Pineda nearly perfect as Yankees sting Rays
Michael Pineda retired his first 20 batters before Evan Longoria lined a double down the left-field line, and he wound up pitching twohit ball for 7C innings yesterday in the New York Yankees’ home opener, an 8-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Pineda (1-1) dominated like the pitcher the Yankees have always hoped he would become. He struck out 11, walked none and threw 67-of-93 pitches for strikes. Tampa Bay’s Logan Morrison homered with one out in the eighth, a ball that hit off the top of the wall in right-center and deflected off a fan before bouncing back onto the field. A video review was needed to determine it was a home run.
Aaron Judge, Chase Headley and Starlin Castro homered for the Yankees, who broke open the game with a five-run eighth inning and won their second straight following a 1-4 start.
Alex Cobb (1-1) allowed five runs in 7B innings.
Mariners 6, Astros 0 — James Paxton shut down Houston for the second time in a week, pitching seven innings of four-hit ball and leading Seattle to a win in its home opener.
The Mariners rebounded nicely from Sunday’s ugly ninth-inning meltdown against the Angels when they gave up seven runs and lost 10-9. Paxton (1-0) struck out eight and walked two.
Athletics 2, Royals 0 — Khris Davis hit a two-run homer, Jharel Cotton shut down Kansas City’s anemic offense and visiting Oakland held on for a win.
Cotton (1-1) allowed two hits, walked three and struck out six in seven innings.
National League
Giants 4, Diamondbacks 1— Buster Posey was doing well after being struck in the helmet by a 94 mph fastball in the first inning, a frightening moment in San Francisco’s home-opening win against Arizona.
Taijuan Walker’s 0-1 fastball with two out in the first inning sent the Gold Glove catcher immediately to the ground. Manager Bruce Bochy said, “He’s doing good, he’s doing fine.”
Reds 7, Pirates 1 — Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett hit solo home runs and visiting Cincinnati pounced on a wild night by Pittsburgh’s Tyler Glasnow.
Mets 4, Phillies 3 — Jay Bruce homered twice, including the tiebreaking shot in a testy eighth inning to lead New York past host Philadelphia.
Nationals 14, Cardinals 6— Bryce Harper tied a career high with four hits, drove in three runs and reached base in all six plate appearances as host Washington crushed St. Louis.
Padres 5, Rockies 3 — In Denver, Wil Myers hit a leadoff triple in the eighth inning to complete the first cycle of his career, and San Diego beat Colorado.
Elsewhere in baseball — The Chicago Cubs raised their 2016 World Series championship flag, delighting a raucous Wrigley Field crowd that waited through a long rain delay for a moment more than a century in the making.
Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg, Fergie Jenkins and Billy Williams raised banners for the franchise’s two previous championships and last year’s NL pennant. First baseman Anthony Rizzo had the initial honors for the drought-busting title flag before the rest of the Cubs took their turn.
Rizzo then brought the championship trophy out when he returned to the field from under the bleachers, drawing more cheers prior to Chicago’s home opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers — which was delayed by rain for nearly two hours.
The Dodgers acquired pitcher Joe Gunkel from the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be determined or cash consideration.