Sabathia cruises after angioplasty; Yanks 1-hit White Sox
NEW YORK—CC Sabathia performed a big league first Saturday: consecutive regular season starts of at least five innings, no walks and no more than one hit.
Among Sabathia’s more remarkable feats, considering what came between.
Sabathia began his 19th and final big league season with five stellar innings, pinch-hitter Luke Voit came through with a broken-bat RBI single in the seventh and New York one-hit the Chicago White Sox 4-0 Saturday to end a four-game slide.
Sabathia allowed a hit and no other baserunners in his first start since having a stent inserted after blockage was found in an artery from his heart in December. He’s the first pitcher ever with five innings, one hit and no walks over back-to-back starts, per the Elias Sports Bureau, although it didn’t feel quite as smooth as it looked.
Johnny Vander Meer pitched back-to-back no-hitters for Cincinnati in 1938, walking a total of 11 in those two games.
José Rondón had Chicago’s only hit, a clean single in the third inning, but the second baseman also booted a likely double play grounder to set up Voit’s RBI. With the bases loaded, New York’s beefy, breakout slugger split his bat near the handle but still muscled a single to center against Ryan Burr for a 1-0 lead. Kyle Higashioka followed with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right, and Tyler Wade brought in another run with a safety squeeze.
Aaron Judge narrowly homered into the short right field porch in the eighth, his fourth of the season.
White Sox starter Ivan Nova (0-2) dueled with Sabathia, pitching four-hit ball into the seventh. He was pulled after allowing Gleyber Torres’ leadoff single, and the former Yankee right-hander was cheered by some Bronx fans as he walked off.
Domingo German (3-0) followed Sabathia by striking out four in two overpowering innings. Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman closed things out with a perfect inning each for New York, a refreshingly clean showing for a struggling, short-handed bullpen. The Yankees have led in 13 of 14 games this season yet are just 6-8.
Chicago has lost six of seven and dropped to 4-9.
Boone kept the 38-year-old Sabathia on a short leash in his first start following offseason operations on his heart and right knee. The big left-hander worked effectively with his cut fastball and slider against a righty-heavy lineup. He struck out three, raising his career total to 2,989, and only threw 62 pitches.
Sabathia had an almost identical line last September against Tampa Bay before he was ejected for plunking Jesus Sucre. This was his first regular season start since.
Players wore short sleeves and sunglasses a night after a swampy, rain-shortened win by the White Sox. Pitchers on both teams struggled to grip the ball in Chicago’s 9-6 victory.
No such issues Saturday. Nova and Sabathia were all over the strike zone, allowing a combined five baserunners over the first five innings— two of those were erased by a pair of White Sox double plays. Time of game was a crisp 2:28.
It was a memorable day for those starters, who were tight as pinstriped teammates over parts of seven seasons. Nova refers to Sabathia as his mentor, and Sabathia considers Nova a little brother.
Gotta glove it
Wade made a diving stop on Welington Castillo’s grounder at second leading off the third. Sabathia pointed his glove toward Wade in appreciation. Two batters later, center fielder Brett Gardner covered a lot of ground to make a sliding catch on Adam Engel’s flare. That got two arms up from Sabathia.
Trainer’s room
Yankees: RHP Dellin Betances received a cortisone shot to treat inflammation around a bone spur in his right shoulder. He plans to rest for three weeks before resuming throwing, with a goal of returning to the bullpen in six to seven weeks. … OF Giancarlo Stanton (strained left biceps) is hitting off a tee and soft toss, but not with 100% effort. He’s still unsure if he’ll need a minor league rehab assignment. … 1B/DH Luke Voit was out of the lineup for a rest day.
Up next
RHP Masahiro Tanaka (1-0, 1.47) has been the only Yankees starter to reliably work late into games. He’ll get the ball in the series finale against White Sox LHP Carlos Rodón.
Giants 5, Rockies 2
SAN FRANCISCO— Madison Bumgarner put together a vintage outing that came at the perfect time and gave a weary bullpen much needed rest.
The Giants ace was disappointed he didn’t do more.
Bumgarner pitched into the eighth inning and San Francisco beat Colorado 5-2 Saturday, handing the Rockies their eighth straight loss.
After outlasting the Rockies 3-2 in an 18-inning game that took over 5 ½ hours and ended shortly before 1 a.m., the Giants came back about 12 hours later and wrapped up this win in 2 hours, 48 minutes.
