Hot sluggers Brandon Lowe and Junior Caminero each bashed a two-run homer and Drew Rasmussen pitched six strong innings to help the Tampa Bay Rays post an 8-2 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday night at West Sacramento, Calif.

Caminero had two hits, three RBIs and two runs in the series finale as the Rays took two of three from the A’s. Chandler Simpson added two hits and two runs while Yandy Diaz and Ha-Seong Kim also had two hits for Tampa Bay, which won for just the seventh time in the past 23 games.

Lawrence Butler homered for the Athletics, who lost for just the seventh time in the past 19 games.

Rasmussen (10-5) allowed two runs (one earned) and three hits. He struck out five and walked none while winning his fourth straight decision.

J.T. Ginn (2-5) threw 70 pitches while lasting just two innings for the Athletics. He gave up six runs (five earned), six hits and one walk while striking out three.

The Rays sent nine batters to the plate in the first inning and scored four two-out runs as Ginn needed 40 pitches to get out of the frame.

Simpson was on third base with two outs when Josh Lowe ripped a shot just inside the right field line. The ball boy gloved the ball and tossed it over the netting, and the umpiring crew declared it a ground-rule double.

Caminero followed with a run-scoring double, and Jake Mangum added an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Hunter Feduccia walked to put runners on first and second. The Rays then worked a double steal, and the throw to third by Shea Langeliers went into left field as Mangum scored and Feduccia ended up at third.

Ginn tossed 30 pitches in a second inning that began with Simpson’s infield single. Brandon Lowe then feasted on a full-count changeup and sent it 458 feet over the fence in center to make it 6-0.

It was the 150th career homer for Lowe, who has five blasts over the past eight games and 24 on the year.

Butler led off the third with a homer to left-center, his 16th, to get the A’s on the board.

Gio Urshela had an RBI single with one out in the fifth to cut the Athletics’ deficit to 6-2.

Diaz singled with one out in the ninth and the A’s failed to turn a double play on Josh Lowe’s grounder. Caminero made them pay with a two-run blast to left off Elvis Alvarado. The homer was Caminero’s sixth in the past seven games and his 34th of the season.

–Field Level Media

Logan O’Hoppe hit a go-ahead two-run single with two outs in the eighth inning, rallying the Los Angeles Angels to a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif.

The Angels completed their first-ever six-game Freeway Series sweep of their Southern California rivals. The Angels’ only other season sweep vs. the Dodgers came when they went 4-0 in 2019.

The Dodgers, who took their fourth straight loss, fell one game behind the San Diego Padres in the National League West. Los Angeles hadn’t trailed in the division since April 27.

With the bases loaded and the Dodgers up 5-4 in the eighth, O’Hoppe lined a 103.2 mph fastball from reliever Edgardo Henriquez into center field to drive in Christian Moore and Taylor Ward, who had walked against Justin Wrobleski (4-4).

Jo Adell hit a one-out infield single and Luis Rengifo struck out before O’Hoppe delivered.

Brock Burke (6-1) threw one inning of shutout relief and Kenley Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to garner his 23rd save.

Ward homered and scored two runs. Zach Neto added a two-run double for the Angels, and Bryce Teodosio doubled, singled and also reached above the center field fence to rob Andy Pages of a two-run homer in the seventh inning.

For the Dodgers, Will Smith homered and drove in three runs, Mookie Betts went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run and Shohei Ohtani tripled, walked, scored a run and also threw a season-high 4 1/3 innings.

Ohtani, making his first start at Anaheim Stadium since tearing his UCL in the second inning on Aug. 23, 2023, start for the Angels against the Cincinnati Reds, allowed four runs on five hits while striking out seven. It was the ninth start in his pitching comeback from Tommy John surgery. He threw a season-high 80 pitches, 50 for strikes.

The Dodgers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Ohtani led off the game with a triple into the right field corner to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and then scored on a single by Betts. One out later, Smith drilled a two-run homer 407 feet into the left field bleachers.

The Angels cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second on Ward’s solo homer and a sacrifice fly by Rengifo, driving in Yoan Moncada, who had doubled.

The Dodgers extended the lead to 5-2 in the fourth on a bases-loaded single by Betts and a bases-loaded walk by Smith.

The Angels cut it to 5-4 in the fifth on a two-run double by Neto.

–Field Level Media

Miguel Amaya’s return from the injured list lasted less than one full game.

