Ildemaro Vargas hit two homers and drove in a career-high five runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks withstood Munetaka Murakami, who homered in a fifth straight game, to hold off the Chicago White Sox 11-7 in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Murakami ranks second in the majors with 10 homers, eight on the road, and he became the fastest player in White Sox history to reach 10, doing it in 24 games. He tied Shohei Ohtani to become the second Japanese-born player to homer in five straight games.

Murakami had three hits, and his 451-foot two-run homer off Ryan Thompson in the seventh brought the White Sox within 10-7, but the Diamondbacks added a run on Geraldo Perdomo’s second triple of the game in the last of the inning and Paul Sewald left two on in the ninth.

Nolan Arenado had four hits, including a homer, scored three runs and drove in three for the Diamondbacks, who evened the series and broke a two-game losing streak in which they had given up 21 runs.

Corbin Carroll had three hits and scored twice and Perdomo had three hits and an RBI. Both reached four times.

Arizona had a season-high 16 hits in support of Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0), who gave up four runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked three, leaving with an 8-4 lead.

Colson Montgomery homered for the fourth consecutive game and Miguel Vargas homered for the third straight for the White Sox, who have 17 homers in their past five games.

Montgomery homered in four straight games for the second time in his career. He did it from Aug. 22-26 last year.

Ildemaro Vargas hit a three-run homer in a four-run second and added a two-run shot in the third to give Arizona a 6-3 lead. Arenado’s two-run homer in the sixth pushed the cushion to 10-5.

Ildemaro Vargas extended his season-opening hitting streak to a franchise-record 17 games, and his 20-game hitting streak dating to last season is the longest active streak in the majors.

Anthony Kay (1-1) gave up eight runs and eight hits, including both Vargas homers, in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked three, and he balked in Carroll with the first run in Arizona’s two-run fourth to make it 8-4.

–Field Level Media

Shohei Ohtani pitched six shutout innings, but Patrick Bailey belted a tiebreaking three-run homer off reliever Jack Dreyer in the seventh, lifting the San Francisco Giants to a 3-0 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.

Tyler Mahle (1-3) tossed seven innings and teamed with two relievers on a four-hitter, giving the Giants a second straight low-scoring win over the two-time defending champs. San Francisco prevailed 3-1 in the series opener on Tuesday.

Ohtani and Mahle matched zeros for six innings before the Dodgers star was pulled after having thrown 91 pitches. He has pitched exactly six innings in his four starts this season, and he owns a National League-leading 0.38 ERA.

Ohtani limited the Giants to five hits and struck out seven without walking a batter.

The Giants jumped on Dreyer (1-1) in the bottom of the seventh.

Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos began the frame with consecutive singles, and each advanced a base on Drew Gilbert’s sacrifice bunt.

The left-handed Dreyer then got two strikes on Bailey, the No. 9 batter, before the switch hitter launched his first homer of the season into the bleachers in left field.

The RBIs were just the second, third and fourth of the season for Bailey, the Giants’ regular catcher.

San Francisco’s Caleb Kilian survived a leadoff single by Miguel Rojas to throw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Walker worked a hitless ninth for his third save of the season, his second in two nights.

Mahle, who entered the game with a 7.23 ERA, allowed three hits and two walks while striking out five.

Ohtani went 0-for-4 at the plate, snapping his streak of 53 straight games of having reached base safely. The run, which dated back to last season, equaled the second longest in Dodgers history in the modern era (since 1900).

Ramos and Rafael Devers had two hits apiece for the Giants, who scored three or fewer runs for the 16th time in 24 games this season.

Freddie Freeman collected a pair of singles on a night without an extra-base hit for the Dodgers, who have lost four of six on a seven-game trip.

–Field Level Media

Hunter Goodman homered and doubled twice, Mickey Moniak also had two doubles, and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 8-3 in Denver on Wednesday night.

