Rays beat Yankees 9-0, now 5 games back in AL East

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Jeffrey Springs pitched neatly into the sixth inning, Christian Bethancourt hit a seventh-inning two-run homer, and the Tampa Bay Rays moved within five games of the AL East-leading New York Yankees with a 9-0 victory on Friday night. Springs (7-4) gave up four hits and three walks, along with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. JT Chargois, Colin Poche, Jason Adam and Calvin Faucher completed the five-hitter. Tampa Bay has limited the Yankees to 42 runs (32 earned) in 14 games. Bethancourt made it 3-0 on his homer off Domingo Germán (2-3), who allowed three runs – two earned – and six hits over 6 2/3 innings. Yu Chang had a two-run infield single and Manuel Margot drove in two with a single during a six-run eighth against Greg Weissert and Anthony Banda. New York has lost five of six, while the Rays have won four in a row to move a season-high 16 games over .500. REDS 3, ROCKIES 2 CINCINNATI (AP) – Jonathan India drove in Spencer Steer from third base with a game-ending chopper against Colorado’s five-man infield to lead Cincinnati to the win. Steer, who hit his first career home run in the fifth in his major league debut, led off the ninth with a double against Alex Colomé (2-7) and went to third on a one-out wild pitch. Jake Fraley was intentionally walked and took second on defensive indifference. The Rockies moved into the stacked infield with three fielders on the left side. India hit a bouncer up the middle that shifted center fielder Garrett Hampson caught on the grass in front of second base, but he had no play on Steer. India was credited with a single. Fraley tied it at 2 when he greeted Dinelson Lamet with a leadoff homer in the seventh. It was Fraley’s first career pinch-hit homer. Sean Bouchard had a two-run homer for Colorado in the third for the first of his career. Alexis Díaz (5-2) gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth to get the win. BLUE JAYS 4, PIRATES 0 PITTSBURGH ((AP) – Alek Manoah pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning and Bo Bichette homered to lead Toronto. Manoah (13-7) allowed five hits and struck out six in 7 1/3 innings, retiring 15 of the final 18 batters he faced. The right-hander went at least seven innings without allowing a run for the first time since last Sept. 13, when he made it through eight innings. The Blue Jays have won 10 of 15 and maintained their 1 1/2-game edge over the Baltimore Orioles in the race for the third and final wild-card spot in the American League. Toronto scored a pair of runs with three straight hits off of Tyler Beede (1-5) to start the fourth inning. Matt Chapman led off with a double down the left-field line, Cavan Biggio followed with an infield single and Santiago Espinal drove both in with a double to left. Bichette added to the Blue Jays’ lead in the ninth with a two-run homer to left, his 18th of the season. TIGERS 5, ROYALS 4 DETROIT (AP) – Ryan Kreidler scored twice in his major league debut, including the go-ahead run on pinch-hitter Harold Castro’s seventh-inning single, and Detroit edged Kansas City. Kreidler, promoted from Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, drew two walks. Javier Baez hit a two-run homer and Willi Castro had three hits, including a solo homer. Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak. Andrew Chafin (1-2) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Gregory Soto struck out the side in the ninth for his 24th save. Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run homer for the Royals, who have dropped three straight. Carlos Hernandez (0-4) took the loss. ORIOLES 5, ATHLETICS 2 BALTIMORE (AP) – Gunnar Henderson doubled twice in his home debut, Jorge Mateo had a two-run single in a three-run eighth inning, and Baltimore beat Oakland.