MLB report: Aaron Hicks homers, has 4 RBIs to lead Orioles past Rays

Aaron Hicks homered and had four RBIs as the visiting Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 8-6, after nearly blowing a seven-run lead Tuesday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the AL East.

Anthony Santander and Ryan O'Hearn also went deep, and Kyle Bradish (3-3) gave up two runs and four hits in five innings for the Orioles, who moved within four games of the first-place Rays. Felix Bautista, the fifth Baltimore reliever, got four outs to earn his 20th save on his 28th birthday.

Francisco Mejía had an RBI double off Bradish during a two-run fifth before Manuel Margot drove in two with a pinch-hit single in a four-run sixth against three Baltimore relievers as the Rays got within 7-6.

Tampa Bay dropped to 31-8 at home, and has lost three straight overall. The Rays entered as the only team in the majors without a three-game skid this year.

Baltimore’s Austin Hays, who started the day leading the AL in batting, went 3 for 4 and raised his average from .320 to .327. He has a career-high streak of five multiple-hit games.

Reds 8, Rockies 6: TJ Friedl hit a three-run homer on a four-hit night, rookie Elly De La Cruz added a solo shot and host Cincinnati extended its winning streak to 10 games.

Will Benson had a solo homer in the sixth, helping the NL Central-leading Reds to their longest winning streak since 2012, when they also won 10 straight.

Atlanta 4, Phillies 2: Spencer Strider struck out nine in six innings in his first start in Philadelphia since his postseason implosion, and Austin Riley and Matt Olson homered for visiting Atlanta.

Atlanta was in Philadelphia for the first time since the NL Division Series that launched Red October into a full-blown frenzy. Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins provided the series’ indelible moment when he raised his arms in triumph, and then spiked his bat in celebration with a Game 3 homer against Strider.

Hoskins is out for the regular season for the NL champions with a torn ACL — he was in the dugout for this one — but the moment lived on Tuesday when it was replayed on the videoboard. Strider (8-2) didn’t get rocked in this start, he just nimbly pitched out of jams until the fifth and helped Atlanta win its seventh straight.

Blue Jays 2, Marlins 0: Ernie Clement and George Springer hit consecutive RBI singles in the eighth inning for visiting Toronto.

Yusei Kikuchi allowed two hits and struck out six in six innings, and Toronto ended a 19-inning scoreless streak in the eighth against Tanner Scott (4-2).

Miami’s Luis Arraez went 1-for-4, dropping his major league-leading batting average to .398. The Marlins had won five in a row.

Red Sox 10, Twins 4: Christian Arroyo had five hits and drove in four runs, and Kutter Crawford (2-3) pitched five scoreless innings for visiting Boston.

Cubs 4, Pirates 0: Marcus Stroman allowed five hits in seven masterful innings to help visiting Chicago. Stroman (9-4) struck out five against one walk as he won his seventh straight start.

Tucker Barnhart hit his first home run of the season and Mike Tauchman also homered for the Cubs.

Cardinals 9, Nationals 3: Dylan Carlson homered twice, Willson Contreras went 3-for-4 with two doubles and visiting St. Louis won its fourth straight.

Guardians 3, A’s 2: Andres Gimenez’s single in the 10th inning lifted host Cleveland.

— AP