ATLANTA — Ian Anderson dazzled in his big league debut, holding the Yankees hitless into the sixth inning and ending Gerrit Cole’s 20-game winning streak as the Atlanta Braves beat New York 5-1 Wednesday to open a doubleheader.

The Braves won the second game 2-1 as Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning off Chad Green.

The Yankees have lost five straight.

Ronald Acuna Jr. celebrated his return to the lineup by leading off with a 473-foot drive against Cole.

Anderson (1-0) gave a depleted Atlanta rotation a huge boost. The 22-year-old right-hander, the overall third pick in the 2016 draft, didn’t allow a hit until Luke Voit connected for his team-leading 11th homer with one out in the sixth.

That was the only hit Anderson allowed in six innings. He struck out six and walked two before Shane Greene closed in the seventh.

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Dansby Swanson and Marcell Ozuna also homered off Cole (4-1), who suffered his first loss in the regular season since May 22, 2019, with Houston.

Cole was trying to become the first AL pitcher to win 21 straight regular-season decisions. The all-time record is 24 by Carl Hubbell, followed by Roy Face (22) and Cole, Roger Clemens, Jake Arrieta and Rube Marquard tied at 20.

Cole had been unbeaten in 28 consecutive regular-season starts – Clemens holds the mark with 30. Cole’s only loss in 15 months had come in the World Series opener last year with Houston against Washington.

PHILLIES 3, NATIONALS 2: Aaron Nola bounced back from the shortest outing of his career to throw seven strong innings, and visiting Philadelphia took advantage of Washington’s sloppy outfield defense to rally for a win.

Bryce Harper, who won the 2015 NL MVP during a seven-year stint with the Nationals, delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh to help the Phillies win their third in a row. The defending World Series champion Nationals have dropped three consecutive games to drop to a season-high six games under .500.

RAYS 4, ORIOLES 3: Michael Perez hit a go-ahead solo homer in the eighth inning and AL East-leading Tampa Bay beat visiting Baltimore.

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Perez homered to center off Mychal Givens (0-1). It was his first long ball since Aug. 10, 2018.

Ryan Sherriff (1-0) worked a perfect eighth in his first big league game since May 7, 2018, due to Tommy John surgery.

Diego Castillo pitched the ninth to get his first save. Ten Tampa Bay relievers have a save this season.

INDIANS 6, TWINS 3: Mike Clevinger pitched effectively in his first start since breaking COVID-19 protocols and his teammates’ trust, and Tyler Naquin doubled home the go-ahead run in a three-run eighth inning as Cleveland won at home.

METS 5, MARLINS 4: Wilson Ramos singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning after hobbled Mets closer Edwin Diaz and the bullpen blew another lead provided by Jacob deGrom, and New York beat visiting Miami.

DeGrom, the two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, set New York up nicely by matching a career high with 14 strikeouts and handing off a 4-1 lead to begin the eighth inning, but Miami promptly loaded the bases with one out against Justin Wilson.

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Diaz came on and struck out pinch-hitter Jesus Sanchez on three pitches, then allowed an RBI single to Jesus Aguilar – a rocket that bounced off third baseman J.D. Davis’ glove – and a bases-loaded walk to Corey Dickerson. He worked the count to 2-1 against Brian Anderson before Manager Luis Rojas and a trainer came to the mound and removed the right-hander. It wasn’t clear what Diaz’s injury was.

Brad Brach relieved and threw two balls to walk home the tying run before Lewin Diaz flew out to end the inning.

WHITE SOX 10, PIRATES 3: Jose Abreu homered again, Dallas Keuchel followed Lucas Giolito’s no-hitter with six dominant innings, and Chicago pounded visiting Pittsburgh for its ninth win in 10 games.

Abreu’s 12th home run and seventh in five games, a two-run shot in the seventh, was Chicago’s fourth of the game and broke it open. Eloy Jimenez slugged a three-run homer, Danny Mendick lined a two-run drive and Edwin Encarnacion added a solo shot for Chicago, which leads the AL with 60 home runs.

Yoan Moncada doubled twice and Luis Robert and Nomar Mazara had RBI.

Keuchel (5-2) allowed two runs on four hits and struck out seven in his third straight win. The veteran left-hander worked briskly in a quick turnaround on a warm afternoon after Giolito shut down Pittsburgh 4-0 in the first no-hitter of the pandemic-delayed year on Tuesday night.

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TIGERS 6, CUBS 6: Niko Goodrum hit a two-run double to cap a five-run sixth inning, and Detroit held on to win at home.

Chicago outfielder Jason Heyward was scratched from the lineup prior to the game. The Cubs said Heyward talked with Manager David Ross and decided not to play.

Heyward was expected to talk to reporters after the game. As the Cubs took the field between the top and bottom of the seventh, there was a stretch of silence in which the music and piped-in crowd noise were halted, while the words “UNITED FOR CHANGE” appeared on the video board in left field.

NOTES

YANKEES-GIANTS: The New York Yankees acquired catcher Rob Brantly from the San Francisco Giants.

The Yankees paid only $1 for Brantly in the deal.

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The 31-year-old Brantly, a career .228 hitter in six seasons, had no hits in three at-bats in his only game with the Giants this season. He also appeared in only one game in 2019, with Philadelphia.

Brantly provides catching depth for the Yankees and will report to the team’s alternate training site.

Brantley made his major league debut with the Marlins in 2013. He played for the Chicago White Sox in 2015 and 2017. He was with the Giants this spring as a non-roster invitee. He was designated for assignment on July 28 and assigned to the Giants’ alternate site on Aug. 1.

 


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