ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out nine over five innings for his first victory in more than a month and the Texas Rangers beat Baltimore 5-1 on Saturday night for their fourth consecutive victory.
The Rangers (59-58) moved back over .500 with the winning streak since a season-worst six-game losing streak that knocked them out of the AL West lead.
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Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday smiles after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Texas Rangers' Evan Carter (32) scores against Baltimore Orioles catcher Carlos Narváez, right, during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Texas Rangers' Ezequiel Duran (20) scores against Baltimore Orioles catcher Carlos Narváez during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob Degrom throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Texas went ahead to stay with two unearned runs in the second inning, on two infield singles and two throwing errors. Corey Seager hit a three-run homer in the eighth.
It was the first start for deGrom (8-7) since he told the Rangers before last Monday's trade deadline that he wanted to stay in Texas. At least one contending team inquired about the two-time Cy Young Award winner who has a full no-trade clause in his contract
The right-hander struck out half of the 18 batters he faced and walked one while throwing 88 pitches (55 strikes). He had gone 0-2 while allowing 13 earned runs in 18 innings his previous four starts since a win June 30 at Cleveland.
Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish (7-11) struck out four without a walk over six innings.
Jackson Holliday homered for the Orioles (56-61), with the 403-foot homer snapping his 0-for-18 slide after deGrom struck out the game's first two batters. Baltimore has lost five of seven games while scoring a combined three runs in the losses.
Ezequiel Duran had the first Texas hit in the second and moved up two bases on an errant pickoff attempt by Bradish. Duran scored with a sweeping headfirst slide on Evan Carter's fielder's choice grounder to drawn-in shortstop Gunnar Henderson.
A wild pitch sent Carter to second, and he scored when Henderson couldn't make a barehanded grab on Jake Burger's slow-rolling infield single. Henderson quickly recovered the ball, but made an errant throw home trying to get Carter.
In the series finale Sunday, left-hander Cade Povich (2-1, 3.91 ERA) was set to pitch for the Orioles, and right-hander Kumar Rocker (4-8, 4.08) for Texas.
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Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday smiles after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Texas Rangers' Evan Carter (32) scores against Baltimore Orioles catcher Carlos Narváez, right, during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Texas Rangers' Ezequiel Duran (20) scores against Baltimore Orioles catcher Carlos Narváez during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob Degrom throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Andrés Chaparro drove in three runs and the Washington Nationals snapped Cincinnati ace Chase Burns’ 12-game winning streak, beating the Reds 8-2 on Saturday night.
Rookie Abimelec Ortiz drove in two for Washington. The Nationals have won three of four after dropping a season-worst seven in a row.
Eugenio Suárez homered for Cincinnati as the Reds dropped consecutive games for the first time since July 11-12.
Washington took a 3-2 lead when Dylan Crews opened the sixth with a double and scored on Daylen Lile’s double. Burns (13-2) then loaded the bases before yielding to Sam Moll, who was greeted by Chaparro’s pinch double. Chaparro advanced on a wild pitch and scored when Jacob Young singled.
Burns, who built the fifth-longest winning streak in club history, lost for the first time since April 10. He allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings while striking out six.
Chaparro and CJ Abrams added RBI singles in the eighth.
Clayton Beeter (5-3) worked a scoreless eighth for Washington.
José Tena led off the third with a single to center, then moved up two batters later when Abrams slapped a first-pitch slider down the right-field line for a double. Both scored when Ortiz poked Burns’ 0-2 fastball the opposite way to left.
Nationals starter Andrew Alvarez surrendered a run on three hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings, and was pulled after Sal Stewart’s infield single dribbled off third base. Max Kranick relieved him, and two batters later Suárez ripped a fastball into the visitor’s bullpen in left.
Alvarez has not allowed a home run in his last 51 1/3 innings, the franchise’s seventh-longest streak since moving to Washington in 2005.
Cincinnati RHP Brady Singer (5-10, 4.67 ERA) was set to start Sunday in the series finale. RHP Brad Lord (5-2, 3.81) was scheduled open a bullpen game for Washington.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Nationals pitcher Andrew Alvarez throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nunez throws to first base but cannot get Cincinnati Reds' Noelvi Marte during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Nationals pitcher Andrew Alvarez throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams dives towards second base for a double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)