Harper powers Phillies vs. Reds
>> Bryce Harper homered for his first three hits of the season, including a grand slam, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-4 on Tuesday night.
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.
“It felt good going up there and hitting three homers,” Harper said. “It was really cool. But obviously I thought Spencer threw the ball really well. ... It was just really good from the pitching side.”
Harper went 0 for 11 with a walk while playing in three of the Phillies' first four games, but he broke out in a big way against the Reds.
The two-time NL MVP hit a solo shot in the first and fourth innings against Graham Ashcraft. He capped Philadelphia's fiverun seventh against Brent Suter with his seventh career grand slam, a 422-foot drive to right-center.
It was Harper's second career three-homer game and his 26th multihomer game overall. He finished with a career-best six RBIs.
BLUE JAYS 2, ASTROS 1 Davis Schneider's tworun homer off closer Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth inning lifted Toronto over Houston.
It looked like the Blue Jays were going to be shut out for a second straight night after Ronel Blanco threw the first no-hitter of the season in Houston's 10-0 win Monday.
ROYALS 4, ORIOLES 1 >> Alec Marsh pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, Maikel Garcia drove in three runs and Kansas City breezed past Baltimore at wet and chilly Camden Yards.
WHITE SOX 3, BRAVES 2 Garrett Crochet pitched seven sparkling innings, pinch-hitter Paul DeJong had a tiebreaking homer and the Chicago White Sox got their first win.
ANGELS 3, MARLINS 1 >> Tyler Anderson pitched seven scoreless innings, Aaron Hicks homered and the Los Angeles Angeles sent the Marlins to their worst start in franchise history.
Bryan De La Cruz homered in the ninth inning for the Marlins, who lost their sixth straight game to start the season.
CUBS 12, ROCKIES 2 >> Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki, Christopher Morel and Garrett Cooper homered, and the Chicago Cubs pounded Colorado for their third straight win.
RAYS 5, RANGERS 2 >> 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.
BREWERS 3, TWINS 2 >> Jackson Chourio singled in a run in his first American Family Field plate appearance, Christian Yelich homered and Milwaukee beat Minnesota to open a season with four straight wins for the first time since 2006.