Seager homers, helps Dodgers to win over Rockies
DENVER — Things were really flying around Coors Field — the baseball, of course, along with plenty of napkins, hot dog wrappers and plastic bags. “It was like playing in a whirlpool,” Justin Turner explained.
Corey Seager hit a two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a sweep by breezing to a 10-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on a blustery Sunday.
The Dodgers came up with clutch hit after clutch hit, scoring seven runs with two outs in winning their 98th game at Coors Field — most of any visiting team. Turner added a two-run double in the first to get the team off and running.
“This was different from Coors Field. Weather plays one factor, but the wind, that’s something that guys don’t like,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Kenta Maeda (1-1) pitched five shaky innings and allowed four runs, including a two-run homer to Charlie Blackmon, before turning it over to the bullpen. The Dodgers’ relievers shut down the Rockies until the ninth, when Kenley Jansen gave up two runs before closing it out.
Tyler Anderson (1-1) took the loss for the Rockies, who had their three-game winning streak stopped. The lefty allowed five runs in five innings. He also had a career-high four walks as he threw just 54 strikes in his 95-pitch outing.
“Most of his pitches, he didn’t have command of any of them,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “The walks came back to haunt him.”
It was a breezy day in Denver with the wind gusting up to 42 mph. That made even routine-looking popups an adventure, with first baseman Mark Reynolds diving on the infield to catch a high fly. Some of the flags around the stadium were taken down.
“You could tell, as the game went on, there were a number of plays the wind definitely affected the ball,” Black said. “You saw a couple pitchers step off.”
The Dodgers certainly weathered the wind, even if, “it made it tough keeping your concentration and catch the ball,” Turner said.
Trailing 5-2 in the fifth, the Rockies scored twice on a run-scoring single by Gerardo Parra and a sacrifice fly from Carlos Gonzalez. But the Dodgers scored a run in the sixth and three more in the seventh to break open the game.
There was a quirky play in the seventh with two on and no outs when catcher Tony Wolters tried to chase after a passed ball near the Dodgers’ dugout, only to tumble inside. Seager, who advanced to third on the play, wasn’t awarded home and that drew an inquiry from Roberts. After a consultation, the umpires kept Seager at third and Turner at second, since the play was not subject to a replay review.
After Seager was thrown out at home on a grounder and Yasiel Puig struck out, Turner scored when Wolters hit him in the back on a pickoff attempt and the ball bounced away. Adrian Gonzalez followed with an RBI single, and Joc Pederson added another to make it 9-4.
“Sometimes baseball has crazy innings like that,” Wolters said. “We’re trying to get as less of those this year as possible. Every team gets those innings.”
PIRATES 6, BRAVES 5 (10 INNINGS)
In Pittsburgh, Starling Marte hit a two-run homer off Jose Ramirez in the 10th inning to lift the Pirates over Atlanta.
The Braves took the lead in the top of the inning on an RBI groundout by Tyler Flowers, but Pittsburgh wasted little time getting to Ramirez (0-1).
Adam Frazier doubled leading off the 10th and Marte drove the next pitch into the visitors’ bullpen beyond the center field fence as the Pirates completed their first three-game sweep of Atlanta since 1994.
Marte finished 4 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs. Frazier added three hits for the Pirates. Felipe Rivero (1-0) picked up
the victory, the 100th walk-off in the 16-year history of PNC Park.
In New York, Noah Syndergaard made a blistering return to the mound, overpowering Miami for much of the night as the Mets averted a three-game sweep.
Forced from Monday’s season opener against Atlanta by a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand after six scoreless innings, the right-hander was given an extra day of rest.
He walked none and struck out nine, including five of his first six batters.
In Philadelphia, Cesar Hernandez hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Phillies a victory over Washington.
Pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmerman delivered a tying, three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth off closer Jeanmar Gomez (1-0), but the Phillies immediately answered to take two of three from the defending NL East champions.
