Yelich, Brewers topple Twins, improve to 4-0
Harper blasts 3 homers as Phillies rout Reds
MILWAUKEE — Jackson Chourio singled in a run in his first American Family Field plate appearance, Christian Yelich homered and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Tuesday to open a season with four straight wins for the first time since 2006.
Chourio stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the third inning after consecutive one-out singles by Rhys Hoskins, Oliver Dunn and Turang. The 20-yearold followed with an RBI single into shallow right field.
Chourio, who signed an $82 million, eight-year contract in the offseason before making his big league debut, is hitting .400 (6 for 15).
Home after a three-game sweep at the New York Mets, the Brewers never trailed in front of a sellout crowd of 41,659 that saved its biggest cheers for the introduction of Bob Uecker as he began his 54th season of broadcasting Brewers baseball.
Brice Turang went 2 for 3 with an RBI single, improving his batting average to .500 (7 for 14).
PHILLIES 9, REDS 4: In Philadelphia, Bryce Harper homered for his first three hits of the season, including a grand slam, and Philadelphia beat Cincinnati.
Brandon Marsh also connected for Philadelphia, which bounced back nicely after dropping the series opener on Monday. Spencer Turnbull struck out seven in five effective innings.
The two-time NL MVP hit a solo shot in the first and fourth innings against Graham Ashcraft. He capped Philadelphia’s five-run seventh against Brent Suter with his seventh career grand slam, a 422-foot drive to right-center.
ROYALS 4, ORIOLES 1: In Baltimore, Alec Marsh pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, Maikel Garcia drove in three runs and Kansas City breezed past Baltimore.
Marsh (1-0) turned in the best performance of his budding career, dominating the defending AL East champions with an exceptional display of control. He struck out five, walked one and retired the side in order five times.
The Orioles gave their supporters little reason to stand up and cheer. Baltimore’s only run came in the third inning on successive doubles by Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser, but that only served to cut their deficit to 3-1.
ANGELS 3, MARLINS 1: In Miami, Tyler Anderson pitched seven scoreless innings, Aaron Hicks homered and the Los Angeles Angeles beat Miami.
Anderson (1-0) scattered four hits, walked two and struck out five. The left-hander was lifted after 83 pitches.
Hicks’ solo blast in the fourth put the Angels ahead 1-0. He drove a fastball from Miami starter Jesús Luzardo inside the foul pole in right for his first homer with Los Angeles.
The Angels increased their lead on run-scoring singles from Hicks and Taylor Ward in the sixth.
Bryan De La Cruz homered in the ninth inning for the Marlins, who lost their sixth straight game to start the season.
RAYS 5, RANGERS 2:
In St. Petersburg, Fla., Zach Eflin took a shutout into the seventh inning, Isaac Paredes hit a three-run homer in a four-run fifth and Tampa Bay beat Texas.
Eflin (1-1) allowed three of his five hits and lone run in the seventh, then was removed after Jonah Heim’s one-out RBI single. Heim also had a two-out run-scoring single in the ninth off Pete Fairbanks, who retired Leody Tavares on a game-ending flyout with with two on.
Tampa Bay has a home run and stolen base in each of its first six games, matching Cleveland in 1998 as the only teams since 1901 to accomplish the feat.
Yandy Díaz, hitless in his previous 11 at-bats, put the Rays up 1-0 with a third-inning RBI single that deflected off pitcher Andrew Heaney’s glove and into right field.
Randy Arozarena hit a two-out, run-scoring single on a 3-2 pitch off Yerry Rodríguez and Paredes drove the next pitch into left-field seats.
BLUE JAYS 2, ASTROS 1: In Houston, Davis Schneider hit a two-run homer off Josh Hader with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and Toronto pulled out a win over the Astros.
The Blue Jays, who were no-hit by Houston’s Ronel Blanco on Monday, were an out away from being shut out Tuesday. Astros starter Framber Valdez pitched 7⅔ scoreless innings, allowing six hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
But Hader walked Justin Turner with two outs in the ninth, and Schneider followed with 423-foot blast to center field. Turner was 3-for-3 for the Blue Jays.
METS VS. TIGERS: The scheduled game between the unbeaten Detroit Tigers and winless New York Mets was postponed by rain.
The game will be made up at 1:10 p.m. on Thursday, originally an off day for both teams.
NOTE: Texas third baseman Josh Jung was scheduled for surgery Tuesday on his broken right wrist and will miss about six weeks, according to Rangers general manager Chris Young.
Jung was hurt when he was hit by a pitch from Tampa Bay reliever Phil Maton on a swinging strike in the ninth inning of the Rangers 9-3 win on Monday night. He was placed on the 10-day injured list and infielder Justin Foscus was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday.
Young said screws and a plate were to be used during the operation in Phoenix.
The 26-year-old Jung hit .266 with 23 home runs and a .781 OPS last season, finishing fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting despite missing time with a broken left thumb. He batted .308 with an .867 OPS in the postseason for the World Series champions.