Christian Encarnacion-Strand's first major league hit was a pinch-hit, three-run homer that gave the Cincinnati Reds an 8-7 lead against the San Francisco Giants in the fifth inning Tuesday night. The Reds promoted Encarnacion-Strand on Monday and he went 0 for 3 in his big league debut, a game that was suspended because of rain and completed on Tuesday. In Tuesday's second game, Encarnacion-Strand entered for Jake Fraley in the fifth and launched an 0-2 slider from Mauricio Llovero 426 feet into the second deck in left field.
The Marlins (53-44) have now lost five consecutive games, tying their season-long losing streak, and are also now sitting on the outside of the playoff picture.
Texas starter Jon Gray exited the Rangers' game against Tampa Bay on Wednesday after taking a comebacker off his shin in the fifth inning. Gray was in obvious pain after Rays leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz hit a ball that ricocheted off the pitcher's left leg and went into foul territory. Gray gingerly walked around after a trainer came out to check on the right-hander, who left the game after going through the motions of a pitch off the mound and putting pressure on that leg.
Alex Kirilloff homered in the fifth inning and hit a three-run double in the seventh, rallying the Minnesota Twins to a 5-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics and a series sweep Sunday. Christian Vázquez also connected for the Twins, who hadn’t won three straight in Oakland since July 1997. “We’re not a one-dimensional group but we have to prove that we’re not a one-dimensional group,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.