In the aftermath of a tense 5-2 loss at the Houston Astros on Thursday, cooler heads prevailed in the Los Angeles Angels’ clubhouse.

Angels manager Phil Nevin was ejected in the top of the sixth inning by plate umpire Stu Scheurwater for arguing balls and strikes after Taylor Ward took a called third strike on a pitch that appeared to be low. Nevin later described Scheurwater as a quality umpire and noted the Angels’ 2-for-12 performance with runners in scoring position and 13 runners left on base.

“I don’t ever blame an umpire or a call (for the outcome of) a game,” Nevin said. “We had a lot of chances and we didn’t come through. We had a lot of baserunners. We made some mistakes that cost us.”

Right-hander Shohei Ohtani (5-1, 2.91 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Angels on Friday. He leads the majors in opponent batting average (.155), ranks second in WHIP (0.95) and fourth in strikeouts (90).

Ohtani did not factor into the decision of his last start Saturday, an 8-5 loss to the Miami Marlins, after working six innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts.

Ohtani is 3-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 11 career starts against Houston. His lone loss of this season came against the Astros on May 9, when he allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over seven innings.

Left-hander Framber Valdez (5-4, 2.38 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Friday. He earned the 6-3 victory in his second consecutive start against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts over six innings. Valdez has surrendered one run or fewer in three of his last four starts, all victories.

Valdez is 8-4 with a 3.73 ERA over 16 career appearances (12 starts) — his most against any opponent — against the Angels. In his previous start against the Angels, on May 9, Valdez allowed one run on three hits with a season-high 12 strikeouts in eight innings in a 3-1 road win.

One day after Mike Trout and Ohtani combined to club three home runs with six RBIs, Houston pitching limited the Angels’ dynamic duo to a 1-for-8 showing with two walks and two strikeouts. Trout and Ohtani both stranded two runners in scoring position with two outs, making for some tense moments with the outcome hanging in the balance.

Astros starter Ronel Blanco struck out Ohtani with the bases loaded to limit the damage to one run in the second. With the bases full and two outs and the Astros leading by two runs in the sixth, Houston reliever Hector Neris got Trout to hit a soft line drive to shortstop Jeremy Pena.

Representing the tying run, Trout hit a fly ball to center field as the final out of the eighth against Rafael Montero. Ohtani struck out to open the ninth inning against Houston closer Ryan Pressly.

“I tell you, you’d better leave those two guys alone,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ve got three more games to battle against them and they’re always dangerous. They can pop one any minute, so I feel fortunate that we got them out.”

–Field Level Media

The Washington Nationals are back at home after a cross-country trip, probably in an encouraged mindset.

It’s not that way for Washington’s opponent Friday though. The visiting Philadelphia Phillies are spinning in a discouraging stretch. They are mired in a four-game losing streak and have won just five times in their last 17 games.

“We just haven’t put it all together yet,” manager Rob Thomson said.

This begins a three-game series that will conclude a 10-game road trip for Philadelphia. The Phillies hold an 11-21 road record.

“It’s important for us to go into (Washington) and play a good series, play a good first game,” Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber said.

These will be the first meetings of the season between the NL East rivals. They’ll begin another series at the end of the month.

This starts a six-game homestand for the Nationals, who snapped a three-game skid Wednesday with a 10-6 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That wrapped up a 3-3 road swing, when they twice scored double-digit runs.

“To win the last game to go back home feels pretty good,” Nationals manager Davey Martinez said.

The problem came in the three losses when Washington scored a total of six runs, though Martinez said he believes the Nationals have been making good contact. They’re coming off that offensive outburst against the Dodgers when Keibert Ruiz slugged two of the team’s season-high five home runs.

“These guys are playing hard,” Martinez said. “We’ve been hitting the ball hard, so let’s continue to do that.”

The Nationals hope Lane Thomas can launch another hitting streak after his 15-game string ended when he went 0-for-5 on Wednesday. That also snapped his 26-game on-base stretch.

The Phillies will give the ball to right-hander Zack Wheeler (4-4, 3.60 ERA) hoping that he can have a repeat of his last start. In that game, he shut out the Atlanta Braves for eight innings while striking out 12. That turned out to be Wheeler’s only victory in May. He has three of his pitching triumphs this year in road games.