The Cubs catcher was carted off the field in the eighth inning of Chicago’s Wednesday game in Toronto after falling to the ground as he crossed the first base bag awkwardly while beating out an infield hit to shortstop.

Chicago manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game that X-rays were negative but Amaya has a sprained left ankle and is headed back to the IL.

Amaya, 26, had just been activated from the 60-day IL on Tuesday, having recovered from a left oblique strain, and the Cubs were sticking with three catchers on the roster. The third-year catcher has hit .281 with four home runs and 25 RBIs in 28 games.

Amaya went 1-for-3 on Wednesday as Chicago earned a 4-1 win over the Blue Jays. Reese McGuire, who replaced him, and Carson Kelly are the other catchers on the roster.

“We’re going to miss him,” Counsell said of Amaya.

–Field Level Media

Kody Clemens highlighted a three-run sixth-inning rally with a two-run double, Joe Ryan pitched 6 2/3 stellar innings and the visiting Minnesota Twins earned a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night following a lengthy rain delay.

After a 1-hour, 52-minute delay, the Twins broke a nine-game losing streak to the Yankees, earning their first win over them since April 25, 2023. Minnesota also won for just the sixth time in its past 36 regular-season visits to New York.

Clemens entered the pivotal at-bat in an 0-for-18 skid, coming up after infield hits by Byron Buxton and rookie Luke Keaschall. He gave the Twins a 3-1 lead by hitting a double to center field off Yerry De los Santos (0-1) and took third when center fielder Trent Grisham bobbled the ball for an error.

After Mark Leiter Jr. relieved De los Santos and notched two outs, Royce Lewis lined a two-strike double to left field for a 4-1 lead.

Those clutch hits were enough for Ryan (12-5), who allowed one run on four hits. Ryan fanned seven and walked two in a season-high 102-pitch outing, including a strikeout of Aaron Judge in the first following a leadoff single by Grisham.

Cody Bellinger homered for the Yankees, who lost for the eighth time in 12 games. After Bellinger reached the second deck in right field in the third, Ryan permitted only two more baserunners.

Ryan allowed a one-out double to Anthony Volpe in the seventh, but reliever Kody Funderburk came on to strike out Austin Wells to end the inning. Justin Topa retired Judge and Bellinger in a 1-2-3 eighth and recorded the final six outs for his second save.

New York rookie Cam Schlittler allowed one run on two hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked two.

Schlittler retired the Twins’ first nine hitters before walking Trevor Larnach and allowing a double to Buxton in the fourth. Larnach scored the tying run on a groundout by Keaschall.

–Field Level Media

Michael Harris II closed out a nine-run fourth inning Wednesday night by hitting a grand slam for the visiting Atlanta Braves, who stunned the New York Mets in a 11-6 win in the middle game of a three-game series.

The Braves, who trailed 6-0 after two innings before mounting their biggest comeback of the season, have won five of seven. The Mets took their 12th loss in 14 games.

Pete Alonso’s two-run single in the first put the Mets ahead before Carlos Carrasco could record an out. Cedric Mullins added a sacrifice fly later in the inning. New York scored three more times in the second, as Juan Soto hit a two-run homer to center and Jeff McNeil added a two-out run-scoring double.

However, Mets starter David Peterson couldn’t get out of the fourth, when he allowed six of the seven batters he faced to reach base. Nick Allen drew a bases-loaded walk and Jurickson Profar laced a three-run double before Matt Olson chased Peterson by working another walk.

Reed Garrett (3-5) gave up Marcell Ozuna’s run-scoring single and struck out Ozzie Albies before walking Sean Murphy. Harris followed with his second career grand slam.

Ozuna added insurance with a two-run shot off Paul Blackburn in the sixth inning.

Aaron Bummer (2-2) gave up two hits over 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Braves, who earned their first win after trailing by at least six runs since April 6, 2024, when Atlanta beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-8 after trailing 6-0 in the first.

Profar finished 3-for-5.

Alonso was 3-for-4, while Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte and Brett Baty had two hits apiece for New York.

Carrasco allowed six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out two over two innings. Peterson gave up six runs on five hits and five walks while striking out five over 3 1/3 innings. Blackburn retired the final 12 batters he faced following Ozuna’s homer.

–Field Level Media

Jackson Holliday rapped a two-out, run-scoring double in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Baltimore Orioles found just enough late-game offense to defeat the visiting Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Ryan Mountcastle homered and pinch hitter Jeremiah Jackson tripled in Baltimore’s three-run seventh inning and lefty starter Trevor Rogers provided seven strong innings.

