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NEW YORK (AP) -- Trade candidate Zack Wheeler showed off a live arm in his return from the injured list, Jeff McNeil hit the first of four Mets homers and New York beat the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 Friday night.
Wheeler (7-6) struck out seven over 5 1/3 innings in his first start since July 7 due to right shoulder fatigue -- an issue he called an impingement. With contending teams watching closely, the right-hander averaged 96.8 mph on his fastball and looked sharp until Adam Frazier clocked a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Wheeler allowed three runs, six hits and no walks.
McNeil hit a three-run homer, and Todd Frazier, Pete Alonso and Wilson Ramos added solo shots for the Mets. Alonso's homer was his 34th.
Pirates rookie starter Dario Agrazal (2-1) got roughed up for the first time in his short big league career, and Pittsburgh dropped its sixth straight. The Pirates are 2-13 since the All-Star break.
With Mets closer Edwin Diaz nursing a sore left big toe a day after being hit by a line drive, Seth Lugo pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.
Wheeler, who can become a free agent after the season, expects to be dealt prior to the July 31 deadline and even has his bags packed at home. Manager Mickey Callaway acknowledged that Wheeler faced a "difficult task" tuning out the trade talk, but he expected the 29-year-old to lock in for game time.
He looked sharp early, striking out leadoff hitter Corey Dickerson with a 98.2 mph fastball. Wheeler allowed a run in the second on two soft singles and Colin Moran's one-hopper that skipped off shortstop Amed Rosario's glove for an RBI infield single.
Wheeler retired 12 straight before running into trouble in the sixth. Melky Cabrera led off with a single, and Adam Frazier drove a two-run shot to cut New York's lead to 4-3. Wheeler got an out and allowed a single to Josh Bell before being pulled after 73 pitches.
Mets fans near the home dugout gave Wheeler a standing ovation as he walked off.
Wheeler has experience with the deadline drama. Sunday will mark eight years since he was acquired from the San Francisco Giants for veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran.
McNeil and Ramos each hit their 10th homers. Todd Frazier clubbed his 14th a day after ending a 1-for-18 skid with two hits.
Agrazal was pulled after allowing Alonso's one-out homer in the sixth. He gave up five runs on three homers, and his ERA rose from 2.25 to 3.24 in his sixth career start.
CHECKS OUT
As promised when he earned $1 million for winning the All-Star Home Run Derby, Alonso delivered checks for $50,000 each to representatives from the Wounded Warriors and Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers foundations before the game.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: Dickerson was pulled in the third with left groin discomfort.
Indians 8, Royals 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Jose Ramirez homered for the second consecutive game, a three-run shot that sent rookie Zach Plesac and the Cleveland Indians past the Kansas City Royals.
Francisco Lindor had three hits, including an RBI triple, as the Indians stayed two games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central. Cleveland has won three straight and nine of 11, improving to 16-4 in July.
Ramirez's drive in the sixth inning made it 5-1. The switch-hitting slugger, busting out of a season-long slump lately, launched a tiebreaking homer in the 14th inning of Cleveland's 5-4 win over the Royals on Thursday night. He has seven home runs and 21 RBIs this month, and the Indians are 30-3 when Ramirez drives in a run.
Tyler Naquin also had three hits and an RBI.
Plesac (5-3) gave up just an unearned run and six hits in seven strong innings. He made a great defensive play in the sixth when he went into a headlong dive to snare a foul popup near the Kansas City dugout.
Brewers 3, Cubs 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Ben Gamel hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the eighth inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to beat Chicago and knock the Cubs out of first place.
Gio Gonzalez didn't allow a hit to the Cubs until the sixth, when Alberto Almora Jr. reached on an infield single and David Bote followed with his 10th home run.
Christian Yelich started Milwaukee's comeback in the seventh when he greeted Brandon Kintzler (2-1) with an RBI single.
Dodgers 4, Nationals 2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Justin Turner hit a two-out, three-run homer in the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals.
After the Nationals had retired 22 straight batters, reliever Tony Sipp (1-2) walked Joc Pederson and then gave up a single to Alex Verdugo before exiting with two outs in the eighth. Kyle Barraclough, who was recalled earlier on Friday from Double-A, came in and immediately gave up the Turner blast to center field. Turner has 15 homers this season.
Marlins 3, D-Backs 2
MIAMI (AP) -- Harold Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning that gave the Miami Marlins a comeback victory.
Ramirez's drive to center off reliever Yoshihisa Hirano was deep enough to score Neil Walker, capping the two-run rally that started off closer Greg Holland.
Braves 9, Phillies 2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Ronald Acuna Jr. had two hits and three RBI, Brian McCann hit a solo homer and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies.
Mike Soroka gave up one run and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings but was removed with the bases loaded and a 5-1 lead. Sean Newcomb (4-1) earned the win by retiring J.T. Realmuto on a soft grounder to end the inning.
Rockies 12, Reds 2
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Daniel Murphy hit a three-run homer and a three-run double for a career-high six RBIs, leading Colorado over the Cincinnati Reds and giving the Rockies consecutive wins for the first time since June 28 and 29.
Murphy homered in the first off All-Star Luis Castillo (9-4) and doubled in the ninth against Jared Hughes, raising his career average against the Reds to .350.
David Dahl hit a two-run homer, and Charlie Blackmon had three hits and two RBIs for the Rockies, who had lost 16 of 19 before winning 8-7 at Washington on Thursday.
Twins 6, White Sox 2
CHICAGO (AP) -- Nelson Cruz homered for the seventh time in his last five games, and the slugging Minnesota Twins became the fastest team to reach 200 homers in major league history.
Max Kepler hit a three-run drive in the second inning for the landmark homer in Minnesota's 103rd game of the season. The previous mark was 122 games by the Texas Rangers in 2005.
Red Sox 10, Yankees 5
BOSTON (AP) -- Mookie Betts hit three home runs against James Paxton during the first four innings of a rout over the New York Yankees, whose starting pitchers have stumbled this week in historic fashion.
Betts homered on Paxton's eighth pitch in a three-run first that included J.D. Martinez's two-run homer, went deep again leading off the third for a 4-0 lead and hit a two-run drive in the fourth for a 7-0 advantage.
Rays 3, Blue Jays 1
TORONTO (AP) -- Ryan Yarbrough won his fourth straight decision, Travis d'Arnaud hit a two-run single and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays.