Major leagues: Frazier hits grand slam as Mets split with Cubs
Todd Frazier hit a grand slam and drove in a season-high five runs to lead the New York Mets to a 10-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs Wednesday and avenge a tough loss earlier in the day.
Frazier gave New York a 4-0 lead in the first inning with his drive against Alec Mills and added an RBI single in a two-run ninth.
Jason Vargas (5-8) won his third straight start. The Mets pounded out 16 hits and avoided a season sweep after dropping the first six games against the NL Central leaders.
The Cubs had won a season-high seven in a row after pulling out a 2-1 victory earlier Wednesday on Ben Zobrist’s RBI single with the bases loaded in the 11th. That game was suspended in the top of the 10th because of rain the previous night.
Vargas gave up one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking two. The veteran left-hander has a 1.62 ERA in his past three outings.
Mills (0-1) scattered five hits over five innings in his second major league start and did not allow a run after Frazier’s grand slam.
American League
Houston 5, Oakland 4: Tyler White homered with one out in the ninth inning to give the Houston Astros a 5-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
White, who also homered Monday, sent a pitch from Jeurys Familia (4-1) to the seats in left field. The Astros won two of three games in the series to move 2 1/2 games ahead of Oakland atop the AL West.
George Springer and Alex Bregman added two hits apiece and both drove in a run to help the Astros to their seventh win in eight games. Roberto Osuna (2-2) allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth for the win.
Kansas City 9, Detroit 2: Adalberto Mondesi hit a two-run homer and finished with four RBIs, Danny Duffy allowed two hits over six innings and the Kansas City Royals routed the Detroit Tigers 9-2 to sweep their two-game series.
Pujols likely out for season: Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols is likely to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee.
The Angels announced Pujols’ arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday. Recovery time is typically at least six weeks.
Pujols is batting .245 with 19 homers and 64 RBIs for the Angels, who are all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff race for the sixth time in his first seven seasons with the club. Pujols also has played extensively at first base this season after the arrival of designated hitter Shohei Ohtani.
Pujols is sixth with 633 career homers.The three-time NL MVP will be 39 years old when next season begins. He still has three seasons remaining on his 10-year, $240 million contract.
Interleague
San Diego 8, Seattle 3: Hunter Renfroe homered and drove in four runs, Manuel Margot had a homer among his three hits and prized rookie Luis Urias had his first three hits for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Seattle Mariners 8-3 for a two-game sweep.
The offensive outburst made a winner of rookie left-hander Joey Lucchesi (7-7), who stayed in the game after needing a few minutes to recover from Ryon Healy’s comebacker that glanced off his glove and then his groin. Lucchesi fielded the ball and threw to first for the out, and then went down in a heap. He was tended to by the training staff for a few minutes, threw a few warmup pitches and remained in, striking out the next two batters.
The big southpaw held the Mariners to one run and six hits in a career-high 6 2/3 innings, matched his career-best with nine strikeouts and walked two.