“He had everything going,” Thomson said of the game in Atlanta.

Wheeler, who turned 33 years old earlier this week, is familiar with the Nationals; this will be his 29th start against them, the most of any opponent. He owns a 10-14 record with a 4.31 ERA vs. Washington — a victory would match his 11 wins against the Atlanta Braves for the most vs. any foe.

Right-hander Josiah Gray (4-5, 2.77) will be the starter for the Nationals. His shortest outing of the season came in his most recent start: He lasted four innings, giving up two runs in a no-decision at Kansas City.

Gray threw 91 pitches in that start. Control has been a snag for him; he walked 18 in 28 innings in May.

“I think I had a few eight-plus-pitch at-bats,” Gray said, “so that probably knocked me out a little sooner than I wanted.”

Gray is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in five career starts against the Phillies, yielding eight home runs in 25 innings.

The Phillies will be without infielder Alec Bohm, who was placed on the injured list Thursday with a left hamstring strain. He’s the team leader with 37 RBIs.

“We want to take care of it and knock it out,” Thomson said of Bohm’s ailment.

–Field Level Media

Buck Showalter spoke optimistically of the New York Mets seeking their level after watching his team complete a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday afternoon.

A few hundred miles to the north, the Toronto Blue Jays offered some signs they are returning to form as well.

The Mets and Blue Jays will each be looking to leave their early-season struggles further in the past Friday night, when New York is slated to host Toronto in the opener of a three-game interleague series between the 2022 playoff teams.

Justin Verlander (2-2, 4.80 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Mets against fellow right-hander Chris Bassitt (5-4, 3.80), who pitched for the Mets last season.

Both teams earned home wins Thursday afternoon. Max Scherzer tossed seven strong innings and Mark Canha hit the go-ahead two-run homer for the second straight game as the Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2. Kevin Gausman struck out 11 over 6 2/3 scoreless innings in the Blue Jays’ 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

The win continued an encouraging stretch for New York, which went 101-61 and earned the top National League wild card last season before opening this season 20-23. But the Mets have gone 10-4 since May 17 — a stretch that includes back-to-back losses in Colorado last Saturday and Sunday in which they were outscored 21-17 by the Rockies.

The Mets showed few ill effects of the Coors Field experience upon returning home to face the Phillies, whom they outscored 10-3 in the three games. Starting pitchers Scherzer, Kodai Senga and Carlos Carrasco combined to post an 0.90 ERA while Canha and Francisco Lindor combined for three homers.

“You are who you are and you seek your level,” Showalter said. “The pitching we’ve gotten the last three games certainly makes a difference.”

The Blue Jays, who were the American League’s No. 1 wild card last year after finishing 92-70, haven’t been below .500 this season since they were 2-3 on April 4. But Toronto lost footing in the competitive AL East — where every team has a winning record — while going 11-17 in May.

The Blue Jays have played in a more complete manner in earning consecutive series wins against a pair of division-leading teams, the Brewers and Minnesota Twins, whom they outscored 25-17.

Toronto scored nine runs without the benefit of a homer in the first two games against Milwaukee before Bo Bichette hit a solo homer and Matt Chapman added a two-run shot in the first inning Thursday to account for all of the Blue Jays’ runs.

“There are different ways that we’re built to score home runs,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “But you ignore the fact that we’ve got guys up and down the lineup who can do some damage.”

Verlander didn’t factor into the decision last Saturday, when he gave up six runs over five innings as the Mets fell to the Rockies 10-7. Bassitt took the defeat Saturday after surrendering seven runs in four innings as the Blue Jays lost to the Twins 9-7.

Verlander is 4-6 with a 4.29 ERA in 15 career starts against the Blue Jays. Bassitt, who went 15-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 30 starts last year for the Mets, has never opposed New York.

–Field Level Media

The Boston Red Sox will be dealing with the most powerful team in baseball Friday night when they open a four-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays, who swept a four-game home series against the Red Sox in April, enter the weekend with 103 home runs, the most by any major league team. The Los Angeles Dodgers are second with 96.

Tampa Bay’s power isn’t the only thing that should have Red Sox fans worried. Boston ended a three-game losing streak by beating the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 Thursday but may have lost left-hander Chris Sale in the process. Sale left the mound in the fourth inning with soreness in his left shoulder.