Bumgarner (1-2) allowed two runs on six hits. He struck out seven, walked one and didn’t permit a runner past first base until the sixth when Garrett Hampson doubled in Charlie Blackmon.
The big lefty exited after Chris Iannetta’s leadoff double in the eighth, angrily slapping his glove on his thigh as Bochy came out to replace him.
Bumgarner hardly sounded satisfied after eight Giants relievers combined for 14 scoreless innings in Friday’s marathon.
“In my mind, eight was the minimum for a day like today,” Bumgarner said. “Obviously close to it, but I have to find a way to get through that part of the lineup right there. I feel like I have to get at least one more right there and save those guys because last night was tough on everybody.”
Reyes Moronta followed Bumgarner and struck out the next three. Sam Dyson pitched the ninth for his first save.
Recently acquired Kevin Pillar homered for the fourth time in six days for the Giants. Buster Posey got two hits and drove in his first run this season—the star catcher had zero RBIs in 40 at-bats over his first 12 games.
Steven Duggar and Gerardo Parra added two hits apiece as San Francisco won its third straight following a 4-9 start.
Mark Reynolds homered for the Rockies. Colorado (3-12) is off to its worst start in franchise history.
San Francisco made two stellar defensive plays as well.
Left fielder Gerardo Parra made a diving catch on Nolan Arenado’s sinking liner in the first. The Giants then turned a 1-3-5 double play in the second inning after Trevor Story singled leading off.
Colorado didn’t have much to be excited about at all.
The Rockies struck out a franchise-record 24 times in Friday’s loss and fanned 10 times on Saturday. After getting called out on strikes to end the sixth, Arenado immediately began yelling at home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn and slammed his bat to the ground before walking away.
Pillar had a sacrifice fly in the third and homered off Kyle Freeland (1-3) in the fifth. Pillar has 12 RBIs since being acquired in a trade from Toronto on April 2.
Won’t go 0-5
By taking three straight from the Rockies, the Giants clinched their first series win of the season after dropping the first four.
Freeland’s finger
Freeland allowed three runs on nine hits and developed a blister on his left middle finger. Manager Bud Black pulled him after five innings in hopes that the left-hander can make his next start.
Trainer’s room
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt was scratched from the starting lineup after scoring the winning run Friday night. Belt entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth.
Up next
Colorado RHP German Marquez (1-1, 3.00 ERA) pitches the series finale Sunday looking for his first win in six career starts against San Francisco. LHP Derek Holland (1-1, 3.38) pitches for the Giants.
Orioles 9, Red Sox 5
BOSTON—Chris Davis ended his record slump at 0 for 54 and drew applause from rival fans at Fenway Park, getting three hits and driving in four runs as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 9-5 Saturday to end a four-game losing streak.
Davis walked to the plate in the first inning to what mostly appeared to be mock cheers when he was announced. But many of those quickly changed when he lined a bases-loaded, two-run single over the head of second baseman Dustin Pedroia, ending the longest hitless streak ever by a position player.
Once he safely reached first, Davis tipped his cap to the Orioles dugout and many of his teammates raised their arms and hollered in support. He smiled and made a motion that he wanted to ball, which he got.
“Significant weight lifted off my shoulders,” he said later.
Davis, a former two-time major league home run champion, later hit two doubles. He had been 0 for 33 this season.
The 33-year-old Davis is in the fourth season of a $161 million, seven-year contract. The all-time record for a hitless streak by any player was an 0-for-85 drought by pitcher Bob Buhl in 1962-63.
Davis lined an RBI double in the fifth that put the Orioles ahead 3-2. The Orioles broke it open four in the sixth, with Davis adding a run-scoring groundout.
Christian Vázquez hit a two-run homer and drove in a career-best four runs for the World Series champion Red Sox, who had won their last two games.
Andrew Cashner (3-1) gave up three runs on three hits in five-plus innings. Rick Porcello (0-3) pitched into the fifth.
Trainer’s room
Orioles: C Pedro Severino was in the lineup after having Friday off. He was hit in the head by a curveball from Oakland RHP J.B. Wendelken the day before.
Red Sox: Manager Alex Cora said LHP Brian Johnson (left elbow inflammation) still hasn’t thrown and is just getting treatment. . Pedroia returned after getting Friday off as the club proceeds slowly after he missed all but three games last year due to a knee injury.
Starting woes
Porcello had allowed 16 runs—11 earned—over 7 1/3 total innings in his first two starts. He gave up three in four-plus innings Saturday.
