ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kendrys Morales hit two of Seattle’s four homers and the Mariners beat Texas 7-5 Friday night, handing the Rangers their seventh straight loss only hours after manager Ron Washington resigned unexpectedly.
Interim manager Tim Bogar took the familiar seat along the railing of the home dugout long occupied by Washington, who said in a statement that he was stepping down to devote all his time to an “off-the-field personal matter.” The Rangers wouldn’t elaborate.
Morales went deep to right field against Scott Baker (3-4) to put the Mariners ahead 2-0 in the second inning. His sixth homer of the season was another two-run shot in the sixth.
Mike Zunino became the first Seattle catcher with 20 homers, and Brad Miller hit his 10th.
Hisashi Iwakuma (14-6) matched Felix Hernandez for the team lead in wins.
Washington stunned his players in a team meeting, walking away before the end of his eighth season a day after the Rangers became the first team in the majors mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Only three years ago, Washington took Texas to consecutive World Series.
It was the debut as a big league manager for Bogar, who was in his first season as Washington’s bench coach.
ROYALS 1, YANKEES 0
NEW YORK (AP) — James Shields took a two-hitter into the ninth inning and Nori Aoki lined a run-scoring single in the third following Chase Headley’s two-base error, leading Kansas City over New York.
Two starts after losing to the Yankees 8-1 in one of his worst outings this season, Shields (13-7) retired his first 11 batters before Brett Gardner’s double. Headley singled in the fifth, and Shields retired 11 straight before Derek Jeter singled softly with one out in the ninth.
Wade Davis relieved, and pinch-runner Antoan Richardson stole second before Gardner struck out swinging on a 3-2 fastball. Carlos Beltran took a called third strike, giving Davis his first big league save. Davis has fanned 92 batters in 62 1-3 innings this season.
Shields induced 12 groundouts and allowed three hits in 8 1-3 innings. Kansas City (78-61), which leads the AL Central, has won four in a row and is 17 games over .500 for the first time since 1989, according to STATS.
Michael Pineda (3-4) took the hard-luck loss.
BREWERS 6, CARDINALS 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Scooter Gennett drove in three runs and Mike Fiers pitched into the seventh inning as Milwaukee snapped its nine-game losing streak and trimmed St. Louis’ lead in the NL Central to three games.
Fiers (5-2) gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings, improving to 5-1 in six starts since being called up from Triple-A Nashville on Aug. 9.
Cardinals starter John Lackey (2-2) gave up all six runs and nine hits in six innings as St. Louis snapped a six-game winning streak.
Gennett had a two-run single in the third and an RBI double in the fifth, and Lucroy added a run-scoring single to put the Brewers up 4-0.
Jhonny Peralta’s 19th homer got St. Louis on the board in the sixth, but Khris Davis’ two-run shot in the bottom of the inning made it 6-1.
RAYS 3, ORIOLES 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Alex Cobb and two relievers combined on a six-hitter against Baltimore for Tampa Bay’s AL-best 19th shutout this season.
The right-hander gave up six hits, one walk and struck out six. Brad Boxberger (4-1) fanned two in a perfect eighth, and Jake McGee struck out all three batters he faced for his 16th save.
Yunel Escobar’s run-scoring single snapped a scoreless tie in the eighth inning. Ryan Hanigan added a two-run single.
Cobb didn’t figure in the decision despite going seven innings and allowing two runs or less in his team-record 11th consecutive start. The Rays are 6-5 in those outings.
Evan Longoria and Wil Myers started the eighth with consecutive singles off Ryan Webb (3-3).
Tampa Bay has been involved in 36 shutouts this season, going 19-17 in those games.
PIRATES 3, CUBS 3, 7 INNINGS, SUSPENDED
CHICAGO (AP) — The game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs was suspended by rain with one out in the top of the seventh inning.
The teams were tied at 3 when a storm rolled through the area. With more rain in the forecast, the game was called after a delay of 1 hour, 52 minutes.
The teams will resume their game Saturday afternoon before their regularly scheduled matchup.
Cubs left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada left with one out in the fourth due to mild cramping in his left calf.
Josh Harrison had three hits for the Pirates.
RED SOX 9, BLUE JAYS 8, 10 INNINGS
BOSTON (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes had four hits, including a game-winning single that capped a three-run 10th inning, and Boston rallied to beat Toronto.
The Blue Jays, who lost outfielder Melky Cabrera to a season-ending pinkie injury, took an 8-6 lead in the top of the 10th. The first run scored on Dioner Navarro’s infield single. John Mayberry Jr. then scored from second on Danny Valencia’s sacrifice fly to deep right.
