Paolo Espino struck out a career-high seven while also singling and scoring a run for the first time in the majors, leading the Washington Nationals to a 2-1 win over the free-falling New York Mets on Friday night.
The loss was the 19th in 25 games this month for the Mets, who entered August atop the NL East but now trail divison-leading Atlanta by 8 1/2 games.
Only two players got beyond first base against Espino and four relievers. Francisco Lindor tripled with two outs in the first and was stranded when Javier Báez struck out.
Báez homered with one out in the fourth, after which 16 of the final 18 Mets batters were set down.
Espino (4-4) allowed three hits and walked none over five innings. His previous high of six strikeouts was set three times, most recently in his previous start against the Milwaukee Brewers last Saturday.
Kyle Finnegan walked Pete Alonso leading off the ninth before locking down his sixth save.
Rich Hill (6-6) took the loss. He gave up five hits and walked none with eight strikeouts in five innings.
CARDINALS 4, PIRATES 3
PITTSBURGH — Tommy Edman hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, Paul Goldschmidt had three hits and St. Louis edged Pittsburgh.
Edman went deep off Dillon Peters (0-2) to finish a three-run outburst in the fifth and the St. Louis bullpen kept J.A. Happ unbeaten since he arrived in St. Louis at the trade deadline. Alex Reyes picked up his 29th save.
Happ (8-6) allowed two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
Jacob Stallings had three of Pittsburgh’s eight hits.
RED SOX 4, INDIANS 3
CLEVELAND — Jonathan Araúz hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning after being recalled before the game due to Boston’s COVID-19 case, sending the Red Sox past Cleveland.
Araúz drove a 3-2 pitch from James Karinchak (7-4) over the wall in right to rally the Red Sox, who began the series by placing infielders Kiké Hernández and Christian Arroyo on the COVID-19 injured list.
José Ramírez hit a two-run homer off Eduardo Rodriguez (10-7) and Yu Chang added a solo shot — his third in three games — for Cleveland.
TIGERS 2, BLUE JAYS 1
DETROIT — Victor Reyes hit a pinch-hit tiebreaking inside-the-park home run in the eighth inning and Detroit held on to beat Toronto.
Reyes, hitting for Zack Short, led off the inning with a sinking drive to center. Josh Palacios missed a diving attempt at the catch and the ball rolled to the wall. Reyes slid safely under a high relay throw to the plate.
Reyes became the first major leaguer since 1961 (expansion era) to have a pinch-hit go-ahead inside-the-park home run, the Tigers said. Ben Oglivie is the only other Tigers player to hit a pinch-hit inside-the-park home run, on June 2, 1976.
Jose Cisnero (3-4) picked up the win and Gregory Soto pitched the ninth for his 16th save. Tim Mayza (4-2) took the loss after allowing the Reyes home run.
RAYS 6, ORIOLES 3
BALTIMORE — Shane McClanahan won his fifth consecutive start, Mike Zunino hit a three-run homer and Tampa Bay beat Baltimore for its sixth straight win.
Tampa Bay improved to 16-1 against Baltimore this season. The Rays have an AL-best 80-48 record.
McClanahan (9-4) allowed two runs and eight hits with four strikeouts over six innings against his hometown team. Chris Mazza pitched the last three innings for his first save. He allowed a home run to Cedric Mullins in the ninth.
Austin Hays hit his 14th homer and Cedric Mullins homered in the ninth for the Orioles. Matt Harvey (6-14) retired 16 batters in a row, but took the loss.
REDS 6, MARLINS 0
MIAMI — Wade Miley pitched six-hit ball over seven innings, Tyler Naquin homered and extended his major league-leading hitting streak, and Cincinnati blanked Miami.
Miley (11-4) struck out five, walked one and hit a run-scoring double.
Naquin had three hits to stretch his hitting streak to 16 games, the longest current run in the majors. Mike Moustakas also went deep for the Reds.
Moustakas and Miley had RBI doubles in a four-run fourth.
Miami starter Zach Thompson (2-6) was lifted for a pinch hitter after five innings. The right-hander allowed five runs, six hits, struck out one and walked one.
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