ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Gerrit Cole took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Aaron Hicks hit a tiebreaking triple in the ninth as Manuel Margot slammed into the right-field wall and injured a knee and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Monday night for their 50th win.
New York has won 17 of its last 19 games, and its 50-17 start is the best in the major leagues since the 2001 Seattle Mariners.
Cole struck out 12 and walked three, allowing his only hit when Isaac Paredes singled leading off the eighth.
Clay Holmes (5-0) blew a 2-0 lead and allowed his first run since opening day, ending a 31 1/3 inning scoreless streak. Jason Adam (0-2) allowed Hicks' truple and Jose Trevino's sacrifice fly, and Wandy Peralta pitched the ninth for his second save.
METS 6, MARLINS 0
NEW YORK (AP) — David Peterson pitched into the sixth inning with wife Alex expected to go into labor soon.
Peterson (4-1) allowed six hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings with a season-high seven strikeouts,
New York, which lost Jeff McNeil to right hamstring tightness, took three of four from the Marlins and tied the Yankees for the lead with 11 shutouts. The Mets took a 4-0 lead against Trevor Rogers (3-6) with two sacrifice flies, Mark Canha’s bases-loaded walk and McNeil’s scurry home.
Andrew Vaughn matched a career high with four hits, including a solo homer, and the Chicago White Sox celebrated Tim Anderson’s return with an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.
WHITE SOX 8, BLUE JAYS 7
CHICAGO (AP) — Andrew Vaughn matched a career high with four hits, including a solo homer, and Luis Robert and Josh Harrison homered as Chicago won for the fifth time in seven games.
Tim Anderson had two hits in his first big league game since May 29. He was activated from the 10-day injured list after being sidelined by a strained right groin.
Toronto lost for the fourth time in five games. Raimel Tapia and Cavan Biggio each hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays, but José Berríos (5-3) was tagged for six runs and nine hits in four innings.
Lance Lynn (1-0) was charged with five runs, three earned, and four hits in five-plus innings, and Joe Kelly got his first save this season.
RED SOX 5, TIGERS 2
BOSTON (AP) — Jarren Duran had two hits, two stolen bases and two runs, and Josh Winckowski (2-1) allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings,.
Franchy Cordero had three hits, including a two-run single, and Boston won for the sixth time in eight games to climb a season-high six games above .500. Tanner Houck pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
Alex Faedo (1-4) lasted just 4 1/3 innings for the Tigers, who had won two straight after losing six in a row.
BRAVES 2, GIANTS 1
ATLANTA (AP) — Orlando Arcia drove in pinch-runner Phil Gosselin from second with a tiebreaking single in the ninth off Camilo Doval (2-3).
Kenley Jansen (4-0) stranded runners on second and third in the ninth when he struck out Thairo Estrada and pinch-hitter Brandon Crawford.
The defending World Series champion Braves have won 16 of 18.
PIRATES 12, CUBS 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Newly promoted Oneil Cruz drove in four runs and Bligh Madris got three hits in his major league debut as Pittsburgh set a season high for runs.
Madris became the first Pirates player to have a three-hit game in his debut since Jason Kendall in 1996.
JT Brubaker (1-7) scattered five hits in six scoreless innings for his first win since last Aug. 24, The Pirates took advantage of five walks by rookie Caleb Kilian (0-2), who was tagged for seven runs in 2 1/3 innings.
BREWERS 2, CARDINALS 0
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Corbin Burnes (5-4) struck out 10 in seven innings and allowed two hits.
Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run homer off Miles Mikolas (5-5), and the Brewers regained sole possession of first place in the NL Central. Milwaukee followed an eight-game skid by winning six of eight. Josh Hader worked the ninth for his 20th save in 21 chances.
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