Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes has withdrawn from Tuesday’s All-Star Game to attend to a family matter, Astros manager Joe Espada said prior to Sunday’s game against the Texas Rangers.

Paredes was serving as Houston’s designated hitter on Sunday.

Espada said Paredes wouldn’t miss any of the Astros’ games. Houston resumes play after the All-Star break with Friday’s road game against the Seattle Mariners.

“Oh yeah, he’ll be back,” Espada said. “He just needs to go and spend some time and take care of some family matters, but … he’s fine.”

Paredes entered Sunday’s play with a .254 average, 19 homers and 49 RBIs in 91 games.

The American League didn’t immediately name a replacement for Paredes.

Paredes was added to the roster Wednesday when Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians pulled out. He also was an All-Star in 2024 when he played for the Tampa Bay Rays.

–Field Level Media

Jackson Chourio had a three-run homer and Brice Turang added a solo shot to back a dominant start by Freddy Peralta as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the visiting Washington Nationals 8-1 on Sunday to take a seven-game winning streak into the All-Star break.

The Brewers staked Peralta (11-4) to a 3-0 lead with three unearned runs in the second. Milwaukee added five runs in the eighth.

William Contreras and Christian Yelich opened the eighth with consecutive singles and Chourio lined a 3-1 pitch to right-center for his 16th home run. Turang followed with his sixth homer. Isaac Collins walked with the bases loaded to make it 8-1.

The Nationals scored off Peralta in the seventh when Luis Garcia Jr. hit a ground rule double with one out just beyond the reach of leftfielder Yelich. Garcia advanced on a ground out and scored on Daylen Lile’s single.

Peralta allowed one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and one walk in a 103-pitch outing. Peralta, who has won six consecutive starts, did not allow a hit until a one-out single in the sixth by No. 9 hitter Jacob Young.

Grant Anderson, Jared Koenig and Easton McGee blanked the Nationals the rest of the way.

The Brewers capitalized on an error for three unearned runs in the second off Jake Irvin (7-5). Jake Bauers walked with two outs and Andruw Monasterio reached on an error by third baseman Brady House. Eric Haase singled on a dribbler in front of the plate to load the bases.

Anthony Seigler, called up from Triple-A Nashville at the start of the month after seven seasons in the minors, lined a two-run single to right for his first career RBI. Sal Frelick followed with an RBI-single to make it 3-0.

Frelick left in the third inning with left hamstring discomfort after making a sliding catch on a foul pop down the right-field line.

Washington shortstop CJ Adams was a late scratch with minor right shoulder soreness, the team announced.

–Field Level Media

Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien each homered while Nathan Eovaldi capped his stellar first half with another quality start as the visiting Texas Rangers claimed the rubber match of a three-game series against the Houston Astros with a 5-1 victory on Sunday.

The Rangers completed a season-long 10-game road trip at 5-5 by pouncing on Astros All-Star right-hander Hunter Brown (9-4) and riding Eovaldi for 7 2/3 innings, his longest outing since a four-hit shutout of the Cincinnati Reds on April 1. Eovaldi (7-3) threw 102 pitches, 73 for strikes.

Eovaldi sidestepped trouble in the bottom of the first inning after Isaac Paredes (double) and Cam Smith (walk) reached safely to open the frame.

After Eovaldi induced a double-play groundout by Jose Altuve, the Rangers’ Evan Carter ended the inning with a dazzling catch in center field.

Eovaldi faced just one batter over the minimum over the ensuing four innings. Astros shortstop Zack Short smacked a homer to left field to lead off the sixth inning, but Eovaldi responded by striking out four of the next five batters and retiring the final six he faced.

He allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out eight in his 10th quality start of the year.

Eovaldi improved to 3-0 with a 1.66 ERA in four starts since his return from the injured list.

Carter followed a leadoff walk from Wyatt Langford in the second with a run-scoring triple into the right-field corner. Three batters later, Ezequiel Duran dropped a double down the right-field line that scored Carter and extended the Texas lead to 2-0.

