Baseball-Highlights of Saturday's MLB games

Yankees 3, A's 2

Matt Holliday ended Jharel Cotton's no-hit bid by hitting a two-run homer with two out in the sixth inning and the New York Yankees defeated the Oakland Athletics 3-2 on Saturday.

Cotton (3-5) allowed three runs and two hits in his return to the majors after a two-week stint with Triple-A Nashville. He took his no-hit bid through 104 pitches, but saw it end when Holliday sent a 1-and-0 slider into the Oakland bullpen and gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead.

Cotton was bidding to no-hit the Yankees for the first time since six Houston Astros did it on June 11, 2003. The last Oakland no-hitter was Dallas Braden's perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 9, 2010, although Cotton probably would have combined on the no-hitter because of his rising pitch count.

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 1

Jose Bautista hit a go-ahead three-run homer and Marco Estrada struck out eight in six innings to carry Toronto to victory.

It was the fifth straight win for the Blue Jays (23-26) and the second victory in succession over the Rangers (24-26), who have lost five in a row. Devon Travis singled for the Blue Jays to extend his hit streak to 11 games.

Red Sox 6, Mariners 0

Brian Johnson, summoned from Triple-A to make a spot start, pitched a five-hit shutout and got help from strong defense as Boston recorded their its straight victory by blanking floundering Seattle.

Johnson, 26, pitched Boston's first complete game of the season, the team's first shutout since Steven Wright last Aug. 5 and Boston's first at Fenway Park since Rich Hill on Sept. 25, 2015. Only two runners reached scoring position in Johnson's 109-pitch effort, both in the fifth inning. He walked none and struck out eight.

Nationals 3, Padres 0

Stephen Strasburg struck out a career-high 15 and allowed just three hits in seven innings as first-place Washington overcame some early fielding woes and baserunning blunders to beat last-place San Diego.

Strasburg (6-1), a San Diego native, fanned 14 batters in his major league debut in 2010 against the Pittsburgh Pirates and again in 2015 at the Philadelphia Phillies.

White Sox 3, Tigers 0 (Game 1)

Five Chicago pitchers combined to hold Detroit to four hits in the first game of a doubleheader.

Tigers hitters struck out 15 times and stranded 12 baserunners after entering Saturday 11th in the American League with a .242 batting average.

Tigers 4, White Sox 3 (Game 2)

Victor Martinez and John Hicks homered as Detroit's offense awoke to end a three-game losing streak in the second game of the doubleheader.

Martinez hit his fourth home run, a solo shot in the ninth, after the Tigers totaled two runs in their previous two games. Buck Farmer (1-0) struck out a career-high 11 in his season debut after he was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to be Detroit's 26th man. He gave up three hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings.

Twins 5, Rays 3

Brian Dozier hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to send Minnesota past Tampa Bay.

Dozier's seventh home run was deep to the opposite field, hitting off the ribbon video board in front of the second deck in right field. Minnesota was 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position before Dozier's big blast off Rays reliever Tommy Hunter.

Brewers 6, Diamondbacks 1

Chase Anderson went seven innings without allowing a hit and Jesus Aguilar hit his fourth home run as Milwaukee snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory over Arizona at Miller Park.

Anderson (3-1) had struggled this month, going 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in four starts, and got into trouble early against Arizona by walking his first two batters. But he struck out his next two and got out of the inning unscathed.

Angels 5, Marlins 2

Mike Trout hit a titanic 443-foot solo home run, helping Los Angeles defeat Miami.

The first three batters in the Angels' lineup -- Cameron Maybin, Andrelton Simmons and Trout -- combined for six hits, five runs and three RBIs. Maybin scored three times, including the go-ahead run.

Royals 5, Indians 2

Alcides Escobar's two-run double capped a three-run sixth inning rally, and Mike Moustakas homered in the ninth inning, lifting Kansas City over Cleveland at Progressive Field.

Royals starter Jason Vargas (6-3) pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on nine hits to get the win. Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth inning to pick up his 11th save.

Phillies 4, Reds 3

Tommy Joseph delivered his second walk-off hit in three days, and Philadelphia topped Cincinnati at Citizens Bank Park.

Joseph's single in the ninth inning off Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen (3-1) scored Aaron Altherr, who led off the bottom of the ninth with a single. Joseph -- who homered earlier in the game -- also hit a walk-off single against the Rockies on Thursday.

Astros 5, Orioles 2

Dallas Keuchel made a triumphant return from the disabled list and George Springer homered and scored twice as Houston claimed the victory.

Keuchel (8-0) missed one turn through the rotation with a pinched nerve in his neck. He pitched as effectively as he did prior to landing on the 10-day DL, allowing one run on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in six innings.

Dodgers 5, Cubs 0

Veteran second baseman Chase Utley drove in three runs with a pair of singles, and versatile Chris Taylor hit his sixth home run of the season as Los Angeles shut out Chicago for the second game in a row.

Brandon McCarthy (5-1) allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out six in six innings of work. His win gives the Dodgers three starters with five or more wins already this season, joining Alex Wood (six) and Clayton Kershaw (seven).

Pirates 5, Mets 4 (10 innings)

John Jaso had an RBI pinch-hit single in the ninth to send the game to extra innings, then hit a bases-loaded RBI single in the 10th inning to give Pittsburgh a walk-off victory over New York.

Jaso hit his one-out RBI single in the ninth off Addison Reed, and hit his two-out RBI single in the 10th off Josh Edgin to end the game. Andrew McCutchen was 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs for Pittsburgh.

Cardinals 3, Rockies 0

Adam Wainwright continued his mastery of Colorado, giving up three singles in seven innings of St. Louis' victory.

Wainwright (5-3) allowed two batters to reach second base and retired the final 10 batters he faced in a 109-pitch outing that included one walk and six strikeouts. He has won his past eight starts against the Rockies and in 15 career games (10 starts) against them, he is 10-1 with a 1.56 ERA.

Giants 6, Braves 3

Nick Hundley and Brandon Belt supported Ty Blach with two early home runs, and the left-hander pitched effectively into the eighth inning to lift San Francisco over Atlanta.

Blach (3-2) won his third consecutive start, limiting the Braves to two runs and six hits in 7 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five in his longest outing of the season as the Giants snapped a four-game losing streak. (Editing by Peter Rutherford)