HOUSTON — After the news broke that Astros third baseman

Alex Bregman had accomplished something never previously done by a player at his position Carlos Ruiz Jersey , someone somewhere suggested he’d receive the Barry Bonds treatment when he came to the plate in high-leverage situations.During the Astros’ interleague series victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Bregman appeared to experience that cautious approach, producing a .538 on-base percentage despite recording only one base hit: an infield single that ricocheted off Diamondbacks reliever Silvino Bracho in the sixth inning on Saturday. Bregman finished 1-for-7 in the series yet drew five walks, two intentional, and was hit by a pitch in his final plate appearance of the weekend.“At his best, he walks even in the middle of his hot streaks,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of Bregman, who is the first third baseman to record 30 home runs and 50 doubles in a season. “I do think people are pitching him pretty carefully and we’re seeing that probably a little more.”Article continues below ...The Astros (94-55) are 7-0-1 over their last eight series and 12-2 this month. They will host the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series starting on Monday at Minute Maid Park.The winner of the set will claim the season series, which is knotted at 8-8. Houston won the season series against the four other American League West teams en route to the 2017 World Series and has clinched the season series against its three division rivals excluding Seattle already this season.Rookie left-hander Framber Valdez (3-1, 2.66 ERA) will make his fifth career start and sixth appearance on Monday against the Mariners. He made his debut in Seattle on Aug. 21, allowing one unearned run on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts over 4 1/3 relief innings, earning the victory in the Astros’ 3-2 win at Safeco Field. Over four subsequent starts, Valdez has surrendered seven runs on 14 hits and 13 walks with 14 strikeouts over 19 1/3 innings.Left-hander Wade LeBlanc (8-4, 3.56 ERA) will start the series opener for the Mariners. He has worked a career-high 146 2/3 innings over 29 appearances (24 starts) and is 1-1 with a 1.13 ERA over his last four starts. LeBlanc has faced the Astros five times (including three starts) this season, going 1-1 with an 8.31 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 6.32 ERA over nine career appearances (five starts) against the Astros.The Mariners (82-67) are expecting both left-hander James Paxton and right-hander Felix Hernandez to rejoin the rotation at some point during their current 10-game road trip. Paxton, who last pitched on Sept. 7 against the New York Yankees, has been sidelined by pneumonia. He is scheduled to throw a bullpen session upon his return prior to making his 27th start.Hernandez has been hampered by right hamstring soreness that caused him to exit his start against the Yankees on Sept. 8 after allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks over four innings. He threw over the weekend in Seattle and could rejoin the rotation in time to pitch in Houston.Hernandez made a start against the Astros on Aug. 20, his first following a brief demotion to the bullpen and first career relief appearance. He did not factor into the decision in that 7-4 home win after allowing four runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six innings. CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie David Bote struck again, connecting in the 10th inning for another game-ending home run that sent the Chicago Cubs over the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Friday for their third straight victory.Bote got behind 0-2 before driving Raisel Iglesias‘ next pitch deep to left field with one out. The infielder hit a bottom-of-the-ninth, two-out grand slam that beat Washington 4-3 on Aug. 12.Iglesias (2-2) had made seven straight scoreless appearances. Jesse Chavez (4-2), the sixth Cubs reliever, pitched a scoreless inning.Daniel Murphy hit his first homer since being traded Tuesday from Washington to the NL Central-leading Cubs. Alec Mills pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his first major league start.Cincinnati wasted a terrific start by Matt Harvey in its fourth loss in five games. Harvey struck out six in 5 1/3 innings after reportedly being claimed off waivers by Milwaukee. He stayed with the Reds when they couldn’t work out a deal.BREWERS 7, PIRATES 6 http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-randy-johnson-jersey , 15 inningsMILWAUKEE (AP) — Orlando Arcia’s RBI single with two outs in the 15th inning lifted Milwaukee past Pittsburgh.Arcia was mobbed on the field by his teammates after he put an end to the 5-hour, 36-minute contest.Erik Kratz tied the game with a two-run single off Clay Holmes (1-3) after the Pirates had taken a 6-4 lead in the top of the 15th.In the Brewers‘ half of the inning, Jesus Aguilar drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. After Hernan Perez walked, Ryan Braun struck out. Pitcher Jordan Lyles drew a walk to load the bases, bringing Kratz to the