HE’S ALMOST PERFECT
Two-way star Ohtani retires first 19 in home mound debut for Angels
ANAHEIM — Shohei Ohtani retired the Athletics’ first 19 batters Sunday before Marcus Semien’s seventh-inning single broke up the two-way Japanese sensation’s bid for a perfect game in his first home pitching start for the Angels.
Ohtani had 11 strikeouts during the first six innings, striking out the side twice in an overwhelming performance. But after retiring Matt Joyce to open the seventh, Ohtani yielded a clean one-out single to left by Semien.
Jed Lowrie then drew a four-pitch walk, but Ohtani ended the threat by inducing Khris Davis’ weak groundout before getting Matt Olson for his 12th strikeout of the day. Ohtani received multiple standing ovations from the Angel Stadium crowd. The Angels won, 6-1.
RED SOX 8, RAYS 7: Andrew Benintendi hit a tiebreaking RBI double in Boston’s wild six-run eighth, and the Red Sox beat the visiting Rays for their eighth straight win.
MARLINS 6, PHILLIES 3: Jake Arrieta had some tough luck in a short debut in Philadelphia.
Arrieta lasted just four innings in his first start for the Phillies, who lost 6-3 to the Marlins on Brian Anderson’s tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, CARDINALS 1: David Peralta hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Dominic Leone in the eighth, A.J. Pollock went deep later in the inning and the Diamondbacks beat the host Cardinals in a game marred by a benches-clearing incident in the second inning.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was ejected by plate umpire Tim Timmons in the second. Lovullo was arguing a called third strike on Pollock and got into a shouting match with St. Louis catcher Yadi Molina during the argument with Timmons. Molina appeared to lunge at Luvollo and make contact as players ran onto the field.
St. Louis manager Mike Matheny stepped between Molina and Lovullo.
CUBS 3, BREWERS 0: Jose Quintana tossed three-hit ball over six innings, Ben Zobrist homered and the Cubs finished their longest season-opening road trip in more than a century by beating the Brewers. Chicago finally heads home after playing its first nine games away from Wrigley Field.
ASTROS 4, PADRES 1: In Houston, Charlie Morton, the No. 5 starter on a pitching staff that is arguably the best in baseball, continued to dominate and Max Stassi hit a three-run homer as the defending champion Astros beat the Padres to win the three-game series.
PIRATES 5, REDS 0: Pittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon dominated the struggling Reds, allowing just one hit while picking up the first shutout of his career as the host Pirates rolled.
TIGERS 1, WHITE SOX 0: Mike Fiers combined with four relievers on a three-hitter, and the Tigers took advantage of a passed ball to score an unearned run in the first inning to complete a threegame sweep in Chicago.
DODGERS 2, GIANTS 1: Cody Bellinger overcame a bout of food poisoning to score the goahead run on Kyle Farmer’s pinchhit double in the 10th inning, and the visiting Dodgers beat the Giants.
INDIANS 3, ROYALS 1: Yan Gomes hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Brandon Maurer in the ninth inning, lifting the Indians over the Royals on a 32-degree day, the coldest game in Progressive Field history.
BLUE JAYS 7, RANGERS 4: Steve Pearce homered on Cole Hamels’ first pitch of the game, Kendrys Morales added a threerun shot in the first inning and the visiting Blue Jays beat the Rangers.
BRAVES 4, ROCKIES 0: In Denver, Sean Newcomb pitched into the seventh inning, Nick Markakis and Dansby Swanson hit back-to-back homers and the surprising Braves beat the Rockies.