Dodgers end Cubs’ 5-game winning streak
Yoshinobu Yamamoto racked up eight strikeouts and scattered three hits over five innings, and Max Muncy delivered a two-run single to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers past the host Chicago Cubs 4-1 on Saturday.
Yamamoto (1-1) slithered out of bases-loaded jams in each of the first two innings before settling in to retire the final 10 batters he faced to earn his first Major League Baseball victory.
Muncy finished with two hits, as did Miguel Rojas, who added an RBI for Los Angeles. Shohei Ohtani and Austin Barnes also had two hits apiece.
Cody Bellinger poked two singles for Chicago, which entered Saturday scoring seven runs per game, tied with the Atlanta Braves for the most in MLB. Miles Mastrobuoni had the Cubs’ lone RBI, while Ian Happ, Yan Gomes and Michael Busch each stroked doubles for Chicago. The Cubs struck out a seasonhigh 15 times and scored their fewest runs in a game this season.
The Dodgers remained patient against a wild-throwing Jose Cuas in the fifth inning to score the game’s first three runs.
Yankees 9, Blue Jays 8
Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo hit two-run homers, Giancarlo Stanton rapped a solo homer and New York chased Kevin Gausman early and hung on for a victory over visiting Toronto.
Judge and Stanton homered in New York’s three-run first inning off Gausman (0-1) as the Yankees won for the seventh time in nine games to start the season. Judge hit an 0-2 splitter to left field for a 2-0 lead and Stanton lifted a first-pitch fastball that just cleared the right field seats and was upheld after a brief crew chief review.
Including the playoffs, it was the 36th time, Judge and Stanton homered in the same game. The Yankees are 32-4 in those games.
Rizzo homered off the right field foul pole in the fifth off Mitch White to push New York’s lead to 8-2 as the Yankees bounced back from a 3-0 loss in their home opener on Friday.
Judge and Stanton reached base a combined seven times.
Royals 3, White Sox 0
MJ Melendez hit a key homer and Michael Wacha tossed seven shutout innings as host Kansas City beat Chicago.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, when Salvador Perez singled to left off Chicago right-hander Chris Flexen.
On the next pitch, Melendez hit an opposite-field liner that was headed for the top of the wall in center. Chicago center fielder Dominic Fletcher got his glove on the ball, but instead managed to tip it over the fence for a two-run homer, Melendez’s second of the season.
The Royals tacked on another run in the inning when pinch-runner Dairon Blanco scored from third on Maikel Garcia’s infield single to second base.
The game evolved into a pitching duel between a pair of well-traveled veteran right-handers, Kansas City’s Wacha and Chicago’s Flexen.
Reds 9, Mets 6
Spencer Steer hit a tiebreaking threerun homer to highlight a five-run eighth inning as host Cincinnati rallied for a win over New York.
The Reds rebounded after squandering a two-run lead earlier in the game.
The Reds trailed 5-4 before the first seven batters reached in the eighth against Yohan Ramirez (0-1). Elly De La Cruz tied the game with a check-swing RBI single and stole second one pitch before Steer’s homer.
Ramirez threw 41 pitches in the eighth, the most he’s thrown in a bigleague outing.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand culminated the scoring with a sacrifice fly later in the inning for the Reds, who avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Phillies 5, Nationals 2
J.T. Realmuto belted a three-run home run and Ranger Suarez pitched six strong innings as Philadelphia beat host Washington.
Jeff Hoffman, Gregory Soto and Jose Alvarado completed the four-hitter out of the Phillies’ bullpen.
Joey Gallo hit a two-run homer for the Nationals, who were blanked a night earlier in the series opener. Lane Thomas had two of Washington’s hits with a pair of singles, but the team dropped its third consecutive game.
Philadelphia’s Trea Turner also had two hits, including a double, against his former team. Realmuto also had two hits for the Phillies, who have won backto-back games for the first time this season.
Washington starter Jake Irvin (0-1) allowed four runs on five hits across six innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Guardians 3, Twins 1
David Fry hit a three-run home run in the second inning, and visiting Cleveland held on for a win over Minnesota.
Seven Guardians pitchers combined to hold the Twins to two hits. Cleveland won its fourth game in a row and continued its hot start, with seven wins in nine games.
Alex Kirilloff ripped an RBI triple to account for Minnesota’s lone run. The Twins were held to two runs or fewer for the fourth time in seven games.
Guardians right-hander Nick Sandlin (2-0) earned the win with an inning of hitless relief.
He struck out two batters. Twins right-hander Joe Ryan (0-1)
gave up three runs on five hits in six innings. He walked none and struck out seven, and he threw 67 of 90 pitches for strikes.
Cardinals 3, Marlins 1
Steven Matz threw five scoreless innings as host St. Louis defeated winless Miami.
The Cardinals won for the fourth time in five games while the injury-depleted Marlins fell to 0-9.
Matz (1-0) allowed four hits and a walk while striking out three batters. Ryan Helsley closed out the game to earn his third save.
Marlins starting pitcher Taylor Rogers (0-1) allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks.
