever Jackson Stephens.

“The pitch was up and in but I was able to put the barrel on it and get a triple,” said Moncada, who had a three-hit night after coming in with a .191 average in his previous 44 games. “Little by little, the work I’ve been putting in day in and day out, I’ve been feeling better (at the plate).”

Well before the 12th, the White Sox began their comeback as Daniel Palka hit a two-run homer in the fourth [url=http://www.officialdevils.com/authentic-adidas-pavel-zacha-jersey]Youth Pavel Zacha Jersey[/url] , then teamed with Garcia to homer in the sixth. Garcia has a 13-game hitting streak, and is 14-for-30 with four homers and six RBIs in his last six games.

Now, after winning for only the second time in six contests and the sixth time in 19 games, the White Sox are in position to take the series if they can win Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park. White Sox right-hander Dylan Covey (3-3, 4.82 ERA) will oppose Reds right-hander Sal Romano (4-8, 5.30) in a matchup of pitchers who haven’t faced the opposing team before.

Covey is in a major slump, going 0-2 with an elevated 12.71 ERA with 12 walks and three strikeouts over his last three starts — this after he was 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his first three starts in June. His last time out, he surrendered four home runs and eight earned runs in 2 1/3 innings of a 11-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday.

“I made a couple of mistakes they capitalized on,” Covey told reporters afterward. “For the most part I was throwing good pitches. They were just taking the borderline ones and were all over everything that was in the zone. I don’t have an explanation.”

Manager Rick Renteria did.

“I think there were probably a lot of pitches left over the center of plate,” he said.

Or exactly the kind of pitches the White Sox jumped on Tuesday while getting 15 hits in only their second extra-inning win of the season, as compared to three losses. By winning, the White Sox avoided falling to a season-worst 27 games below .500.

The Reds have put together a string of improbable victories while starting to turn their season around after being 3-15 and 8-27. But this was a game in which they couldn’t hold a succession of leads — 4-0 [url=http://www.officialdevils.com/authentic-adidas-taylor-hall-jersey]Authentic Taylor Hall Jersey[/url] , 7-2, 8-7 — as they played more like they did in April.

“It got away from us late, but that’s a good offensive baseball team,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “Garcia’s a bear to deal with right now and he got us. … But we had a big-enough lead that we should have put it away in nine (innings).”

The Reds wasted a pair of two-run homers in the first by NL batting leader Scooter Gennett and NL RBIs leader Eugenio Suarez, plus Duvall’s three-run shot and a timely play by Billy Hamilton in which he scored the go-ahead run in the eighth on a ground ball to shortstop against a drawn-in infield.

“(But) we’ve been playing too good of baseball to get hung up on one game,” Reds starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani said. “I don’t think this game is going to affect us one bit.”

Romano has pitched well in three of his last four starts, with a June 24 outing against the Cubs in which he gave up five runs in five innings being the only exception. He gave up only three runs over 20 innings in the other three starts.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (sore ankle) is expected back in the lineup after sitting out Tuesday for precautionary reasons.

A look at what’s happening around the majors Wednesday:

NATIONAL DECLINE

The Nationals could use a spark before the July 4 fireworks go off in D.C. Washington is at risk of falling below .500 for the first time since May 2 as it continues a series against Boston at 11 a.m. EDT. The Red Sox thumped the Nationals 11-4 on Tuesday, giving Washington its fourth straight loss and 16th in 21 games to fall to 42-42. That slide has the preseason NL East favorites chasing the Braves and Phillies in the division. Erick Fedde (1-3, 6.00) tries to stop Washington’s skid against Boston left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3, 4.11).

THE SHO GOES ON

Shohei Ohtani is back from the disabled list, albeit without full use of his electric right arm. The Japanese two-way sensation has been cleared to hit and was in the Angels’ lineup as a designated hitter Tuesday night, but he won’t be pitching anytime soon due to a Grade 2 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament suffered more than three weeks ago. Ohtani has received stem cell therapy and a platelet-rich plasma injection on his right elbow [url=http://www.officialdevils.com/authentic-adidas-will-butcher-jersey]Womens Will Butcher Jersey[/url] , and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to return to the mound this year. For now, Los Angeles welcomes him as a hitter. He entered Tuesday batting .289 with a .907 OPS and six homers in 114 at-bats.

ROTATION RESET

Gerrit Cole (9-2) will pitch on regular rest for the Astros after a slight tweak to their rotation. Lance McCullers Jr. was initially scheduled to start at Texas, but Cole will pitch instead. Justin Verlander (9-4) will follow Thursday at home against the White Sox and McCullers goes Friday. Manager A.J. Hinch said the switch keeps Cole and Verlander pitching every fifth day, and provides extra rest for McCullers (9-3) and Charlie Morton (10-2). The reset rotation means likely All-Star selection Verlander is scheduled for the final game before the break. ”This is always going to be the priority,” said Hinch, the All-Star manager who then won’t have Verlander available to pitch for the AL team on July 17 in Washington D.C.

BAUER POWER

Trevor Bauer tries to carry over an outstanding June when the Indians play at Kansas City. Bauer (7-6, 2.45) was 3-3 with a 2.18 ERA last month, striking out 62 batters in 41 1/3 innings. He gets probably his easiest test of the year against the Royals, who scored a major league-low 58 runs in June – the second-lowest output was Tampa Bay at 87.