TJ Rumfield, Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro had two hits each to back a strong outing by Colorado starter Tomoyuki Sugano (2-1), who allowed one run on five hits and struck out four in 5 2/3 innings.

The Rockies snapped a seven-game losing streak to San Diego.

Luis Campusano homered among his three hits and Xander Bogaerts had two hits for the Padres.

San Diego, coming off winning a rare 1-0 game in Denver on Tuesday night, scored in the first inning when Ramon Laureano led off with a walk, went to second on a groundout and scored on Jackson Merrill’s single to make it 1-0.

Padres starter Walker Buehler ran into trouble in the second inning after getting two outs. Troy Johnston, who had singled, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Castro’s line single to right. Castro came around to score on consecutive singles by McCarthy and Edouard Julien, Moniak doubled to bring home another run and Goodman walked to load the bases.

Tyler Freeman capped the rally with an infield single that gave the Rockies a 4-1 lead.

Buehler (1-2) left in the third after loading the bases with two walks but reliever Kyle Hart retired Moniak to end the threat. He allowed four runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Colorado tacked on a run in the fourth when Goodman led off with his second double of the game and scored on Rumfield’s single, and Moniak and Rumfield had doubles in the sixth to give the Rockies a 6-1 lead.

Campusano hit a solo homer in the seventh, his second of the season, to make it 6-2. Colorado got the run back on McCarthy’s RBI single in the seventh and Goodman hit a solo homer in the eighth, his sixth of the season.

Campusano doubled and scored on a groundout in the ninth.

–Field Level Media

Nick Gonzales beat the tag at home plate and scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates picked up an 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.

Gonzales came home on pinch hitter Jake Mangum’s slow roller to third base. Jalen Beeks then replaced Cole Winn (1-1) on the mound, and Oneil Cruz greeted the new reliever with a three-run homer off the top of the right field foul pole.

The ninth-inning rally allowed Pittsburgh to even the three-game series at one victory apiece.

Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft scattered four hits, gave up two runs, walked two and struck out five in a seven-inning, 94-pitch outing. Gregory Soto (1-0) blew a lead by allowing two runs in his lone inning, but he emerged with the win.

Bryan Reynolds collected two hits and an RBI and Spencer Horwitz added two hits for the Pirates.

Josh Jung had a two-run homer and a single for the Rangers.

With Pittsburgh up 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Pinch hitter Andrew McCutchen led off with an infield single. Brandon Nimmo hit a one-out double, and Jake Burger’s two-out single drove in both runners to tie the game.

The Pirates used a two-out rally in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Reynolds doubled to the gap in left field and scored on Marcell Ozuna’s line-drive single to left.

In the second, Jung’s opposite-field, two-run shot down the right field line scored Joc Pederson, and the Rangers led 2-1.

In the fifth, Brandon Lowe’s two-out RBI single scored Horwitz and tied the game at 2-2.

Reynolds then singled to drive in Henry Davis. However, Nimmo’s throw from right field was well off target and up the third base line. As Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter backed up the play, he tripped over Pittsburgh hitters’ equipment in the on-deck circle.

Lowe scored on the throwing error and the Pirates took a 4-2 lead. Leiter remained in the game after a few warmup pitches and finished the inning. He wound up allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings.

–Field Level Media

Pete Crow-Armstrong went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Seiya Suzuki connected on a two-run homer on Wednesday, helping the Chicago Cubs earn a 7-2 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, securing their eighth straight win.

Ian Happ also drove in two runs and Alex Bregman tallied three hits for the Cubs, who outhit the Phillies 13-9. Making his first start since returning from a stint on the 15-day injured list with a left bicep strain, Matthew Boyd threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out five and walking none. Ben Brown (1-0) tossed 2 1/3 scoreless frames in relief, striking out five.

