Eovaldi strikes out 8 as Rangers beat Rays
Marlins off to their worst start in franchise history
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nathan Eovaldi struck out eight in seven shutout innings. Corey Seager homered and the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Wednesday.
Eovaldi (1-0) scattered four hits and walked one, throwing 103 pitches. After going 5-0 during the Rangers’ postseason run to last year’s World Series title, the 34-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs in 13 innings this season for a 1.38 ERA.
Seager broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff homer in the sixth off Aaron Civale (1-1) and Josh Smith added a two-run single during a three-run ninth against Garrett Cleavinger.
Struggling Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc gave up an RBI single to Harold Ramírez in the ninth. After José Caballero hit a flyout to the warning track with two on, Curtis Mead hit a game-ending comebacker.
METS VS. TIGERS ppd.: In New York, this game was postponed for a second consecutive day due to rain. These games will be made up as part of a doubleheader Thursday starting at 10:10 a.m. Mountain Time.
WHITE SOX VS. BRAVES ppd.: In Chicago, this game was postponed due to a persistent forecast of rain and snow. The game will be made up June 27 at 1:10 p.m. Mountain Time
ANGELS 10, MARLINS 2: In Miami, Taylor Ward homered, Nolan Schanuel extended his career-starting consecutive on-base streak to 35 games, as Los Angeles beat Miami, sending the Marlins to their first winless seven-game homestand and worst start in franchise history.
Angels starter Patrick Sandoval struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings and overcame an opening day outing in which he allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings. Sandoval (1-1) limited Miami to two runs and four hits. The left-hander absorbed a 101.9 mph comebacker to his left foot hit by Miami’s Vidal Brujan in the third, but remained in the game.
Ward also had two singles and two RBIs, Miguel Sanó doubled and walked twice and Zach Neto had two hits and two RBIs.
TWINS 7, BREWERS 3: In Milwaukee, Jackson Chourios became the youngest player (20 years, 23 days) in six years to hit a home run but it wasn’t enough for Milwaukee, who lost to Minnesota, as Ryan Jeffers hit a tiebreaking three-run drive to cap a five-run seventh inning.
Rhys Hoskins also went deep for the Brewers, who lost their first game after a 4-0 start.
Minnesota’s Alex Kiriloff went 4 for 4 with two singles, a double and a triple.
RED SOX 1, ATHLETICS 0: In Oakland, Calif., Nick Pivetta combined with four relievers on Boston’s second shutout of the series, Enmanuel Valdéz hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and the Red Sox beat Oakland to complete a three-game sweep.
Jarren Duran went 4 for 4 and raised his batting average to .393.
Ross Stripling (0-2) gave up eight hits in seven innings and lost his seventh consecutive decision.
GUARDIANS 8, MARINERS 0: In Seattle, Logan Allen scattered four hits over 6 2/3 shutout innings, Steven Kwan had three hits and scored three times in his first three at-bats, and Cleveland continued their hot start with a win over Seattle.
The Guardians continued to thump opposing pitchers, battering Seattle starter George Kirby for a career-high eight earned runs, although he wasn’t helped by his defense. But Cleveland hit the ball hard against Kirby and stacked together three big innings to take its second straight series.
Allen (2-0) gave up J.P. Crawford’s infield single leading off the first inning, then didn’t allow another hit until Ty France’s single with two outs in the fourth.
PADRES 3, CARDINALS 2: In San Diego, Kyle Higashioka caught two baserunners stealing and homered in the same inning to help Joe Musgrove and San Diego beat St. Louis and avoid a three-game sweep.
Higashioka became the fifth catcher since 1961 to catch multiple runners stealing and hit a home run in the same inning.
Musgrove (1-1) held the Cardinals to one run and five hits in six innings, with seven strikeouts and one walk.
YANKEES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 5, 11 INNINGS: In Phoenix, Aaron Judge hit his first home run of the season and added an RBI double in a two-run 11th inning, boosting New York over Arizona.
Alex Verdugo broke a 2-2 tie in the 10th with his first Yankees home run, a two-run drive off Kevin Ginkel.
Arizona tied the score in the bottom half off Clay Holmes (1-0), helped by shortstop Anthony Volpe’s throwing error.
With runners at the corners in the 11th following Gleyber Torres’ single, Scott McGough (0-1) balked in the go-ahead run when he failed to come to a set position with Juan Soto at the plate. After Soto flied out, Judge lined a double for a two-run lead.
Arizona closed in the bottom of the 11th when Jorge Barrosa hit a two-out, RBI single. Because of previous moves by manager Torey Lovullo, the D-backs didn’t have a designated hitter and had to use McGough as a hitter with the bases loaded. He took a called third strike from Caleb Ferguson, who got his first save this season.
ORIOLES 4, ROYALS 3: In Baltimore, James McCann had a twoout, two-run single in the ninth inning and Baltimore emerged from a five-hour rain delay to beat Kansas City.
It was 3-2 in the ninth when Royals closer Will Smith (0-2) walked Ryan Mountcastle and gave up a single to Anthony Santander. After a sacrifice bunt, an intentional walk to load the bases and a strikeout, McCann lined a single into left to end it.
Maikel Garcia homered and Salvador Perez had three hits and two RBIs for the Royals, who lost both games in the series on Baltimore’s final at-bat.
NATIONALS 5, PIRATES 3: In Washington, Joey Gallo emphatically ended an 0-for-12 season-opening drought with an upper-deck homer that traveled 447 feet and two other hits, and Washington beat Pittsburgh.
Luis García Jr. doubled three times to tie a Nationals record and scored twice, CJ Abrams had a pair of RBIs, and Trevor Williams (1-0) allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings on a rainy evening in front of an announced crowd of 14,022.
REDS 4, PHILLIES 1: In Philadelphia, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Elly De La Cruz had RBI doubles, Frankie Montas pitched 5 2/3 innings and Cincinnati beat Philadelphia after a long rain delay.
The game was originally scheduled for the afternoon, but the start was pushed back three hours because of heavy rain in the forecast. Then the teams waited out an additional delay of 3 hours, 55 minutes — the second-longest stoppage in the 20-year history of Citizens Bank Park.
Montas (2-0) allowed one run on five hits. Alexis Diaz pitched a the ninth for his first save.
CUBS 9, ROCKIES 8: In Chicago, Seiya Suzuki homered in his second straight game and drove in four runs and Chicago regrouped to beat Colorado after blowing a six-run lead.
The Cubs looked as if they were on their way to another easy win with an 8-2 lead in the sixth after outscoring the Rockies by a combined 17-2 in the first two games. Colorado made a big push, scoring a run in the seventh and five in the eighth to tie it.
Pinch-hitter Miles Mastrobuoni reached on a wild pitch by Nick Mears (0-1) as he struck out leading off the bottom half. He took third on a single by Ian Happ and beat the throw home on Suzuki’s fielder’s choice grounder to third baseman Ryan McMahon to put Chicago back on top, 9-8.
ASTROS 8, BLUE JAYS 0: In Houston, Yordan Alvarez homered twice amd matched his career high with four hits, Cristian Javier and four relievers combined on a one-hitter and Houston beat Toronto.
Javier (1-0) allowed the only hit and pitched five innings. Seth Martinez, Rafael Montero, Tayler Scott and Dylan Coleman worked an inning each.