Chicago Cubs top the Toronto Blue Jays

Happ scored easily to give Chicago a sorely needed victory after it blew a 5-2 lead in the ninth. The Cubs had dropped three in a row in a sweep at Cleveland.

Happ, Cody Bellinger, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya homered for Chicago, and Tyson Miller (4-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.

ROYALS 7, REDS 1

CINCINNATI (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered, doubled and singled to boost his major league-leading average to .352, Michael Lorenzen pitched into the sixth inning to get his first win since being traded and Kansas City beat Cincinnati in the opener of an interleague series.

Witt, the Royals’ All-Star shortstop, hit a four-seam fastball from Nick Martinez 430 feet into the upper deck for his 25th homer in the fourth inning. He doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice in the sixth and had an infield single in the seventh.

The Reds intentionally walked him with two outs in the ninth, just before he trotted home on Vinnie Pasquantino’s 18th homer.

Lorenzen (6-6), acquired by the Royals in a July 29 trade with Texas, started his third game after two no-decisions. He allowed a run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings and departed after 83 pitches.

PIRATES 5, MARINERS 3

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes struck out six and ended a four-start winless streak, and Pittsburgh snapped a 10-game skid with a win over Seattle.

Skenes (7-2), who was 0-2 in his previous starts, allowed three hits and issued a career-high four walks over six innings in his first win since July 11. That victory came in the 22-year-old right-hander’s last outing before starting for the National League in the All-Star Game five days later.

David Bednar weathered a rocky ninth inning for his 21st save. Jorge Polanco homered leading off the inning and pulled the Mariners within 5-3. Luke Raley followed with a single before Bednar struck out the final three batters.

Bednar, a two-time All-Star, had two losses and two blown saves in his previous three outings.

PHILLIES 3, NATIONALS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner hit a bases-loaded single to the base of the wall over a drawn-in outfield in the bottom of the ninth and Philadelphia beat Washington after the Nationals tied the game with two runs in the top of the inning.

Turner finished with three singles and a double, and Nick Castellanos and JT Realmuto also drove in runs for Philadelphia, which won its third straight and steadied itself after losing 16 of 23 games after the All-Star break. The Phillies, 41-22 at home, entered the game with a seven-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.

The Phillies took advantage of Washington miscues in the ninth. Brandon Marsh, entering the game as a defensive replacement, led off with a single to the wall in right field and advanced to second when right fielder Alex Call’s throw sailed past second base. Pinch-hitter Cal Stevenson followed with a bunt that was intended to sacrifice Marsh to third. But, neither pitcher Kyle Finnegan (3-6) nor third baseman José Tena fielded the ball. The Nationals intentionally walked Kyle Schwarber, loading the bases with no outs. Turner ended it with a drive to the wall in left.

YANKEES 3, TIGERS 0

DETROIT (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 44th home run and Gerrit Cole struck out eight in six innings as the New York Yankees beat Detroit.

Oswald Peraza also went deep in his first big league game this season for the Yankees, who improved to 4-0 against Detroit. New York, which began the day tied with Baltimore atop the AL East, won its third straight.

One game after hitting his 300th career home run, becoming by far the fastest player to reach the milestone, Judge connected for No. 301 in the eighth. His 431-foot drive over the first row of shrubs atop the center-field fence made it 3-0.

Top prospects Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney made their major league debuts for the Tigers at third base and shortstop, respectively — the first time Detroit debuted two infielders on the same day since Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell began their careers together on Sept. 9, 1977.

RAYS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jonny DeLuca scored on an error in the ninth inning and Tampa Bay beat Arizona to end the Diamondbacks’ season-high winning streak at six games.

DeLuca drew a walk from Justin Martinez (5-3), and scored from first when center fielder Jake McCarthy misplayed Brandon Lowe’s two-out single that deflected up the middle.

Corbin Carroll tied it at 4 on a two-out, two-run homer off Rays closer Pete Fairbanks (3-3) in the ninth. It was Fairbanks’ third blown save in 26 chances.

Josh Lowe had a two-run single in a three-run eighth inning against Ryan Thompson that put the Rays up 4-2.

METS 7, MARLINS 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Nimmo broke out of his slump with a three-run homer and Jeff McNeil launched a two-run shot, powering the New York Mets to a 7-3 win over Miami.

McNeil and Nimmo both went deep in a six-run fourth that included an RBI triple by Francisco Lindor. Sean Manaea (9-5) pitched seven effective innings for his third victory in four starts.

Nimmo’s 390-foot line drive into the second deck in right field ended an 0-for-17 skid and was his first home run since July 10. The 31-year-old outfielder, who missed Thursday’s 7-6 loss to Oakland with a stomach virus, hit just .139 (15 for 108) with four extra-base hits and 37 strikeouts between homers.

The shot capped a six-run outburst for the Mets, who began the day two games behind Atlanta for the third NL wild card. McNeil connected for a go-ahead homer and Lindor delivered an RBI triple earlier in the inning against starter Roddery Muñoz (2-7).