Pedroia returns in Boston win
BOSTON — All those long rehab days finally paid off for Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
The 2008 AL MVP made his season debut Saturday after October knee surgery, helping the Red Sox rally for an 8-6 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
“There’s been a lot of tough days,” Pedroia said. “Today was great to be out there and play.”
Pedroia went 0 for 4, but he walked and scored in the third inning of Boston’s sixth win in seven games. Andrew Benintendi homered and drove in three runs.
Pedroia got a standing ovation when he came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the first. He popped out to right.
Knuckleballer Steven Wright (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings for the victory. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 16th save, retiring three in a row after Ronald Acuna Jr.’s leadoff homer.
Dansby Swanson hit a two-run drive for the Braves, who have dropped 10 of their last 13 at Fenway Park.
Atlanta left-hander Sean Newcomb gave up three runs and six hits over three innings with four walks and four strikeouts.
The Red Sox had to rally after Drew Pomeranz was pulled with one out in the fourth. He was charged with five runs and six hits.
INDIANS 8, ASTROS 6: Yonder Alonso, Jason Kipnis and Edwin Encarnacion each hit two-run homers, and Cleveland’s beleaguered bullpen hung on at home.
Michael Brantley added a solo homer and the Indians ended Houston’s five-game winning streak.
Cleveland’s Andrew Miller was placed on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation in his right knee before the game.
A’s 3, DIAMONDBACKS 0: Daniel Mengden pitched a two-hitter for his second career shutout, and Oakland beat the slumping Diamondbacks in Oakland.
Mengden (5-4) struck out five and walked none. Socrates Brito singled in the second and David Peralta singled in the sixth for Arizona’s only hits.
Matt Olson, Matt Joyce and Chad Pinder connected for the Athletics, who began the day ranked last in the majors with 15 homers at home and first with 47 on the road.
WHITE SOX 8, TIGERS 4: Tim Anderson hit two home runs and racked up a career-high four RBIs to propel the visiting White Sox to a win.
Anderson, batting leadoff, went yard for a second straight game with blasts in the fifth and sixth to raise his count to 10 homers and three multi-homer games this season.
Jose Abreu drove in Anderson on an RBI double in the third, then followed Anderson’s fifth-inning dinger with one of his own. Daniel Palka added a right-field shot in the sixth and an RBI double in the seventh.
GIANTS 5, CUBS 4: Brandon Crawford hit a two-run homer, Brandon Belt drove in two runs and the visiting Giants stopped a three-game slide.
Crawford went 2 for 3 to improve his May batting average to .446 (37 for 83). He has four homers and 20 RBIs in 23 games this month
NATIONALS 4, MARLINS 1: Mark Reynolds hit a tiebreaking home run leading off the ninth inning and the Nationals rallied to beat the Marlins for the 10th consecutive time.
Miami’s Wei-Yin Chen took a two-hit shutout into the eighth but gave up a one-out homer to Wilmer Difo, who pulled a pitch off the foul pole to make the score 1-all.
Reynolds connected against Brad Ziegler (0-4) for his fifth homer in 27 at-bats since being called up from Triple-A.