Montero’s 13th-inning hit lifts Cubs over Pirates

NEW YORK — Miguel Montero’s 13th-inning pinch hit drove in Kris Bryant with a game-winning run as the Chicago Cubs claimed an 8-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in a game that stretched into early Tuesday. The score capped a two-run inning as the Cubs rallied from a 7-6 deficit to their fifth walk-off victory of the season. Josh Harrison’s sacrifice fly to left drove in David Freese with a go-ahead run and a 7-6 Pirates lead in the 13th inning while Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo responded in the bottom of the inning with a run-scoring single to bring home Fowler and force a 7-7 deadlock. Right-hander Jeff Locke, the seventh Pirates pitcher on the night, worked four innings. He fell to 9-8 after allowing two runs on seven hits. Cubs reliever Rob Zastryzny (1-0) survived a difficult 13th to claim the win. He allowed one run on two hits while walking one and striking out two in the 13th. Red Sox 9, Rays 4: Rick Porcello, improving to 13-0 in 14 home starts, pitched seven solid innings for his major league-leading 18th victory and Mookie Betts hit his 30th homer, doubled in a run and scored twice to power Boston to a rout of last-place Tampa Bay. The win kept the Red Sox two games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. Mets 2, Marlins 1: Yoenis Cespedes’ two-out homer in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted New York to a pivotal win over Miami at Citi Field. Cespedes crushed a 1-1 pitch from Nick Wittgren deep into the bleachers in left field. It was the third hit of the game for Cespedes, who admired the blast as the Mets began pouring out of the dugout. The Mets tied the Marlins for second place in the National League East while ensuring they’d remain no more than 2 1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the second wild card. Cardinals 6, Brewers 5: Randal Grichuk hit a game-tying home run while Stephen Piscotty had two hits and scored the go-ahead run on a ninth-inning error as St. Louis rallied for a victory over Milwaukee at Miller Park. Milwaukee erased a 3-1 deficit with four runs in the seventh inning, including a solo home run from rookie shortstop Orlando Arcia but the Cardinals answered in the eighth when with one out, Grichuk tagged Corey Knebel for his 19th home run of the year, tying the game at 5. Greg Garcia kicked off the ninth with a pinch-hit double off Tyler Thornburg, who then walked Piscotty. Yadier Molina followed and put down a bunt that Thonrnburg fired to third for the force but Villar rushed a throw to first that went wide, scoring Piscotty and putting the Cardinals ahead. Indians 1, Twins 0 (10 innings): Jason Kipnis’ RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning broke a scoreless tie and gave Cleveland a victory over Minnesota. The loss was the 11th in a row for the Twins. The win went to reliever Zach McAllister (3-2), who came into a bases-loaded, two-outs situation in the top of the 10th and got the third out. Elsewhere it was: Tigers 4, White Sox 3; Nationals 4, Phillies 0; Blue Jays 5, Orioles 1; Astros 6, Athletics 0; Royals 8, Yankees 5; Rangers 6, Mariners 3; Angels 9, Reds 2; Rockies 8, Dodgers 1.