—

The slumping Chicago White Sox are playing a team that didn’t give up on its season despite a terrible start [url=http://www.officialdevils.com/authentic-adidas-patrick-maroon-jersey]Patrick Maroon Jersey[/url] , so maybe they decided that was a pretty good strategy to adopt.

The White Sox could have easily given up on their Tuesday night game against the surging Cincinnati Reds despite falling behind 4-0 before they’d gotten an out and 7-2 following Adam Duvall’s three-run homer in the fifth inning.

And given up on the series, too, since the Reds beat them 5-3 on Monday for their 15th victory in a span of 20 games, the National League’s best record since June 10. The Reds also were 7-1 in interleague games.

Instead, the White Sox managed to tie it first at 7-all on a Leury Garcia pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth and at 8-all on Avisail Garcia’s second home run of the game and third of the series, in the ninth.

The White Sox finally broke through to win it 12-8 in the 12th on Yoan Moncada’s bases-full triple that right fielder Brandon Dixon brought back over the wall to prevent a homer but couldn’t keep in his glove, and Yolmer Sanchez’s RBI triple — both off reliever Jackson Stephens.

“The pitch was up and in but I was able to put the barrel on it and get a triple,” said Moncada, who had a three-hit night after coming in with a .191 average in his previous 44 games. “Little by little, the work I’ve been putting in day in and day out, I’ve been feeling better (at the plate).”

Well before the 12th, the White Sox began their comeback as Daniel Palka hit a two-run homer in the fourth [url=http://www.officialdevils.com/authentic-adidas-pavel-zacha-jersey]Youth Pavel Zacha Jersey[/url] , then teamed with Garcia to homer in the sixth. Garcia has a 13-game hitting streak, and is 14-for-30 with four homers and six RBIs in his last six games.

Now, after winning for only the second time in six contests and the sixth time in 19 games, the White Sox are in position to take the series if they can win Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park. White Sox right-hander Dylan Covey (3-3, 4.82 ERA) will oppose Reds right-hander Sal Romano (4-8, 5.30) in a matchup of pitchers who haven’t faced the opposing team before.

Covey is in a major slump, going 0-2 with an elevated 12.71 ERA with 12 walks and three strikeouts over his last three starts — this after he was 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his first three starts in June. His last time out, he surrendered four home runs and eight earned runs in 2 1/3 innings of a 11-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday.

“I made a couple of mistakes they capitalized on,” Covey told reporters afterward. “For the most part I was throwing good pitches. They were just taking the borderline ones and were all over everything that was in the zone. I don’t have an explanation.”

Manager Rick Renteria did.

“I think there were probably a lot of pitches left over the center of plate,” he said.

Or exactly the kind of pitches the White Sox jumped on Tuesday while getting 15 hits in only their second extra-inning win of the season, as compared to three losses. By winning, the White Sox avoided falling to a season-worst 27 games below .500.

The Reds have put together a string of improbable victories while starting to turn their season around after being 3-15 and 8-27. But this was a game in which they couldn’t hold a succession of leads — 4-0 [url=http://www.officialdevils.com/authentic-adidas-taylor-hall-jersey]Authentic Taylor Hall Jersey[/url] , 7-2, 8-7 — as they played more like they did in April.

“It got away from us late, but that’s a good offensive baseball team,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “Garcia’s a bear to deal with right now and he got us. … But we had a big-enough lead that we should have put it away in nine (innings).”

Keon Broxton homered twice [url=http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/customized]Customized Atlanta Falcons Jerseys[/url] , dashed home on a rundown and made a diving catch in the ninth inning. With the depleted Brewers needing a little help, the newest addition to the roster did it all.

Broxton drove in four runs Friday night, and Chase Anderson pitched two-hit ball for six innings, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Brewers won their seventh straight against the Reds, their best such streak against Cincinnati in franchise history. Milwaukee is 7-1 overall in the season series.

Broxton was called up three days earlier when Lorenzo Cain suffered a groin strain. He had an RBI single, a solo homer , and a two-run shot as the Brewers pulled away with five runs in the ninth inning.

Broxton also scored from third during a rundown play in the eighth inning, going head-first to beat the throw.

”Probably one of my best games ever, honestly,” Broxton said. ”With the way they’re doing, I just want to come in, fill a spot and keep it moving.”

The NL Central leaders improved to are 48-33 at the midpoint of their season. The Brewers were 42-39 last season, when they finished second to the Cubs.

”Look, we’ve earned this [url=http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/customized]Customized Baltimore Ravens Jerseys[/url] ,” manager Craig Counsell said. ”We’ve had a successful first half of the season. We’ve got to keep backing it up.”

They suffered another setback when Ryan Braun came out of the game in the seventh inning with a stiff back, leaving the Brewers missing two regulars. Christian Yelich also was sidelined by a sore back. Braun missed six games last month with a back problem.

Counsell said Braun’s back has bothered him lately. The Brewers are considering whether he’ll need to go on the disabled list.

”He tried to play but it just was getting worse as the game went on,” Counsell said.

Broxton and Anderson pulled them through.

