Gallo jumps to The Show, sets record in debut
RANGERS 15, WHITE SOX 2
ARLINGTON, Texas — Joey Gallo hit an upper- deck home run, doubled off the top of the wall and set a Rangers franchise record for a major league debut with four RBI as Texas beat the Chicago White Sox 15- 2 in a series opener Tuesday night.
Gallo, the top prospect in the Rangers organization, made the jump from Class AA Frisco for what is supposed to be a short stint while four- time All- Star third baseman Adrian Beltre is on the 15- day disabled list with a sprained left thumb.
With the bases loaded in the first, Gallo hit a hard shot that got past Gold Glove first baseman Adam LaRoche. It was scored a “bad- hop single” that drove home the first two runs off Jeff Samardzija ( 4- 3).
When Gallo came up two innings later, he hit the first pitch into the upper deck in right field — an estimated 418 feet — for a 6- 2 lead.
He came oh so close to another home run in the fifth with a drive that ricocheted off the top of the wall in right- center, after The Natural music played for home runs started briefly before being turned off.
“He has impressive power that I think we’re all jealous of up here,” Beltre said before the game.
Shin- Soo Choo and Carlos Corporan hit home runs for the Rangers, who have won 11 of their last 13 games.
Corporan, who entered the game in the third inning after starting catcher Robinson Chirinos ( bruised right hand) was hit by a pitch, had a two- run single in the sixth and
added a three- run home run in the eighth. Choo’s home run came in the fourth, and he had an RBI single in the sixth. Colby Lewis ( 5- 3) limited the White Sox to 2 runs over 7 innings, with 4 strikeouts and no walks.
INDIANS 2, ROYALS 1 Michael Brantley drove in the go- ahead run with two outs in the eighth inning, backing a strong performance by Carlos Carrasco and sending visiting Cleveland to a victory over slumping Kansas City.
ATHLETICS 5, TIGERS 3 Ben Zobrist’s grand slam highlighted a five- run seventh inning as Oakland rallied for a victory over host Detroit.
RED SOX 1, TWINS 0 Clay Buchholz pitched eight innings and got all the run support he needed on Rusney Castillo’s RBI single in the seventh as Boston ended a three- game skid with a victory over visiting Minnesota.
ASTROS 6, ORIOLES 4 Evan Gattis hit a three- run home run and Luis Valbuena added a go- ahead solo shot in a five- run third inning to help host Houston to a victory over Baltimore. The Astros lead the American League with a 3320 record.
INTERLEAGUE
NATIONALS 2- 3, BLUE JAYS 0- 7 Kevin Pillar hit two home runs off Max Scherzer, and visiting Toronto snapped a four- game skid with a victory over Washington in the second game of a day- night doubleheader. The Nationals won the opener.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PHILLIES 5, REDS 4 Darin Ruf hit a walkoff single with one out in the ninth inning after Maikel Franco tied it in the eighth with a two- run home run to lead host Philadelphia to a rare late- inning comeback victory over Cincinnati.
MARLINS 5, CUBS 2 Brad Hand pitched six innings to earn his fifth victory in 33 career starts, and Miami beat visiting Chicago. Hand ( 11) improved his career record as a starter to 5- 18.
CARDINALS 1, BREWERS 0 Lance Lynn allowed five hits while pitching into the eighth inning and Mark Reynolds had an RBI single in the second for host St. Louis, who beat Milwaukee.
ROCKIES 6- 8, DODGERS 3- 9 Alex Guerrero hit a grand slam off reliever Rafael Betancourt with two outs in the top of the ninth, helping visiting Los Angeles rally for a victory over Colorado and salvage a doubleheader split. The Rockies beat the Dodgers in the opener behind the pitching of Jorge De La Rosa.