Friday's MLB: Gibson perfect thru 6, Schwarber's HR lifts Phils over Nats
Philadelphia — Kyle Gibson retired his first 18 batters and pitched one-run ball over eight innings, Kyle Schwarber hit his NL-leading 34th homer and Philadelphia beat Washington.
Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos and Darick Hall also homered for the Phillies, who have won eight of nine and moved 10 games over .500 for the first time since they were 37-27 on June 8, 2019.
Gibson (7-4) struck out four, allowed two hits and hit two batters over 105 pitches.
Josiah Gray (7-8) allowed four homers and gave up six runs in four innings.
More: Tigers walk 13 batters, stumble late in 5-3 loss to Rays
Dodgers' Kershaw on IL with low back pain
Los Angeles — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed left-hander Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day injured list Friday, one day after he left a start with lower back pain.
This marks the 34-year-old Kershaw’s second trip to the injured list this season. He was previously sidelined with inflammation in a pelvic joint.
Kershaw had an X-ray and an MRI on Friday, but Dave Roberts didn’t know the results of the MRI prior to Los Angeles' game against San Diego. Roberts said Kershaw was sore on Friday.
“Hopefully it’s going to be shorter than longer," Roberts said.
Roberts said he’s hesitant to give a timeline until they have results of the MRI.
Kershaw's previous back injury was on the right side, and this one is more on the left side, according to Roberts.
The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner was warming up before the fifth inning of a 5-3 victory over San Francisco on Thursday when he winced and pointed to the Dodgers’ dugout. He later walked off the field with a trainer.
Kershaw, a nine-time All-Star, is 7-3 with a 2.64 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 85 1/3 innings.
Also Friday, the Dodgers activated utilityman Chris Taylor, who missed a month with a fractured left foot. He’s batting .238 with six homers and 27 RBIs in 74 games.
The Dodgers also recalled right-hander Reyes Moronta and optioned outfielder James Outman.
Moronta is 0-0 with a 4.67 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings. Outman went 6 of 13 with one homer and three RBIs in four games with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers will need to fill Kershaw’s spot in the rotation in the near future. Dustin May, who had Tommy John surgery last year, is trending toward a return soon. May has another rehab start Tuesday in Triple-A Oklahoma City.
“The world will look different then,” Roberts said. “Then we’ll make a decision on whether he should make another one, which is most likely, so now you’re looking at somebody in our system to make that (next start). (Ryan) Pepiot certainly makes sense.”
Astros manager Dusty Baker tests positive for COVID-19
Cleveland — Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker tested positive for COVID-19 prior to Friday night’s game against the Cleveland Guardians.
Baker held his usual pregame availability with the media about two hours before the 7:10 p.m. game. The announcement of the positive test came after the game started.
Baker, 73, is in his third season as Houston’s manager. Bench coach Joe Espada filled in for Baker against Cleveland.
The Astros (69-38) lead the AL West by 11 1/2 games over Seattle.
More Friday games
Houston 9, (at) Cleveland 3: Trey Mancini hit two home runs, including his first career grand slam, to lead the Houston Astros past the Cleveland Indians 9-3 on Friday night.
Mancini, acquired from Baltimore on Monday, hit a solo homer in the second and capped the Astros’ five-run third against Hunter Gaddis (0-1) with a blast that cleared the 19-foot wall in left field. He has homered three times in four games with Houston.
Framber Valdez (10-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Gaddis was charged with eight runs in 3 1/3 innings in his major league debut.
(At) Chicago 2, Miami 1: Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift Chicago past Miami.
The Cubs looked like they were on the way to their sixth straight loss before Contreras drove an 0-1 pitch from Dylan Floro (0-1) to left with one out in the eighth for his 16th homer.
Chicago's Justin Steele went 4 2/3 innings, striking out a career-high 10, allowing four hits and walking. Rowan Wick (3-5) got the final four outs.
Joey Wendle singled in a run in the seventh for the Marlins, who lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Atlanta 9, (at) New York Mets 6: Ronald Acuña Jr. got four hits and robbed Pete Alonso of a two-run homer as Atlanta rebounded quickly in its NL East showdown with New York.
Eddie Rosario hit a three-run homer in the first inning and an RBI double in the second to help the Braves open an 8-0 cushion. Rookie center fielder Michael Harris II also went deep and threw out a runner at the plate as the Braves avoided their first three-game skid of the year.
Mets starter Taijuan Walker (9-3) managed only three outs in a rare but untimely flop. He was charged with eight runs and seven hits as his ERA rose from 2.79 to 3.45.
A.J. Minter (5-3) struck out three in 1 1/3 perfect innings.
Chicago White Sox 2, (at) Texas 1: Dylan Cease pitched six strong innings, Eloy Jimenez hit a tiebreaking homer and Chicago beat Texas.
Cease (12-4), the AL pitcher of the month for both June and July, gave up a run and two hits to lower his ERA to 1.98, second in the AL, and won his fifth straight start.
Jimenez homered in the fourth off Glenn Otto (4-8) to put Chicago ahead.
Liam Hendriks, the third White Sox reliever, pitched a perfect ninth for his 22nd save in 25 chances.