Anderson (6-6) completed his rough month with one of his best performances. The right-hander was 1-3 in five previous June starts. He limited the Reds to Tucker Barnhart’s single through the first five innings. Reliever Michael Lorenzen connected in the sixth inning for his second homer in a week and his fourth career.

Broxton singled home a run in the second inning and led off the fourth with his first homer of the season off Sal Romano (4-8), who has lost all of his five career starts against Milwaukee.

”Sal’s better than that,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. ”He faced 25 batters in five innings. That isn’t good enough. I don’t take much positive out of this game.”

In the eighth inning, Broxton walked, stole a base and made it safely home from third when the Reds initially caught him in a rundown, then turned to Orlando Arcia at second base. Broxton reversed course and scored.

”That was a wild one,” he said. ”High adrenalin, and it was fun.”

He completed his big night with a two-run shot in the ninth off Jackson Stephens for his third career multi-homer game.

BREWERS PARK?

Milwaukee has homered in each of its last 17 games at Great American Ball Park, hitting a total of 38. It’s the longest such streak by an opponent at GABP. Milwaukee has homered in each of its last five games overall, matching its longest streak of the season.

LORENZEN CONNECTION

Lorenzen has four homers in his last 23 plate appearances since 2016. He also homered on June 24 against the Cubs.

STREAK SNAPPED

Milwaukee’s Jesus Aguilar singled twice but ended his streak of three straight games with a homer. He was trying to become the first Brewer to connect in four straight since Eric Thames did it last June. In his last 13 games, Aguilar is batting .432 with three doubles, eight homers and 17 RBIs.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: Yellich’s back tightened as he ran to first base in the series opener on Thursday. Counsell said after the game that it was improving with treatment.

Reds: Homer Bailey threw 100 pitches in his third minor league rehab appearance on Thursday night without physical problem [url=http://www.officialhockeypanthersshop.com/authentic-adidas-connor-brickley-jersey]Authentic Connor Brickley Jersey[/url] , but had trouble controlling his fastball, Riggleman said. Bailey has been sidelined since June 2 with a sore right knee. He’s 1-7 with a 6.68 ERA.

UP NEXT

Brewers: Jhoulys Chacin (6-3) is 0-2 with a 4.67 ERA in five career appearances at Great American Ball Park.

Reds: Rookie Tyler Mahle (6-6) is undefeated in five June starts, going 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA.

—

From efforts to launch a cat into Instagram fame to offers to unravel yarn for an art project, people who aren’t part of the Super Bowl itself are using the game’s spotlight to promote their own ventures.

One online ad offers $40 an hour to someone who will impersonate a shirtless Christian Grey, the protagonist from ”Fifty Shades of Grey,” on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, the city where this year’s Super Bowl is being held. Another offers $13 hourly to someone who will walk back and forth and unravel yarn for an art project, according to Minnesota Public Radio News .

One woman wants to hire someone for $30 an hour to hand out flyers promoting the Instagram account for her 20-pound cat. Elizabeth ”Z” Townsend said she’s gotten 20 to 25 people interested in the job.

”I’ve always wanted to gain recognition in a way and when I got Dumpling, he’s just the most beautiful cat and I knew that other people would like him as well. It brings people joy. It brings me joy to follow other cats and animals on Instagram,” Townsend said.

The Super Bowl crowds offer so many opportunities for side hustles that one man is making a documentary about them. David Leach, of New York City, got the idea at last year’s Super Bowl in Houston. This year’s Super Bowl is Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.

”I was thinking, man, somebody has got to capture this. I mean [url=http://www.officialhockeypanthersshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-reimer-jersey]http://www.officialhockeypanthersshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-reimer-jersey[/url] , there are so many different personalities that go to the host city just because of the amount of money that’s on the street,” he said. ”I’ve never been to a place in my life where there’s more business transactions happening at every level.”

Leach hired two Minnesota residents to help him navigate the state as he makes his movie, called ”Hustler’s Holiday.”

”It’s really an amazing time just for anybody that’s working in almost any capacity, whether it be a chef or a hotel manager or an Uber driver or a DJ or a person trying to promote their cat,” Leach said.

Jackie Santrelle, 22, is hoping the Super Bowl could be her big break. She replied to a Craigslist ad seeking a Tina Turner impersonator, and was instead cast as Diana Ross for the ”Tribute to Motown” show at the Minnesota Music Cafe.

”It was amazing how the universe moves because I went in to do backgrounds and I came home Diana Ross,” Santrelle said.

—

Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News,

TORONTO — The Detroit Tigers will be trying to avoid making more history Sunday afternoon when they face the Toronto Blue Jays on Canada Day at the Rogers Centre.

After Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak smacked a 1-0 fastball from Joe Jimenez for his second career walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday [url=http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-tomas-tatar-jersey]Tomas Tatar Jersey[/url] , the Tigers have lost 11 games in a row.

The last time the Tigers put together a losing streak like that was 2003. On Sunday, in the third contest of the four-game series, the Tigers will be trying to avoid dipping deeper into their history by losing 12 in a row for the first time since 1996.

The Tigers will start right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (2-0, 4.35 ERA) against Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ (10-3, 3.62).

Saturday looked promising for the Tigers when they took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, but the Blue Jays came back to tie in the fifth.