Despite scoring twice in the top of the ninth, Seattle had its season-best eight-game winning streak end as it was held to six hits. The Orioles won for the third time in their last nine games.

Dylan Carlson hit his second single of the game with two outs in the ninth before Holliday’s game-winning hit.

Mountcastle, who had two of his team’s nine hits, tied the game on the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh and the Orioles tacked on two more runs. Coby Mayo singled, then scored on Jackson’s triple, and on that play, Jackson raced home on first baseman Josh Naylor’s throwing error to make it 3-1.

It was notable output for the Orioles after the Mariners blanked Baltimore 1-0 on Tuesday in the series opener.

Rogers allowed only a seventh-inning run, holding the Mariners to four hits and no walks while striking out six.

Orioles reliever Dietrich Enns pitched a scoreless eighth, but Seattle’s first two batters in the ninth reached base against Yennier Cano. A double steal put two runners in scoring position, with Eugenio Suarez scoring on Naylor’s groundout before pinch hitter Dominic Canzone lofted a game-tying sacrifice fly off Keegan Akin (4-2).

Mariners starter Logan Gilbert was sharp through six innings before running into trouble. He ended up being charged with two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings, with two walks with six strikeouts. Reliever Gabe Speier surrendered Jackson’s triple. Matt Brash (1-1) later took the loss.

Naylor’s one-out single in the seventh inning drove Julio Rodriguez, who led off the frame with a triple, for Seattle’s first run.

Mountcastle’s fourth homer of the season led off the bottom of the seventh, giving the Orioles their first run in the series.

The game began after a 1-hour, 40-minute weather delay.

–Field Level Media

Hunter Brown pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and his batterymate Yainer Diaz drove in three runs as the Houston Astros beat the visiting Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Wednesday in the rubber match of the three-game series.

Brown (10-5) snapped a six-start winless streak by producing his 15th quality start of the season. Diaz finished 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and an RBI single to pace the Houston offense.

The Astros scored two runs against Red Sox starter Walker Buehler (7-7) in the bottom of the first inning. Jeremy Pena led off the frame with his 13th homer, drilling a 3-1 fastball 358 feet out to left field. Jose Altuve and Victor Caratini then worked walks before Diaz lined the first pitch he saw to left for an RBI double.

Buehler then found his stride. He retired Ramon Urias to strand two runners and initiate a stretch in which he retired 15 of 16 batters, needing only four pitches to complete the bottom of the fifth.

But after retiring Altuve and Christian Walker to open the sixth, Buehler issued a four-pitch walk to Caratini before Diaz struck again, blasting a 415-foot homer to left-center, his 17th homer of the season, to extend the lead to three runs.

Buehler allowed four runs on four hits and four walks, with three strikeouts, over six innings.

Brown retired the Red Sox in order in the first but scuffled an inning later, allowing four baserunners as Boston sliced its two-run deficit in half. Trevor Story, who reached on a leadoff double, scored on Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-out single to center field.

Brown eluded further trouble with a strikeout of Connor Wong then retired the side in order in the third and fifth innings and stranded Jarren Duran at third to cap the sixth. Brown allowed one run on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

Bennett Sousa relieved Brown with two outs in the seventh and struck out Roman Anthony to end that frame. Bryan Abreu notched his first save while stranding a pair of runners in the ninth.

–Field Level Media

Cade Horton struck out a career-best eight, Michael Busch and Matt Shaw hit home runs and the visiting Chicago Cubs defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Wednesday night.

Horton (7-3) allowed one run, one hit and two walks in 5 2/3 innings while winning his fourth consecutive start. His scoreless streak ended at 28 1/3 innings after he exited in the sixth, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run double off reliever Andrew Kittredge.

Busch added a sacrifice fly to help the Cubs gain a split of the first two games of the three-game series.

The Cubs are 2-3 with one game left on a six-game road trip.

Busch started the scoring with a towering home run to right on a 3-1 fastball from Kevin Gausman (8-9) with two outs in the third. It was his 23rd long ball of the year.

Horton retired the first 10 batters he faced before walking Bo Bichette on four pitches with one out in the fourth. Guerrero followed by working the count to 3-0 before flying out to the warning track in left.

With one out in the fifth, Shaw lined a 1-2 splitter down the left-field line for his eighth home run since the All-Star break, his 10th of the season.

