WASHINGTON-Stephen Strasburg threw eight masterful innings and bunted in a run and Michael Taylor hit a two-run homer that broke the game open as the Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Friday night in the first game after the All-Star break.
Strasburg (13-0) allowed one run and three hits with six strikeouts. The eight innings tied his longest start of the season. It was Strasburg's franchise-record 16th straight decision since September.
Washington improved to 16-1 with Strasburg on the mound this year. He is the only qualified starter in the majors without a loss.
RED SOX 5, YANKEES 3
NEW YORK-Ryan Hanigan, Travis Shaw and Xander Bogaerts homered off Michael Pineda to back knuckleballer Steven Wright, and the Boston Red Sox opened the second half with a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees on Friday night.
Hanigan's third-inning homer was his first since last Aug. 19 off Cleveland's Corey Kluber, and the ball was caught by reliever Robbie Ross Jr., who stuck out his cap to snag it in the visitors' bullpen in left field. Shaw hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Bogaerts made it 5-0 with a two-run drive in the sixth.
Wright (11-5), who began the night with an AL-leading 2.68 ERA, was a first-time All-Star at age 31 but didn't pitch in Tuesday night's game and was moved up in Boston's rotation for the series
opener.
METS 5, PHILLIES 3
PHILADELPHIA-Neil Walker hit a three-run home run and Juan Lagares also went deep to lead the New York Mets to a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.
Asdrubal Cabrera had three hits for the Mets, who opened the second half of the season by snapping a three-game losing streak. New York won without All-Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who missed his third straight game with a right quad strain.
Peter Bourjos had an RBI triple for Philadelphia, which had won 10 of 13 prior to the break.
Bartolo Colon (8-4), one of four Mets chosen for the All-Star game, started out sensational before a rocky sixth inning ended his night early.
TIGERS 4, ROYALS 2
DETROIT-Victor Martinez drove in two runs with a tiebreaking infield single in the seventh inning, and the Detroit Tigers took advantage of that fluky hit, holding on for a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Martinez's comebacker deflected off reliever Joakim Soria and rolled to the area between first and second. With the second baseman playing deep, there was no chance to retire Martinez, and two runs came home on the play.
Detroit's Tyler Collins hit a solo homer earlier in the inning off Luke Hochevar (1-2) to tie the game at 2. Ian Kinsler also homered for the Tigers.
Justin Verlander (9-6) allowed one earned run and four hits in seven innings. He struck out 10 and walked two.
REDS 5, BREWERS 4
CINCINNATI-Adam Duvall and Tucker Barnhart doubled home runs in the sixth inning Friday night, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers that snapped a three-game losing streak.
The bottom two teams in the NL Central went into the All-Star break with downturns. The last-place Reds pulled off a three-run rally, then barely held on.
Duvall's double off Matt Garza (1-3) cut Milwaukee's lead to 3-2, the ball hitting the top of the wall in left. Barnhart's two-run double just inside the third base line off Carlos Torres gave Cincinnati its first lead. Jay Bruce added an RBI double in the seventh.
ORIOLES 4, RAYS 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-Jonathan Schoop hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles came back from an early deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Friday night.
Schoop got his 15th homer leading off the inning against Chris Archer (4-13), who leads the majors in losses. Schoop is 5 for 13 with two homers in his career against the Rays' opening day starter.
Mychal Givens (7-1) worked a scoreless seventh for the win one day after his daughter was born. Pedro Alvarez
homered and had two RBIs for the Orioles.