“He’ll have an MRI (Friday) and we’ll know more,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Hoping for the best. Obviously it didn’t look great. (Velocity) was down in the second inning … it went from 95 to 90, so let’s wait and see.

“He wanted to finish it (the inning), but nah. Give it a shot, but after that you can’t be irresponsible.

“Overall a good W. We needed that one. Now we have to be ready for (Tampa Bay).”

The Rays are coming off Wednesday’s 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. A loss would have resulted in Tampa Bay’s first three-game losing streak.

Brandon Lowe hit a two-run, game-tying home run in the seventh inning, and Jose Siri followed with a two-run homer in the eighth that erased Chicago’s 3-2 lead.

Tampa Bay’s offense was dormant in the first two games against the Cubs. The Rays were shut out 1-0 on one hit Monday and were contained in a 2-1 setback Tuesday. Tampa Bay had one hit through the first six innings of Wednesday’s win.

“Home runs kind of energize everybody,” Lowe said. “I feel like any time you score runs, you kind of put a little oomph in your step.”

The Rays have five players who have hit at least 10 home runs. Yandy Diaz leads the way with 12.

What makes the offense extra special is the Rays also lead the major leagues with 77 stolen bases. Tampa Bay has been caught stealing 16 times.

Garrett Whitlock (2-2, 5.14 ERA) is the Boston pitcher who will try to tame the Tampa Bay bats Friday. Against the Rays, the right-hander is 1-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings, allowing nine earned runs over seven career appearances (two starts).

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 6.23) is scheduled to be Tampa Bay’s starting pitcher. Glasnow, who missed the start of the season with a strained oblique muscle, made his season debut Saturday in a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers. He allowed three runs on five hits, struck out eight and walked one in 4 1/3 innings.

Glasnow is 2-1 with a 3.83 ERA in eight career starts against the Red Sox.

The teams will play a split doubleheader Saturday before wrapping up the series Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale left his start against the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night after 3 2/3 innings due to left shoulder soreness.

Sale allowed one run on five hits while walking one and striking out six before Red Sox personnel pulled him from the game in the fourth inning.

“He’ll have an MRI (Friday) and we’ll know more,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Hoping for the best. Obviously it didn’t look great. (Velocity) was down in the second inning … it went from 95 to 90, so let’s wait and see.

“He wanted to finish it (the inning), but nah. Give it a shot, but after that you can’t be irresponsible.”

Since making at least 25 starts in each of his first three seasons with Boston, Sale’s career has been riddled with injuries. He entered Thursday with just 21 starts since the beginning of the 2021 season and missed the entirety of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Last season was also a disaster, as Sale began 2022 on the 60-day injured list due to a rib stress fracture. He returned in July, only to fully get through one start. In his second outing, Sale took a comebacker on the mound and fractured the pinkie finger on his pitching hand.

The Red Sox then announced in August that Sale had surgery on his right wrist after a biking accident.

In 11 starts this season, including Thursday’s, Sale is 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA across 59 innings. He put together a strong May, going 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four starts.

Sale, 34, is in his 13th major league season. He is 119-77 with a 3.08 ERA in 334 games (254 starts) with the Chicago White Sox (2010-16) and Red Sox (2017-23).

–Field Level Media

A surprising challenger and division favorite meet for the first time when the Milwaukee Brewers visit the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a four-game series Friday evening.

The Reds, who lost 100 games in 2022, enter the four-game set having completed a 5-1 road trip through Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, missing a six-game sweep with an 8-2 loss to Boston on Thursday night.

The third-place Reds, who trail the first-place Brewers by three games and the Pittsburgh Pirates by 2 1/2 games in the National League Central, came up with timely hits and numerous two-out rallies in the five-game win streak that ended Thursday.

“It’s all about the at-bats and competing,” Reds manager David Bell said. “You’re not always going to get hits in those situations. It’s nice when you do and obviously leads to a lot of runs. But when you don’t, looking for that opportunity next time is really important. Because a lot of the hits with runners in scoring position is a big confidence thing, you have to want to be up in that spot.”

