Polanco, Twins keep on rolling
Jorge Polanco homered in the sixth inning and four Minnesota pitchers made it stand up, as the host Twins beat the A’s 1-0 on Saturday for their 13th victory in their last 16 games. The A’s lost their eighth straight.
Minnesota pitchers combined to strike out 15 while allowing just three hits. Polanco had three of the Twins’ five hits. Griffin Jax (2-0) earned the win with 1⅔ innings in relief. Jhoan Duran struck out five in two innings for his second save.
Blue Jays 8-2, Guardians 3-8
Owen Miller delivered a two-run double and Franmil Reyes homered and had two RBI, helping Cleveland beat Toronto to earn a split. In the opener, George Springer and Raimel Tapia each drove in three runs in the first four innings against ace Shane Bieber (1-2), who gave up a career-hightying seven runs in 3⅓ innings. He did not have a strikeout for the first time in 86 career starts and 88 total appearances.
Astros 3, Tigers 2
Jose Altuve homered early and Michael Brantley tripled in a two-run eighth to help Houston run its winning streak to a season-best six games. The win was manager Dusty Baker’s 2,004th, passing Bruce Bochy (2,003) for 11th on the all-time list. Miguel Cabrera doubled in the third to join Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols as the only players in MLB history to have at least 3,000 hits, 500 homers and 600 doubles in their careers.
Giants 13, Cardinals 7
Wilmer Flores hit a grand slam in the first inning and matched his career high with six RBI as San Francisco snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over St. Louis. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina reached 1,000 career RBI and Dylan Carlson hit a three-run homer, but St. Louis committed three errors and ended its three-game winning streak.
Braves 3, Brewers 2
Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a fifth-inning homer for the game’s first run, Max Fried outpitched Corbin Burnes and host Atlanta held off Milwaukee. Fried (4-2) allowed one run and four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in seven innings to end Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak. Kenley Jansen earned his eighth save.
Sale has setback in rehab from rib injury
Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale suffered a setback in his recovery from a fractured rib cage suffered in late February, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said.