Estrada hits 3-run homer as Giants beat Brewers 5-1

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Thairo Estrada hit a three-run homer during San Francisco’s four-run eighth inning, and the Giants beat the Brewers 5-1 on Thursday to avoid a four-game sweep. A day after falling out of first place for the first time since May 30, the Giants (85-49) moved into a tie atop the NL West with the idle Los Angeles Dodgers. Austin Slater also connected, and Logan Webb pitched seven sparkling innings. San Francisco had dropped four in a row. Milwaukee (82-53) wasted a terrific performance by Eric Lauer, who tossed seven innings of three-hit ball. The NL Central leaders had won four in a row. Darin Ruf put the Giants ahead to stay with a two-out RBI double off Devin Williams (7-2) in the eighth. Estrada followed with a drive to left for his fourth homer. RED SOX 4, RAYS 0 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Eduardo Rodriguez pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning, and the Red Sox earned a split in their four-game series against the AL East-leading Rays. Garrett Richards replaced Rodriguez (11-7) with two on and no outs in the seventh, and the right-hander escaped the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a fly ball. Richards earned his second save, finishing a five-hitter. Rays rookie Wander Franco extended his on-base streak to 33 games with a seventh-inning walk, but he left after the at-bat with a headache. Bobby Dalbec drove in two runs for Boston, which has a two-game lead over Oakland in the race for the second AL wild card. Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan (9-5) gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings. BRAVES 6, ROCKIES 5 DENVER (AP) – Adam Duvall hit a two-run homer in Atlanta’s three-run fifth inning, and the Braves overcame a grand slam by Charlie Blackmon. Jorge Soler also homered and Austin Riley had a two-run double for Atlanta, which stayed two games ahead of Philadelphia in the NL East. Five Atlanta relievers combined for six scoreless innings after Touki Toussaint struggled. Jacob Webb (2-2) got six outs for the win, and Will Smith worked the ninth for his 30th save in 34 chances. The Braves went ahead to stay with three runs in the fifth. Freddie Freeman led off with a double against Yency Almonte (1-3). Freeman advanced on Riley’s single and scored on Dansby Swanson’s sacrifice fly. Duvall then hit a drive to deep left for his 30th homer, lifting Atlanta to a 6-5 lead. PHILLIES 7, NATIONALS 6 WASHINGTON (AP) – Andrew McCutchen drove in four runs and Philadelphia erased a six-run deficit on its way to the three-game series sweep. The Phillies overcame a disappointing start from Aaron Nola and rallied against the Nationals’ bullpen for their sixth consecutive win. Philadelphia pulled within two games of idle Cincinnati in the race for the second NL wild card. Juan Soto homered and drove in four runs for Washington, which has dropped five in a row and 21 of 27. Andres Machado (1-1) got the loss. Sam Coonrod (2-2) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win, and Ian Kennedy worked the ninth for his 22nd save. METS 4, MARLINS 3 NEW YORK (AP) – Dominic Smith broke a seventh-inning tie with a pinch-hit RBI single, sending the Mets to the win. Marlins leadoff batter Miguel Rojas and Mets counterpart Jonathan Villar each homered on the first pitch they saw, the first time that’s happened in a major league game since at least 1985, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Statisticians at Elias were unable to go back any further with certainty because prior pitch-count records aren’t precise. Francisco Lindor doubled home a run for the Mets and scored on a balk by Sandy Alcantara (8-13).