“He’s healthy. He’s good. Everything is good,” Cora said. “It’s just not working right now for him. He’s erratic in the zone.”
The top four Red Sox starters: Chris Sale, David Price, Nathan Eovaldi and Porcello
fell to 0-7 with an 8.43 ERA.
Sloppy, sloppy
Boston RHP Marcus Walden and 1B Steve Pearce both committed an error in the same inning. Third baseman Rafael Devers also bobbled a grounder, but threw Dwight Smith Jr. out at second after he rounded too far.
Up next
Orioles: LHP John Means (1-1, 2.08 ERA) is set to start Sunday.
Red Sox: LHP Price (0-1, 6.00) is slated to make his home debut.
Twins 4, Tigers 3
MINNEAPOLIS—The Minnesota Twins’ offense managed just enough to back Michael Pineda through his tough outing.
Pineda labored through six innings and Eddie Rosario drove in two runs as Minnesota had just five singles in 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
The Twins entered the game with 26 walks, the fewest in the majors, but drew seven against the Tigers.
Three of Minnesota’s first six hitters walked, and Byron Buxton and Jorge Polanco had RBI singles before Rosario lined a two-run single.
Detroit starter Tyson Ross (1-2) allowed four earned runs and five hits in six innings.
The first three Twins batters walked in the seventh. But after a couple strikeouts, Rosario hit a fly ball to the warning track in center.
In his third start, and longest outing of the season, Pineda (2-0) allowed three earned runs and eight hits, striking out five on a 37-degree day. The big righty, who had Tommy John surgery in July 2017 and did not play in 2018, has 15 strikeouts in 15 innings this season.
Trevor Hildenberger and Taylor Rogers each pitched a scoreless inning, and Blake Parker got the last three outs for his third save.
The Tigers had the tying run at second base in the ninth, but JaCoby Jones and Josh Harrison struck out. The Tigers were 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position.
Detroit got some unexpected assistance to take a 2-0 lead in the third.
The first three Tigers singled to load the bases, the last being a likely double-play grounder that deflected off second-base umpire Chris Guccione and into short left field. Harrison followed with a sacrifice fly and Jeimer Candelario ended an 0-for21 slump with a bloop RBI single.
Christin Stewart hit his third homer of the year in the sixth. Detroit has an MLBworst six home runs.
Unbalanced schedule
Friday’s game was postponed due to weather. It marked Minnesota’s sixth offday of the season that began March 28. Saturday was the first of 12 straight days with a game for the Twins, who’re scheduled to play 25 games in 26 days and 39 games in 41 days.
Trainers room
Tigers: SS Jordy Mercer was placed on the 10-day disabled list after leaving the game with a right quad spasm. A corresponding move is to be made Sunday. … INF/OF Niko Goodrum sat out due to illness. … OF Nick Castellanos (sprained right big toe) probably won’t play this weekend, according to Gardenhire.
Twins: 3B Miguel Sano took batting practice for the first time. Out with a right heel laceration sustained during a Dominican winter league playoff celebration Jan. 26, he is scheduled to go to Fort Myers in the middle of next week for a simulated Spring Training; however, he isn’t expected to play in a game for a couple weeks. … RHP Matt Magill (shoulder tendinitis) is scheduled to go to Triple-A Rochester Sunday and LHP Gabriel Moya (shoulder tendinitis) is likely headed to Double-A Pensacola Tuesday or Wednesday.
Up next
Detroit RHP Jordan Zimmermann (0-1, 2.50) is scheduled to face Minnesota RHP Jose Berrios (1-1, 2.18) Sunday. Zimmermann allowed three home runs to Cleveland in 4 1-3 innings last Tuesday; Berrios, the Twins ace, struck out seven Phillies in six innings last Sunday.
Blue Jays 3, Rays 1
TORONTO—Luke Maile knows how tough Blake Snell can be, having caught him many times during two seasons with Tampa Bay.
Maile, now Toronto’s backup catcher, broke up Snell’s no-hit bid in the sixth inning, and the Blue Jays went on to beat the Rays 3-1 Saturday, snapping Tampa Bay’s fivegame winning streak.
Despite their friendship, Maile said the only thing going through his mind during the at-bat was protecting his health.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run double off of reliever Chaz Roe (0-2) in the seventh inning to provide the winning margin, while Teoscar Hernandez added an insurance run one inning later.
