MacIver stars in his debut as A’s end skid

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Pleasant Hill native Willie MacIver delivers an RBI single in the eighth inning of his MLB debut for the Athletics on Sunday against the Phillies. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

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The Associated Press

College Park High graduate Willie MacIver had a tiebreaking single for his first big league hit in a two-run, eighth-inning rally, then capped his MLB debut by throwing out a runner attempting to steal for the final out as the Athletics beat Philadelphia 5-4 Sunday in West Sacramento to stop an 11-game losing streak and the Phillies’ nine-game winning streak.

Philadelphia’s Trea Turner homered in the eighth off Hogan Harris for a 4-3 lead.

Matt Strahm (1-3) issued a one-out walk in the bottom half to Logan Davidson, who hit a two-run double and singled for his first hits.

Lawrence Butler tied the score with a triple and MacIver singled to center.

A day after blowing a ninth-inning lead, Mason Miller allowed a two-out single in the ninth to Alec Bohm. Johan Rojas pinch ran and MacIver, a 28-year-old catcher who had been in the minors since 2018, threw to shortstop Jacob Wilson, who tagged the sliding Rojas on an elbow to end it.

Padres 5, Braves 3: Jake Cronenworth hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh for the second of San Diego’s three long balls in a victory at Atlanta.

Gavin Sheets and Manny Machado homered for San Diego, which ended a six-game losing streak with a 2-1 win in Friday’s series opener.

By winning two of three in the series, the Padres received a boost after placing right-hander Michael King (4-2, 2.59 ERA) on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

Tigers 5, Guardians 0: Tarik Skubal gave up two hits and matched a career high with 13 strikeouts in his first professional complete game, Zach McKinstry had a two-run homer in a five-run fourth inning and Detroit blanked Cleveland to avoid a four-game home sweep.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was perfect through five innings. He had a baserunner for the first time after Will Wilson doubled on the second pitch of the sixth.

Skubal (5-2) gave up only one more hit and hit one batter with a pitch in a 94-pitch outing.

Royals 2, Twins 1 (10): Maikel Garcia hit a two-out RBI single in the 10th inning, and Kansas City avoided a series sweep by edging host Minnesota.

Kris Bubic, the former Archbishop Mitty High and Stanford standout, struck out nine in seven innings for the Royals. He allowed two hits and walked two. He is 3-1 with a 1.22 ERA in his last seven starts. His 1.45 ERA in 11 starts this season is second behind the Yankees’ Max Fried at 1.29.

Yankees 5, Rockies 4: Aaron Judge had two hits, including a tiebreaking double in the fifth, and New York defeated Colorado at Coors Field.