Cole strikes out 9, Gallo homers, Yankees beat Angels 2-1

NEW YORK (AP) – Gerrit Cole pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning and struck out nine in his return from the COVID-19 injured list, Joey Gallo hit a two-run homer and the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 Monday night. New York has won 10 of 13 and pulled within two games of idle Boston for an AL wild-card spot. The Yankees open a three-game series against the Red Sox with a day-night doubleheader Tuesday. Cole (11-6) went 5 2/3 innings, the only damage against him coming on Justin Upton’s homer in the first. The Yankees’ ace walked one batter and threw 90 pitches. Gallo hit his 29th homer in the first inning against José Suarez (5-6). Chad Green closed out the ninth for his fourth save. Shohei Ohtani was 0 for 4 after homering three times in three games at Yankee Stadium during the Angels’ previous visit. RAYS 9, ORIOLES 2 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Brett Phillips had an inside-the-park homer, Brandon Lowe went deep twice, and AL East-leading Tampa Bay dealt Baltimore its 12th consecutive loss. Kevin Kiermaier and Mike Brosseau also homered for the Rays, who are 12-1 against the Orioles this season. Josh Fleming (10-6) followed opener Collin McHugh and gave up two runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings. Phillips sent a leadoff drive in the sixth off Paul Fry to the left-center field wall that bounded past center fielder Cedric Mullins and was retrieved by left fielder D.J.Stewart. The speedster ended his dash around the bases with a head-first drive to beat a relay throw at the plate. Matt Harvey (6-12) took the loss, allowing five runs and five hits in 4 â…” innings. BRAVES 12, MARLINS 2 MIAMI (AP) – Freddie Freeman and Adam Duvall homered in a seven-run fourth inning, and surging Atlanta beat Miami. Freeman also singled twice while Ozzie Albies had three hits and three RBIs for the NL East-leading Braves, who have won four straight and 11 of 13. Trailing 2-1, Atlanta broke it open against Miami starter Braxton Garrett (1-2) and reliever Paul Campbell in the fourth. Freeman hit a three-run blast and Duvall added a two-run shot. Touki Toussaint (2-2) limited the Marlins to two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two. Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered in the first and Isan Díaz went deep in the second for the Marlins, whose four-game winning streak ended. REDS 14, CUBS 5 CINCINNATI (AP) – Jonathan India homered and drove in five runs, Wade Miley threw seven shutout innings and Cincinnati sent Chicago to its 12th straight loss. Joey Votto got the 2,000th hit of his career, a solid single in the seventh. Votto came up again later in the inning and drove in a run with another base hit during an eight-run Reds outburst. Miley (10-4) allowed four hits and struck out seven as the second-place Reds won for the ninth time in 13 games and moved within 7 1/2 games of idle Milwaukee in the NL Central. Cubs right-hander Justin Steele (2-2) allowed five hits and two runs over four innings. WHITE SOX 5, ATHLETICS 2 CHICAGO (AP) – Eloy Jiménez hit a tiebreaking RBI single and Liam Hendriks got the save against his former team, leading Chicago over Oakland. Seby Zavala had two hits and two RBIs as Chicago improved to an AL-best 40-22 at home. Luis Robert homered, and Dallas Keuchel (8-6) pitched five innings of two-run ball in his first win since July 9. Oakland dropped to 4-3 on a 10-game trip after it lost two of three at last-place Texas over the weekend. It also fell to second in the AL wild-card standings, a half-game back of idle Boston and 1 1/2 games ahead of the New York Yankees. Matt Chapman homered for the third straight day for the A’s, and Mark Canha had an RBI single.