BALTIMORE (AP) Rick Porcello pitched a four-hitter for his major league-high 21st victory, David Ortiz and Mookie Betts hit two-run homers and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Monday night to pad their lead in the AL East.
Coming off a four-game sweep of the Yankees, Boston sustained its late-season surge in the opener of an important four-game series for both clubs. The Red Sox stand atop the division by a season-high four games.
Adam Jones homered and Mark Trumbo picked up his 102nd RBI for the second-place Orioles, who started the day with a one-game lead over Toronto for the top AL wild card.
Porcello (21-4) struck out seven and walked none in his third complete game of the year. Five days earlier against Baltimore, the right-hander gave up one run in eight innings but took the loss.
Playing his final regular season series in Baltimore, the 40-year-old Ortiz connected against rookie Dylan Bundy (9-6) with a man on in the fifth for a 5-1 lead.
RANGERS 3, ANGELS 2
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Ian Desmond had an RBI single with no outs in the ninth inning and Texas moved closer to the AL West title.
Elvis Andrus led off the ninth with a sharp single to left off Jose Alvarez (1-3) before Carlos Gomez turned an attempted sacrifice into a bunt single. Desmond, an All-Star center fielder, followed with his hit to right that scored Andrus.
Andrus also homered for the Rangers, who cut their magic number to four in pursuit of their second consecutive division title. Second-place Seattle was playing at home against Toronto.
Alvarez, the sixth Angels pitcher, had gotten out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth following a 38-minute rain delay.
Closer Sam Dyson (3-2) worked a scoreless ninth for the victory.
CUBS 5, REDS 2
CHICAGO (AP) – Dexter Fowler hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the seventh inning, and Chicago beat Cincinnati.
Fowler’s line drive into center field capped a three-run rally for the Cubs after they were shut down by Tim Adleman most of the night. It also made a winner of Jason Hammel (15-9), who pitched seven solid innings.
Jason Heyward added a two-run homer in the eighth as the Cubs moved seven games ahead of Washington for the best record in the National League, lowering their magic number for clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs to five. That’s the only major goal still out there during the regular season for major league-leading Chicago after it secured the NL Central title last week.
Blake Wood (6-4) allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings.
BRAVES 7, METS 3
NEW YORK (AP) – Aaron Blair won for the first time in 13 major league starts, Freddie Freeman drove in three runs off a misfiring Noah Syndergaard and Atlanta slowed New York’s wild-card chase.
Freeman had four hits for the Braves, who have the worst record in the National League, and rookie Dansby Swanson had three hits and three RBIs.
New York had won 11 of its previous 14 games and led the NL wild-card race at the start of the night, one game ahead of San Francisco and two in front of St. Louis.
Pitching on five days’ rest rather than four, Syndergaard (13-9) allowed five runs, eight hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Blair (1-6) gave up six hits in six innings and lowered his ERA to 7.71.
CARDINALS 5, ROCKIES 3
DENVER (AP) – Carlos Martinez threw five effective innings and added a two-run double, helping St. Louis gain ground in the NL playoff race.
The Cardinals moved within one game of wild card-leading New York. San Francisco played later in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.
Martinez, who turns 25 on Wednesday, gave himself an early birthday present by holding Colorado to two runs while striking out six. The right-hander is 9-1 on the road this season.
Martinez (15-8) helped his own cause with a two-out double as part of a three-run fourth. He also was hit just below the left leg by a fastball from Tyler Anderson (5-6) in the third – two pitches after Randal Grichuk lined a two-run homer.
MARLINS 4, NATIONALS 3
MIAMI (AP) – Giancarlo Stanton homered and Miami beat Washington.
Christian Yelich, Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Dietrich also drove in a run for the Marlins and A.J. Ramos pitched the ninth for his 38th save in 41 chances.
Brian Ellington (3-2) picked up the win with an inning of relief while Mat Latos (7-3) took the loss.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Yordano Ventura picked up his first complete-game victory, Kendrys Morales hit a three-run homer and Kansas City defeated Chicago.
The Royals have won three straight, keeping their faint playoff hopes flickering with 12 games remaining. The Royals went 14-5 against the White Sox this year.
Ventura (11-11) gave up nine hits, struck out five and walked one. His only other complete game in the majors was a loss July 28 at Texas.
Morales homered off Carlos Rodon (7-10) in a four-run fifth. Morales homered in back-to-back games, bringing his total to 29. The last Royal to hit 30 home runs in a season was Jermaine Dye, with 33 in 2000.
