MLB roundup: White Sox down Pirates for first series sweep this season

Miguel Vargas and Mike Tauchman hit back-to-back home runs to spark a four-run first inning, which propelled the Chicago White Sox to a 7-2 victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon.
Vargas and Tauchman each finished with two hits and three RBIs to help the White Sox earn their first series sweep of the season. Chicago was the only remaining team in the majors that had not swept a series this season.
The Pirates sustained their third loss in a row and 11th in their past 12 games — marking their worst stretch of the season. Nick Gonzales doubled and drove in a run for the Pirates, and Andrew McCutchen added a double.
Chicago’s bats backed up a quality start from Aaron Civale (2-6), who pitched six innings and gave up one unearned run on three hits and one walk while striking out six.
Brewers 6, Dodgers 5
Isaac Collins delivered a go-ahead two-run single in a three-run sixth inning and Milwaukee finished off a perfect run against Los Angeles this season, earning its second three-game sweep of the hosts in less than two weeks.
The Brewers won their 10th in a row as Jackson Chourio had a single to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, tying a career high set earlier this season. Left-hander Jose Quintana (7-3) gave up four runs on four hits while striking out five over six innings.
Shohei Ohtani and Esteury Ruiz hit home runs for the Dodgers, who dropped to 2-10 since July 4. The Dodgers also lost their sixth consecutive home game in the stretch as they committed three errors.
Blue Jays 8, Giants 6
Addison Barger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer all homered to lead Toronto to the win over visiting San Francisco.
Springer and Barger both went deep as part of a four-run fifth inning to stake a 7-2 lead for the Blue Jays, who won their 10th straight game at home to equal the franchise mark set in 1985. Springer also doubled while Bo Bichette smacked two doubles and drove in a pair of runs.
Matt Chapman had two hits, including a two-run homer, for the Giants, who dropped their fifth straight. Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos and Dominic Smith each had a single and a double.
Yankees 4, Braves 2
Aaron Judge blasted his 351st career home run to move into a sixth-place tie with Alex Rodriguez for the most in New York history as the visiting Yankees held on for a win over Atlanta.
Giancarlo Stanton went 3-for-5 and Jazz Chisholm Jr. added a single and a double for the Yanks, who picked up their first series win on the road since June 10-12.
Matt Olson and Ronald Acuna Jr. each homered for the Braves, who have lost three of four.
Angels 8, Phillies 2
Taylor Ward stayed hot in Philadelphia with two doubles and four RBIs to lead Los Angeles to the win over the Phillies to complete the series victory.
Ward finished the three-game set with two homers, three doubles and eight RBIs as the Angels picked up their fourth win in six games. LaMonte Wade Jr. went 3-for-4 with a home run for Los Angeles, while Zach Neto chipped in with two hits and an RBI.
Otto Kemp singled and homered while Rafael Marchan added a hit and an RBI for the Phillies, who have lost six of nine.
Royals 7, Marlins 4
Salvador Perez homered and doubled and Kris Bubic logged five scoreless innings to earn Kansas City the road win against Miami.
Jonathan India and Jac Caglianone each doubled and drove in two runs for Kansas City, which led 7-0 before the Marlins plated four unearned runs in the ninth inning. Bobby Witt Jr. and Adam Frazier also had doubles for the Royals.
Agustin Ramirez had two hits, including a run-scoring double, while Xavier Edwards had a hit and two RBIs.
Red Sox 6, Cubs 1
Wilyer Abreu belted two home runs and had three RBIs, helping Boston rally for six unanswered runs to beat host Chicago.
Alex Bregman recorded a pinch-hit, three-run homer for the Red Sox, who have won 14 of their last 18 games. Roman Anthony added two hits for Boston.
Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson each recorded two hits for the Cubs, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Astros 11, Mariners 3
Taylor Trammell went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBIs as visiting Houston scored 11 unanswered runs to avoid a sweep against Seattle.
Christian Walker smacked a tiebreaking home run in the sixth for the Astros, who won for just the second time in nine games. Victor Caratini went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, while Mauricio Dubon added two hits.
