>>Bryant Homer Sends Cubs Past Rockies
After coming close to hitting a home run the previous few games, Kris Bryant believed he was due to get one to go out.
He got one in a big situation.
Bryant's two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Chicago Cubs to a 9-8 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.
Colorado had taken an 8-7 lead in the ninth inning on a two-run home run by Carlos Gonzalez - his second of the game. However, Bryant hit the second pitch he saw from John Axford (3-4) over the wall in left-center to give Chicago a dramatic victory and snap a three-game skid.
Trailing 7-4, the Rockies scored four times in the ninth to move ahead. Jason Motte started the ninth by allowing a pinch-home run to Daniel Descalso, a single to Charlie Blackmon and a double to D.J. LeMahieu.
Rafael Soriano (1-0), added to the roster July 20, then came on and gave up Tulowitzki's run-scoring grounder before Gonzalez, who had four hits, roped a two-run home run into right to put Colorado in front.
Gonzalez continued his torrid stretch after hitting five home runs and batting .476 last week. He hit his 19th homer of the season in the third off Kyle Hendricks to give Colorado a 2-0 lead.
LeMahieu's two-run single in the fourth doubled the Rockies' lead.
Two days after being no-hit by Philadelphia's Cole Hamels, Bryant and Jorge Soler had RBI singles and Chris Denorfia added a run-scoring grounder to pull the Cubs to 4-3 as part of a six-run fourth. Starlin Castro, who had been hitless in his previous three games, then singled to left to drive in two and put the Cubs in front.
Addison Russell's double then drove in Castro, capping the inning and ending the night for Jorge De La Rosa. De La Rosa, who was looking for his third victory of the month, gave up the six runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out two.
Chicago added a run in the sixth on Nolan Arenado's throwing error on Castro's grounder, bringing Denorfia in all the way from first and giving the Cubs seven or more runs for the first time since July 7 against St. Louis.
Hendricks pitched five-plus innings and allowed four runs and seven hits while walking three for Chicago, which was coming off a three-game sweep by lowly Philadelphia to slip 2 1/2 games behind San Francisco for the second National League wild-card spot.
>>Kolton Wong Grand Slam Sends Cards Past Reds
Kolten Wong came through with the bases loaded. When faced with the same predicament, Lance Lynn minimized the damage.
Wong hit a grand slam that backed Lynn's seven resourceful innings and led the St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 Monday night.
Wong connected on a 3-2 fastball from rookie Raisel Iglesias (1-3) with two outs in the fourth, putting St. Louis ahead 4-1. Wong's second career grand slam easily cleared the right-field wall, landing in the home bullpen.
The Cardinals have won six of seven. They are a big league-best 64-35 and lead the NL Central by 6 1/2 games.
Lynn (8-5) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, improving to 7-3 against the Reds. He has won five of his last six decisions overall.
Trevor Rosenthal earned his 31st save in 33 chances after getting two days off.
Jay Bruce hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the third for the Reds, who have lost seven of 10.
The Reds loaded the bases with none out in the third before Bruce's sacrifice fly. The next batter, Brayan Pena, grounded into a double play.
Yadier Molina doubled and Stephen Piscotty singled to start the fourth. Bourjos was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with one out ahead of the slam by Wong - also his 100th hit.
>>Sox Win Slugfest With BoSox
Adam Eaton was given some unusual advice on what to do between at-bats in his first appearance as a designated hitter.
It must have worked. He made his time at the plate look easy.
Eaton, inserted as the DH because of a sore left shoulder, had three hits and drove in two runs to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 10-8 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.
It was the fifth straight win for the White Sox, coming off a four-game sweep at home over Cleveland.
Eaton had a triple, double and single to key Chicago's 15-hit night. He opened the game with his triple, sparking a four-run first.
Boston's David Ortiz homered for the third time in two games, hitting a two-run shot after a career-best, seven-RBI night that included two three-run homers in a win Sunday.
Mookie Betts added three hits and two RBIs for the Red Sox, who have lost 10 of 12.
Ortiz homered into the center-field bleachers, the 486th of his career, in the first, about 90 minutes after the club traded outfielder Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Angels in a deal for a minor league infielder.
In a seesaw contest that saw both teams squander leads, the White Sox broke a 7-all tie in the seventh against Robbie Ross Jr. (0-1).
J.B. Shuck doubled leading off and scored on Tyler Flowers' single. One out later, Eaton hit an RBI single.
Danks didn't give up a run in his previous two starts, covering 12 2-3 innings.
Matt Albers (1-0) got five outs in scoreless relief. David Robertson pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.
Boston's Joe Kelly, making his second start after being demoted to the minors, gave up five runs - four earned - in 3 1-3 innings.
Third baseman Tyler Saladino's second error, when he bounced a throw past first, allowed Boston to take a 7-6 edge, but the White Sox tied it on Eaton's RBI double.
Trailing 5-4 in the fourth, Boston scored twice to grab its first lead. Betts' RBI single tied it before Saladino booted Hanley Ramirez's bouncer with the bases loaded.
Boston's Ryan Hanigan had a passed ball that scored a run, tying it at 6.
The White Sox jumped ahead 4-0 in the first, scoring three before making an out. Eaton and Saladino opened the game with consecutive triples, Melky Cabrera had an RBI double and Shuck a run-scoring grounder. The fourth scored on Alexei Ramirez's double-play grounder.
The Red Sox will retire Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez's No. 45 in a pregame ceremony before Tuesday's contest. It'll be the eighth Red Sox number retired - the first of a pitcher.
MLB Scoreboard
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Interleague
Atlanta 1 Final/11
Baltimore 2
Arizona 4 Final/10
Seattle 3
American League
Kansas City 9
Cleveland 4
Detroit 2
Tampa Bay 5
NY Yankees 6
Texas 2
National League
Milwaukee 2
San Francisco 4
