Guards fall to Mets, out of wild-card spot
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CLEVELAND (AP) -- All-Star Foster Griffin struggled in his first start for the free-falling Cleveland Guardians, allowing five runs in four innings of a 13-6 loss to the Mets that gave last-place New York a three-game sweep.
Cleveland (57-59) has lost 11 of 14 and fell one-half game behind Texas in the race for the final AL wild card.
Acquired from Washington at the trade deadline, Griffin (12-4) allowed homers to Marcus Semien and Luis Torrens in the second inning, the latter a two-run shot that put the Mets ahead 3-2.
The left-hander gave up two more runs in the third, including an RBI triple by Carson Benge, and was lifted after working out of trouble in the fourth.
Francisco Lindor also homered for New York, a three-run shot in the seventh off Craig Yoho. Benge, Semien and Luis Robert Jr. each had three hits, and Torrens drove in three runs.
The Guardians got within 6-5 in the fifth on Nathaniel Lowe鈥檚 three-run homer off Nolan McLean (8-7), who stranded two runners to get out of the inning and qualify for the win.
It was the third series sweep for the Mets this season and first on the road.
Guardians reliever Slade Cecconi faced five batters in the eighth and did not record an out as New York added four more runs for a 13-5 advantage.
Up next: Guardians visit the Chicago White Sox starting Friday with a chance to make up some ground on the AL Central leaders. LHP Parker Messick (8-6, 2.57) starts for Cleveland against Chicago LHP Noah Schultz (3-8, 5.92).
BREWERS 5, PIRATES 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Dustin May won his Milwaukee debut and Jackson Chourio and Gary S谩nchez hit home runs as the Brewers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Thursday afternoon.
After losing the opener, the Brewers (72-43) won the final three games in the series.
May (6-7), acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade deadline deal on Monday, turned in a quality start, giving up two runs and three hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five in the 97-pitch outing.
The Brewers jumped out early on Chourio鈥檚 15th homer of the season, a solo shot off Braxton Ashcraft (11-5) with one out in the first.
The Brewers extended the lead to 2-0 in third when David Hamilton walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Cooper Pratt鈥檚 sacrifice fly.
Brandon Lowe鈥檚 lead-off homer in the fourth, the first hit surrendered by May, put the Pirates on the board. Spencer Horwitz鈥檚 run-scoring single later in the inning tied it.
Milwaukee regained the lead in the fifth. S谩nchez hit a solo homer and Brice Turang had a run-scoring single following a double from Pratt.
The Brewers extended the lead to 5-2 in the sixth when Garrett Mitchell snapped a 0-for-18 streak with a leadoff double and scored on Andrew Vaughn鈥檚 single.
DL Hall, Aaron Ashby and Chad Patrick, who notched his fifth save, combined to pitch three scoreless innings to close it out.
ANGELS 4, ORIOLES 1
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Zach Neto hit a three-run home run to lift the Los Angeles Angels over the Baltimore Orioles 4-1 in the final game of the series on Thursday afternoon.
Wade Meckler singled on a ground ball in the third inning that was overthrown by Orioles starting pitcher Brandon Young at first, advancing him to second. Nolan Schanuel was then walked to set up Neto鈥檚 411-foot homer that went over the center field wall.
Schanuel hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh for Meckler to score the fourth run of the game.
Angels pitcher Mitch Farris (1-3) entered the game in the fifth inning in relief of starter Ryan Johnson. Farris pitched one inning, struck out two and walked one. Johnson pitched the first 4 2/3, where he walked five and struck out one. He allowed three hits and one earned run. Samy Natera Jr. earned his second save after striking out two in the final 1 1/3 innings.
Yohel Pozo hit a solo home run in the third for the only run for the Orioles. It was his first in an Oriole uniform since coming to Baltimore after getting claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals in July.
Young (8-3) pitched 4 1/3 innings in the loss, giving up six hits. He struck out four and walked two.