Duffy, Merrifield power Royals win
CLEVELAND — Danny Duffy pitched six innings of two-hit ball to beat a longtime nemesis, and Whit Merrifield drove in all of Kansas City’s runs with a homer and sacrifice fly, leading the Royals over the Cleveland Indians 3-0 on Monday.
The Indians played their home opener in front of fans for the first time since 2019. The announced attendance of 8,914 — 30 percent of ballpark capacity was permitted — was a nice change from last season, when fans couldn’t attend due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health and safety protocols.
Duffy (1-0) came in with 12 career losses against the Indians — his most against any team. But the lefthander was in control from the outset and beat them for the fifth time.
Scott Barlow pitched two perfect innings, and Jesse Hahn put two on in the ninth before Royals first baseman Carlos Santana, who signed with the club as a free agent this winter after 10 seasons in Cleveland, made a diving stop on Eddie Rosario’s smash to start a double play.
A three-run deficit was too much for the Indians, who have scored two runs or less in three of their first four games.
The last time Cleveland played in front of fans at Progressive Field was on Sept. 22, 2019, a 10-1 win over Philadelphia. “We missed the fans maybe more than they missed being here,” manager Terry Francona said. “Playing in front of empty ballparks, it was better than not playing — don’t get me wrong — but having people here will really be welcomed.”
TWINS 15, TIGERS 6: Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam after a near miss and added a solo homer and a double, Matt Shoemaker held Detroit hitless into the fifth inning, and Minnesota rolled to a road win. Akil Baddoo hit a grand slam for Detroit. He made his big league debut Sunday and homered on the first pitch thrown to him. Cruz came up with the bases loaded in the second and Minnesota already up 2-0. He sent a drive down the line in right field that went foul — but was close enough for a replay review. That call was upheld, but then Cruz hit the very next pitch over the fence in left. Minnesota scored five runs in the second and Cruz homered again in a five-run fifth.
ATLANTA BRAVES
The team has brought back relievers Carl Edwards Jr. and Jesse Biddle and signed former Gold Glove-winning IF Yolmer Sanchez to minor league contracts.
CINCINNATI REDS
OF Nick Castellanos was suspended for two games and fined for his role in an on-field brawl during the season’s opening weekend, the first discipline given by Michael Hill in his new role as Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for on-field operations.
Castellanos appealed the penalty to special assistant John Mchale Jr. and will not serve the suspension while the appeal is pending.
He was disciplined for his actions in Saturday’s game against St. Louis and was cited for “his aggressive actions and for instigating a benches-clearing incident.”
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
IF David Fletcher will get a $2 million salary this season as part of his $26 million, five-year contract with the team, up from a $615,000 salary in the majors and $296,760 in the minors under the one-year contract he agreed to in February.
The deal, announced ahead of Thursday’s opener, calls for a salary of $4 million next season, when he would have been eligible for arbitration for the first time. He gets $6 million each in 2023 and 2024, and $6.5 million in 2025, the first year he would have been eligible for free agency.