The Reds send left-hander Brandon Williamson (0-0, 5.02 ERA) to the mound in his fourth major league start. Williamson was tagged for four runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings last Saturday at Wrigley Field.

The Reds beat the Cubs 8-5 and have won Williamson’s first three starts in the majors, averaging just under six runs of support in each start. Williamson will look to refine his control, having walked nine in just 14 1/3 innings.

The Brewers counter with right-hander Corbin Burnes (4-4, 3.68), making his 12th start of the season. Last Saturday against San Francisco, Burnes took a tough-luck no-decision in a 3-1 loss to the Giants.

Burnes limited the Giants to one run and four hits over seven innings, striking out eight and walking three to post his sixth quality start of 2023.

Burnes is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA in 14 career appearances (four starts) against the Reds. As a starter, Burnes has been dominant against Cincinnati, going 2-0 with a 2.36 ERA. Burnes is 2-1 with an 0.95 ERA in seven career games (two starts) at Great American Ball Park.

The Brewers, the defending NL Central champions, lead the division again but have struggled to find consistency. They lost 3-1 in Toronto on Thursday afternoon, a fifth loss in seven games that dropped them to 29-27.

Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta gave up three runs in the first inning on a pair of home runs but recovered for a quality six-inning start.

“He got burned on middle pitches and pitches that good and strong hitters did damage with,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “So, that’s the way the game goes. You’ve got to try to stay out of those situations if you can. That’s why you have to control good lineups. That’s what’s tough about good lineups and guys that can leave the park anywhere.”

With the loss Thursday, Milwaukee has dropped five straight series on the road and has won just four of its last 15 games away from home.

The series also marks the return of Milwaukee outfielder Jesse Winker to Cincinnati. He began his career in the organization before being traded to Seattle after the 2021 season.

Cincinnati rookie Matt McLain, fresh from earning National League Player of the Week honors, enters with a 10-game hitting streak. The shortstop extended Cincinnati’s longest hitting streak this season in his final at-bat Thursday, hitting an RBI single that tied the game at 2-2 before Boston’s six-run eruption in the bottom of the eighth.

–Field Level Media

Alex Bregman produced a two-run, two-out single to cap a three-run fifth inning and the host Houston Astros won the opener of their four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 on Thursday.

Bregman drove home Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz with a sharp grounder that Angels third baseman Gio Urshela proved unable to field. Bregman pounced on a first-pitch fastball from Angels left-hander Reid Detmers (0-5) and snapped a 2-2 deadlock to complete yet another rally.

The Astros matched the Angels’ run in the second inning with one in the bottom of that frame. Kyle Tucker doubled to right field, swiped third base and scored on Jose Abreu’s sacrifice fly to right.

In the fifth, Diaz pulled the Astros even at 2-2 with his line drive to center, scoring Corey Julks, who had opened the frame with a double to left. Bregman delivered four batters later.

Detmers allowed four runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts over five innings.

A pivotal moment unfolded in the top of the sixth. Suddenly pitching with a two-run lead, Astros starter Ronel Blanco immediately surrendered a pair of baserunners. He rallied and induced a flyball out from Jared Walsh but ceded the mound to Hector Neris, who then allowed a bloop single to Zach Neto that loaded the bases for the top of the Angels’ order.

Neris retired Taylor Ward on a called third strike that appeared low. Ward protested mildly, but Angels manager Phil Nevin was incensed and was subsequently ejected by plate umpire Stu Scheurwater. After the commotion, Neris followed by getting Mike Trout to hit a soft liner to shortstop Jeremy Pena, stranding the bases loaded and preserving the advantage.

Blanco (1-0), making his first major league start, was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday to serve as the sixth starter in the rotation. He surrendered an RBI single to Ward in the second inning and a solo home run to Brandon Drury with two outs in the fifth, but he was otherwise effective. He gave up two runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

Tucker (3-for-4) and Abreu teamed up again in the eighth when Tucker recorded his second double and Abreu followed with an RBI double that provided Houston a measure of insurance.

Ryan Pressly pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 11th save.

–Field Level Media

The Oakland Athletics, who have the worst record in the majors at 12-46, will begin a nine-game road trip when they face the Miami Marlins on Friday night.