In Milwaukee, Kyle Schwarber and Ben Zobrist homered, Jake Arrieta threw seven strong innings and Chicago took the weekend series from the Brewers.
The Cubs scored four runs in the first off Brewers starter Zach Davies (0-2) on a two-run double by Addison Russell and a two-run triple from Jason Heyward. In St. Louis, Scott Feldman permitted four hits and struck out six in six-plus innings as Cincinnati beat the Cardinals to take two of three from St. Louis.
Adam Duvall had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs for the Reds, who have won just five of their last 40 series at Busch Stadium. Joey Votto also went deep for Cincinnati.
In Phoenix, Patrick Corbin pitched six scoreless innings, Chris Owings homered and had three hits, and Arizona completed a three-game sweep of Cleveland.
The win improved the Diamondbacks to 6-1, matching the best seven-game start in franchise history, set in 2000.
In San Diego, Hunter Pence and Buster Posey hit consecutive home runs, and Johnny Cueto struck out seven in seven strong innings as struggling San Francisco beat the Padres to prevent a three-game sweep.
The Giants snapped a four-game losing streak. They won only twice during the season’s opening week.
In Anaheim, Calif., Albert Pujols hit his 592nd homer and a tying, two-run single in the ninth inning before Cliff Pennington’s drive to the wall capped the Angels’ rally from a six-run deficit for a victory over Seattle.
Pennington’s single drove in Mike Trout to end a preposterous comeback by the Angels, who trailed 8-1 in the seventh and 9-3 before Pujols homered to lead off the ninth against Casey Fien.
In Chicago, Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco homered to back Ervin Santana’s six scoreless innings as Minnesota beat the White Sox for its best start since 2010.
Santana (2-0) held the White Sox to two singles and lowered his ERA to 0.69.
Minnesota, which finished with the worst record in the majors last season, has the top mark in the American League at 5-1 after taking two of three from Chicago.
In Detroit, Sandy Leon broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run single, part of a four-run rally that lifted Boston over the Tigers.
The Red Sox rallied four times from one-run deficits, finally taking the lead against the Detroit bullpen.
The Tigers led 4-3 in the eighth when Bruce Rondon (0-1) allowed a leadoff walk to Mookie Betts and a single by Chris Young. A throwing error on Young’s single by left fielder Justin Upton left runners at second and third.
After an intentional walk, Kyle Ryan came in and walked pinchhitter Brock Holt to force in the tying run.
In Baltimore, Aaron Judge hit a tying home run, Starlin Castro’s RBI single keyed a four-run ninth inning and New York rallied to defeat the Orioles and avert a three-game sweep.
It was the first loss of the season for the Orioles, who started the day as the only unbeaten team in the majors at 4-0. After pulling off comeback victories in the first two games of the series, Baltimore blew a three-run lead in the finale.
In Houston, Jake Marisnick hit a tying home run off Kelvin Herrera in the ninth inning and Evan Gattis drew a bases-loaded walk from Matt Strahm in the 12th to help the Astros beat Kansas City, halting a three-game losing streak.
George Springer hit his 12th leadoff homer and third in seven games this season.
In Arlington, Texas, Joey Gallo homered and had a career-high five RBIs to back Martin Perez in the Rangers’ victory over Oakland.
Still playing third base on the first day Adrian Beltre (right calf) was eligible to come off the disabled list, Gallo hit a three-run shot for the last of three straight hits in the second inning — the only three allowed by Sean Manaea (0-1).
In St. Petersburg, Fla., Steven Souza Jr. hit a three-run homer and was involved in a scrum after a slide during Tampa Bay’s victory over Toronto.
Corey Dickerson and Jesus Sucre also homered, and Jake Odorizzi (1-1) pitched six effective innings for the Rays, who took three of four from Toronto at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay has won 23 of its last 30 home series against the Blue Jays, going 61-33 during that stretch.