Both Toronto wins in the series have been by one run.

“Honestly, nobody wants to play extra innings,” Smoak said. “To be able to do it in the ninth and get it over with is always a good feeling.”

The Tigers would beg to differ. They would have been happy to try their luck in extra innings if that’s what it takes to end their funk.

“We’re all trying hard,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Everybody’s trying. We tried all kinds of things today to try to make this happen. And we were in the game again and ultimately we lose the ballgame.”

The Blue Jays have dominated the Tigers at the Rogers Centre in recent years, winning 12 of their past 14 meetings.

There could be times when it seems as if the Tigers might be trying a little too hard to make things happen and then paying for it. First baseman John Hicks, who hit his seventh home run of the season in the second inning Saturday, was not so sure that is the case.

“I don’t think guys are trying to do anything more than we’ve been trying to do all year,” he said. “We’re in a losing streak, but we’re going out every day playing the same way we’ve been playing all year. But when you are losing, things get magnified.”

Losing a close game or a lopsided one does not matter, Hicks said, adding “A loss is a loss.

“They all stink, every loss is frustrating. It just happens to be in a losing streak, so it happens to magnify things more. We’ve had opportunities to win pretty much every ballgame we’ve lost.”

The task Sunday falls to Zimmermann [url=http://www.kansascitychiefsteamonline.com/justin-houston-jersey]Womens Justin Houston Jersey[/url] , who will make his 10th start of the season.

Despite pitching five scoreless innings Monday against the Oakland Athletics, Zimmermann did not factor in the decision, He allowed four hits and three walks and struck out three.

In three career starts against the Blue Jays, Zimmermann is 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA. This will be his first start against Toronto since June 8, 2016, when he took the loss, giving up seven runs and eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. He will be making his first career start at the Rogers Centre.

Happ has not lost since May 10. In his eight starts since, he is 6-0 with a 2.60 ERA. One of the no-decisions came June 2 in Detroit when he allowed four runs and had eight strikeouts against the Tigers in five innings.

In nine career games (eight starts) against the Tigers, he is 3-1 with a 4.10 ERA.

The Blue Jays lead the season series between the teams 3-2. Two games are left.

Both teams had injuries to relief pitchers Saturday. The Blue Jays put Ryan Tepera on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation in his right elbow and recalled Jake Petricka from Triple-A Buffalo.

Tigers reliever Alex Wilson left the game — and was replaced by Jimenez — in the eighth inning with a strained left calf. He is listed as day to day.

Chris Sale pitched his latest Bronx gem, Rafael Devers went 5 for 5 with a first-inning grand slam and the Boston Red Sox held the New York Yankees to two hits during an 11-0 rout Saturday night to take back baseball’s best record.

Sale (8-4) allowed only Giancarlo Stanton’s clean single over seven innings, striking out 11. He has a 1.73 career ERA against the Yankees, best among pitchers with at least 10 starts against them since 1920. His ERA at Yankee Stadium is 1.86, second only to Seattle’s Felix Hernandez among pitchers with five starts.

Boston is a major league-leading 56-28, just ahead of the Yankees at 53-27. New York held the majors’ best mark by percentage points after winning Friday’s series opener 8-1.

Yankee Stadium hosted a season-high sellout of 47,125, and the crowd gave starter Sonny Gray (5-6) an earful after he gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped to 0-4 with a 9.35 ERA against Boston since being acquired by New York from Oakland last season.

RANGERS 13, WHITE SOX 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Bartolo Colon overcame a sluggish start to earn his 245th major league win and match Dennis Martinez for the most by a pitcher from Latin America when Texas beat Chicago.

Joey Gallo and Ryan Rua homered for the Rangers, who won for the 11th time in 13 games and clinched their fifth consecutive series. Robinson Chirinos hit a three-run double in the fourth inning that put Texas ahead to stay.

The 45-year-old Colon (5-5) was done after Matt Davidson led off the sixth with a homer to center field that pulled the White Sox to 5-3.

Colon already had the most wins by a pitcher born in the Dominican Republic [url=http://www.houstontexansteamonline.com/customized]Customized Houston Texans Jerseys[/url] , having surpassed Hall of Famer Juan Marichal for that distinction with his 244th victory at Kansas City on June 18, six days before a loss at Minnesota. Colon won in his first start at home since June 6 to match Martinez, who is from Nicaragua.

White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon (1-3) allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings.

GIANTS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 0

PHOENIX (AP) – Dereck Rodriguez blanked the Diamondbacks into the seventh inning and San Francisco made it two wins in a row at Arizona.

Brandon Crawford, Andrew McCutchen and Joe Panik homered on another rough night for Shelby Miller (0-2), who struggled in his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery.

Panik’s homer, off reliever Jimmie Sherfy in the eighth, was his first since April 3, a span of 162 at-bats.

Ty Blach and Cory Gearrin completed San Francisco’s 10th shutout of the season.

The Giants have won nine of 11 to pull into a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers for second in the NL West, 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Diamondbacks. San Francisco can complete a three-game road sweep on Sunday.

Rodriguez (3-1), the son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan ”Pudge” Rodriguez, dominated in his sixth major league start. He allowed six hits in 6 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked two.

