Royals rout Rays, complete doubleheader sweep

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Glenn Sparkman and Kelvin Gutierrez were hanging out at Class AAA Omaha last weekend, the career reliever and young third baseman eagerly awaiting a call from the Kansas City Royals.

They both got it. And they both made the most of it.

Sparkman was recalled on Wednesday to start the second game of a doubleheader against Tampa Bay, and he merely breezed through seven innings of three-hit ball while outpitching reigning AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell in an 8-2 victory. Gutierrez hit his first home run in the second game to go with an RBI in the first, which Kansas City took by a 3-2 score.

“My focus today was just trying to stay relaxed. Don’t let the game get too big,” said Sparkman, who arrived in town about 1 a.m. and proceeded to earn his first major league victory. “I knew I had to go out there and do my thing to get the sweep.”

In the opener, Adalberto Mondesi hit a two-run home run to highlight a three-run first inning for Kansas City, and Jacob Junis and the bullpen held on the rest of the way. Mondesi also drove in a run in the second game to cap a big afternoon, while Gutierrez’s home run off the foul pole helped him match a Royals record with seven RBI in his first five games.

It was the first time the Royals swept a doubleheader since July 7, 2015, when a team that would reach its second consecutive World Series also accomplished the feat against the Rays.

“The first game we scored three runs in the first and just could not tack on, and fortunately we were able to tack on in the second,” Royals

Manager Ned Yost said. “We broke the game open.” RED SOX 7, ATHLETICS 3 Mitch Moreland homered and drove in another run on a sacrifice fly and host Boston beat Oakland.

ORIOLES 5-6, WHITE SOX 4-7 Jonathan Villar hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and visiting Baltimore stopped a four-game slide with a victory over Chicago in the first game of a doubleheader. In the second game, Yonder Alonso hit a two-run single with two out in the ninth inning, and Chicago salvaged a split.

TWINS 6, ASTROS 2 Martin Perez pitched eight scoreless innings in his longest start in two seasons, and Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run home run to help host Minnesota beat Houston.

CARDINALS 5, NATIONALS 1 Miles Mikolas outpitched Max Scherzer, Marcell Ozuna had three hits and visiting St. Louis beat Washington. REDS 1, METS 0 Jose Iglesias homered off Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning to give Cincinnati a victory over host New York. BRAVES 5, PADRES 1 Max Fried gave up one run in seven innings, Dansby Swanson

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PIRATES 7, RANGERS 5 Rookie Bryan Reynolds hit a three-run double as Pittsburgh topped host Texas.

DIAMONDBACKS 3, YANKEES 2 Ketel Marte homered, Merrill Kelly won his first start against the Yankees and Arizona beat visiting New York to sweep a two-game series.

CUBS 11, MARINERS 0 Jon Lester and two relievers combined on a one-hitter, Javier Baez homered and doubled, and Chicago beat host Seattle. PHILLIES 7, TIGERS 3 Maikel Franco hit a bases-clearing double in the seventh, Rhys Hoskins homered and Philadelphia beat visiting Detroit. MARLINS 4, INDIANS 2 Corey Kluber exited in the fifth after a comebacker fractured his right arm and took the loss for Cleveland as Miami broke a four-game losing streak.

homered and drove in three runs and Atlanta beat visiting San Diego.

ROCKIES 11, BREWERS 4 Nolan Arenado homered twice and drove in four runs, and Colorado pounded Milwaukee.

INTERLEAGUE