Both pitchers started well. Matz retired the first six batters he faced while Rogers held the Cardinals hitless until the third inning.
Athletics 4, Tigers 0
Paul Blackburn and two relievers combined on a five-hit shutout as visiting Oakland defeated Detroit.
Blackburn (1-0) limited Detroit to three hits in six innings while recording four strikeouts. Austin Adams pitched one inning before Mason Miller closed out the contest, striking out three in two innings.
Brent Rooker led the offense with two hits, including a two-run homer, and three RBIs. Zack Gelof walked three times and scored three runs for Oakland, which claimed its second win this season.
Detroit starter Kenta Maeda (0-1) was charged with three runs in 52⁄3 innings.
The A’s took a two-run lead in the first. Gelof drew a one-out walk. After a groundout, Rooker blasted a 3-2 slider over the left field wall for his second home run in as many days.
Pirates 5, Orioles 4, 11 innings
Oneil Cruz delivered a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning to give Pittsburgh a win against visiting Baltimore in the second game of their three-game series.
Cedric Mullins had just made a game-saving diving catch in center field on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ liner before Cruz drilled the first pitch he saw from Jonathan Heasley (0-1) into right field for the game-winning RBI.
Josh Fleming (1-0) got the final out of the 11th inning for the Pirates to earn the win.
Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter allowed one bloop hit over six shutout innings. He struck out one and walked one on 78 pitches.
Mariners 5, Brewers 3
Bryce Miller pitched seven scoreless innings and Seattle held on to defeat host Milwaukee in an interleague game.
Jorge Polanco and Luis Urias homered for the Mariners, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Rookie Jackson Chourio went deep for the Brewers.
Miller (1-1) gave up three hits, walked one and struck out seven.
Brewers starter DL Hall (0-1) took the loss. The lefty went 51⁄3 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, with two walks and five strikeouts.
Braves 9, Diamondbacks 8
Austin Riley had three hits, including the go-ahead single in the eighth inning, to help Atlanta complete a late-inning comeback for the second straight night and beat visiting Arizona.
The Braves trailed 6-0 before coming to bat in the first inning and 8-2 in the fifth. They scored three runs in the fifth, two in the seventh and two more in the eighth. An RBI single from Ronald Acuna Jr. tied the game, Riley’s hit gave them their first lead.
On Friday, Atlanta scored three runs in the final two innings in the series opener and won in the 10th.
Saturday’s winning pitcher was A.J. Minter (1-1), with Raisel Iglesias working a scoreless ninth to earn his first save. The losing pitcher was Luis Frias (0-1).
Rangers 7, Astros 2
Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford combined for six hits and three RBIs at the top of the order as Texas won its third straight game, beating Houston in Arlington, Texas.
Texas led 3-2 before scoring four runs on six straight hits in the eighth inning. Seager singled in a run with one out and scored on a wild pitch following Langford’s run-scoring double. Adolis Garcia capped the rally with an RBI single against Ryan Pressly.
Texas used six relievers, including Kirby Yates (1-0), who earned the win after striking out two in a scoreless sixth inning.
Brock Burke, Jose Urena, Yates, David Robertson, Josh Sborz and Jose Leclerc combined to allow three hits over 51⁄3 shutout innings in relief of starter Jon Gray.
Padres 4, Giants 0
Jurickson Profar smacked a first-inning grand slam, Michael King and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and San Diego evened its series against host San Francisco.
Profar’s homer, his first of the season, came after Xander Bogaerts singled to open the game. Giants starter Keaton Winn (0-2) retired the next two men he faced, before Manny Machado singled and Ha-Seong Kim walked to set up Profar.
King (2-0) took it from there, having learned from experience how to pitch with a lead. In his two previous starts, he was staked to a 5-0 first-inning advantage, including Sunday against the Giants.
The first-year Padre coasted through seven innings, allowing just four hits – all singles – and one walk. He struck out four.
Angels 2, Red Sox 1
Reid Detmers matched a career high with 12 strikeouts and three relievers combined to throw three hitless innings, propelling Los Angeles over visiting Boston.
Detmers (2-0) allowed one run on three hits and one walk in six innings while fanning 12 for the third time in his career.
Adam Cimber (seventh inning), Matt Moore (eighth) and Carlos Estevez (ninth) did the rest. Moore got help from center fielder Mike Trout, who made a running catch in front of the center field wall after a deep liner by Jarren Duran.
Estevez recorded his third save of the season.
Rays 6, Rockies 4
Isaac Paredes homered and finished with two hits, Harold Ramirez also had two hits, and visiting Tampa Bay rallied to beat Colorado.
Garrett Cleavinger (1-0) got the win in relief and Colin Poche got the final three outs for his first save.
Brenton Doyle homered among his two hits, Michael Toglia and Ryan McMahon also went deep, and Ezequiel Tovar and Elias Diaz had two hits each for Colorado. The Rockies blew a five-run lead to spoil Ryan Feltner’s career-high 10 strikeouts.
Feltner allowed just one run on two hits over six sharp innings.