Red Sox pitchers make sure one run’s enough
Moreland’s homer lifts Boston against Arizona
Mitch Moreland homered off Merrill Kelly on the first pitch of the seventh inning, and the World Series champion Boston Red Sox ended an awful opening trip with a 1-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Boston went 3-8 against Seattle, Oakland and Arizona, its worst start since losing nine of 11 in 2011.
Hector Velazquez, Brandon Workman, Marcus Walden (1-0), Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier combined on a three-hitter. Walden got six outs for his first major league victory and Brasier retired Adam Jones on a gameending groundout with a runner on second.
“We know how good we are. We know that we have to get better,” manager Alex Cora said. angels 7, Rangers 2: Mike Trout homered for the fourth straight game and Los Angeles won after waiting out a five-minute delay caused by a swarm of bees in the fifth.
Rays 3, Giants 0: Yandy Diaz homered on the second pitch of the game. Yonny Chirinos (2-0) allowed two hits in five innings.
Brewers 4, Cubs 2: Christian Yelich hit his fifth homer this season and 100th of his career, a drive off Kyle Hendricks (0-2), Yelich had three RBIS. Phillies 2, twins 1: Rhys Hoskins hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning. indians 3, Blue Jays 1: Mike Clevinger (1-0) struck out 10 and allowed one hit over five scoreless innings, then left with upper back tightness, as Cleveland completed a four-game sweep. Indians pitchers struck out 16. tigers 3, Royals 1: Tyson Ross (1-1) allowed one run and five hits over seven innings in his debut at Comerica Park, the last current ballpark in which he hadn’t yet pitched. Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 28 games dating to last season.
Braves 4, marlins 3: Dansby Swanson hit a game-ending single off Adam Conley (0-2) against a five-man infield after Ronald Acuna Jr. reached on a catcher’s interference call on Chad Wallach after his apparent double-play grounder. Pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson hit a tying homer in the ninth off Arodys Vizcaino (1-0). Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer off Caleb Smith in the first inning. Pirates 7, Reds 5: Cincinnati’s Yasiel Puig barreled into a bunch of Pirates during a bench-clearing fracas and was among five ejections. astros 9, a’s 8: Jose Altuve drew a four-pitch walk from Blake Treinen (0-1) with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth. mariners 12, White sox 5: Daniel Vogelbach homered twice, hit a basesclearing double and set a career high with six RBIS.
Cardinals 4, Padres 1: Adam Wainwright (1-0) gave up one run and five hits in six innings, struck out nine and didn’t issue a walk.