HOUSTON — Four of the six first-place teams gained ground Wednesday night with the Astros, Blue Jays, Tigers and Brewers all winning and the clubs directly behind them all losing.

With an 8-7 comeback win over the Yankees in Houston, the AL West-leading Astros moved four games ahead of the second-place Mariners, who lost to the Rays 9-4 in Tampa.

The Blue Jays’ 13-9 win over the Reds in Cincinnati left them 3.5 games up on the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East. The Red Sox were trounced 8-1 by the Guardians at Fenway Park.

In a showdown of first-place teams, the Brewers scored five first-inning runs and beat the Phillies 6-3 in Milwaukee. The Brewers’ lead over the Cubs in the NL Central is up to six games, while the Phillies stayed 5.5 ahead in the NL East over the Mets .

The

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