Garcia bashed his 13th home run of the season, a two-out solo shot to left, for a 3-0 lead in the third. Carter doubled and scored in the fourth when Alejandro Osuna lifted a sacrifice fly to right.

Brown allowed four runs on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over five innings. He surrendered 10 runs over his final two starts of the first half after giving up just seven runs in his previous seven starts combined.

Semien homered off Astros reliever Kaleb Ort in the eighth for the 250th home run of his career.

The Astros concluded the first half with a 1-5 homestand.

–Field Level Media

Spencer Horwitz drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates held on for a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Tommy Pham hit a solo home run for Pittsburgh, which ended an eight-game losing streak. Ke’Bryan Hayes went 2-for-4 and scored the go-ahead run.

Byron Buxton went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI to lead Minnesota at the plate. The Twins finished their homestand with a 6-3 record despite dropping the final contest before the All-Star break.

Pirates right-hander Dennis Santana (3-2) pitched a scoreless inning of relief to pick up the victory.

Twins right-hander Jhoan Duran (5-4) gave up one run on three hits in one inning.

Pirates closer David Bednar pitched a scoreless ninth for his 13th save.

Pham started the scoring in the second. His 421-foot solo shot marked his fourth homer of the season and put the Pirates on top 1-0.

The Twins pulled even at 1-1 in the third. Buxton doubled to deep left field to drive in Harrison Bader from second.

The RBI double capped off a big weekend for Buxton, who hit for the cycle on Saturday afternoon. His next stop is the All-Star Game in his home state of Georgia.

The Pirates broke through in the ninth. They hit three singles to load the bases with one out for Horwitz, who hit into a groundout but allowed Hayes to sprint across the plate for the go-ahead run.

Pittsburgh shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa finished 4-for-4. All of his hits were singles.

-Field Level Media

Steven Kwan hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 10th inning as the Cleveland Guardians rallied to edge the host Chicago White Sox 6-5 on Sunday.

Kyle Manzardo smacked a three-run home run and Brayan Rocchio had two hits for the Guardians, who won three of four in the weekend series and enter the All-Star break with victories in six of their past seven games.

Chicago has lost six of eight and carries an American League-high 65 losses into the break.

Cleveland trailed 3-0 after five innings before rallying to improve to 6-1 against Chicago this season.

Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase (5-2) retired all six batters he faced to notch the victory.

Losing pitcher Brandon Eisert (2-2) allowed an unearned run in the 10th with one strikeout.

In extras, Cleveland’s David Fry lined a pinch-hit infield single off White Sox third baseman Colson Montgomery to put runners on the corners and set the stage for Kwan, whose heroics made up for the Guardians blowing a late lead.

Chicago’s Luis Robert Jr. tied the game 5-5 with a two-out double in the eighth after an intentional walk to Andrew Benintendi, who went 3-for-3 with a solo home run.

After managing just one baserunner against Guardians starter Joey Cantillo through the first three innings, the White Sox surged ahead 1-0 as Austin Slater hit a home run to lead off the fourth, his first of two hits on the day.

Chicago added a pair of runs in the fifth. Miguel Vargas opened the inning with a double, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly. Slater added an RBI single to give the White Sox a 3-0 advantage.

Cleveland rallied for four runs in the sixth as White Sox right-hander Aaron Civale faded. After surrendering only a bunt single and walking one through five innings, Civale struggled with his command. Mandazardo’s three-run blast, his 15th home run of the season, chased Civale from the game.

Benintendi tied the game with a solo shot in the bottom half of the inning.

Civale remained winless in six starts with the White Sox, allowing four runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Cantillo also took a no-decision, spacing four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings with zero walks and six strikeouts.

–Field Level Media

Pinch hitter Jorge Polanco and Cole Young hit back-to-back homers in the top of the ninth, lifting the visiting Seattle Mariners to a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with an 8-4 win on Sunday.

Polanco broke a 4-4 tie with his long ball off Tommy Kahnle (1-2). Julio Rodriguez homered for the third straight game and added an RBI double in a four-run ninth. Randy Arozarena and Mitch Garver also homered for Seattle, while Matt Brash (1-0) picked up the win in relief.

