Red Sox acquire Eovaldi in trade with Rays
The Boston Red Sox enhanced their thin starting rotation for a playoff run, obtaining right-hander Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays in a trade for minor league lefty Jalen Beeks.
Eovaldi had been scheduled to start the Rays’ game against the New York Yankees on Wednesday but was scratched about two hours before game time.
“I assumed there was a possibility, of course, especially where I am in my career and the way my contract was for this year,” Eovaldi said before leaving Tropicana Field. “I was assuming that I would be traded, but as for what team it would be, I wasn’t thinking about that at all.”
Eovaldi can become a free agent after this season.
Britton to aid Yankees’ bullpen: New York manager Aaron Boone said newly acquired reliever Zach Britton will fill a variety of roles at the back end of the Yankees bullpen but emphasized that Aroldis Chapman’s role remains the same.
“Chappy is our closer,” Boone said before Wednesday’s 3-2 loss at Tampa Bay. “I’m sure there will be opportunities on a day when maybe we need to stay away from Chappy or it’s three in a row for Chappy, those kind of things. Having so many quality guys, that allows us to really preserve and protect them.”
The Yankees acquired Britton from the rebuilding Baltimore Orioles for three prospects late Tuesday, a trade expected to bolster New York’s bullpen for the stretch run.
Britton will join the Yankees for Thursday night’s home game against Kansas City.
Washington 7, Milwaukee 3: Bryce Harper tied for the NL lead with his 25th home run, Tanner Roark pitched eight scoreless innings to end a seven-start winless streak and Washington beat Milwaukee 7-3 Wednesday.
Harper hit a three-run homer in the fifth against Freddy Peralta (4-2) for a 6-0 lead, matching Milwaukee’s Jesus Aguilar, Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter for the NL home run lead.
Roark (4-12), the NL leader in losses, allowed three hits, struck out a season-high 11 and walked one, helping the Nationals avoided being swept in the three-game series. He had been 0-6 in seven starts since beating Tampa Bay June 6.
Chicago Cubs 2, Arizona 1: Jon Lester bounced back from his worst start of the season with six strong innings and the Cubs scored the go-ahead run in the eighth on Arizona shortstop Nick Ahmed’s throwing error and Chicago edged Arizona 2-1.
Chicago mounted the winning rally against Arizona reliever T.J. McFarland (2-2) without getting a ball out of the infield. Pinch-hitter Javier Baez led off the eighth by squibbing a single toward the mound. McFarland threw wide of first, and Baez advanced to second.
After pitcher Tyler Chatwood ran for Baez, who didn’t start because of a sore left knee, and Ian Happ walked, pinch-hitter Jason Heyward bounced to second baseman Ketel Marte. Marte flipped to Ahmed for a force at second, but Ahmed’s throw to first sailed over Paul Goldschmidt as he tried to complete a double play.
Reliever Carl Edwards Jr. (3-1) pitched a hitless seventh and eighth. Pedro Strop tossed a scoreless ninth for his fourth save in seven chances.
Cincinnati 7, St. Louis 3: Eugenio Suarez homered for the third straight game, Tucker Barnhart added a two-run shot and Cincinnati powered to a 7-3 win over St. Louis.
Adam Duvall also homered for the Reds. Sal Romano (6-8) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings to give the Reds consecutive series wins over St. Louis for the first time since 2011.
Paul DeJong and Yadier Molina hit solo homers for the Cardinals, who went 3-5 on their eight-game road trip. DeJong homered in the third inning and Molina hit his 14th of the season in the seventh inning.
Jack Flaherty (4-5) allowed three runs, four hits, two walks with eight strikeouts in five innings.