Detroit edges short-handed BoSox, 6-5
DETROIT—JaCoby Jones capped a wild eighth inning with a bases-loaded walk, and the Detroit Tigers outlasted the flu-bitten Boston Red Sox, 6-5, on Friday to win their ninth straight home opener.
Red Sox stars Hanley Ramirez and Mookie Betts were ill and out of the lineup. Boston also was without shortstop Xander Bogaerts and reliever Matt Barnes, who are on the bereavement list.
The Tigers blew a 4-0 lead in the eighth, when Pablo Sandoval gave the Red Sox the lead with a three-run homer off Francisco Rodriguez (1-0).
But what the Detroit bullpen had squandered, the Boston relievers quickly gave back.
Heath Hembree (0-1) walked two batters, and Mikie Mahtook followed with a tying double off Robby Scott. Joe Kelly then allowed walks to James McCann and Jones, forcing in the final run. The Red Sox put runners on second and third in the ninth against Rodriguez, but Chris Young popped out to end it.
PIRATES 5, BRAVES 4
PITTSBURGH—David Freese and Francisco Cervelli hit back-to-back home runs and Pittsburgh won its home opener in snow flurries, beating Atlanta.
Freese and Cervelli went deep off reliever Josh Collmenter leading off the fifth inning. That gave Ivan Nova the cushion he would need at PNC Park, where the game time temperature was 37 degrees.
Nova (1-0) allowed just an unearned run over six innings in his first start since signing a three-year deal in the offseason to stay with the Pirates, who acquired him from the New York Yankees last summer. Tony Watson worked the ninth for his first save. Mike Foltynewicz (0-1) walked three in 3 2/3 innings to end a five-game winning streak dating to last season.
ROCKIES 2, DODGERS 1
DENVER—Kyle Freeland allowed one run in six solid innings in his major league debut, leading hometown Colorado past Los Angeles.
The Denver native became the first starting pitcher to make his big league debut in his team’s home opener in the state in which he was born since 1966. Freeland (1-0) gave up four hits with a pair of walks and struck out six, including the first batter he faced, Logan Forsythe.
Colorado’s bullpen again came up big as Carlos Estevez and Scott Oberg each threw a scoreless inning before Jake McGee struck out the side in the ninth for his first save of the season. Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-1) was the loser.
NATIONALS 7, PHILLIES 6
PHILADELPHIA—Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Jayson Werth hit homers to back Max Scherzer and Washington held on to spoil Philadelphia’s home opener.
Scherzer (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits, striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings. The NL Cy Young winner waited until the fourth game to pitch after a broken knuckle set him back in spring training.
Aaron Altherr hit a two-run homer off Sammy Solis in the seventh to get the Phillies to 7-4 and Freddy Galvis hit a two-run shot off Blake Treinen in the ninth. Vince Velasquez (0-1) struck out 10, but allowed four runs in four innings.