MARINERS 6, ROYALS 4

SEATTLE (AP) – Ryon Healy had four hits, including a homer, and drove in three runs to lead Seattle over Kansas City.

Felix Hernandez (8-6) gave up four consecutive hits, including a three-run homer by Mike Moustakas, to start the game. But the right-hander settled down to pitch four scoreless innings after that, helping the Mariners to a season-best sixth consecutive win.

Edwin Diaz worked a perfect ninth for his 31st save. The Mariners (53-31) are 22 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2003 season.

Jason Hammels (2-10) lost his fifth straight [url=http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/customized]Customized Indianapolis Colts Jerseys[/url] , allowing six runs and 13 hits in six innings.

PADRES 4, PIRATES 3

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Wil Myers homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and rookie Joey Lucchesi threw five scoreless innings to send San Diego past Pittsburgh.

The Padres had to hold on after closer Brad Hand allowed two runs in the ninth before earning his 23rd save. Hand gave up doubles by Elias Diaz and Austin Meadows, and a triple by Gregory Polanco. The reliever then got Jordy Mercer to fly out to shallow right field, pinch-hitter Jose Osuna to foul out to right and struck out Starling Marte.

Myers, limited to 19 games this season due to injuries, homered off Trevor Williams (6-6) in the third, his second. Myers then chased the San Diegan with a two-run double to give the Padres a 4-0 lead in the fifth.

San Diego won for just the third time in 13 games.

Lucchesi (4-3) won for the first time since April 28. He was making his third start since missing five weeks with a strained right hip. The left-hander allowed one hit while striking out five and walking four.

BLUE JAYS 4, TIGERS 3

TORONTO (AP) – Justin Smoak led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run and Toronto handed Detroit its 11th straight loss.

Smoak connected against reliever Joe Jimenez (3-1) for his 11th homer of the season.

Seyunghwan Oh (4-2) worked one inning for the win. Randal Grichuk also homered for the Blue Jays, who have won 10 of 11 at home.

John Hicks hit a solo homer in the Detroit second off Sam Gaviglio and Nick Castellanos made it 3-0 with a two-run shot in the third, his 12th.

Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer to cap Toronto’s three-run fifth that tied the score.

RAYS 5, ASTROS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Wilson Ramos drove in four runs in the first two innings against Justin Verlander, and Tampa Bay won for the seventh time in eight games.

Matt Duffy finished with three hits, including two in the first two innings, to help the Rays move to .500 (41-41) for the first time since June 1. Tampa Bay has held opponents to two runs or fewer in five straight games for only

It was a long and odd day [url=http://www.cincinnatibengalsteamonline.com/customized]Customized Cincinnati Bengals Jerseys[/url] , one that started with teenager Juan Soto homering in a game that officially was played before he made his major league debut.

Huh?

Soto delivered a tiebreaking, pinch-hit, two-run shot in the sixth inning of a game that began and was suspended because of rain last month, five days before he was called up from the minors for the first time, to lift the Washington Nationals to a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees in the opener of an unusual semi-doubleheader Monday.

”Geez, he has a bright future. How old is he, 19? You don’t see too many 19-year-olds doing what he’s doing,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said about Soto. ”I’m excited to see him develop for years to come.”

In Game 2, Judge made two key catches of balls hit by Trea Turner, including one on the warning track that bailed out Aroldis Chapman with two men on in the bottom of the ninth to end it, and the Yankees grabbed a 4-2 victory with the help of Aaron Hicks‘ go-ahead two-run homer.

That final-out fly ”got me to hold my breath for a sec,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Throw in a trade by Washington to add reliever Kelvin Herrera from the Kansas City Royals, full-throated chants of ”Let’s go, Yankees!” from portions of the sellout crowd of 42,723, and all in all, so much happened at Nationals Park.

”That,” Nationals closer Sean Doolittle said, summing up things neatly, ”was weird.”

Game 1 resumed with the score 3-all and the Nationals about to bat in the bottom of the sixth. After Bryce Harper – who had a full beard back on May 15, when the game began, but was clean-shaven this time – struck out [url=http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/customized]Customized Cleveland Browns Jerseys[/url] , and Anthony Rendon singled, Soto drove a 97 mph fastball from Chad Green (4-1) to the back of the second deck in right field.

”I thought he had a good chance to hit the ball hard,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. ”That was hard.”

It was Soto’s sixth homer since he was brought up from Double-A Harrisburg on May 20 – and half have come against the Yankees. Soto stood and admired this one before beginning his trot around the bases.

”A lot of people tell me, `Hey, you’re killing the Yankees,'” Soto said. ”Everybody knows the Yankees, likes the Yankees. That feels pretty good.”

Soto also was involved in a double play while playing left in the seventh. Didi Gregorius lined to Soto, and he lobbed the ball to shortstop Turner, who sprinted to second base to double off Gary Sanchez.

Soto’s stats – and all others from Game 1 – will count as being part of the originally scheduled game on May 15, but Soto’s debut will still be considered to have come on the actual date it happened, May 20, according to the Nationals, citing the Elias Sports Bureau.

Wander Suero (1-0) got the win for 1 1-3 scoreless innings – one inning on May 15, and one out on Monday.

