Yankees roll
Gary Sanchez hit a three-run home run to help chase Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell in the first inning, CC Sabathia earned his 250th career victory and the New York Yankees thumped the Tampa Bay Rays 12-1 to complete a three-game sweep.
AMERICAN LEAGUE YANKEES 12, RAYS 1
NEW YORK — It’s not unusual for Rays Manager Kevin Cash — pioneer of the relief opener — to have his bullpen warming as early as the first inning. It’s just never happened with a defending Cy Young Award winner on the mound.
The surging, slugging New York Yankees are on that kind of roll.
Gary Sanchez hit a three-run home run to help chase Blake Snell in the first, CC Sabathia got his 250th career victory and the Yankees thumped Tampa Bay 12-1 Wednesday to complete a threegame sweep.
Gleyber Torres added a grand slam during a six-run seventh inning, and New York three-hit the Rays to win its fifth in a row and extend its AL East lead over second-place Tampa Bay to 31/2 games.
“For us to have that kind of series against them right there, that’s a nice way to go into the evening,” New York Manager Aaron Boone said.
Tampa Bay was swept for the second time this season — the other came against Boston in April.
“Not a lot went well today,” Cash said. “It’s a good thing this loss only counts as one.”
Snell (4-6) walked 4, gave up 2 hits and was charged with 6 runs while getting 1 out on 39 pitches in the shortest start of his career.
Colin Poche replaced the lefthander with the bases loaded, hit Gio Urshela with a pitch and allowed a two-run single to DJ LeMahieu before ending the inning. Snell’s previous shortest start was one-plus inning against the Yankees on Sept. 26, 2017.
Sabathia (4-4) pitched one-run ball over six innings. He struck out 7 and allowed 3 hits and 3 walks.
Sabathia is the 14th pitcher with 3,000 strikeouts and 250 victories. Twelve are in the Hall of Fame, and the other is Roger Clemens.
ATHLETICS 8, ORIOLES 3 Chris Bassitt took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as host Oakland beat Baltimore.
MARINERS 8, ROYALS 2 Domingo Santana hit two home runs as Seattle avoided a sweep with a victory over visiting Kansas City.
ANGELS 11, BLUE JAYS 6 Mike Trout hit two home runs, including his sixth career grand slam, and had a career-best seven RBI as Los Angeles beat host Toronto.
INDIANS 10, RANGERS 4 Jason Kipnis hit two home runs, going back-to-back with Roberto Perez during a five-run first inning, and visiting Cleveland beat Texas.
RED SOX 9, TWINS 4 Eduardo Rodriguez picked up the Red Sox’s bullpen a night after a 17-inning loss, Brock Holt drove in three runs and Boston beat host Minnesota.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NATIONALS 6-2, PHILLIES 2-0 Patrick Corbin struck out eight while allowing one run over seven innings as host Washington earned a victory over Philadelphia in the first game of a doubleheader. In the second game, Max Scherzer shrugged off a broken nose and black eye to throw seven shutout innings as Washington completed the sweep.
PADRES 8, BREWERS 7 Franmil Reyes hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh and Eric Hosmer added a two-run shot for San Diego, which beat visiting Milwaukee.
BRAVES 7, METS 2 Josh Donaldson hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run in the sixth inning, Freddie Freeman launched an early two-run shot and host Atlanta beat New York.
CARDINALS 2, MARLINS 1 (11) Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning to give St. Louis a victory over visiting Miami.
INTERLEAGUE
REDS 3, ASTROS 2 Nick Senzel singled home the tying run with two outs in the ninth inning, and Jesse Winker followed with an RBI single as host Cincinnati swept Houston.
PIRATES 8, TIGERS 7 Bryan Reynolds hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to complete the Pirates’ rally from a six-run deficit, and Pittsburgh beat visiting Detroit.
CUBS 7, WHITE SOX 3 Willson Contreras homered twice and drove in five runs, and the Chicago Cubs handed Lucas Giolito his first loss since April by downing the Chicago White Sox.