Yankees’ travails mount; Royals, White Sox split pair
Royals snap losing streak, beat Chicago
NEW YORK — Now the New York Yankees are dealing with a couple of significant injuries, in addition to their coronavirus issues.
Center fielder Aaron Hicks had an MRI that revealed a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday the team will initially try to treat the injury with medicine, and if that goes well, Hicks could be available this weekend in Baltimore. But he could require surgery if the medicine is not effective.
“I think it could go either way,” Boone said.
New York slugger Giancarlo Stanton was scratched with left quad tightness less than an hour before the first pitch Friday night. His status for the rest of the Orioles series is uncertain.
However, the Yankees didn’t have any new positive tests for COVID-19 to add to their eight cases already, Boone said.
The team revealed earlier this week that shortstop Gleyber Torres tested positive for the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated and having previously had COVID-19.
Friday’s games ROYALS 6-1, WHITE SOX 2-3:
In Chicago, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu and Kansas City batter Hunter Dozier were forced to leave after a frightening collision on a popup, and the Royals ended an 11-game losing streak in the opener of a doubleheader.
In the second game, rookie Andrew Vaughn, starting the nightcap at first base for Abreu, homered to lead the White Sox to a doubleheader split.
In the first game, Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer and Michael A. Taylor had a two-run drive as the Royals stopped Chicago’s six-game winning streak.
After popping up in the second inning, Dozier jogged out of the batter’s box with his head down and grazed past catcher Yasmani Grandal. Dozier took another couple of steps and then slammed hard into Abreu as he was tracking the ball, knocking both players to the ground about 20 feet from the plate.
Grandal caught the ball as trainers and medical staffs came onto the field. After few minutes, Abreu got up and left the field walking on his own, but the AL MVP looked dazed with his arms draped around two staffers.
Abreu suffered a facial bruise and cut, along with a bruised left knee. Tests for a concussion were negative and his status was day-to-day.
Dozier had a bruised quadricep and neck discomfort. He also was day-to-day.
CUBS 4, TIGERS 2: In Detroit, Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer in the third inning, and the Chicago Cubs went on to a victory over the Tigers, snapping Detroit’s four-game winning streak.
Jake Arrieta (4-3) faced the minimum number of hitters until the bottom of the sixth, when Detroit’s Jake Rogers and Robbie Grossman hit consecutive home runs with two out. That was all the scoring for the Tigers, who entered the night with the secondworst record in baseball, percentage points ahead of Minnesota.
Tarik Skubal (0-6) allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings.
RED SOX 4, ANGELS 3: In Boston, Hunter Renfroe and Bobby Dalbec each hit a two-run homer, and the Red Sox rallied to beat Los Angeles.
The Red Sox opened the weekend series with their second straight victory after dropping three in a row.
Shonhei Ohtani hit his 11th homer for the Angels, who lost their third straight.
YANKEES 5, ORIOLES 4: In Baltimore, Aaron Judge hit two more home runs against Baltimore, Gio Urshela had a go-ahead, pinch-hit shot and New York overcame a spate of injuries to beat the Orioles.
Judge is now 10 for 19 with five home runs facing the Orioles this season.
RAYS 3, METS 2: In St. Petersburg, Fla,, Brett Phillips hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Rays stopped the Mets’ seven-game winning streak.
After starters Tyler Glasnow and David Peterson both pitched well into the late innings, Tampa Bay came back against New York’s bullpen.
PIRATES 3, GIANTS 2, 11 INNINGS: In Pittsburgh, Adam Frazier tripled home the tying run in the 11th inning with his fourth hit of the game and scored the winner for the Pirates on Gregory Polanco’s sacrifice fly.
Austin Slater’s single put San Francisco ahead in the top of the 11th, but Frazier led off the bottom half with his hit high off the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field. That scored Michael Perez, who began the inning as the automatic runner on second base.
One out later, Giants manager Gabe Kapler had Caleb Baragar (2-1) intentionally walk Bryan Reynolds and rookie Will Craig to load the bases. Polanco foiled the strategy by hitting a deep fly to center field.
PHILLIES 5, BLUE JAYS 1: Rhys Hoskins hit a three-run double during a five-run seventh inning and Philadelphia beat Toronto.
J.T. Realmuto returned to the Phillies’ starting lineup one day after being placed on the COVID19-related injured list and drew a bases-loaded walk that made it 1-all in the seventh.
The star catcher went 0 for 4 as the designated hitter. He felt ill and had a fever Wednesday night, but was cleared by MLB to return.
ATHLETICS 6, TWINS 1: In Minneapolis, Ramón Laureano hit the first of Oakland’s four homers and Frankie Montas pitched six effective innings, helping the Athletics beat the Twins.
Sean Murphy and Stephen Piscotty each hit a two-run shot, and Mark Canha contributed a pinchhit homer. The Athletics have won five of seven.
ASTROS 10, RAYS 4: In Houston, Martín Maldonado homered and drove in three runs to back seven solid innings from Zack Greinke, and the Astros defeated Texas for their fourth straight victory.
Kyle Tucker and Myles Straw each had two hits and two RBIs for the Astros.
BRAVES 6, BREWERS 3: In Milwaukee, Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies hit Atlanta’s first back-toback homers of the season and the Braves snapped a three-game skid with a victory over the Brewers.
ROCKIES 9, REDS 6: In Denver, Garrett Hampson led off the first inning with a triple, one of 15 hits for Colorado, and the Rockies spoiled Wade Miley’s encore to his first career no-hitter with a win over Cincinnati.