Doolittle struck out Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, then got Sanchez to fly out to center in the ninth for his 18th save.

The Nationals had lost five of six games entering the day.

Game 2, which was completely rained out May 16, began a half-hour after Game 1 finished, and Washington led 2-1 before Hicks’ ninth homer, which came in the fifth against Erick Fedde (0-2) and got plenty of Yankees fans excited – and loud.

The rookie righty lost to the Yankees for the second time in less than a week, giving up three runs in 5 1-3 innings this time.

Stanton provided some cushion with an RBI double off Sammy Solis in the seventh, part of a 4-for-5 showing in Game 2.

Sonny Gray (5-4) allowed two runs in five-plus innings, with Mark Reynolds driving in both.

HARPER’S DAY

Harper’s batting average is .212 after he went 0 for 5 on Monday [url=http://www.kansascitychiefsteamonline.com/justin-houston-jersey]Authentic Justin Houston Jersey[/url] , with two strikeouts, three groundouts and a walk. He has one hit in his last 27 at-bats. ”He’s just in one of those little funks, where you’re kind of happy to face him right now,” Boone said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: OF Brett Gardner didn’t play, a day after an MRI exam showed swelling in his right knee. Boone doesn’t expect Gardner to go on the DL.

Nationals: RHP Jeremy Hellickson, on the DL for two weeks with a strained right hamstring, took fielding practice before the start of play Monday and said he ”felt fine.” Hellickson has taken two bullpen sessions and ”felt 100 percent,” so expects to be able to return soon. … 1B Matt Adams was ”still a little sore” after getting hit by a pitch on a finger Friday and did not play.

ROSTER MOVE

The Yankees returned right-hander Giovanny Gallegos to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the game. Gallegos had been called up as the 26th man for the nightcap Monday.

UP NEXT

Yankees: Open a three-game set against visiting Seattle, with RHP Domingo German (1-4, 5.23 ERA) pitching Tuesday.

Nationals: Begin a three-game series at home against Baltimore on Tuesday, with Jefry Rodriguez on the mound for his second major league appearance and first start.

—

CHICAGO — If Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon had his druthers, his team wouldn’t have played a pair of games Tuesday.

But as the Cubs head into Wednesday’s series finale against the defending National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Maddon certainly won’t complain about having the opportunity to claim a series victory.

How they had to do it, however, is a different story.

The Cubs earned a doubleheader split with a 2-1 nightcap victory after Albert Almora, Jr., delivered a 10th-inning single. The win came after the Cubs blew a ninth-inning lead in Tuesday’s first game, which the Dodgers rallied to win, 4-3.

Maddon expressed his displeasure with the split doubleheader format ahead of Wednesday’s matinee series finale. After Monday’s game was postponed due to the combination of inclement weather and electrical issues with Wrigley Field’s lights, Tuesday proved to be a long day for everyone involved.

“I don’t like it,” Maddon said Tuesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. To be here for a noon game and then a 7 o’clock game [url=http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/customized]Customized Dallas Cowboys Jerseys[/url] , that’s wrong. I don’t think there’s one player, manager, coach who thinks it’s a good idea.”

Maddon added: “I’m not crying. It’s just true. So it works for both sides. The Dodgers have to do the same thing. I’m not just talking about us. I’d just prefer a different method over the split doubleheader to appease when the game was rained out like it was (Monday) night.”

Maddon voiced his opinion ahead of Tuesday’s rescheduled series opener in which Cubs reliever Justin Wilson surrendered a two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning. Wilson pitched in place of closer Brandon Morrow, who was unavailable for Tuesday’s doubleheader due to back spasms. The Cubs didn’t make Morrow’s condition public until after Tuesday’s first game when Maddon said he was holding out Morrow for precautionary reasons. Morrow told reporters he considered his availability to be day-to-day.

After offense came at a premium in Tuesday’s second game, Wednesday’s showdown has all the makings of a pitcher’s duel.

Jon Lester (8-2, 2.28 ERA) takes the mound for the series finale looking to extend what has been a successful first half of the season. Lester has won four straight starts and has only allowed a pair of runs in three starts in June. Lester is 2-3 in seven career starts against the Dodgers.

The Dodgers will counter with Ross Stripling, who will take the mound with eyes set on his seventh straight victory. Stripling (6-1, 1.76 ERA) hasn’t lost since April 30 and has struck out at least six in each of his last seven starts. Over his last six starts, Stripling has struck out 47 and walked just two.

Stripling, who will make his first career start against the Cubs on Wednesday, has taken over the role as the Dodgers ace in the place of injured Clayton Kershaw. His strong start has made him a strong contender for a place on the National League All-Star team.

“You never know if you’ll have another chance in a six-, eight-, 10-year career to make an All-Star game,” Stripling said recently, according to the Loss Angeles Times. “I want to go out there and do my best to try and get there because it would be pretty cool.”

Stripling has the vote of teammate Matt Kemp.

“He needs to be in there,” Kemp said, according to the Times. “That boy is pitching his butt off. It’s fun to watch.”

On a steamy day that proved too daunting for Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs [url=http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-oscar-dansk-jersey]Oscar Dansk Jersey[/url] , 38-year-old Albert Pujols coolly delivered the game’s pivotal hit.