But in the bottom of the inning, Boston loaded the bases with none out against Casey Janssen (3-3) on singles by Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Christian Vazquez.
Will Middlebrooks singled in Betts, and the Red Sox tied it on Dustin Pedroia’s sacrifice fly. An error by second baseman Steve Tolleson loaded the bases before Cespedes hit a drive to deep center.
Tommy Layne (2-1) got the win.
Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion both reached the 30-homer mark for Toronto, each with a two-run shot.
PHILLIES 9, NATIONALS 8, 11 INNINGS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rafael Soriano blew another save, and an error by Bryce Harper on a routine fly ball in the 11th inning led to the go-ahead runs, giving Philadelphia a win over Washington.
The Phillies rallied from a five-run deficit with two unearned runs in the eighth and then three that were fully earned in the ninth off Soriano, who was booed off the field as his late-season slump continues.
Then came an unearned pair of runs in the 11th off Craig Stammen (4-5), an inning that started with a two-base error when left fielder Harper ran smack into Denard Span after the center fielder had clearly called for a fly ball by Domonic Brown.
After a sacrifice bunt, Brown scored on a fielder’s choice grounder to first by Maikel Franco.
First baseman Tyler Moore tried to get Brown at home, but the throw was off target.
Jake Diekman (4-4) pitched one inning for the win. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the 11th for his 34th save.
INDIANS 2, WHITE SOX 1, 10 INNINGS
CLEVELAND (AP) — Pinch-hitter David Murphy drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded single in the 10th inning and Cleveland defeated Chicago.
Murphy lined a 1-2 pitch to center off Ronald Belisario to score pinch-runner Chris Dickerson and give the Indians their 11th walkoff win of the season.
Yan Gomes started the inning with a triple to left off Maikel Cleto (0-1). Michael Taylor crashed into the wall trying to make the catch and the ball rolled several feet away. Shortstop Leury Garcia finally retrieved the ball and threw it in as Gomes slid into third.
Michael Bourn was intentionally walked before Eric Surkamp issued an intentional walk to Lonnie Chisenhall that loaded the bases. Surkamp battled back from a 3-1 count to strike out Jason Kipnis before Murphy, batting for Roberto Perez, delivered.
C.C. Lee (1-1) worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 10th.
ROCKIES 3, PADRES 0
DENVER (AP) — Tyler Matzek pitched a three-hitter for his first career shutout, Nolan Arenado and Drew Stubbs homered, and Colorado beat San Diego.
It was the third straight victory for Matzek (5-9) since snapping a five-game losing streak. The Padres managed only one extra-base hit against Matzek — a leadoff double by Abraham Almonte in the ninth that went over the head of left fielder Corey Dickerson.
He struck out six, including three in the third around Rymer Liriano’s single, the only other hit to reach the outfield.
The Padres have lost three in a row.
Eric Stults (6-16) went 6 1-3 innings in a solid outing, but again had a lack of run support.
METS 14, REDS 5
CINCINNATI (AP) — Curtis Granderson and Travis d’Arnaud each hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs, powering New York to its third straight victory.
The Mets hit five homers for the first time since 2006. Wilmer Flores and Dilson Herrera had solo shots, and Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer in the ninth. New York scored in every inning except the third, getting a season-high in runs and tying its season high with 18 hits.
Bartolo Colon (13-11) gave up two runs and seven hits, including Devin Mesoraco’s solo homer, in seven innings. He walked one, the 26th time in 27 starts this season that he has walked two or fewer.
Granderson ended an 0-for-18 slump with an RBI double in the first inning off Alfredo Simon (13-10), who is 1-7 with a 5.27 ERA in his last 10 starts.
MARLINS 11, BRAVES 3
MIAMI (AP) — Jarred Cosart pitched into the eighth inning and Marcell Ozuna had four hits and four RBIs to lead Miami.
Giancarlo Stanton drove in two runs and Donovan Solano also had four hits for the Marlins, who had a season-high 18 hits.
Freddie Freeman hit his 18th home run for the Braves, who have lost three of four.
Cosart (4-1), who came into the game with the lowest ERA (0.65) in the majors since Aug. 12, retired 13 batters in a row during one stretch and allowed five hits and two runs in 7 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Casey McGehee and Ozuna had RBI singles off Aaron Harang (10-10) in the first inning and Ozuna and Justin Bour had RBI doubles in the third to give the Marlins a 4-0 lead.
Stanton’s two-run double extended the lead to 6-0 and gave him 104 RBIs on the season.