Oakland, which has lost 12 of its past 14 games, has won only two series this year. One of those series wins, however, came earlier this week, as the A’s took two of three from the National League East-leading Braves. Oakland snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 7-2 win over Atlanta on Monday.

“Ending the losing streak was big,” said Athletics manager Mark Kotsay, a former outfielder who played for eight major league teams, including the Marlins and A’s. “Definitely something that’s weighed on the guys. But to see the enthusiasm in the dugout … that was a good sign.”

On Friday, Oakland is scheduled to start rookie left-hander Hogan Harris (0-0, 10.13 ERA).

Harris, 26, was a third-round pick by Oakland in 2018. He made his major league debut on April 14, recording one out and yielding six runs against the New York Mets. He returned to the majors on Saturday, when he tossed five scoreless relief innings against the Houston Astros. He is set to make the first start of his career on Friday.

Kotsay, who was the Marlins’ first-round pick (ninth overall) in 1996, doesn’t have much to work with when it comes to Oakland’s offense.

Designated hitter Brent Rooker (.874 on-base-plus-slugging percentage) and first baseman Ryan Noda (.841) are the Athletics’ only two hitters with an OPS over .800. Rooker also leads Oakland with 11 homers and 32 RBIs.

Oakland ranks 28th out of 30 major league teams with a .299 on-base percentage and 29th with a .353 slugging percentage.

Speedy center fielder Esteury Ruiz, who bats leadoff for Oakland, leads the majors with 28 steals.

To try and keep the Athletics’ lackluster offense in check, the Marlins will start right-hander Edward Cabrera (3-4, 5.02 ERA) on Friday.

Cabrera has faced the A’s just once in his career, and it was the best performance of his 32 major league starts. Last Aug. 22, Cabrera pitched eight scoreless innings as Miami beat Oakland 3-0. He struck out seven and allowed just two hits and three walks.

Overall for his career, Cabrera, 25, is 9-11 with a 4.20 ERA.

The Marlins started their nine-game homestand by losing two of three to the San Diego Padres, capped by a 10-1 defeat on Thursday.

Miami managed just four hits, all singles, in the final vs. San Diego, including a hit from Jorge Soler, who tops the team in homers (17), RBIs (35) and runs (31).

Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez, who went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly on Thursday, leads the majors with a .382 batting average.

However, first baseman Garrett Cooper, who became a first-time All-Star last year, missed the past two games.

“He’s having similar symptoms from his previous (injured-list) stint,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said on Thursday of Cooper, who missed 11 games due to an inner-ear infection before returning in mid-May. “He is getting evaluated further.”

Cooper has hit just .143 (7-for-49) with two homers and six RBIs in his past 13 games.

–Field Level Media

Corbin Carroll’s two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday in Phoenix.

Gabriel Moreno started the ninth-inning rally when he was walked by Colorado closer Pierce Johnson (0-2) with one out. Ketel Marte followed with his second double of the game one out later to move Moreno to third. Carroll then ripped his walk-off single to center field to plate both Moreno and Marte.

The victory completed Arizona’s first sweep of the season, as the Diamondbacks took four games from the Rockies.

Harold Castro, Nolan Jones and Brenton Doyle each had two hits and an RBI to lead Colorado. Rockies left fielder Jurickson Profar’s 37-game on-base streak was snapped due to an 0-for-4 performance. It was the longest streak in the majors this season.

Padres 10, Marlins 1

Fernando Tatis Jr. drove in four runs and Joe Musgrove took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as San Diego defeated host Miami.

Tatis went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs and one walk. Musgrove (3-2) went six innings, allowing an unearned run, three hits and three walks while fanning three.

Jesus Luzardo (4-4) allowed five runs, four hits and one walk for Miami. The Marlins scored their lone run in the third. Jonathan Davis walked, stole second, took third on catcher Austin Nola’s throwing error and scored on Luis Arraez’s sacrifice fly. Arraez also broke up the no-hitter with an infield single in the sixth.

Blue Jays 3, Brewers 1

Kevin Gausman struck out 11, Matt Chapman hit a two-run home run and host Toronto defeated Milwaukee.

Bo Bichette added a solo home run for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from the Brewers. Gausman (4-3) allowed no runs, five hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings.

