Porcello snaps skid, Red Sox rout Twins
MINNEAPOLIS — Rick Porcello pitched seven sharp innings and got some rare run support to win his first start since opening day, and Chris Young homered twice to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Minnesota Twins 11-1 on Saturday.
After equaling last season’s loss total in less than a month, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner finally got to pitch with a lead again when Boston took advantage of a costly Minnesota error and scored eight two-out runs in the second. Porcello (2-4) cruised the rest of the way, allowing only Robbie Grossman’s homer in the third.
Nick Tepesch (0-1) gave up seven runs — six unearned — in his first major league appearance since last June, and his second since the 2014 season.
After Young’s solo shot in the second, Tepesch was one out from escaping with a runner on when shortstop Jorge Polanco bobbled Josh Rutledge’s routine grounder. Mookie Betts walked to load the bases for Dustin Pedroia, who followed with a three-run double to left-center, and the Red Sox were well on their way to their most lopsided win of the season. Drew Rucinski relieved Tepesch and yielded an RBI single to Hanley Ramirez and a run-scoring double to Mitch Moreland.
The Red Sox entered with the third-fewest RBIs in the American League, and hadn’t scored a single run with Porcello on the mound in his last four starts.
The right-hander gave up seven hits, struck out six and walked none.
Young added another solo shot in the fifth off Rucinski, and Rutledge drove in Deven Marrero with a single in the seventh.
Sandy Leon homered in the ninth off Michael Tonkin, and catcher Chris Gimenez came on to get the final two outs of the inning for Minnesota. It was Gimenez’s second pitching appearance this season.
Indians 3, Royals 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carlos Santana and Francisco Lindor hit backto-back home runs with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Cleveland Indians over the Kansas City Royals.
Kelvin Herrera (1-1) gave up the home runs in a span of three pitches. Santana took a 2-0 pitch out to right-center while Lindor hit his eighth, which landed in the Indians’ bullpen.
Andrew Miller (2-0) picked up the victory and Cody Allen earned his eighth save in as many opportunities, but had to work around a walk and a single.
The Royals led 1-0 going into the eighth, but the bullpen could not hold it.
Joakim Soria, the third Kansas City pitcher, gave up three hits and the tying run in the eighth for his second blown save. Kipnis’ two-out single scored Michael Brantley.
Royals left-hander Jason Vargas allowed four singles over six-plus scoreless innings in a no-decision.
Vargas lowered his ERA to 1.19. He has a 0.34 ERA in four home starts, giving up one earned run in 26 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .181 off him at Kauffman Stadium.
Indians starter Josh Tomlin, who entered the game with an 8.87 ERA, limited the Royals to one run and three hits over seven innings.
Eric Hosmer drove in the lone Royals run. His fourth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 10 games and scored Lorenzo Cain, who had doubled.
Vargas was removed after Kipnis led off the seventh with an infield single.
Rookie Matt Strahm replaced Vargas and struck out Brandon Guyer with a 95 mph fastball. After walking Yan Gomes on five pitches, the runners advanced to second and third on Abraham Almonte’s ground out to first.
Alex Gordon made a diving catch of Santana’s blooper to shallow left to end the inning and strand the runners.
Rays 6, Blue Jays 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Logan Morrison and Colby Rasmus hit tworun homers and Jake Odorizzi pitched seven strong innings for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Odorizzi (2-1) gave up one run in seven innings, the seventh straight time the right-hander has given up two runs or fewer in starts against Toronto.
Morrison put the Rays up 2-1 in the third inning with his seventh home run. It came off Toronto starter Marco Estrada after a single by Evan Longoria.
The home run for Rasmus, who spent the first month of the season on the disabled list while recovering from October surgeries, came on his first hit with the Rays.
Morrison and Rasmus drove in three runs each while Longoria had two hits and scored three runs.