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Record-breaking Duffy leads Royals, Astros win marathon

Danny Duffy set a Kansas City Royals record with 16 strikeouts in a 3-0 win against the Tampa Bay Rays in MLB on Monday.

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The 27-year-old hurler took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but Desmond Jennings broke it up with a double to left field on Duffy's 101st pitch.

Duffy improved to 7-1 with a 2.98 ERA on the season with the win for the reigning World Series champions.

"The way my stuff was moving early on, I knew I had things going," Duffy told MLB Network. "I was just trying to follow Salvi [Royals catcher Salvador Perez]. He called a great game."

Kendrys Morales helped Duffy secure the win by collecting two hits, one of which was a solo home run. Paulo Orlando added three hits.

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After a 14th inning, the Houston Astros finally defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1.

Carlos Correa's RBI double off Scott Freedman, who was traded from Houston earlier in the day, propelled the Astros in the opener of the four-game series.

Max Kepler hit three home runs as the Minnesota Twins accounted for the high-flying Cleveland Indians 12-5, the Washington Nationals blitzed the Arizona Diamondbacks 14-1 and the Chicago Cubs shut out the Miami Marlins 5-0.

The Boston Red Sox prevailed 2-1 against the Seattle Mariners, the New York Yankees got the better of the New York Mets 6-5 in their derby, while the San Diego Padres trumped the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3.

HENDRICKS PUTS UP COMPLETE-GAME SHUTOUT, HAT-TRICK HERO KEPLER

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Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks tossed a complete-game shutout in the win over the Marlins. Hendricks improved to 10-7 on the season and now has a 2.22 ERA this season, good for third in MLB.

Twins outfielder Kepler hit three home runs against Cleveland. Kepler has now hit 11 home runs since the start of July (most in MLB during that span). He is the first Twins player with a three-home run game since Justin Morneau in 2007.

GRANDERSON SPOILS THE PARTY

Curtis Granderson helped the Mets rob Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner of a lead-off inside-the-park home run.

BUSY DAY ON AND OFF THE FIELD ON DEADLINE DAY

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There were 18 trades made before the trade deadline — involving 50 players – which is the most on a non-waiver trade deadline in the wild-card era since 1995.

New Indians closer Andrew Miller gave up a home run to the first batter he faced with his new team in mop-up duty against the Twins. Joe Mauer did the damage in the eighth inning.

Duffy became just the seventh pitcher since 1913 to have 16 strikeouts or more, while allowing one walk or fewer and one hit or fewer while giving up zero runs.

WORLD SERIES CONTENDERS RANGERS ON THE ROAD

Tuesday's game in Baltimore features a great pitching duel. Yu Darvish (2-2, 3.09) takes the mound for Texas against rising young star Dylan Bundy (3-3, 3.46 ERA). Darvish says he is ready for 100 pitches after coming back from Tommy John surgery, but that remains to be seen.

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