The Brewers have dropped five of their last seven games in losing their past two series. Starter Freddy Peralta (5-5) allowed three runs, six hits and two walks while striking out three in six innings.

Mets 4, Phillies 2

Max Scherzer tossed seven strong innings for a second consecutive start and Mark Canha continued tormenting Philadelphia by hitting another two-run home run as host New York completed a three-game sweep.

Scherzer (5-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out nine. Jeff McNeil had an RBI single in the third before Canha hit the go-ahead two-run homer to left off Taijuan Walker (4-3) in the fourth.

Nick Castellanos had three singles and a sacrifice fly for the Phillies, who have dropped four straight and 12 of 17.

Twins 7, Guardians 6

Willi Castro hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth inning as Minnesota rallied to defeat Cleveland in the opener of a four-game series at Minneapolis.

Royce Lewis hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the eighth and Michael A. Taylor also homered for the Twins. Griffin Jax (3-6) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief.

Mike Zunino had a two-run single to highlight the Guardians’ five-run sixth inning. Will Brennan and Gabriel Arias each added two hits apiece for Cleveland.

Red Sox 8, Reds 2

Chris Sale exited the game early due to soreness in his left shoulder, but host Boston ended a three-game losing streak by beating Cincinnati.

Sale allowed a run on five hits in 3 2/3 innings. Chris Martin (1-1) gave up one run in one inning but was credited with the win. Enrique Hernandez homered, singled and drove in three runs for the Red Sox.

It was a 2-2 tie until Boston scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. All six runs of those runs were charged to Kevin Herget (1-2) as the Reds’ five-game winning streak ended.

Astros 5, Angels 2

Alex Bregman produced a two-run, two-out single to cap a three-run fifth inning as host Houston won the opener of a four-game series against Los Angeles. Kyle Tucker contributed three hits for the Astros.

Houston’s Ronel Blanco (1-0), called up pregame to make his first major league start, gave up two runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Ryan Pressly pitched a scoreless ninth for his 11th save.

Brandon Drury homered and Hunter Renfroe had three hits for the Angels. Reid Detmers (0-6) yielded four runs on six hits in five innings.

–Field Level Media

Willi Castro hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins rallied to defeat the Cleveland Guardians 7-6 in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday at Minneapolis.

Christian Vazquez led off the ninth with a four-pitch walk off Guardians reliever Eli Morgan (2-1) and advanced to third on Jorge Polanco’s double before being replaced by pinch runner Ryan Jeffers.

Alex Kirilloff was then walked intentionally to load the bases, and Castro, who entered the game in the seventh inning when Max Kepler left due to a migraine, followed with fly ball to right to easily drive in Jeffers.

Royce Lewis hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the eighth and Michael A. Taylor also homered for the Twins. Minnesota’s Donovan Solano had two hits, including an RBI double, and Vazquez went 2-for-3. Griffin Jax (3-6) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief.

Mike Zunino had a two-run single to highlight a five-run sixth inning that saw Cleveland chase Minnesota starter Pablo Lopez. Will Brennan and Gabriel Arias each added two hits apiece for the Guardians.

Cleveland took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Andres Gimenez led off with a bloop double down the left field line and scored two outs later on a single by Brennan.

Minnesota tied it in the fourth when Kirilloff led off with a walk, went to second when Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch and scored on a single by Kepler.

The Twins took a 3-1 lead in the fifth. Taylor led off with his seventh homer of the season. Vazquez followed with a double and later scored on a single by Kirilloff.

Cleveland rebounded to take a 6-3 lead in the sixth, parlaying a walk and six singles into five runs. Jose Ramirez and Josh Bell sandwiched RBI singles around an RBI groundout by Gimenez. Zunino capped the rally with a two-run, bases-loaded single under the glove of a diving Lewis at third base.

Minnesota rallied to tie it 6-6 in the eighth against Cleveland reliever Trevor Stephan. Castro led off with an infield single and then scored on a double by Solano into the gap in left center. One out later, Lewis tied it with his second home run of the season, a 421-foot drive to center.

Buxton left in the fifth inning with rib soreness after getting hit in the ribs with a Tanner Bibee fastball an inning earlier.

Bibee, the Cleveland starter, yielded three runs on six hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out six.

–Field Level Media