Wednesday's MLB roundup

Justin Verlander allowed two hits in seven impressive innings against his former team, and the Houston Astros won their eighth straight game, 5-1 over the Tigers in Detroit on Wednesday night.

Verlander (7-1) struck out nine in his second start at Comerica Park since his 2017 trade from Detroit to Houston. JaCoby Jones homered off him in the third for the Tigers' only run. The only significant jam Verlander faced was in the fifth, when Niko Goodrum lined out with the bases loaded.

Alex Bregman hit his 14th homer of the season to open the scoring in the first. Bregman pulled within two home runs of teammate George Springer, the AL leader. Springer nearly hit one of his own, but Detroit left fielder Christin Stewart reached above the wall to make the catch in the fourth.

Verlander retired his first eight hitters before Jones connected for a 436-foot homer in the third.

Jake Marisnick had an RBI single for Houston in the second, and Robinson Chirinos added a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Detroit made two errors in the sixth, helping the Astros score another run. Marisnick hit a run-scoring triple in the eighth to make it 5-1.

Former Twin Ryan Pressly pitched the eighth for Houston, extending his scoreless innings streak to 37.

New York 5-3, Baltimore 3-1: Gleyber Torres hit two of the Yankees' four home runs as New York beat the Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader. Gary Sanchez and Cameron Maybin also homered for the Yankees. And then Torres hit another homer in the second game while teammate Domingo German became the majors' first eight-game winner. German gave up one run and six hits in seven innings. Torres has eight homers this season, six against the Orioles.

The Cubs' stingy bullpen let a solid start by Yu Darvish go to waste. Darvish fanned 11 batters, and Addison Russell hit a two-run homer — his first since returning from a 40-game suspension for domestic violence — to help the Cubs to a 5-3 lead. Suarez's homer off Carl Edwards Jr. tied it in the eighth, only the fourth time the Cubs have blown such a late lead.

Arizona 11, Pittsburgh 1: Zack Greinke pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning before exiting because of abdominal tightness as the Diamondbacks routed the visiting Pirates. Blake Swihart hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the eighth, and Eduardo Escobar and Adam Jones also homered for Arizona.

Washington 5, New York 1: Patrick Corbin struck out 11 in eight strong innings and Victor Robles homered as the host Nationals beat the Mets. Anthony Rendon had three hits for Washington, including two doubles and scored twice.

Atlanta 4, St. Louis 0: Austin Riley, 22, hit a homer in his big league debut, homering off Michael Wacha to lead the host Braves over the Cardinals. Mike Soroka, 21, turned in another strong start for Atlanta with three-hit ball over seven scoreless innings.

Tampa Bay 1, Miami 0: Seven pitchers combined on a seven-hitter as the Rays shut out the Marlins for the second straight game. The Marlins lost their seventh consecutive game and are on pace for 122 losses. Tampa Bay's run scored in the second inning when catcher Anthony Bemboom, called up from the minors last week, doubled for his first major league hit and RBI. The Marlins, who stranded 11 runners, went 0- for-10 with runners in scoring position. They're batting .200 in those situations this season.