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Rookie sensation Yordan Alvarez slugged another home run while left-hander Framber Valdez delivered a second consecutive quality start as the Houston Astros claimed their three-game series with the visiting Toronto Blue Jays by virtue of a 7-2 victory on Saturday. Alvarez cranked a two-out solo home run to right field off Blue Jays left-hander Clayton Richard in the third inning, a 439-foot laser into the upper deck that stretched the Houston lead to 3-0. Alvarez, who added a pair of singles and posted his second consecutive three-hit game, has bashed four homers in five games since his promotion from Triple-A Round Rock last Sunday.

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 00:43:20 -0400

The Philadelphia Phillies got the ninth-inning elixir they needed after a tough outcome a night earlier. "There's a lot that went on that could've pushed us to not give the kind of effort that we gave," manager Gabe Kapler said. César Hernández singled in two runs off Luke Jackson in the ninth inning, and Philadelphia rallied from a one-run deficit to snap the Atlanta Braves' eight-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory on Saturday night.

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 00:41:47 -0400

Sea Forest Waterway, which will play host to rowing events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, opened on Sunday with the sport's world governing body praising organisers for delivering a "world class" venue on schedule. International Rowing Federation president Jean-Christophe Rolland, himself an Olympic gold medallist from Sydney 2000, was glad the venue was completed on time. "Everything has been on track, on time and I am very pleased more than one year before the Olympic Games to be in such a position without any major issues," Rolland told reporters.

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 00:36:24 -0400

Marcus Semien and Jurickson Profar each went 3 for 4, with Semien hitting a home run and Profar driving in four runs, as the Oakland Athletics defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 11-2 Saturday night. Oakland right-hander Frankie Montas (9-2) pitched six quality innings, allowing two runs on six hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. For the fifth time this season, the Mariners used an "opener" before their primary pitcher.

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 00:35:47 -0400

Garrett Cooper went 3-for-4 and scored the tiebreaking run in the fifth, leading the host Miami Marlins to a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night. Pablo Lopez (5-5) earned the win, allowing seven hits, one walk and three runs in seven innings, striking out four. Nick Anderson pitched a scoreless eighth, and Sergio Romo earned his 12th save with a seven-pitch ninth.

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 00:35:40 -0400