Phillies’ Harper gets last laugh in DC return
A’s blank BoSox • Tigers rally past Yankees in 9th • Dodgers continue power barrage to beat Giants
Bryce Harper had three hits, including a home run, in his return to Washington, and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Nationals 8-2 on Tuesday night.
After striking out in his first two at-bats, Harper doubled, singled in a run and blasted a 458-foot, two-run homer into the upper deck in right center at the stadium he called home for seven seasons.
Maikel Franco homered and reached base five times for the Phillies, and Jean Segura (three hits) drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double.
Zach Eflin (1-0) pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out nine. Max Scherzer (0-2) allowed two runs – one earned – on seven hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out nine.
A’s 1, Red Sox 0
Matt Chapman homered, Mike Fiers pitched six shutout innings and Ramon Laureano made a potential game-saving throw as host Oakland edged Boston after Chapman cleared the wall in the opening inning against Red Sox ace Chris Sale (0-2).
The loss is Boston’s fourth in a row and second to the A’s. The Red Sox never lost more than three in a row last season en route to winning the World Series.
The right-handed Fiers (2-1) allowed five hits and didn’t issue a walk while striking out three. With one out in the ninth, Xander Bogaerts hit the ball off the fence in right-center, but hesitated rounding second base when Laureano unleashed a onehop throw to third to narrowly retire him.
Tigers 3, Yankees 1
Dustin Peterson hit a tie-breaking double off Aroldis Chapman with one out in the top of the ninth inning, and visiting Detroit edged New York.
Peterson recorded his first career hit and first career RBI when he laced a 95 mph fastball well over left fielder Mike Tauchman’s head. The ball bounced to the base of the fence and easily allowed Niko Goodrum to score.
Before Peterson’s hit gave Detroit its third win of the season, John Hicks hit a game-tying double off Masahiro Tanaka in the sixth.
Dodgers 6, Giants 5
The home runs keep coming for Los Angeles, who got a grand slam from Cody Bellinger and held on against visiting San Francisco, which scored three runs in the ninth inning and had the tying run on third base with one out.
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen got Pablo Sandoval to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game. Bellinger’s blast was his fifth of the season, putting him into the National League lead. It was also the 17th of the season for the Dodgers in six games to tie a major league record.
The Giants got a home run of their own from starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (0-2), who also gave up five runs (none earned) on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts over six innings on the mound.
Mets 6, Marlins 5
Amed Rosario slashed a two-run double during a five-run first inning, and Justin Wilson earned his first save since 2017 as New York held on to beat host Miami.
Wilson Ramos and Dominic Smith each went 2-for-5 with one RBI for the Mets, who clinched their second straight series to start the year.
Jason Vargas (1-0) earned the win, allowing eight hits, one walk and two runs in five innings. Marlins Opening Day starter Jose Urena (0-2) took the loss, allowing seven hits, one walk and five runs in four innings
Orioles 2, Blue Jays 1
Andrew Cashner pitched six scoreless innings, Jonathan Villar delivered an RBI triple and visiting Baltimore beat Toronto to win the first two games of the series.
Cashner (1-1) allowed four hits and three walks while striking out three. Miguel Castro earned his first save of the season despite allowing the second homer of the season by Toronto’s Rowdy Tellez with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Toronto starter Marcus Stroman (0-1) allowed two runs in 52/3 innings, yielding nine hits and one walk while striking out five.
Rays 4, Rockies 0
Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell returned to his 2018 form, firing seven shutout innings and striking out 13 in Tampa Bay’s win over visiting Colorado.
Snell (1-1) was roughed up by the Astros in an opening-day loss last Thursday, but he bewildered the Rockies from the first pitch, allowing just two hits and one walk in his 102-pitch outing. Reliever Wilmer Font closed out the game with two scoreless innings.
Rockies starter Kyle Freeland (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits and four walks, struck out 10 and was replaced with two outs in the fifth inning at 99 pitches. Trevor Story had the only two hits – both singles – for Colorado, which has dropped four straight.