Astros pound Twins twice, take over first
Yankees open trip with rout of Chisox
MINNEAPOLIS — Luis Garcia and three relievers combined on a seven-hitter, Yordan Álvarez homered twice and Jeremy Peña capped a big day with three hits as the Houston Astros extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 5-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday and move into first place in the AL West.
Houston completed a threegame sweep. Before the regularly scheduled game, the teams completed a game suspended after three innings on Wednesday night due to severe weather. Jose Altuve homered, doubled and drove in three runs in an 11-3 victory.
Peña had two hits and drove in three runs in the first game, giving the Astros shortstop 20 RBIs, most among rookies. He left the second game in the fourth inning with what appeared to be a minor knee injury.
Álvarez drove a pitch from Josh Winder (2-1) over the wall in center field to give the Astros a 3-0 lead in the third inning. His second homer of the day and 10th this season came in the ninth off Cole Sands.
Garcia (3-1) gave up five hits and two walks while striking out nine in five innings to win his second consecutive start. Seth Martinez, Blake Taylor and Rafael Montero worked the final four innings, limiting the slumping Twins to two hits.
Minnesota has scored just 10 runs in six games since shortstop Carlos Correa injured a finger.
The Astros led 5-1 after three innings on Wednesday night when the game was suspended due to heavy rain and lightning.
YANKEES 15, WHITE SOX 7: In Chicago, Giancarlo Stanton homered twice and drove in six runs, and New York used a seven-run eighth inning to beat Chicago for its fourth straight victory.
Aaron Judge and Josh Donaldson also connected for major league-leading New York in the opener of an eight-game trip. Judge had four RBIs, and Donaldson drove in three runs.
Led by its relentless lineup, New York won for the 16th time in 18 games. Stanton and Co. are off to the franchise’s best start since the Yankees also opened 23-8 in 2003.
Chicago tied it at 7 on Yoán
Moncada’s first homer of the season, a three-run drive to center against Jonathan Loáisiga (1-1) in the seventh. It was the third homer allowed by Loáisiga this year after he yielded a total of three in 70 2/3 innings in 2021.
METS 4, NATIONALS 1: In Washington, Taijuan Walker pitched seven scoreless innings and New York remained unbeaten in 10 series this season, cruising past Washington.
Mark Canha went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs for the NL East-leading Mets, who took two of three from the last-place Nationals. New York has won nine series and split one, and hasn’t lost two straight games in a month.
Walker (1-0) allowed three hits and walked one, combining on a four-hitter.
ATHLETICS 5, TIGERS 3: In Detroit, Seth Brown hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth off Michael Fulmer (1-2) following Jed Lowrie’s walk, sending Detroit to its ninth loss in 10 games.
Oakland arrived with a ninegame losing streak and won four of five from the Tigers.
A.J. Puk (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for his first win since topping Kansas City on Sept. 17, 2019. He missed the 2020 season with shoulder issues and was limited to 13 1/3 innings in 2021.
ORIOLES 3, CARDINALS 2: In St. Louis, Rylan Bannon became just the third Baltimore player since 2000 to get a hit on the first pitch of his big league career, and Jorge Mateo and Anthony Bemboom homered off Steven Matz (3-3).
Keegan Akin (1-0), the second of six Orioles pitchers, got just his fourth win in 16 big league decisions, allowing one hit over 2 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out four on a bullpen day for the Orioles.
REDS 4, PIRATES 0: In Pittsburgh, Connor Overton got his first major league win and combined with two relievers on a four-hitter for Cincinnati’s first shutout of the season.
Overton (1-0) allowed three hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings with one strikeout.
RANGERS 3, ROYALS 1: In Arlington, Texas, Taylor Hearn (2-2) allowed only one hit in five scoreless innings, Brad Miller homered and Texas defeated Kansas City.
The Royals’ first hit literally was off Hearn. Michael A. Taylor sent a liner off the pitcher’s leg that continued into left field with two out in the second.