CHICAGO — Jake Arrieta earned his 18th straight winning decision and the Chicago Cubs hammered the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 in a Major League Baseball game here Saturday.
National League Cy Young award winner Arrieta (7-0) struck out a season-high 11 and allowed two runs and three hits in eight innings.
The Cubs have outscored the Pirates 37-11 in winning all five games against their NL Central rival this season.
The Cubs have outscored their opponents 213-103 this season.
Yankees 2, White Sox 1: Ivan Nova pitched effectively into the sixth inning and the New York Yankees edged the Chicago White Sox 3-2 at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees mustered little off Jose Quintana (5-2), who allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings. New York’s runs, which came on consecutive pitches with two outs in the second, proved enough.
Red Sox 6, Astros 5 (11 innings): David Ortiz launched a game-winning RBI-double to deep center field in the bottom of the 11th inning and the Boston Red Sox walked off with a 6-5 win over the Houston Astros at Fenway Park.
Ortiz also hit a solo home run and an RBI, while Xander Bogaerts, Travis Shaw and Mookie Betts each drove in a run for the Red Sox (23-14).
Twins 6, Indians 3: Ervin Santana pitched six strong innings and Juan Centeno had two hits, including his first major league home run, to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
The Twins snapped their eight-game losing streak with only their third road victory of the season.
Nationals 6, Marlins 4 (1st game): Stephen Strasburg remained unbeaten and Michael A. Taylor had two hits, two walks and scored twice as the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 6-4 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Strasburg (6-0), who agreed to a seven-year contract extension Tuesday, allowed five hits and three runs with seven strikeouts in six innings though his ERA rose to 2.95. — Reuters