Toronto’s first hit of the game was a line-drive single to center by Andres Gimenez with one out in the sixth. After a two-out walk to Bichette, Kittredge replaced Horton and allowed Guerrero’s double, cutting the Blue Jays’ deficit to 2-1.

Kittredge got the first out of the seventh before Caleb Thielbar finished the inning.

Braydon Fisher entered the game in the eighth to replace Gausman, who allowed two runs, three hits and one walk with three strikeouts in seven innings.

Fisher issued a leadoff walk to Shaw, who stole second and took third on Miguel Amaya’s infield single to shortstop. Amaya, who had been removed from the injured list on Tuesday, stumbled crossing the bag at first and was removed on a cart.

Reese McGuire ran for him and took second as Shaw scored on Busch’s sacrifice fly to center. McGuire scored on Seiya Suzuki’s ground single up the middle.

Chicago’s Brad Keller pitched a perfect eighth, and Daniel Palencia tossed a 1-2-3 ninth with one strikeout to earn his 16th save.

–Field Level Media

Jakob Marsee hit two home runs and tied the franchise record with seven RBIs, and Eury Perez remained unbeaten in interleague play as the visiting Miami Marlins routed the Cleveland Guardians 13-4 on Wednesday night.

Marsee, who made his major league debut August 1 against the New York Yankees, had a three-run shot off Gavin Williams in the first inning and a two-run blast against Kolby Allard (2-2) in the fifth. He tacked on a two-run double in the sixth.

The 24-year-old outfielder went 4 for 5 and also stole his sixth base, raising his average to .436. Marsee is the seventh Marlins player to drive in seven runs in a game, the first since Adam Duvall on April 13, 2021, at the Atlanta Braves.

Perez (5-3) worked five innings, giving up four runs on three hits without a walk. The right-hander struck out eight and is 7-0 with a 1.47 ERA in 10 career interleague starts.

Xavier Edwards had a leadoff home run, Agustin Ramirez drove in a pair and Graham Pauley collected four hits, including a two-run homer for Miami, which won for the third time in its last 10 games. National League All-Star Kyle Stowers scored three times.

The Guardians, who are 10-3 since July 29, received a three-run homer from Gabriel Arias and a leadoff shot by Steven Kwan. Allard, Matt Festa and Carlos Hernandez were rocked for nine runs over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Edwards and Kwan accounted for the seventh time in Marlins history that both teams led off with homers.

Williams allowed four runs on five hits in three innings, striking out four with a walk. The right-hander came within two outs of a no-hitter in his last start at the New York Mets before Juan Soto homered.

Backup catcher Austin Hedges pitched a scoreless ninth for Cleveland. He has a 3.52 ERA in seven career appearances on the mound, the first four coming with the World Series champion Texas Rangers in 2023.

–Field Level Media

Hunter Greene returned from a two-month injury stint and tossed six shutout innings while Miguel Andujar stayed red-hot with a grand slam to lead the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-0 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night.

Greene, out since June 3 with a right groin strain, was dominant over the course of his 85-pitch effort, striking out six and walking none.

The right-hander, projected as the ace of the staff at the start of the season, retired the first seven batters he faced before Bryson Stott singled with one out in the third. After a Trea Turner two-out single moved Stott to second, Greene fanned Kyle Schwarber looking to end the threat.

The Reds put the game away with a four-run seventh on Andujar’s third homer in four games, a third career grand slam to the seats in left off reliever Jordan Romano.

The Reds captured the rubber game and won for the fourth time in five games. They welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to town on Friday after their first day off on Thursday since July 24.

Cristopher Sanchez (11-4) allowed four runs – three earned – matching a season-high for a third time this yeafr. The left-hander lost for just the second time in 11 starts since June 8.

The Reds scored once in the fourth on a Noelvi Marte double, scoring Austin Hays. In the sixth, Hays and Marte were at the heart of another two-out rally later when Hays doubled home Elly De La Cruz and then Marte singled home Hays.

Marte’s single turned into a so-called Little League home run when Brandon Marsh threw wildly home to try and throw out Hays. Sanchez threw wildly back to third in an attempt to retire Marte, who came home.

All eight of the Reds’ runs came with two outs.

In losing two of three in Cincinnati, the Phillies had trouble getting the offense on track, scoring just five runs in the series and failing to put a runner on base in the first two innings of all three games.

-Field Level Media