MINNEAPOLIS — Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Jose Miranda homered as the Minnesota Twins stayed hot at the plate with an 8-6 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Kansas City loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning, but Jorge López struck out Nick Pratto on a full-count pitch for his second save.

Salvador Perez had three hits, including a home run, and two RBI for the Royals. Pratto added three singles and two RBIs, and Edward Olivares doubled twice, tripled and scored three runs.

The Twins have scored 33 runs in their last five games after starting the season in an offensive slump. The three homers gave Minnesota 36 on the season, second-most in the American League behind the Rays.

BLUE JAYS 3, MARINERS 2: George Springer hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth inning, Alejandro Kirk added a solo home run and Toronto won at home, extending its winning streak to five.

The Mariners have lost three straight and seven of 10.

It was the first meeting between the teams since Game 2 of last October’s AL wild-card round, when Seattle overcame an 8-1 deficit to beat Toronto 10-9 and sweep their postseason series.

RAYS 3, WHITE SOX 2: Isaac Paredes had three hits, including a leadoff homer in the ninth inning, and Tampa Bay won in Chicago.

Paredes drove Kendall Graveman’s second pitch deep to left for his fourth homer. He also doubled twice and scored twice.

Rookie Kevin Kelly, the last of five Tampa Bay relievers, got the final out for his first career save. Colin Poche (2-0) got the win after the bullpen surrendered just one hit in the final four innings.

The AL East-leading Rays won for the eighth time in 10 games.

RANGERS 5, YANKEES 2: Rangers ace Jacob deGrom exited early because of injury concerns for the second time in three starts, though Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer and doubled twice for Texas in a win over New York in Arlington, Texas.

DeGrom retired his first 10 batters and had a 5-0 lead before he walked Anthony Rizzo with one out in the fourth, then got Gleyber Torres out on a full-count flyball.

DeGrom got ahead 0-2 on Willie Calhoun before a 96.6 mph fastball that sailed outside for a ball. The pitcher reached for his left side, then followed with an 89.4 mph slider. His slowest pitch of the night was outside, and Calhoun lined an opposite-field single to left.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MARLINS 3, CUBS 2: Jean Segura hit a game-ending RBI single, lifting Miami to a win at home.

Jorge Soler sparked the winning rally with a leadoff single. Michael Rucker (1-1) then plunked Luis Arraez and Avisaíl García before Segura hit a grounder back up the middle and through a drawn-in infield for the winning hit.

A.J. Puk (3-0) got three outs for the win. Chicago put two runners on with two out in the top half of the ninth, but Nelson Velázquez bounced into a forceout at second.

BRAVES 4, METS 0: Matt Olson hit a three-run homer and Max Fried pitched Atlanta to a victory in New York in a game called after five innings because of rain.

Ronald Acuña Jr. had an RBI single in the fifth and Olson followed with a 433-foot drive to right-center off David Peterson for his first home run against a left-hander this season.

After the Mets were retired in the bottom half, umpires called for the tarp and the game was called following an 88-minute delay.

INTERLEAGUE

BREWERS 2, ANGELS 1: Rowdy Tellez hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the eighth inning, and Milwaukee won at home to stop the Angels’ three-game winning streak.

Willy Adames had a first-inning home run for Milwaukee, and Gio Urshela hit a two-out RBI single in the fourth as part of a 3-for-3 night. With two outs and two on, Joey Wiemer ran 89 feet to make a leaping backhand catch on the center-field warning track 395 feet from the plate to retire Chad Wallach.

PHILLIES 3, ASTROS 1: Aaron Nola pitched eight smooth innings, Kyle Schwarber homered and Philadelphia defeated won in Houston in a rematch of last year’s World Series.

Nola (2-2) yielded one run and three hits with six strikeouts. The right-hander retired 11 straight during one stretch and then the final 12 batters he faced. Nola had allowed at least three runs in each of his previous five starts this season.

Schwarber hit a solo home run in the first before Jeremy Peña answered in the bottom half with one of his own.

NOTES

YANKEES: Aaron Judge was out of the lineup while the team waiting results of testing on his right hip.

Judge exited the series opener Thursday at Texas because of right hip discomfort. He struck out in his only two at-bats and was replaced in right field in the bottom of the fourth inning in is first game at the Rangers ballpark since hitting his AL season record 62nd homer there last October.

METS: Justin Verlander allowed two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his first mound appearance in more than a month, pitching Friday for the New York Mets’ Double-A farm team.

The 40-year-old right-hander struck out six and walked one for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies against Cleveland’s Akron RubberDucks, throwing 52 of 69 pitches for strikes in a 6-1 win.

Verlander could make his Mets debut next week at the Detroit Tigers.

ROCKIES: Colorado placed right-handed pitcher Germán Márquez on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, with right elbow inflammation.

Márquez left his start Wednesday against Cleveland after feeling a sharp pain in his elbow in the bottom of the fourth inning on his 58th pitch of the game. He was making his first start since April 10, when he left his start against St. Louis with right forearm tightness.

BRAVES: Center fielder Michael Harris II was activated from the injured list by Atlanta ahead of a four-game series against the New York Mets.

The reigning National League Rookie of the Year was injured as he slid awkwardly while stealing second base against San Diego on April 6. Harris missed 19 games and was activated after two rehabilitation appearances for Triple-A Gwinnett.

POSTPONEMENTS: The Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles were rained out, forcing a split doubleheader on Saturday.

The teams will play the first game at 12:10 p.m., with the second scheduled at 5:10 p.m., in order to get both in before rain is expected to return at night.

Also, the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals was postponed because of rain and will be made up Saturday as part of a day-night, split-admission doubleheader.

The teams already were scheduled to play at 1:05 p.m. Saturday. The makeup game will begin at 6:05 p.m.

WHITE SOX: Chicago former New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier to a minor-league contract.

The six-year veteran was in uniform and available to play for Triple-A Charlotte.

The Texas Rangers released him from a minor-league contract on Tuesday.

Frazier played his first five seasons in New York before being released after the 2021 season.