After Philadelphia’s Kyle Backhus allowed a first-inning run as an opener, Taijuan Walker (1-4) surrendered eight hits and five runs (four earned) across four innings. Walker struck out one and walked one for the Phillies, who dropped their eighth straight game. Philadelphia has lost eight in a row for the first time since a nine-gamer in September 2018.

Nico Hoerner and Bregman began the bottom of the first with consecutive singles, before Happ’s RBI groundout gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead.

After Felix Reyes and Alec Bohm singled in the second, Edmundo Sosa’s run-scoring double and Justin Crawford’s groundout put the Phillies ahead 2-1.

Walker spelled Backhus in the bottom of the second. Miguel Amaya reached on Crawford’s two-out fielding error, before scoring the tying run on Crow-Armstrong’s double.

Bregman tripled and Happ singled to return the lead to the Cubs in the third. Two batters later, Michael Busch connected on his first homer of the season to extend Chicago’s advantage to 4-2.

Bregman reached on his third hit in as many at bats in the bottom of the fifth, before Suzuki’s two-run homer doubled the Cubs’ lead.

Crow-Armstrong’s eighth-inning RBI single off Alan Rangel put the Cubs ahead 7-2, stamping Chicago’s offensive outburst.

–Field Level Media

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor exited New York’s Wednesday game against the visiting Minnesota Twins after the fourth inning due to left calf tightness.

Lindor, who was on first base following a single, did not appear to be running at full speed as he circled the diamond and scored on Francisco Alvarez’s double. The 32-year-old grimaced while rounding third and remained on the ground for a few seconds after sliding in ahead of Victor Caratini’s tag to give the Mets — who have lost 12 straight — a 2-1 lead.

Lindor was injured the same day Juan Soto returned from a 15-game absence caused by a strained right calf. The Mets won their first three games after Soto was injured April 3 before beginning their losing streak.

Lindor has missed just 15 games total since his most recent IL stint, in 2021, when he missed more than five weeks due to a right oblique strain.

–Field Level Media

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor exited Wednesday night’s game against the visiting Minnesota Twins after the fourth inning due to left calf tightness

Lindor, who was on first base following a single, did not appear to be running at full speed as he circled the diamond and scored on Francisco Alvarez’s double.

The 32-year-old grimaced while rounding third and remained on the ground for a few seconds after sliding in ahead of Victor Caratini’s tag to give the Mets — who have lost 12 straight — a 2-1 lead.

Lindor was injured the same day Juan Soto returned from a 15-game absence due to a strained right calf. The Mets won their first three games after Soto was injured Apr. 3 before beginning their losing streak.

Lindor has missed just 15 games since his most recent IL stint in 2021, when he missed more than five weeks due to a right oblique strain.

–Field Level Media

Mark Vientos redeemed himself for an earlier baserunning miscue by delivering the tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and the host New York Mets snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

The losing streak was the longest for the Mets since a 12-game skid from Aug. 10-23, 2002.

However, the much-needed victory may have been costly for New York, which lost shortstop Francisco Lindor due to left calf tightness after he scored from first on Francisco Alvarez’s double in the fourth inning.

Lindor, who was 2-for-2 with an RBI infield single in the first, was injured the same night Juan Soto returned from a 15-game absence caused by a strained right calf. The Mets won their first three games after Soto was injured on April 3 before beginning their losing streak.

Soto went 1-for-3 with a walk but was picked off for the second out of the eighth following his single. Brett Baty and Alvarez kept the inning afloat by drawing walks against Taylor Rogers (0-1) and Justin Topa, respectively, before Vientos’ bloop single to right scored Baty.

Vientos was thrown out at home by several feet for the final out of the sixth after running through third base coach Tim Leiper’s stop sign on Marcus Semien’s double.

Luke Weaver (2-0) threw the final 1 1/3 innings for the Mets. The right-hander, who also was the winning pitcher in New York’s previous victory on April 7, got Luke Keaschall to pop up with the bases loaded to end the top of the eighth. He allowed Brooks Lee’s two-out single in the ninth before striking out Byron Buxton to end the game.

Victor Caratini lofted a game-tying sacrifice fly in the fourth for the Twins, who have lost five of their past six. Buxton knotted the game again with a solo homer in the sixth.

Mets starter Clay Holmes gave up two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three over seven innings. Twins starter Connor Prielipp allowed two runs on four hits and no walks while fanning six in his major league debut.

–Field Level Media

Michael Harris II hit two home runs, Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot and the Atlanta Braves rallied from an early three-run deficit to claim an 8-6 win against the host Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.

The seventh multi-homer game of Harris’ career helped Atlanta manager Walt Weiss earn his 300th victory. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series.

Dylan Lee (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his second save. After walking 12 batters on Tuesday night, Braves pitchers issued only three free passes.

James Wood homered for the second straight game for Washington. Daylen Lile hit a three-run homer and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot.

Washington starter Zack Littell (0-3) allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits over six innings.

The Braves started in on Littell early as Baldwin homered to right center in the first to make it 1-0.

Washington jumped in front with a four-run first against Atlanta starter Didier Fuentes, who lasted just three innings while allowing seven hits and four runs.

Wood and Luis Garcia, Jr. opened the first with singles and, after two strikeouts, Lile delivered a homer to center. Jacob Young singled and scored when Jorbit Vivas doubled to right.

The Braves came right back. Ozzie Albies reached on a Vivas error and Harris homered to right. Mike Yastrzemski singled, went to third on a single by Jonah Heim and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ronald Acuna, Jr.

Harris struck again in the third as his solo shot gave the Braves a 5-4 lead.

Atlanta broke it open in the fourth. Heim and Acuna drew one-out walks and, with two outs, Olson homered to right to make it 8-4.

The Nationals cut the deficit in half in the sixth on solo homers by pinch-hitter Wiemer and Wood, whose 413-foot shot was his National League-leading ninth of the season.

Washington got the tying runs on with two outs in the eighth, but Tyler Kinley struck out Curtis Mead.

–Field Level Media

Spencer Torkelson hit his first homer of the season, a two-run shot, and Kerry Carpenter added a solo blast as the host Detroit Tigers downed the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 on Wednesday.

Torkelson, who hit 31 homers last season, made a winner of starter Casey Mize. In six-plus innings, Mize (2-1) gave up one run and three hits while walking three and striking out seven.

Kenley Jansen escaped a ninth-inning jam to record his sixth save.

Detroit’s Riley Greene had two hits and scored a run, Colt Keith supplied two hits and an RBI and Kevin McGonigle scored a run and knocked in another.

DL Hall served as an opener for the Brewers. He tossed two scoreless innings before Chad Patrick (1-1) took over. Patrick allowed four runs and six hits in four innings, with one walk and two strikeouts.

William Contreras and Jake Bauers knocked in Milwaukee’s runs in the middle game of a three-game series. The decisive game of the set is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

The Brewers opened the scoring in the third inning. Brice Turang drew a two-out walk, stole second and came home on Contreras’ single.

Detroit took the lead for good in the fourth. Greene ripped a one-out double to center. Torkelson then clobbered a Patrick sinker 400 feet over the left-center-field wall to make it 2-1.

The Tigers stretched their lead to 4-1 in the fifth. Javier Baez led off with a single. One out later, McGonigle battled through a 10-pitch at-bat before drilling a double off the right field wall to score Baez. McGonigle moved to third on a groundout and scored on Keith’s line single to right.

Milwaukee cut Detroit’s lead to 4-2 in the eighth. Pinch hitter Luis Rengifo led off with a single. He advanced on a groundout and scored on Bauers’ two-out single off Will Vest.

Detroit got that run back in the bottom of the inning on Carpenter’s blast to right off Carlos Rodriguez. It was Carpenter’s fifth homer of the year.

The Brewers made it interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs. Turang then bounced out to first to end the contest.

–Field Level Media