JP Crawford doubled twice for the Mariners, whose five-game winning streak came to a close. Julio Rodriguez contributed two hits and an RBI, and Jorge Polance had a two-run single.
Orioles 5, Rays 3
Fueled by three home runs, visiting Baltimore salvaged the final game of a three-game series by holding off Tampa Bay. Jackson Holliday, Ryan O’Hearn and Alex Jackson went deep for the Orioles, who ended a four-game skid.
Trevor Rogers (3-1) went six innings and allowed just five hits and two runs. The Baltimore lefty walked two and struck out three. Gunnar Henderson added a two-run double.
Yandy Diaz went 2-for-4 with a run for the Rays. Danny Jansen homered and scored twice, and Junior Caminero had two hits and one RBI.
Padres 8, Nationals 1
Xander Bogaerts had a first-inning grand slam among his two hits, Nick Pivetta pitched six strong innings and San Diego beat Washington, taking the rubber game of the series.
Elias Diaz had a home run and a single, and Jake Cronenworth added two doubles for the Padres, who have won five of seven. Pivetta (10-2) allowed a run on three hits, struck out five and walked one. In his last five starts, he is 3-0 with a 0.57 ERA, 36 strikeouts and six walks.
Riley Adams homered and Luis Garcia Jr. and Paul DeJong each had two hits for the Nationals, who have lost six of seven. Washington All-Star MacKenzie Gore (4-9) endured his worst outing of the season, allowing eight runs on eight hits — two of them home runs — in 2 1/3 innings.
Guardians 8, Athletics 2
David Fry cleared the bases with a fourth-inning double during a career-best four-RBI day, Gavin Williams struck out 11 in seven innings and Cleveland completed a series win over the visiting Athletics.
Angel Martinez chipped in with a single, double and solo home run for the Guardians, who have won eight of 10 bridging the All-Star break.
Rookie Nick Kurtz doubled twice and drove in a run for the A’s, who won just twice in the six-game season series against Cleveland.
Mets 3, Reds 2
Juan Soto scored from third on Luis Torrens’ fielder’s choice grounder in the bottom of the eighth inning, lifting New York over visiting Cincinnati.
Soto started the inning by coaxing a leadoff walk from Brent Suter (1-1), then reached third via Jeff McNeil’s one-out double to right-center. Tony Santillan relieved Suter and Torrens welcomed him by rapping a 3-2 pitch to Reds second baseman Matt McLain, whose one-hop throw home was too late to nail Soto at the plate.
Edwin Diaz (5-0) got the win for the Mets despite blowing a save chance, courtesy of his two-out, bases-loaded plunking of Spencer Steer that allowed McLain to score the tying run in the top of the eighth. Ryne Stanek pitched the ninth for his second save.
Twins 7, Rockies 1
Royce Lewis hit two home runs for his second multi-homer game of his career — and first in the regular season — as Minnesota went deep four times to beat Colorado in Denver.
Matt Wallner and Harrison Bader also homered to back seven strong innings from starter Joe Ryan. Ryan (10-4) tied his season high with 11 strikeouts, didn’t walk a batter and gave up one run on five hits.
Christian Vazquez had three hits and Kody Clemens contributed two hits for Minnesota, which avoided a sweep. Mickey Moniak homered, Jordan Beck had three hits and Ryan McMahon doubled twice for the Rockies.
Diamondbacks 5, Cardinals 3
Eugenio Suarez had his second consecutive two-homer game, Merrill Kelly pitched six strong innings and Arizona completed a three-game sweep of St. Louis in Phoenix.
Suarez hit a three-run homer as part of a four-run first inning and added a solo home run in the third to increase his NL-leading total to 35, one more than the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani. Since June 1, Suarez’s 20 homers are the most in the majors.
Kelly (9-5) gave up three hits and two runs in six innings, striking out five and walking four in the Diamondbacks’ fourth straight win. Ivan Herrera had an RBI single and Jordan Walker added an RBI-double with two outs in the ninth for the Cardinals, who have lost 11 of 15.