MILWAUKEE (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty became the major leagues’ first seven-game winner this year with a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday as the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes extended his streak to 58 consecutive strikeouts before his first walk.

Flaherty (7-0) allowed four hits in six innings, struck out six and walked two to help the Cardinals win a three-game series that featured dominant starting pitching.

Burnes (2-3) returned from the injured list after a positive test for coronavirus, which he said left him asymptomatic. He opted against getting vaccinated for what he said were personal reasons.

RAYS 9, YANKEES 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rich Hill joined Cy Young and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to strike out nine against New York at age 41 or older, and Tampa Bay avoided getting swept in a three-game series.

BLUE JAYS 8, BRAVES 4

ATLANTA (AP) — Bo Bichette hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied yet again to beat Atlanta 8-4 on Thursday and sweep six games from the Braves this season.

Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left in the seventh inning after jamming his left ankle. X-rays were negative and he has not been ruled out of the Braves’ game at Milwaukee on Friday night.

WHITE SOX 4, TWINS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Tim Anderson and Jake Lamb homered, Billy Hamilton made a leaping catch at the wall to end a bases-loaded threat and Chicago beat Minnesota for its sixth straight win.

NATIONALS 5, PHILLIES 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber hit two-run homers in the first inning, Patrick Corbin continued his resurgence with seven solid innings and Washington beat Philadelphia to end a four-game slide.

Washington had dropped seven of eight to sink to a season-low six games under .500 before salvaging the finale of the three-game series. Philadelphia missed a chance to move four games over .500 for the first time since it was 5-1.

RED SOX 8,

ATHLETICS 1

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts and Bobby Dalbec each hit a two-run home run, and Boston avoided a sweep against Oakland.

The Red Sox jumped on A’s left-hander Sean Manaea (3-2), pounding out 10 hits and seven runs in the first three innings on the way to snapping a three-game skid. Boston finished with 13 hits on the night.

TIGERS 4,

ROYALS 3

DETROIT (AP) — Michael Fulmer shut down Kansas City’s ninth-inning rally for his second save, and Detroit extended the Royals’ losing streak to 11 games.

Detroit led 4-1 entering the ninth, but Kansas City scored twice of Gregory Soto on a groundout by Carlos Santana and an RBI single from Salvador Perez. Fulmer relieved Soto and got a popout from Jorge Soler and struck out Andrew Benintendi swinging to end it. The Royals led the AL Central at the start of this skid but are now 16-20.

Spencer Turnbull (2-2) allowed a run and six hits over 6 1/3 innings for Detroit. He walked one, struck out seven and hit a batter as the Tigers rounded out a three-game sweep.

Daniel Lynch (0-2) allowed four runs, three earned, in the second inning and was pulled with two outs in the third.