Red Sox beat Rays behind Sale, Betts
BOSTON — Nothing complicated about Chris Sale's strong start with the Boston Red Sox. It's just more of the same from his time with the White Sox.
Sale struck out 12 while pitching seven solid innings and Mookie Betts hit a two-run homer, leading the Red Sox to a 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
It was Sale's seventh straight start with double-digit strikeouts. The 6-foot-6 left-hander allowed three runs and two hits, both homers.
Betts also doubled in a run in Boston's four-run fifth inning. Jackie Bradley Jr. had two hits, including his first double of the season, and Deven Marrero drove in two runs, helping the Red Sox to their 14th win in their last 19 games against the Rays.
Sale (4-2) has struck out 10 or more in every start since he had seven Ks in his Boston debut after he was acquired in a blockbuster offseason trade with Chicago.
Kevin Kiermaier and Logan Morrison homered for Tampa Bay, which has dropped seven of 11.
Pitching in his usual short sleeves on an unseasonably cool day under cloudy skies, Sale mixed his mid-90s fastball with his terrific slider and an occasional changeup for another solid outing. He got Evan Longoria looking on a 94-mph fastball in the sixth for his 10th strikeout.
Joe Kelly worked the eighth before Craig Kimbrel finished the three-hitter for his 11th save. The Rays fanned 16 times.
Blue Jays 7, Mariners 2
TORONTO — Jose Bautista hit a three-run homer, and the Blue Jays earned their sixth win in seven games.
Kendrys Morales also connected for Toronto, and Kevin Pillar had three hits, raising his AL-leading total to 47. Devon Travis became the first player to steal home for the Blue Jays since June 2, 2015, scoring on a double steal in the eighth.
Dominic Leone (1-0) got one out for the win as Toronto improved to 8-4 in May.
Seattle right-hander Ryan Weber left with a sore shoulder after 3 2/3 innings in his season debut. Nick Vincent (1-1) got the loss.
Twins 4, Indians 1
CLEVELAND — Jose Berrios pitched neatly into the eighth inning in his first start of the season and the Twins beat the Indians in a game delayed several minutes when a squirrel ran around the field.
Max Kepler connected to give the Twins a home run in 14 straight games, their longest streak since 1988. He also had an RBI single in a three-run fourth for the AL Central leaders, who handed Cleveland its third straight loss.
The squirrel appeared from right field with Michael Brantley batting in the Cleveland sixth. Play was halted as the squirrel cut across the infield. It eventually hopped into the stands and play resumed.
Berrios (1-0), called up from Triple-A Rochester on Friday, gave up one run and two hits in 7 2/3 innings. Brandon Kintzler pitched the ninth for his 10th save.
Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger (1-1) allowed three runs and three hits while walking five in 4 1/3 innings.
Royals 4, Orioles 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nate Karns struck out a careerhigh 12 in five innings, Eric Hosmer reached base four times and the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles.
Karns is the first in franchise history to strike out 12 in five innings. The last major league pitcher to accomplish that was Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs on June 5, 2016.
Baltimore's Chris Davis homered off Seth Maness (1-0) to tie it 3-3 in the sixth, but Brandon Moss homered off Alec Asher (1-2) to put Kansas City back ahead later that inning. Moss has homered in consecutive games.
Hosmer had two hits and walked twice. The Royals scored three runs in 4 1/3 innings off Chris Tillman.
Francisco Pena homered in the third and fifth innings against Karns. Pena had only one career homer entering the game.
Interleague White Sox 5, Padres 4
CHICAGO — Yolmer Sanchez singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth to score Tyler Saladino and give the White Sox a victory over the San Diego Padres, snapping Chicago's six-game losing streak.
Saladino went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and Avisail Garcia homered for Chicago.
Wil Myers, Manuel Margot and Allen Cordoba all had solo homers for San Diego.
David Robertson (2-0) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth for the win.
Brad Hand (0-3) took the loss.
Saladino started the rally with a lead-off walk. He was sacrificed to second and scored on Sanchez's single to center — just sliding in under the tag of catcher Austin Hedges.
Margot hit Chicago starter Dylan Covey's first pitch of the game over the fence in right field for a quick lead. It was the second straight game the Padres homered on the first pitch. Matt Szczur started Friday's series opener with a blast off Miguel Gonzalez.
The last team to homer on the first pitch in consecutive games was the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 19-20 in 2007. Alfonso Soriano hit both homers.
Garcia tied the score with a solo homer to center in the second. The Padres answered in the third with a solo homer from Cordoba for a 2-1 lead.
Trailing 3-2, Chicago took the lead in the fifth. Kevan Smith singled and Saladino followed with a double. Leury Garcia tied the score with an RBI groundout. One out later, Melky Cabrera singled to center to give the White Sox a 4-3 lead.
That's where it stayed until the eighth when Myers tied it with a 433-foot blast to left-center after being knocked down on the previous pitch from Tommy Kahnle.