AROUND THE HORN
Pirates, Reds: Pirates emergency C Josh VanMeter had a rough time in his first try behind the plate since he was a teenager, and the Reds took advantage to end a nine-game losing streak, beating the Pirates 9-2 in the opener of a doubleheader. Tyler Stephenson fouled a ball hard off VanMeter’s mask, then hit a tiebreaking, bases-loaded double in the eighth inning that fueled a seven-run burst. Pirates starting C Roberto Pérez was helped off the field with a left hamstring injury after falling while rounding second base in the top of the eighth. inning. Backup C Andrew Knapp was ejected by plate umpire Will Little in the bottom of the sixth inning for chirping from the dugout.
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw dominated over seven innings and the Dodgers beat the struggling Cubs 7-0 in the opener of a split doubleheader in Chicago. Freddie Freeman doubled three times and scored twice, helping the NL West leaders win for the 16th time in 21 games. Austin Barnes homered and drove in three runs. Kershaw gave up five hits, struck out two and walked one. The three-time Cy Young Award combined with two relievers on the Dodgers’ third shutout of the season. Barnes hit a solo drive in the fourth against Drew Smyly and added a two-run single in the eighth. Justin Turner drove in two with a double in the fifth, making it 4-0.
Twins: Jorge Polanco homered in the sixth inning and four Twins pitchers made it stand up, blanking the Athletics 1-0 and sending them to their eighth straight loss. Twins pitchers combined to strike out 15 while allowing just three hits. The Twins won again minus manager Rocco Baldelli, who is out with COVID-19. Polanco’s third homer of the season was a towering shot to the suites above the batter’s eye in center field and traveled an estimated 451 feet.
Blue Jays: George Springer and Raimel Tapia each drove in three runs in the first four innings against Shane Bieber, powering the Blue Jays to an 8-3 win over the Guardians in the first game of a doubleheader. Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman worked 6 ⅓ innings and allowed one run, striking out five. The right-hander issued his first walk of the season against his 137th batter, Franmil Reyes in the fourth. The Jays scored four runs in the second and three in the fourth off 2020 AL Cy Young winner Bieber, who gave up a career-high-tying seven runs in 3 ⅓ innings.
Brewers: OF Andrew McCutchen has tested positive for COVID-19. McCutchen returned to the team hotel in Atlanta and was placed on the COVID19 injured list. The team recalled INF Mike Brosseau from Triple-A Nashville. Manager Craig Counsell says the 38-year-old McCutchen reported symptoms on Saturday. He is hitting .240 with two homers.
Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale has suffered a setback in his recovery from a fractured rib cage suffered in late February. That’s according to chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, who spoke before Saturday’s game against the White Sox. The last-place Red Sox had lost 12 of their last 16. Mainly, he felt, the weakness has been the Red Sox’s poor offense, which enters Saturday 25th in the majors in runs per game.
Rain wreaks havoc: Persistent rain postponed games between the Orioles and Royals in Baltimore, Rangers and Yankees in New York and Mets and Phillies in Philadelphia.