Pujols’ RBI double highlighted a five-run eighth inning, and Los Angeles beat the Orioles 6-2 Saturday to extend Baltimore’s latest losing streak to seven games.

Gametime temperature was 93, and the humidity was unforgiving. Sweating profusely, Skaggs asked out after using 79 pitches to get through five innings.

”It’s definitely one of the hottest games I’ve thrown in a long time,” Skaggs said. ”I was just tired. I told (manager Mike Scioscia) I rarely come out and say this, but I’m exhausted.”

Skaggs added: ”I probably could have gone another inning, but there was no point. My team picked me up.”

Playing their 3,000th game under Scioscia, the Angels trailed 2-1 before using three hits, three walks and a hit batter to take control against the free-falling Orioles.

After Mychal Givens (0-6) issued a pair of one-out walks, Pujols tied it with his 632nd career double , a drive that handcuffed right fielder Danny Valencia. The hit tied David Ortiz for 10th place on the all-time list – and tied the game.

An intentional walk followed, and the go-ahead run scored when Chris Young hit into a force play at third base. Tanner Scott hit Martin Maldonado with a pitch to force in a run, and David Fletcher capped the uprising with a two-run single.

”It was good clutch-hitting that inning,” Scioscia said. ”I think the biggest hit there was Albert.”

The Angels lost six straight before coming to Baltimore, and now they appear to have their mojo back.

”Whenever you can grind out runs late in the game to come back and win, it’s exciting,” Fletcher said. ”It’s definitely something to give us confidence.”

Justin Anderson (2-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings to earn the win.

The Orioles’ shoddy play in the eighth inning explains why Baltimore owns the worst record in the majors. Baltimore has five losing streaks of at least six games, is 0-15 against the AL West and has lost 17 of 18 at home.

Afterward, manager Buck Showalter was straining to find the positive aspect of another dreadful defeat.

”When you only score two runs – again – you’re going to have to pitch real well, which we really did for seven innings,” he said. ”So [url=http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-oscar-lindberg-jersey]Authentic Oscar Lindberg Jersey[/url] , I’ll take that out of it.”

Baltimore’s Andrew Cashner threw 105 pitches. He gave up one run in six innings and left with the lead, but now has gone six straight starts without a victory.

”To say I’m not frustrated, I’d be lying, but for me, wins and losses are out of my control,” the right-hander said.

MILESTONE

Scioscia is the sixth manager in major league history to manage 3,000 games with one team.

”You don’t think about it,” Scioscia said about his longevity. ”It’s 3,000, one game at a time.”

TAKE A SEAT

Struggling Orioles 2B Jonathan Schoop (.197) was given the day off, and will likely be rested Sunday before Monday’s off day. Showalter said he wanted the 2017 All-Star to ”reset.”

TRAINING ROOM

Angels: RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani, who has a Grade 2 sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow, batted in a simulated game Saturday and did not experience any setbacks, Scioscia said. The team hopes Ohtani can avoid Tommy John surgery. . LHP John Lamb has a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will undergo surgery in Los Angeles. . RHP Jake Jewell will be out at least six months after undergoing right ankle surgery Friday. . RHP Garrett Richards (hamstring) allowed five runs over 3 1/3 innings in a rehab start Friday with High-A Inland Empire. ”He lost some of his command as the outing went on, but physically he felt great,” Scioscia said.

Orioles: RHP Darren O’Day opted for surgery to repair a left hamstring strain, ending his season. … RHP Chris Tillman (back) was scheduled to make his third rehab start, this time with Triple-A Norfolk, on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Deck McGuire (0-0, 6.08 ERA) makes his third major league start in the series finale Sunday.

Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (3-6, 4.20 ERA) lost his last four decisions and has not completed seven innings in any of his last eight starts.

The Los Angeles Angels were 4 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners when they opened a three-game series three weeks ago. When the Angels return to Seattle on Tuesday to begin another three-game set, they’ll be 11 games behind the Mariners for the second wild card from the American League.

The Mariners (54-31) swept the Angels the last time they were in town [url=http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-reilly-smith-jersey]Reilly Smith Jersey[/url] , and Seattle expanded that cushion by going 7-0 last week for their longest winning streak of the season.

The Angels (43-42) are 6-14 since pulling within 3 1/2 games of the Mariners on June 9. They lost to the Minnesota Twins the following day before getting swept June 11-13 in Seattle. Los Angeles has already played six games at Safeco Field this season but has yet to host the Mariners in Anaheim.

If the Angels drop the series opener, they’ll own a .500 record for the first time since the second game of the season.

The scheduled starting pitchers for Tuesday were also matched up on June 11.

Los Angeles left-hander Andrew Heaney (4-5, 3-95 ERA) gave up five runs and seven hits in three innings of the 5-3 loss.

Seattle left-hander Wade LeBlanc (3-0, 3.38) gave up two runs and four hits in five innings in his only career appearance against Seattle.

LeBlanc, who made 10 appearances for the Angels in 2014, including three starts, hasn’t experienced a defeat in 11 starts this season, and the Mariners are 8-3 in those games.

The Mariners have also found something special in closer Edwin Diaz, who became the second pitcher in major league history with at least 30 saves and 70 strikeouts before the All-Star break. The other is former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Eric Gagne.