plate.Lyles (3-4), the ninth Milwaukee pitcher, got the win.Francisco Cervelli’s bloop single with two outs drove in the go-ahead run in the top of 15th. A second run scored after Brewers second baseman Jonathan Schoop booted the ball as Cervelli’s hit fell softly into short right field.RANGERS 7, GIANTS 6, 10 inningsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rougned Odor hit a tying two-run homer in the ninth inning, Robinson Chirinos drew a bases-loaded walk in the 10th and Texas rallied from six runs down.The Rangers trailed 6-4 and were down to their last strike when Shin-Soo Choo reached on second baseman Joe Panik’s fielding error. Odor homered off closer Will Smith in the next at-bat, sending a shot over the right field wall and into McCovey Cove.Texas scored the go-ahead run off former Rangers reliever Sam Dyson (3-3). Chirinos drew a four-pitch walk that scored Jurickson Profar, who started the rally with a one-out single.Former Giants reliever Corey Gearrin (1-0) pitched two innings of scoreless relief.RAYS 10, RED SOX 3ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Jalen Beeks beat his former team for the second time in six days as Tampa Bay topped Boston for its sixth straight win.Beeks (3-1) was the minor league pitcher of the year for the Red Sox last season, and was traded to the Rays for Nathan Eovaldi on July 25. Beeks gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings against the club with the best record in the majors.Willy Adames homered and Michael Perez drove in four runs. The Rays had six consecutive singles in the third against Hector Velazquez (7-2).MARLINS 1, BRAVES 0MIAMI (AP) — Dan Straily combined with three relievers on a three-hitter and Miami snapped a seven-game losing streak against NL East-leading Atlanta.Straily (5-6) allowed three hits in six innings. Dayron Guerrero and Drew Steckenrider worked the seventh and eighth, and Adam Conley pitched a perfect ninth for his first save in his second opportunity.Mike Foltynewicz (10-8) retired the first 11 Marlins hitters until Brian Anderson’s double to left-center in the fourth. Derek Dietrich followed with an RBI single.ROYALS 5, INDIANS 4KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn and Hunter Dozier hit back-to-back home runs leading off the ninth inning against Cleveland closer Cody Allen to lift Kansas City.After a broken water pipe near the outfield fountains led to a half-hour delay in the fourth, the Royals and Indians put on a splashy finish.Cleveland’s Yonder Alonso hit his second homer of the game in the eighth, a two-run shot for a 4-3 lead. Alonso also had a solo shot in the fourth, moments before the right field warning track flooded.O’Hearn and Dozier then rescued Kansas City from a sixth straight loss with their homers off Allen (4-5).Allen has blown four saves this season and let his ERA rise to 4.50. Wily Peralta (1-0) got the victory for Kansas City, which had just been swept over four games by Tampa Bay.YANKEES 7 Jean Segura Jersey , ORIOLES 5, 10 INNINGSBALTIMORE (AP) — Luke Voit connected in the 10th inning for his second home run of the game, and Zach Britton marked his return to Camden Yards by working the bottom half to preserve the New York Yankees‘ victory over Baltimore.The Yankees made up two-run deficits in the fourth and eighth innings before Neil Walker homered off rookie Cody Carroll (0-2) in the 10th to give New York its first lead. Voit, acquired from St. Louis on July 28, added a two-run shot, capping his first career multihomer game.Britton was traded by rebuilding Orioles on July 24. Working as the closer for the injured Aroldis Chapman, the left-hander gave up a home run to longtime teammate Chris Davis before securing his first save with New York.Chad Green (7-2) pitched the ninth to help New York win for the 12th time in 17 games.ATHLETICS 7, TWINS 1MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Matt Chapman hit a three-run homer, Sean Manaea pitched efficiently into the sixth inning and Oakland beat Minnesota.Stephen Piscotty and Ramon Laureano each added a ninth-inning homer as the A’s snapped a two-game skid, maintaining their hold on the AL’s second wild card.Manaea (12-9) recovered nicely from a rough outing against Houston last weekend. He yielded an unearned run, five hits and a walk with one strikeout.Minnesota starter Jake Odorizzi (5-8) pitched seven innings for the first time this season after opening the year with 26 consecutive starts without an out in the seventh — the longest such streak in major league history. The Twins right-hander allowed one earned run, five hits and a walk.CARDINALS 7, ROCKIES 5DENVER (AP) — Miles Mikolas and Tyler O’Neill each homered to help St. Louis to an early lead that held up against Colorado.O’Neill also had an RBI double and Kolten Wong added three hits and a sacrifice fly for the Cardinals in a game between teams in the thick of their respective division races and running 1-2 in the NL wild-card race.The Rockies pulled within two runs with a five-run fifth that featured a two-run drive by Charlie Blackmon and a solo shot by Nolan Arenado, both off Mikolas, who helped St. Louis take a 7-0 