Rays continue offensive tear in rout
Hunter Renfroe hit two homers and drove in three runs, Mike Zunino belted a three-run shot over the Green Monster and out of Fenway Park, and the surging Tampa Bay Rays beat the struggling Boston Red Sox 17-5 on Thursday to complete a four-game series sweep.
It was the sixth straight win for the Rays (12-8), who posted their eighth consecutive victory in Fenway. Tampa Bay won for the 12th time in its last 14 games against Boston.
The Red Sox have lost four straight.
It was the first time in club history that the Rays scored at least eight runs in all four games of a series, and they set
a mark by totaling 42 runs in that span.
Leading 10-5, Tampa Bay broke it open with a six-run sixth.
CUBS 4, BREWERS 2 >> Yu Darvish carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning as Chicago (13-3) improved upon its best record in the majors.
Justin Smoak broke up Darvish’s no-hit effort with one out in the seventh when he ripped a solo home run down the right-field line. The blast marked the only hit of the night against Darvish (31), who walked two and struck out 11 before yielding to the bullpen to start the the eighth.
PIRATES 9, REDS 6 >> Adam Frazier, Colin Moran and Gregory Polanco each homered among Pittsburgh’s first six batters,
and the visiting Pirates scored seven times in the second inning to snap a three-game losing streak. The Pirates, playing for the first time in four days after their series this week against the St. Louis Cardinals was postponed, did all their damage against Cincinnati starter Anthony DeSclafani (1-1).
METS 8, NATIONALS 2 >> Tomas Nido had his first two-homer game as a professional, hitting a two-run shot in the fourth and a grand slam in the fifth to lead New York over visiting Washington. The win may have been a costly one. Left fielder Jeff McNeil was carted off after crashing into the wall while robbing Asdrubal Cabrera of a two-run extra-base hit to end the first inning. The Mets announced both an MRI and X-rays on his left knee came back negative. McNeil, who was diagnosed with a bone contusion, is day-to-day and is not currently expected to land on the injured list.
Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg, who is scheduled to start today, was ejected from the stands for arguing balls and strikes in the third inning.
ORIOLES 11, PHILLIES 4 >> Pedro Severino and Rio Ruiz hit homers to back Thomas Eshelman and Baltimore beat Philadelphia to complete a threegame sweep.
Eshelman (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings to earn his second career win.