“We’ve had a lot of valuable players on our team,” Seattle manager Scott Servais told reporters after a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. “But winning the close games, it creates the type of atmosphere that’s going on at Safeco Field right now and the city and getting our fan base psyched again.”

Heaney also struggled in his most recent outing, allowing six runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings of a 9-6 loss on Wednesday at the Boston Red Sox, but he did not absorb the loss.

He’s 1-2 in four career starts against the Mariners with a 4.42 ERA.

The Angels lost two more pitchers to injury on their current road trip.

Jake Jewell sustained a broken right fibula against the Red Sox on Wednesday. The rookie right-hander was making his third major-league appearance when he fell awkwardly while trying to cover home plate on a wild pitch. He had surgery on Friday in Los Angeles.

On Saturday, the Angels announced left-hander John Lamb would undergo Tommy John surgery, the fourth pitcher for Los Angeles to have the season-ending surgery this year.

Los Angeles could soon be adding some offensive punch, however.

Shohei Ohtani, the rookie two-way player who is also out with an elbow injury, has been taking live batting practice and running the bases recently, putting him on pace to resume designated hitter duties this week.

“He’s starting to do get through that progression,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told FOX Sports West on Sunday.

Angels first baseman/designated hitter Jefry Marte is also close to returning from a left wrist injury.

The attorney for 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala filed a motion Tuesday in Marion County court [url=http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-jonathan-marchessault-jersey]Jonathan Marchessault Jersey[/url] , arguing that Orrego-Savala’s statements to a state trooper after the Feb. 4 crash shouldn’t be allowed because he wasn’t first read his rights.

Orrego-Savala faces four felony charges for the Indianapolis crash that killed Jackson and his driver, Jeffrey Monroe. Prosecutors say Orrego-Savala had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent. Authorities say Orrego-Savala was deported from the U.S. in 2007 and 2009 and was back in the country illegally.

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His next court hearing is set for March. 27.

TORONTO — The Detroit Tigers will start a former Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Saturday afternoon for the second game in a row in another attempt to end a losing streak that has reached 10 games.

Former Blue Jays left-hander Francisco Liriano could not do the job Friday night — allowing three runs in six innings — as the Blue Jays defeated the Tigers 3-2 in the opener of a four-game series at the Rogers Centre.

This time, the former Blue Jay is Matt Boyd (4-6, 4.15 ERA), who will face Toronto right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-2, 3.98) in the second game of the series.

The Tigers (36-47), who are 13-26 on the road, have lost 10 games in a row for the first time since Sept. 13-22, 2003, the season in which they lost 119 games.

“We had some opportunities [url=http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-luca-sbisa-jersey]Luca Sbisa Jersey[/url] , but it’s the same story,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “You pitch really good and you don’t score, or you don’t pitch good enough and it just extends on. The guys are really trying, they’re bothered out there and they’re frustrated. They want to win, the guys are really pushing hard in the dugout, but it’s just not happening right now.”

The Tigers have lost 11 of their past 13 games in Toronto.

The Blue Jays (38-43), who were returning from a 3-4 road trip that easily could have been better, have won nine of their past 10 home games. They are 21-20 at home.

Boyd took the loss Sunday at Cleveland when he allowed six runs, eight hits and two walks while striking out five in three innings.

The start Saturday will be his 16th of the season.

In four career starts against the Blue Jays, Boyd is 0-1 with a 4.24 ERA. He did not factor in the decision June 2 against Toronto at Comerica Park when he gave up four runs, six hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out three.

Boyd [url=http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-marc-andre-fleury-jersey]Marc-Andre Fleury Jersey[/url] , who was sent to the Tigers July 30, 2015, as part of the trade that sent David Price to the Blue Jays, is 0-3 with an 8.66 ERA in four career starts at the Rogers Centre.

Gaviglio will be making his 10th appearance and eighth start of the season.

In his past three starts, he is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA and has pitched only 12 innings.

He has faced the Tigers once in his career, allowing two runs in five innings in a no decision.

The Tigers have been outscored 64-26 during their losing streak.

Before the game Friday, the Blue Jays selected the contract of utility player Darnell Sweeney from Triple-A Buffalo. He was batting .232 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 47 games. He has played all infield positions except first base, both corner outfield positions and also pitched a scoreless inning.

Sweeney takes the roster spot of outfielder Steve Pearce, who was traded Thursday night to the Boston Red Sox for shortstop Santiago Espinal, who will play at Class A Dunedin.

Moving Pearce means that Kendrys Morales will again see regular use as the designated hitter and breaks up a logjam in the outfield. The Blue Jays return to four outfielders with Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk [url=http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-nate-schmidt-jersey]Nate Schmidt Jersey[/url] , Kevin Pillar and Curtis Granderson.

Espinal, 23, batted .313 with seven homers and 32 RBIs in 65 games with Class A Salem in the Red Sox organization.

“Middle-of-the-diamond players, you can’t have enough of them,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Friday. “The athleticism, that’s where it all begins. If you can play in the middle, you can often play anywhere else, so that’s first and foremost. (Espinal) is an above-average runner and performing well at a decent level, so there’s plenty to like.”