lead by hitting a two-run homer as part of a four-run second.Carlos Martinez (7-6) picked up the victory with 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief.Bud Norris gave up a two-out double to Ryan McMahon and walked pinch-hitter Chris Iannetta before retiring D.J. LeMahieu on a fielder’s choice for his 27th save in 31 opportunities.Leading off the second, O’Neill drove a 1-2 offering from Antonio Senzatela (4-4) deep into the left-field bleachers for his fifth home run of the season, marking the 16th straight game in which the Cardinals homered. The streak is the longest since St. Louis connected in a club-record 25 straight games in 2016.MARINERS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 3PHOENIX (AP) — Mitch Haniger hit his 21st homer and had three hits, Mike Zunino added a solo shot, and Seattle beat Arizona.Edwin Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth for his major league-leading 49th save, helping Seattle keep pace in the AL West and wild-card races. Diaz set a club record for saves in a season, passing Fernando Rodney’s 48 in 2014.Haniger, an All-Star who made his major league debut with the Diamondbacks in 2016 before being traded to Seattle http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-jay-buhner-jersey , added two singles and scored twice.Mariners starter Erasmo Ramirez (1-2) turned in his longest outing of the season, allowing one earned run and six hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Ramirez dropped his ERA from 5.49 to 4.56.Zack Godley (13-7) allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings.DODGERS 11, PADRES 1LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rich Hill allowed two hits over six innings, Chris Taylor, Justin Turner and Max Muncy homered, and Los Angeles routed San Diego to snap a three-game skid.Hill (6-4) retired his first 12 batters, seven of them on strikeouts, before Hunter Renfroe doubled leading off the fifth.Hill added another strikeout and had one walk on 90 pitches in his first win since Aug. 7 at Oakland. The only other hit the veteran left-hander gave up was a triple to Freddy Galvis in the sixth.The Dodgers pounded out 13 hits and scored in each of the first five innings.Taylor homered on his first pitch from Clayton Richard (7-11) in the third. Turner added a two-run shot on Richard’s first pitch to him in the fourth, extending the lead to 7-0.ASTROS 9, ANGELS 3ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Marwin Gonzalez hit a grand slam and Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa also homered to lead Houston past Los Angeles.Gonzalez hit his second career slam to help keep Houston keep its slim lead in the AL West. The homer to left field off Andrew Heaney in the fifth inning gave the Astros a 5-0 lead. Altuve hit his 10th home run and Correa his 14th. Both were solo shots.Mike Trout returned to the lineup and tripled on the first pitch in his first at-bat of his first game back following the death of his brother-in-law, Aaron Cox.Dallas Keuchel (10-10) made a quality start, allowing two runs and five hits in seven innings.Heaney (7-8) allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings.BLUE JAYS 4, PHILLIES 2TORONTO (AP) — Kendrys Morales homered for the fifth straight game, Billy McKinney hit a two-run shot and Toronto sent Philadelphia to its fifth loss in six games.Ryan Borucki (3-3) allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings as Toronto won its fourth straight.Former Phillies closer Ken Giles finished for his 17th save in 17 opportunities, striking out Rhys Hoskins looking to strand runners at first and second.Morales connected off Jake Arrieta (9-9) in the second, matching Jose Bautista (2014) for the Blue Jays‘ second-longest streak of games with a home run. Jose Cruz Jr. connected in a team-record six straight in 2001.METS 3, NATIONALS 0NEW YORK (AP) — Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer in his return from a long stint on the disabled list, Jason Vargas tossed six stellar innings and the New York Mets handed Washington its second consecutive shutout.Wilmer Flores had an early RBI single and the Mets got spotless relief work from Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman to finish the four-hitter.Bruce was activated after missing more than two months with a sore right hip. He connected in the eighth.Featuring a deceptive change-up, Vargas (4-8) permitted three hits and struck out a season-high eight without issuing a walk.Gio Gonzalez (7-11) has lost nine of his last 10 decisions. The left-hander allowed only one run in seven innings but dropped to 11-2 with a 1.75 ERA at Citi Field and 15-6 against the Mets in his career.WHITE SOX 6, TIGERS 3DETROIT (AP) — Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson each hit a two-run double in the eighth, and the Chicago White Sox scored six runs in the inning to rally in manager Rick Renteria’s return to the dugout.Renteria had missed four games after experiencing lightheadedness Monday in Minnesota.Thyago Vieira (1-0) got one out for his first career victory. Detroit relievers Joe Jimenez (4-3) and closer Shane Greene got tagged.