Zach Neto hits a three-run home run to lift the Angels over the Orioles

BALTIMORE (AP) — Zach Neto hit a three-run home run to lift the Los Angeles Angels over the Baltimore Orioles 4-1 in the final game of the series on Thursday afternoon.

Wade Meckler singled on a ground ball in the third inning that was overthrown by Orioles starting pitcher Brandon Young at first, advancing him to second. Nolan Schanuel was then walked to set up Neto’s 411-foot homer that went over the center field wall.

Schanuel hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh for Meckler to score the fourth run of the game.

Angels pitcher Mitch Farris (1-3) entered the game in the fifth inning in relief of starter Ryan Johnson. Farris pitched one inning, struck out two and walked one. Johnson pitched the first 4 2/3, where he walked five and struck out one. He allowed three hits and one earned run. Samy Natera Jr. earned his second save after striking out two in the final 1 1/3 innings.

Yohel Pozo hit a solo home run in the third for the only run for the Orioles. It was his first in an Oriole uniform since coming to Baltimore after getting claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals in July.

REDS 6, ATHLETICS 5

CINCINNATI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz hit his fourth career leadoff home run — one of four homers by Cincinnati — and the Reds beat the Athletics to complete a three-game sweep.

The Reds (56-58) improved to 13-6 since the All-Star break. The A’s (45-70) have lost eight straight games and 12 straight series.

Brian Serven hit a two-run homer off Brock Burke to get the A’s within a run in the ninth. It was Serven’s second homer. Burke retired the next two batters for his second save.

De La Cruz led off the game with his 19th home run of the season off A’s left-hander Mason Barnett.

Barnett (1-2) made his second straight start after 14 relief appearances. He allowed five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings with three walks and seven strikeouts.

METS 13, GURDIANS 6

CLEVELAND (AP) — All-Star Foster Griffin struggled in his first start for free-falling Cleveland, allowing five runs in four innings of a loss to the Mets that gave last-place New York a three-game sweep.

Cleveland (57-59) has lost 11 of 14 and fell one-half game behind Texas in the race for the final AL wild card.

Acquired from Washington at the trade deadline, Griffin (12-4) allowed homers to Marcus Semien and Luis Torrens in the second inning, the latter a two-run shot that put the Mets ahead 3-2.

The left-hander gave up two more runs in the third, including an RBI triple by Carson Benge, and was lifted after working out of trouble in the fourth.

Francisco Lindor also homered for New York, a three-run shot in the seventh off Craig Yoho. Benge, Semien and Luis Robert Jr. each had three hits, and Torrens drove in three runs.

The Guardians got within 6-5 in the fifth on Nathaniel Lowe’s three-run homer off Nolan McLean (8-7), who stranded two runners to get out of the inning and qualify for the win.

It was the third series sweep for the Mets this season and first on the road.

BREWERS 5, PIRATES 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Dustin May won his Milwaukee debut and Jackson Chourio and Gary Sánchez hit home runs as the Brewers defeated Pittsburgh.

After losing the opener, the Brewers (72-43) won the final three games in the series.

May (6-7), acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade deadline deal on Monday, turned in a quality start, giving up two runs and three hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five in the 97-pitch outing.

The Brewers jumped out early on Chourio’s 15th homer of the season, a solo shot off Braxton Ashcraft (11-5) with one out in the first.

Brandon Lowe’s lead-off homer in the fourth, the first hit surrendered by May, put the Pirates on the board. Spencer Horwitz’s run-scoring single later in the inning tied it.

Milwaukee regained the lead in the fifth. Sánchez hit a solo homer and Brice Turang had a run-scoring single following a double from Pratt.

The Brewers extended the lead to 5-2 in the sixth when Garrett Mitchell snapped a 0-for-18 streak with a leadoff double and scored on Andrew Vaughn’s single.

DL Hall, Aaron Ashby and Chad Patrick, who notched his fifth save, combined to pitch three scoreless innings to close it out.

CUBS 3, BLUE JAYS 2, 11 INNINGS

CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong scored on a throwing error in the 11th inning after Alex Bregman hit a two-strike, two-out homer in the ninth, and Chicago rallied for a win over Toronto.

Crow-Armstrong singled leading off the 11th against Brendon Little (0-3), but automatic runner Carson Kelly was thrown out at the plate. The MVP candidate then tried to steal third and Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela overthrew third baseman Josh Smith, allowing Crow-Armstrong to dash home. He took off his helmet before touching the plate and then tossed it into the protective netting before he was mobbed by teammates.

It was the 11th walk-off win this season for Chicago, which is in position for the first NL wild card.

Bregman forced extra innings with his 12th homer of the season. Crow-Armstrong led off the ninth with a single against Blue Jays closer Louis Varland, who retired the next two batters and went ahead 1-2 against Bregman before his knuckle curve caught the middle of the plate and Bregman lined it over the wall in left.

Varland had been 24 for 24 in save situations.

TIGERS 11, MARINERS 0

SEATTLE (AP) — Dillon Dingler homered for the third straight game and finished with three hits and three RBIs as Detroit defeated Seattle.

Detroit (56-59) won for the fifth time in six games and moved within a game of Texas in the race for the final American League wild-card spot. The Tigers have scored at least eight runs or more in seven of their last eight games.

The loss dropped Seattle (56-60) three games behind Houston in the AL West and 1 1/2 games out of the wild card. The Mariners, held scoreless for the second time in the series against Detroit, have been shut out 11 times this season, tied for most in the majors.

Framber Valdez limited the Mariners to five hits in seven innings and didn’t allow a run for the first time since June 16. He struck out five, walked two and didn’t allow a runner past second base. In his last four outings, Valdez has allowed four runs in 19 innings.

Kyle Finnegan worked the eighth inning and Brenan Hanifee worked the ninth and closed out the shutout.

PHILLIES 7, NATIONALS 3

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cristopher Sanchez became the first 15-game winner in the majors this season, Bryson Stott had two of Philadelphia’s eight doubles and the Phillies beat Washington for their fifth victory in six games.

Sanchez (15-4) allowed two runs on six hits in five innings for his fifth consecutive victory.

Nationals starter Miles Mikolas (3-9) gave up six runs on 12 hits in five innings. On Wednesday night as a pinch hitter in the 11th inning in the Nationals’ 10-4 victory, he put down an RBI squeeze bunt for a base hit in his first at-bat since 2021.

Consecutive RBI doubles by Phillies newcomer Luis Arraez and Alec Bohm forged a 2-0 lead in the first. Justin Crawford plated J.T. Realmuto with a second-inning single, then Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh and Stott doubled in a three-run third to make it 6-1. The Phillies had 16 hits.

Nationals left fielder Andrew Pinckney had a solo home run in the fourth for his first career hit.