CHICAGO — Chris Sale had his first off night of the season and Cleveland Indians made Chicago White Sox pay.
Cleveland scored a combined six runs between the third and fourth innings, all charged to Sale, and pulled within 1 1/2 games of Chicago for the top spot in the American League Central with a 6-2 victory.
Indians starter Josh Tomlin (7-0) stayed perfect by allowing just two runs in eight innings to out-pitch Sale (9-1), who took his first loss of the season. Tomlin allowed a home run to Adam Eaton on his second pitch of the game, but yielded just one more run for his career-high seventh straight win.
Nationals 7, Mets 4: Stephen Strasburg struck out 11 and improved to 8-0, and the first-place Washington Nationals hit a season-high five home runs in a 7-4 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday.
Strasburg allowed four hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings before Felipe Rivero came on the seventh to fan pinch hitter Juan Lagares for the final out with two runners on base.
Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon and Daniel Murphy went deep against struggling Mets starter Matt Harvey (3-7).
Red Sox 8, Rockies 3: David Ortiz continued the spectacular first half of his final season driving in four runs helping David Price win his third straight game.
Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his career-high hitting streak to 28 games — tied with Wade Boggs for fifth-best in team history — while eammate Xander Bogaerts extended his to a career-high 17 in the win.
Both had two hits, while Dustin Pedroia had three singles.
Tigers 3, Phillies 1: Justin Verlander blanked Philadelphia on three hits over eight innings, Francisco Rodriguez let in a run but still recorded his 400th career save and Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs with a double plus a groundout in Detroit’s win.
Verlander struck out 10 and walked two, giving up a double in the first and a single in the second and then just one hit over his final six frames.
His last pitch got his highest radar reading of the night, a 97 mph fastball that fanned Odubel Herrera.
Yankees 6, Blue Jays 0: Nathan Eovaldi allowed two hits in six-plus innings and New York reached the .500 mark.
Carlos Beltran homered and drove in two runs for the Yankees, who won their sixth straight game and improved to 13-5 since May 6.
Pirates 12, Diamondbacks 1: Gregory Polanco hit a three-run homer and drove in a career-high five runs and Pittsburgh roughed up Arizona. The Pirates put up four three-run innings against and matched a season-high 12 runs.
With the Pirates up 11 in the eighth, reliever Arquimedes Caminero was ejected for hitting Nick Ahmed, the second batter he hit in as many innings. Arizona second baseman Jean Segura left the game after being hit on the left side of his head by a 96-mph fastball in the seventh.
Cubs 12, Cardinals 3: Chicago wasted no time ending its season-high three-game losing streak. Jumping out to a 6-0 lead before the St. Louis got to the bat rack, Chicago became the first team to reach 30 wins. Jorge Soler led the offensive onslaught by reaching base four times and knocking in three runs, going 2-for-3 with two runs. Dexter Fowler went 3-for-6 with an RBI, while Kris Bryant and Addison Russell added two hits apiece for the Cubs, who outhit St. Louis, 15-7.
Brewers 2, Braves 1: A career-best 12 strikeouts by Julio Teheran wasn’t enough to get Atlanta interim manager Brian Snitker a victory in his first home game.
Scooter Gennett drove in the tie-breaking run with a two-out single off reliever Bud Norris in the eighth inning and Milwaukee won.
Other results: Rays 4, Marlins 3; Royals 7, Twins 4; Rangers 4, Angels 1; Astros 3, Orioles 2 (13 innings); Mariners 6, A’s 5; Giants 8, Padres 3; Dodgers 8, Reds 2.
