Guerrero, Panik homer as Blue Jays outslug Astros 6-2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Joe Panik homered, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Saturday. Panik’s tiebreaking three-run shot off José Urquidy gave Toronto a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning. Guerrero connected in the fifth, sending a two-run drive deep to left for his 18th homer. Guerrero finished with three hits, raising his batting average to .338. Ross Stripling pitched five innings of one-run ball for the Blue Jays, who improved to 3-1 at their temporary home in Buffalo. Stripling (2-3) allowed seven hits, struck out four and walked one. Carlos Correa had three hits and Myles Straw drove in two runs for the Astros. Urquidy (4-3) was tagged for a season-high six runs in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his previous nine starts this season. RAYS 3, RANGERS 0 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Rich Hill pitched another five scoreless innings as Tampa Bay blanked Texas. The 41-year-old Hill (5-2) struck out three and allowed two hits while throwing 59 pitches. Diego Castillo, the fourth Rays reliever, struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances and to cap the team’s fifth shutout victory this season. Texas, which had four hits, was held scoreless for the seventh time. Austin Meadows had a two-run single off Kolby Allard (1-2). Manuel Margot hit a solo homer in the eighth for the AL-leading Rays (37-23). INDIANS 10, ORIOLES 4 BALTIMORE (AP) – Cesar Hernandez and Harold Ramirez homered off Baltimore ace John Means, who exited in the first inning with shoulder fatigue, as Cleveland beat the Orioles. Cedric Mullins homered twice as part of his second career five-hit outing for Baltimore, which saw its three-game winning streak end. Ryan Mountcastle hit a solo shot in the sixth. Yu Chang also homered to help Aaron Civale (8-2) tie for the major league lead in victories. Cleveland has won three of its last four. Means (4-2) surrendered a leadoff homer to Hernandez and a solo drive to Ramirez with two outs. After Eddie Rosario followed with a single, Means exited the game. PHILLIES 5, NATIONALS 2 PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Bryce Harper hit a run-scoring single that stopped an 0-for-18 skid in his return from the injured list, Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer and Philadelphia defeated Washington. Washington’s Josh Harrison was hit by pitches twice, by starter Spencer Howard and by Ranger Suárez (1-0), who won by pitching three hitless innings. Rhys Hoskins had an RBI for Philadelphia, which won for just the second time in the last six games. Josh Bell went deep for the Nationals. Connor Brogdon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save since 2019 at Double-A. Joe Ross (2-6) gave up four runs – all unearned – and three hits in six innings. CARDINALS 5, REDS 2 ST. LOUIS (AP) – Yadier Molina left the game in the fourth inning with a bruised knee, and St. Louis lost to Cincinnati, the Cardinals’ fourth straight setback. The 38-year-old Molina took a foul tip off the bat of Kyle Farmer off his left knee in the fourth inning, Andrew Knizner pinch hit in the bottom half for Molina and made a run-scoring throwing error in the seventh. Jonathan India and Eugenio Suárez homered for the Reds to back Tyler Mahle (5-2), who allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts. Cincinnati has won three in a row for the first time since a six-game winning streak that started after the Reds lost their opener against the Cardinals. Ryan Helsley (3-4) took the loss. TIGERS 4, WHITE SOX 3 CHICAGO (AP) – Tarik Skubal struck out a career-high 11 to win consecutive starts for the first time in his major league career, Eric Haase homered twice and Detroit beat Chicago.