Yankees lose game, but see reliever at first
NEW YORK — Who's on first wasn't an Abbott and Costello question for Bryan Mitchell. With New York short on pitchers, the Yankees reliever played there for the first time since high school.
After throwing a scoreless ninth inning, Mitchell moved to first and allowed one foul popup to fall for an error in the 10th, then caught another. He returned to the mound in relief of closer Aroldis Chapman to start the 11th and gave up run-scoring singles to Mark Trumbo and Welington Castillo in the Baltimore Orioles' 7-4 win Sunday, which stopped New York's winning streak at four.
"The whole series was kind of crazy," Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner said.
New York overcame a 9-1 deficit to win Friday's series opener 14-11 in 10 innings, then romped 12-4 Saturday. With Adam Warren and Tommy Layne unavailable after outings in the middle game, Yankees manager Joe Girardi felt a need to improvise. So when Mitchell reached the dugout in the middle of the ninth, pitching coach Larry Rothschild asked him a question out of right field: Would he move to first if the game went into extras, allowing him to return to the mound later?
Mitchell retrieved one of first baseman's Greg Bird's mitts from the clubhouse and became the first Yankees pitcher to play another position since Billy Martin petulantly put Ron Guidry in center for the finish of the Pine Tar Game against Kansas City on Aug. 18, 1983.
Sure enough, the leadoff batter hit the ball to Mitchell — Castillo's foul pop just in front of first base. Castillo singled after Mitchell's error prolonging the at-bat, and Mitchell rebounded to glove Jonathan Schoop's foul pop for the second out — earning a standing ovation.
Even in the 11th, when he was back on the mound, Mitchell tried to keep making fielding plays.
New York's unconventional move was thwarted by Logan Verrett (1-0), who escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 10th. Castillo scooped shortstop J.J. Hardy's onehop throw home on Starlin Castro's grounder to force Austin Romine, and the reliever struck out hot-hitting rookie Aaron Judge.
Indians 12, Mariners 4
CLEVELAND — Francisco Lindor knows what a big inning can do for a team.
Lindor and Michael Brantley had the key hits in an eightrun third, and the Cleveland Indians rolled to a victory over the weary Seattle Mariners.
Brantley led off the inning with a single and capped it with a two-run homer. Lindor, who had three RBIs, hit a solo homer in the third and preceded Brantley's homer with a two-run double.
The inning included three singles, a double, a triple that was lost in the sun, a sacrifice fly and two walks.
Seattle, playing the final game of an 11-day road trip, was only charged with one error, but had several misplays in the field.
Twins 7, Royals 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Miguel Sano wrapped up April with another nice day. The young slugger is off to a great start with the Minnesota Twins.
Sano homered and drove in five runs, helping the Twins beat slumping Kansas City for the Royals' ninth straight loss.
It was Sano's fourth consecutive multihit game. He has 11 hits in his last 16 at-bats. He drove in nine runs in the two-game, rain-abbreviated series.
Blue Jays 3, Rays 1
TORONTO — An abbreviated outing by Aaron Sanchez left the Blue Jays bullpen with plenty of work to do. Toronto's relievers handled the task in style. Russell Martin hit a go-ahead single during a three-run rally in the eighth inning and the Blue Jays posted back-toback wins for the first time this season, beating the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tigers 7, White Sox 3
DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers got two things they needed Sunday afternoon.
They put up big runs, got four scoreless innings from their bullpen and ended a four-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Jordan Zimmermann (3-1) picked up a sloppy victory, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks in five-plus innings. He struck out five and gave up one homer.
Astros 7, A's 2
HOUSTON — Dallas Keuchel completed one of the best months of his career with arguably his best start of the season.
Keuchel threw 7 2/3 solid innings, Marwin Gonzalez hit a three-run home run and the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics.
Keuchel (5-0) struck out nine, while allowing one run on three hits and two walks.
Angels 5, Rangers 2
ARLINGTON, Texas — JC Ramirez intrigued the Los Angeles Angels as a possible starter if the need ever arose. It's more than intrigue now.
Ramirez got his first win as a starter on the right-hander's fourth try after 111 career relief appearances, and Jefry Marte homered and hit a tiebreaking, two-run single to help the Angels beat the Texas Rangers.
The 28-year-old Ramirez (3-2) matched his career high from two starts earlier with nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.