Chicago: Anthony Rizzo hit a three-run homer and Jon Lester pitched 7 2/3 innings as the Chicago Cubs stopped an eight-game losing streak against the New York Mets with a 5-1 victory on Monday night in a rematch of last year’s NL Championship Series.

With one out and two on in the third inning, Rizzo fouled off five straight 2-2 pitches from Steven Matz before driving a changeup deep into the right-centre bleachers for his 22nd homer.

Lester (10-4) allowed one run – Wilmer Flores’ leadoff homer in the seventh – and four hits in his first win in a month. Matz (7-6) was charged with four runs and eight hits in five-plus innings, dropping to 0-5 in his last nine starts.

Meanwhile, Jose Fernandez tied a career-high with 14 strikeouts while Martin Prado hit a solo homer off Brett Oberholtzer (2-2) in the 11th as the Marlins beat the Phillies 3-2.

Fernandez pitched 6 1/3 innings and became the pitcher to reach 500 strikeouts in the fewest innings: 400.

Christian Yelich hit an RBI double off Jeanmar Gomez with two outs in the ninth and scored on Marcell Ozuna’s single.

Kyle Barraclough (6-2) pitched one inning and A.J. Ramos finished for his 30th save, retiring Maikel Franco on a game-ending flyout to the warning track.

And Matt Boyd (1-2) allowed three hits in six innings, sending last-place Minnesota to another loss, 1-0 to the Tigers, just hours after they announced the firing of general manager Terry Ryan.

Justin Upton homered in the second. Three relievers finished for the Tigers, with Francisco Rodriguez pitching a hitless ninth for his 26th save.

Alex Rodriguez hit his 696th career homer – his first since June 18 – while Ivan Nova (7-5) ground through six innings and Aroldis Chapman hit 105 mph while locking down his 19th save as the Yankees beat the Orioles 2-1.

The No Runs DMC triad, possibly in its final days with Andrew Miller and Chapman rumoured to be on the trade block, covered the final three innings to extend their scoreless streak to 22 innings. The Yankees are 18-1 when Dellin Betances and the other two relievers pitch in the same game.

Kevin Gausman (1-7) also allowed Brian McCann’s sacrifice fly in the third and fell to 0-1 in three starts against New York this season despite a 1.31 ERA over 20 2/3 innings.