LA Dodgers fight back to edge Braves
JD Martinez hit two home runs and Freddie Freeman had a double and a homer to help the Los Angeles Dodgers overcome a four-run deficit and beat the Atlanta Braves 8-6 in the opener of a three-game series matching the National League’s two winningest teams.
Martinez went 4-for-5 with a pair of solo shots. Freeman, who played for Atlanta from 2010-21, went 3-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
Evan Phillips (1-0) worked one scoreless relief frame for the win. Brusdar Graterol got the last four outs and earned his third save.
Atlanta starter Charlie Morton (5-4) pitched five innings and allowed six runs on seven hits. Eddie Rosario hit a three-run homer for the Braves.
At Milwaukee, Yordan Alvarez had a grand slam and a solo shot as the Houston Astros pounded out five homers to extend their winning streak to a seasonhigh eight games with a 12-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Astros had four solo homers off starter Corbin Burnes. Alvarez’s slam off Hoby Milner, his second of the season and fourth of his career, capped a fiverun sixth that put Houston up 10-1.
Cristian Javier (5-1) allowed one run on four hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one. Houston have won 11 of their last 12 to move a seasonhigh nine games above .500.
At Cleveland, Hunter Gaddis and four relievers combined on a three-hit shutout and Mike Zunino hit a tworun homer as the Cleveland Guardians snapped a three-game skid with a 3-0 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Gaddis (1-1), recalled from Triple-A Columbus to fill in for Peyton Battenfield, who went on the 15-day injured list, allowed two hits over six innings for his first major league victory. Emmanuel Clase retired the White Sox in order in the ninth for his 16th save.
The unexpected pitchers’ duel featured Gaddis and the White Sox’s Jesse Scholtens (0-2), who allowed one run on two hits over five innings after opener Jimmy Lambert pitched a scoreless first. Scholtens was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to replace expected starter Mike Clevinger, who landed on the injured list.
RESULTS (home team in CAPS)
CLEVELAND 3 Chicago White Sox 0; PITTSBURGH 6 Texas 4; CINCINNATI 6 St Louis 5; Arizona 6 PHILADELPHIA 3; TAMPA BAY 6 Toronto 4; LA Dodgers 8 ATLANTA 6; Detroit 8 KANSAS CITY 5; Houston 12 MILWAUKEE 2; San Francisco 4 MINNESOTA 1; COLORADO 5 Miami 3; LA ANGELS 2