Gardner’s 3-run, 2-out HR in 9th lifts Yanks over Cubs 3-2
CHICAGO: Brett Gardner lined a slider from Hector Rondon into the right-field bleachers with two outs in the ninth inning for a three-run homer that lifted the New York Yankees over the World Series champion Chicago Cubs 3-2 in a dramatic series opener Friday.
Home runs by Kris Bryant in the first and Kyle Schwarber in the sixth off Michael Pineda staked the Cubs to a 2-0 lead on a 45-degree afternoon with the wind blowing in.
Chase Headley singled with one out in the ninth off Rondon (0-1), pitching after Wade Davis appeared in the previous three games. Jacoby Ellsbury, in his first appearance since injuring an elbow Monday, pinch hit with two outs and walked after a 2-1 pitch at the knees was called a ball by umpire Ryan Blakney.
Gardner fouled off a pair of 1-2 fastballs, took a ball and on his seventh pitch of the at-bat — the 29th to Gardner in the game — he hit his fifth home run of the season, all in the last six games.
8, MARLINS 7: T.J. Rivera homered early and hit a two-run double to tie the score in a five-run seventh inning that rallied New York past Miami.
Wilmer Flores drew a four-pitch walk from Kyle Barraclough with the bases loaded and two outs to force in the go-ahead run. New York opened the inning with six straight hits off normally reliable reliever Brad Ziegler (1-2), who did not retire a batter.
ORIOLES 4, WHITE SOX 2: Gabriel Ynoa pitched six sharp innings after starter Wade Miley was forced out of the game by the impact of two line drives, and Baltimore got a home run from Chris Davis in a victory over Chicago.
Miley left after being drilled by successive batters. First, he was struck in the left wrist by a shot off the bat of Jose Abreu. Two pitches later, Avisail Garcia ripped a comebacker that hit Miley in the left thigh and knocked him off his feet.
ASTROS 7, ANGELS 6, 10 INNINGS: Carlos Correa singled home Jose Altuve in the 10th inning and Houston blew a fourrun lead in the ninth before rallying for a victory over Los Angeles.
Altuve singled, stole second and scored on Correa’s line drive off Bud Norris (0-1) in the Astros’ fifth victory in six games.
8, PADRES 2: Rookie Cody Bellinger homered twice and drove in four runs, and Kenta Maeda and five relievers combined on a four-hitter to lead Los Angeles over San Diego.
Bellinger has four homers in 10 games. He avoided being sent back to the minors when Adrian Gonzalez went on the disabled list for the first time in his 14-year career.
NATIONALS 4, PHILLIES 2: Stephen Strasburg hit his second major league home run and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, leading Washington over Philadelphia.
Strasburg (3-1) allowed five hits, struck out five and walked four, leaving after 119 pitches and failing to go seven innings for the first time this season. Strasburg homered in the second on a 93 mph fastball from Nick Pivetta (0-2) for a 2-0 lead.