NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Murphy poked a tiebreaking, two-run single in the seventh inning as the New York Mets won for the eighth time in 10 games, 4-2 over the Rockies. Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to knot the score 2-2 before Murphy allowed New York to improve to 39-18 at home this season. Travis d’Arnaud’s second-inning homer was the lone hit allowed by Rockies rookie Jon Gray in six innings.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Washington remains 1 ½ games behind the NL East-leading Mets after Ian Desmond homered twice and had three RBIs in the Nationals’ 8-3 romp over the Dodgers. Gio Gonzalez scattered seven hits in eight shutout innings before Doug Fister gave up Carl Crawford’s three-run homer with two out in the bottom of the ninth. Brett Anderson surrendered seven runs and 10 hits in five innings as the Dodgers saw their lead in the NL West drop to three games over the Giants.
CHICAGO (AP) — Houston leads the AL West by one game after the second-place Angels absorbed an 8-2 loss to the White Sox in Chicago. Avisail Garcia homered twice and had four RBIs, including a three-run blast that put the White Sox ahead 7-0 in the sixth. Winning pitcher Chris Sale blanked the Angels until Johnny Giavotella lined a two-run double in the seventh.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Royals have expanded what was already the largest division lead in the majors, moving 12 games ahead of Minnesota with a 4-0 shutout of Detroit. Johnny Cueto (KWAY’-toh) fired a four-hitter in his Royals home debut, allowing no walks while striking out eight. Lorenzo Cain put the Royals ahead with a two-run double in the first inning, and Ben Zobrist was 3-for-3 with a walk in Kansas City’s fourth consecutive win.
SEATTLE (AP) — Wei-Yin Chen was sharp in Baltimore’s 3-2 win at Seattle, holding the Mariners to a run and three hits in 7 1/3 innings. Chen didn’t allow a run after Franklin Gutierrez belted a second-inning homer. Andrew Jones and Chris Davis homered for the Orioles, who are two games behind the Angels for the AL’s second wild-card berth.
