Giants slug four homers, rout slumping Mets 8-0

NEW YORK (AP) – Brandon Belt hit two of San Francisco’s four home runs to push his career-best total to 19, rookie Sammy Long pitched into the sixth inning and the Giants trounced the slumping New York Mets 8-0 Tuesday night. San Francisco powered up early at Citi Field. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski also connected in the first four innings as the Giants jumped to a 7-0 advantage against rookie Tylor Megill (1-3). The lone concern for the Giants: seven-time All-Star catcher Buster Posey was removed with left knee discomfort in the fifth. Belt ended a 2-for-30 skid with two homers and a single in his first three plate appearances and added an RBI infield single in the eighth for his season-high fourth hit. Long (2-1) tossed three-hit ball over 5 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old struck out four and walking one. Megill was clobbered for a career-worst seven runs on 11 hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings. RAYS 3, PHILLIES 1 PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Nelson Cruz returned from the COVID-19 list, played first base for the first time in his career and hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning as Tampa Bay beat Philadelphia. The 41-year-old Cruz, Tampa Bay’s designated hitter who had never played first, handled all his chances cleanly in his first action anywhere on defense since he played right field for Seattle in 2018. He singled in the first and sixth innings before his big hit in the eighth, a line drive off Archie Bradley (7-2) that scored Brett Phillips and Randy Arozarena. JT Chargois (2-0) struck out the only batter he faced to end the seventh, and Andrew Kittredge worked the last two innings for his third save. Brandon Lowe also drove in a run for the AL East-leading Rays, who have won seven of eight. Tampa Bay upped its AL-best record to 78-48. RANGERS 7, INDIANS 3 CLEVELAND (AP) – Nathaniel Lowe was 5 for 5 with a three-run homer in the first inning, and Texas beat Cleveland after adding another player to the COVID-19 list. Lowe homered in the first, singled in the third, seventh and ninth, and doubled in the fifth. DJ Peters also hit a three-run homer in the ninth and drove in four runs. The win came at an opportune time for the Rangers, who placed catcher Jonah Heim on the COVID-19 list before the game, bringing their total to five players on the list. Taylor Hearn (3-4) and four relievers held Cleveland’s offense in check. Hearn gave up solo homers to Daniel Johnson in the third and Yu Chang in the fifth. Eli Morgan (2-6) took the loss. NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 1 MIAMI (AP) – Tres Barrera had three hits, including a homer, and Washington sent Miami to its eighth straight loss. Yadiel Hernádez singled and tripled, while Ryan Zimmerman also went deep for the Nationals. Erick Fedde (6-8) struck out a career-high 10 in 6 1/3 innings. He allowed one run, six hits and walked one. The Marlins struck out 15 times against Washington. The Nationals broke a scoreless tie in a three-run fourth against Miami starter Jesús Luzardo (4-7). Luzardo was lifted after 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander allowed five runs, 10 hits, struck out three and walked one. WHITE SOX 5, BLUE JAYS 2 TORONTO (AP) – Dylan Cease pitched seven effective innings, José Abreu hit a three-run homer and Chicago stopped a three-game slide. Cease (10-6) retired his first 11 batters, fanning six, before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lined a single to right in the fourth. Cease allowed one run and four hits. Liam Hendriks earned his 29th save in 35 chances. Corey Dickerson spoiled Cease’s shutout bid with a one-out homer in the seventh, his fifth. Abreu went 3 for 5 with four RBIs.