Offensive fireworks continue for Duvall, Red Sox
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox know scoring nine runs in every game is satisfying — though not sustainable.
“We’re probably not going to average nine runs a game all year long,” Kike Hernandez said after collecting two of the team’s 14 hits in a 9-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. “But I do believe that’s what we’re capable of.”
Coming off a last-place finish in 2022 and predicted to finish at the bottom of the AL East again this season, the Red Sox opened by beating Baltimore two out of three — scoring nine runs in each game. They are the third team in baseball history to score at least nine in three consecutive games to start a season, joining Cincinnati’s 1976 Big Red Machine and the ‘78 Milwaukee Brewers known as “Bambi’s Bombers.”
One day after amassing four hits, including a walk-off home run, Adam Duvall had three more hits — two doubles and a two-run single to break a fifth-inning tie. The free agent outfielder collected his sixth extra-base hit of the season, becoming the first player in franchise history with six in his first three games with the team.
Tanner Houck (1-0) lasted 5 innings giving up 3 runs, 5 hits and a walk while striking out 5. Hernandez hit a home run, and Rafael Devers, Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo each had two of Boston’s 14 hits. ANGELS 6, ATHLETICS 0 Rookie Logan O’Hoppe hit his first big league home run with a three-run drive in the fourth, Mike Trout had a tworun shot the next inning and Shohei Ohtani connected one pitch later as Los Angeles beat Oakland.
GUARDIANS 6, MARINERS 5 (10) Jose Ramirez scored on a bases-loaded error by catcher Cal Raleigh in the 10th, and Cleveland beat Seattle in the major leagues’ first extra-inning game this season.
RAYS 5, TIGERS 1 Tampa Bay’s Jeffrey Springs was pulled after six hitless innings, Riley Greene got Detroit’s first hit with an infield single off Colin Poche in the seventh and the Rays beat Detroit to complete an opening three-game sweep. Springs (1-0) struck out a career-high 12. TWINS 7, ROYALS 4 Joey Gallo homered twice to back Joe Ryan (1-0), who gave up one run and three hits in six innings as Minnesota swept its opening series for the first time since 2017, also against Kansas City.
WHITE SOX 6, ASTROS 3 Luis Robert Jr. and Yoan Moncada homered, Mike Clevinger threw five shutout innings and Chicago defeated Houston.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
BREWERS 9, CUBS 5 Jesse Winker had two hits and three RBI, including a key two-run single in Milwaukee’s five-run sixth inning, and the Brewers beat Chicago. DIAMONDBACKS 2, DODGERS 1 Jake McCarthy drove in the tiebreaking run with a bunt single in the ninth inning, and Arizona beat the Dodgers to overcome Noah Syndergaard in his first start for Los Angeles.
METS 5, MARLINS 1 Kodai Senga struck out eight in his major league debut as New York beat Miami.
NATIONALS 4, BRAVES 1 MacKenzie Gore made his regular-season debut for the Nationals and showed them why he was a key part of the Juan Soto trade, limiting the Braves to one run across 51/3 innings in Washington’s victory over Atlanta. PADRES 3, ROCKIES 1 Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run home run, Seth Lugo pitched seven strong innings and San Diego beat Colorado, salvaging a split of the four-game series after dropping the first two games.
REDS 3, PIRATES 1 Graham Ashcraft pitched seven innings, Jason Vosler and TJ Friedl hit home runs and Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh.
INTERLEAGUE
CARDINALS 9, BLUE JAYS 4 Nolan Gorman hit a pair of two-run home runs and St. Louis beat Toronto. Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson also homered to start the game off of Toronto pitcher Chris Bassitt, who made his debut for the Blue Jays.
RANGERS 2, PHILLIES 1 Marcus Semien drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the fifth inning. Josh Jung homered and Texas completed a season-opening series sweep of Philadelphia.
YANKEES 6, GIANTS 0 Giancarlo Stanton smashed a titanic home run, Aaron Judge also went deep and Jhony Brito won his brilliant major league debut as New York blanked San Francisco.