Seattle starter Logan Gilbert only allowed two unearned runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out nine.

Dillon Dingler drove in two runs and Riley Greene homered for the Tigers, who lost their fourth straight. Detroit starter Jack Flaherty gave up two runs and four hits in five innings with seven strikeouts.

Detroit scored twice in the bottom of the first on Dingler’s two-out, two-run double.

Rodriguez put Seattle on the board in the third by ripping a Flaherty fastball over the right field wall for his 14th homer. The Tigers had three singles in the bottom of the inning but didn’t score.

Gleyber Torres was thrown out by Rodriguez trying to advance from first to third on a single.

Arozarena knotted the score when he led off the fourth with his 17th homer, driving a Flaherty knuckle curve over the left field wall.

Garver gave the Mariners a 3-2 lead when he led off the seventh with his fifth homer, drilling a cutter from Tyler Holton over the left-center field wall.

Detroit took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Javier Baez led off with a single, advanced on a groundout, stole third and scored on Torres’ sacrifice fly. Greene then blasted his 24th homer, taking advantage of a hanging slider from Gabe Speier.

The lead didn’t last long. Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh drew walks in the eighth off Will Vest and Arozarena followed with an RBI double. Luke Raley walked to load the bases. A short flyout and double play allowed Vest to escape without allowing a go-ahead run.

–Field Level Media

TJ Friedl homered, singled and scored three times as the Cincinnati Reds beat the visiting Colorado Rockies 4-2 to give Terry Francona the 2,000th win of his managerial career.

Francona is the 13th manager in major league history with 2,000 victories.

Matt McLain and Austin Hays also had two hits and Emilio Pagan picked up his 20th save for Cincinnati, which won its 50th game heading into the All-Star break.

Ryan Ritter had two hits for Colorado, which stayed on pace to break the modern-era record for losses, set by the 2024 Chicago White Sox. The Rockies have 22 victories at the end of the first half of the season, five less than Chicago did at the same point a year ago.

The Reds took the lead when Friedl led off the bottom of the first with his ninth home run of the season, but Colorado responded in the third.

Kyle Farmer and Austin Nola led off with singles and moved up a base on Ritter’s sacrifice bunt. Mickey Moniak then drove them both in with a two-out single to left to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead.

Cincinnati tied it in the bottom of the frame when Elly De La Cruz beat a relay to first to stay out of an inning-ending double play. That allowed Hays to single up the middle to score Friedl.

The Reds took the lead again in the fifth when they loaded the bases on singles by Friedl, McLain and Hays. Reliever Jimmy Herget got Spencer Steer on a pop-out, but Ritter misplayed Noelvi Marte’s grounder to short, allowing Friedl to score from third.

Starter Austin Gomber (0-3) remained winless in seven starts this season. He allowed three runs — two earned — on six hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Cincinnati tacked on a run in the seventh when Cruz led off with a double, advanced to third on an error and scored on Steer’s single to right.

That was enough for starter Nick Martinez (7-9) to earn the victory. He allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.

–Field Level Media

Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run home run to help the Boston Red Sox stretch their winning streak to 10 games by beating the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Sunday.

Rafaela’s home run came against Tampa Bay starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot and gave the Red Sox a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning. It was his 14th home run of the season and his fifth in his last eight games.

Boston’s Brayan Bello (6-3) held the Rays to one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out five. Aroldis Chapman struck out each of the three batters he faced in the ninth to earn his 17th save.

Pepiot (6-7) was pulled after six innings. He gave up four runs (three earned) and seven hits, struck out three and walked one.

The victory gave Boston a four-game sweep of Tampa Bay. It’s the first time the Red Sox have won 10 games in a row since July 2018.

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the third. Marcelo Mayer doubled and moved to third on Connor Wong’s groundout. It appeared that Tampa Bay catcher Matt Thaiss picked Mayer off third, but third baseman Junior Caminero was called for obstruction and Mayer was awarded home.

