Taijuan Walker struck out a career-high 12, Pete Alonso drove in three runs and the surging New York Mets threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
Walker (6-2) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, and he walked none for the third time.
Javier Báez put the Cubs ahead 2-0 in the third with his 15th home run. Alonso hit a two-run single in the bottom half and a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Seth Lugo got six outs for his first save since returning on June 2 from elbow surgery, and the NL East-leading Mets (34-25) won for the fifth time in six games to move nine games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2019 season.
Alec Mills (2-1) allowed three runs, five hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
NATIONALS 8, PIRATES 1
WASHINGTON — Yan Gomes connected for a grand slam and Trea Turner got four hits, leading Patrick Corbin and Washington past Pittsburgh.
The Nationals won their third in a row and sent Pittsburgh to its ninth straight loss.
Corbin (4-5) pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowing one run and eight hits. He struck out seven and walked one while going at least eight innings for the first time since Aug. 21, 2019.
Gomes’ slam finished a five-run first inning against Tyler Anderson (3-7). It was Gomes’ first grand slam since joining the Nationals in 2019 and the fourth of his career.
INDIANS 7, ORIOLES 2
CLEVELAND — Eddie Rosario hit a two-run double and Bobby Bradley homered for Cleveland, and Baltimore lost its 17th straight on the road.
The Orioles made four errors and moved closed to the major league record of 22 consecutive road losses, shared by the 1943 Philadelphia Athletics and 1963 New York Mets.
Amed Rosario got three hits, stole a base and drove in a run for Cleveland, which has won four of five and is a season-high eight games over. 500.
James Karinchak (4-2) struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth.
Matt Harvey (3-8) suffered his career-high seventh straight loss and gave up six runs, five earned, in 3 1/3 innings.
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