Rasmussen powers Rays past slumping Tigers

DETROIT (AP) — Jonathan Aranda homered and Drew Rasmussen gave up three hits in six strong innings as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the slumping Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Monday night.

Tampa Bay had lost seven of its last 10, but never trailed against the Tigers, who have lost six straight and nine of 10 to fall behind in the race for the final AL wild card.

Rasmussen (14-5) allowed one run to win his seventh straight start. It is the second longest streak in franchise history, trailing only Blake Snell’s nine-start streak in 2018.

Bryan Baker pitched the ninth for his 38th save.

Detroit starter Framber Valdez (8-9) gave up four runs — three earned — on eight hits in six innings. He walked two without striking out a batter.

Tampa Bay took a 2-0 lead in the second. Yandy Diaz led off with a single and took third when left fielder Brett Callahan misplayed Ryan Vilade’s base hit. Diaz scored on Junior Caminero’s groundout. After an infield single put runners on the corners with one out, Aranda beat out a double-play attempt allowing Vilade to score.

In the fourth, Jorge Mateo started the inning with a double and took third on Nick Fortes’ sacrifice bunt. Chandler Simpson put down a squeeze bunt and Mateo beat third baseman Kevin McGonigle’s hurried flip to the plate.

Simpson’s bunt extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

NATIONALS 13, ROCKIES 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams had the go-ahead RBI in a five-run fifth inning, Cade Cavalli won his fourth consecutive start and Washington defeated Colorado for its season-worst seventh consecutive loss.

Daylen Lile homered and drove in five runs for the Nationals, who had dropped three games in a row and seven of eight.

Willi Castro and Ezequiel Tovar homered for Colorado.

After going hitless for the first four innings against Rockies starter Ryan Feltner (5-8), the Nationals opened the fifth with two singles. Nasim Nuñez then laid down a sacrifice bunt toward third that Castro threw down the right-field line for an error, allowing two runs to score.

Abrams laced a double to right to drive in Nuñez and give the Nationals a 3-2 lead. Abrams stole third and scored on Abimelec Ortiz’s grounder. Lile and Brady House hit consecutive doubles to add another run.

Abrams, who missed the previous four games with a sprained ankle, went 1 for 4 with two stolen bases as Washington’s designated hitter.

RED SOX 4, MARLINS 2

MIAMI (AP) — Anthony Seigler hit a go-ahead triple in the ninth inning, and Boston beat Miami.

Mickey Gasper had two hits and walked twice for the Red Sox, who won their fourth straight. Boston has won 19 of 20 against teams with records of .500 or better.

Miami closer Pete Fairbanks (4-5) started the ninth but left with an injury after issuing a leadoff walk to Gasper. Fairbanks stepped off the mound and touched his throwing arm as he talked with catcher Brian Navarreto and manager Clayton McCullough.

Tyler Zuber relieved Fairbanks and allowed Seigler’s line drive toward the right field foul area that scored pinch-runner Eli White from first and snapped a 2-all tie. Nick Sogard followed with an RBI single.

Erik Miller (3-0) pitched a scoreless eighth around two singles and a walk. Aroldis Chapman closed it out for his 30th save.

The Marlins were 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position.

RANGERS 11, WHITE SOX 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Corey Seager had three hits and three RBIs, and Jake Burger and Wyatt Langford homered to lead Texas to a victory over Chicago.

Ezequiel Duran drove in two runs and Texas (66-66) outhit the AL Central leaders 14-5 to move a half-game ahead of idle Houston and take sole possession of first place in the AL West for the first time since July 30.

Kumar Rocker (5-10) pitched 5 2/3 innings for the win, allowing two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. Robby Ahlstrom retired all four batters he faced and Jordan Montgomery finished with two perfect innings.

Joc Pederson drew a walk from José Urquidy (2-2) to start the game before scoring on Duran’s groundout. Evan Carter added a two-out RBI double for a 2-0 lead.

Brandon Nimmo robbed Andrew Benintendi of a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to keep it 2-0.

Duran’s two-out infield hit with the bases loaded made it 3-0 in the second. Pederson was ejected by plate umpire Chris Guccione for comments from the dugout before Carter’s groundout ended the inning. Pederson — mired in an 0-for-24 slump — struck out looking and was too late trying to challenge the call to start the inning.

Tristan Peters homered for a third straight game and the 10th time this season — a two-out shot in the second off Rocker that cut it to 3-2.

Seager drove in two with a two-out double in the third for a 5-2 advantage.

Burger hit his 22nd homer leading off the fifth. Justin Foscue — who replaced Pederson — and Seager had back-to-back doubles with two outs for a 7-2 lead.