Tampa Bay tied the game in the fourth. Jake Mangum doubled, advanced to third on a Bello wild pitch and scored on Josh Lowe’s sacrifice fly.

The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead on Trevor Story’s two-out single in the sixth. The hit scored Roman Anthony, who doubled and moved to third on Masataka Yoshida’s groundout. Rafaela’s two-run homer came next and gave the Red Sox a three-run cushion.

Story had two of Boston’s eight hits.

Mangum and Yandy Diaz each collected two hits for Tampa Bay, which also had eight hits. The Rays enter the All-Star break on a four-game losing streak.

–Field Level Media

Shota Imanaga pitched seven outstanding innings and the visiting Chicago Cubs ended the unofficial first half of the season with a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon.

The Cubs won the final two games of the series after allowing three homers to Cody Bellinger in an 11-0 loss on Friday. Chicago now heads into the All-Star break with 57 wins, its most since the 2008 season.

The left-hander followed eight scoreless innings from Matthew Boyd in Saturday’s 5-2 win and held the Yankees to one run and two hits in the longest of his four starts since returning from a strained left hamstring.

Imanaga (6-3) struck out six and walked one while throwing 55 of 91 pitches for strikes. He fell behind eight of the first 10 hitters before an impressive sequence in the fourth when he retired Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

Imanaga retired Bellinger on a fly ball to right field and then fanned Judge and Stanton.

Michael Busch homered in his first career plate appearance in the leadoff spot on the second pitch from New York rookie Will Warren (6-5). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Busch became the first Cub to homer in his first plate appearance in the leadoff spot since Willson Contreras on June 26, 2017.

Dansby Swanson hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth off Ian Hamilton as the Cubs won for the fourth time in their past six visits to Yankee Stadium. Seiya Suzuki contributed a double and scored from second on an infield hit by Pete Crow-Armstrong in the seventh.

Giancarlo Stanton hit his 433rd career homer in the second for the Yankees, who lost their second straight following a five-game winning streak. The Yankees ended the first half by dropping 18 of 29 games.

Judge struck out twice in three at-bats against Imanaga. Bellinger celebrated his 30th birthday but saw a career-high 17-game hitting streak stopped.

Warren allowed two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out one and walked three.

Drew Pomeranz breezed through the eighth and Daniel Palencia easily converted his 12th save.

–Field Level Media

The San Diego Padres placed outfielder/designated hitter Gavin Sheets on the paternity list prior to Sunday’s home game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

San Diego recalled catcher Luis Campusano from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move.

Campusano is batting seventh and serving as the designated hitter against the Phillies.

Sheets can miss up to three games while on the paternity list. He’ll likely just miss Sunday’s game with the All-Star break beginning Monday.

Sheets, 29, has been a surprise strong contributor after the Padres signed him as a free agent shortly before the start of spring training.

He has 14 homers and 50 RBIs in 92 games with his career bests being 15 and 53, respectively, for the Chicago White Sox in 2022. Sheets’ .265 average also is on track to be a career high.

Sheets is now a fixture in left field after the Padres had trouble getting production from the spot earlier this season.

Overall, Sheets is batting .237 with 60 homers and 225 RBIs in 527 career games with the White Sox (2021-24) and Padres.

Campusano, 26, was hitless in 18 at-bats with nine strikeouts in nine games with the Padres earlier this season. All seven of his starts during that stint were at designated hitter.

Campusano was rated the No. 4 prospect in the San Diego organization in 2020.

But he experienced troubles on the defensive side and there were reports claiming many Padres’ pitchers were less than enamored with the way he called a game and with his overall catching abilities.

Campusano’s bat showed life in 2023 when he batted .319 in 49 games but he threw out just one of 30 base stealers.

He got a more extended shot last season. But he batted just .227 with eight homers and 40 RBIs in 91 games and threw out just eight of 49 base stealers.

San Diego has received very little offensive production from the catching position this season. Elias Diaz is batting .198 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 75 games and Martin Maldonado is hitting .178 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 56 games.

–Field Level Media