Reliever Thomas Pannone (1-2) got the victory after pitching a scoreless seventh, while starter Clay Buchholz earned a no decision in his Blue Jays’ debut. Ken Giles got the last three outs for his fourth save.
Despite failing to get a decision, Snell continued his stellar form since allowing five earned runs on opening day, with a 0.47 ERA in the 19 innings he’s pitched since. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has 33 strikeouts in those three starts, including nine on Saturday.
It was the fifth time this season that Toronto has been no-hit through at least five innings, but the first time the Jays recovered to earn a victory.
In some ways, Snell’s brilliance on the mound is becoming somewhat routine to the rest of his teammates.
“Amazing. One hit. Six innings. That’s just typical Snell,” said shortstop Willy Adames, who scored the Rays’ only run.
Seeing his first action of the season after starting the year on the injured list with an injured right elbow, Buchholz lasted six innings, limiting Tampa to one earned run off six hits, striking out two.
The right-hander said he’s learned to moderate his intensity since his last start in the majors, when he was with Arizona last September.
One and done
After a franchise-record seven consecutive games of scoring a first-inning run, the Rays came up short on Saturday. That also brought an end to their streak of holding a lead at the end of 45 consecutive innings, the longest such streak for an American League club since Baltimore did so for 55 straight innings in 1983, according to STATS LLC.
Finally caught
Ji-Man Choi was caught stealing in the first inning, ending the Rays’ perfect run after being successful on a franchise-best 14 consecutive attempts this season. Trainer’s room
Blue Jays: To make way for Buchholz on the roster, the team optioned INF Richard Urena to Triple-A Buffalo following Friday’s loss to Tampa.
Up next
Rays: RHP Charlie Morton (2-0, 2.25) is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three career starts against Toronto.
Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (0-2, 2.41) still awaits his first win of the season entering his fourth start of the season. Went 0-1 in two starts against Tampa Bay last year, allowing five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings pitched.
Nationals 3, Pirates 2
WASHINGTON—Howie Kendrick is quickly making up for lost time.
Limited to only five games last season because of a torn Achilles and slowed this spring by a hamstring injury, the 35-year-old Kendrick is off to a fast start for the Washington Nationals.
He’s 6 for 10, including a home run Saturday that sent the Nationals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2.
After Adam Eaton’s twoout, two-strike homer in the eighth inning tied it, Kendrick connected on the next pitch.
“Following him up right there I was just like all right I want to get a pinch that I can get a drive,” Kendrick said. “Wasn’t necessarily thinking trying to hit a homer or anything like that. It just happened that way.”
Kendrick started his second game of the season and his shot off Pirates reliever Richard Rodriguez (0-1) was his second homer of the year. The second baseman is now in his 14th season.
Eaton finished with three hits as the Nationals denied Pittsburgh its first series win in Washington since 2013. The teams finish the threegame set on Sunday.
Wander Suero (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth and Sean Doolittle escaped his own first-and-second, one-out jam for his first save.
Melky Cabrera hit his first home run of the season, tagging Anibal Sanchez to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
Pirates starter Chris Archer struck out nine and allowed one run in seven innings in his third start of the season. He also singled in the seventh for his first hit of the season.
Archer pitched while appealing his five-game suspension from Major League Baseball for setting off a bench-clearing fracas at PNC Park last Sunday. He threw a fastball behind Cincinnati’s Derek Dietrich, who stood and admired a long home run in his previous at-bat.
There were five ejections, but Archer wasn’t tossed. He can keep playing until there’s a final ruling on his appeal.
Sanchez lasted seven innings, allowing two runs off seven hits while striking out two. He has yet to win in three starts since joining Washington from Atlanta in the offseason as a free agent.
Nationals record
Anthony Rendon doubled to break a Nationals record with at least one-extra base hit in 10 straight games. He had shared the mark with Ryan Zimmerman. Rendon also extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
Trainer’s room
Nationals: RHP Justin Miller (lower back strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list. He pitched one inning in Friday’s night loss to Pittsburgh and afterward manager Dave Martinez expressed concern about his fastball velocity.
Miller has made seven appearances this season for Washington posting a 5.68 ERA. RHP Austen Williams was recalled from Triple-A Fresno. The 26-year-old went 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA in 10 appearances out of the Washington bullpen in 2018.
Up next
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (0-2, 3.00 ERA) has a 3.50 ERA in three career appearances against the Nationals. Pittsburgh’s opening day starter lasted just two innings in his last appearance on Monday in Chicago.
Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (1-2, 3.32) will make his fourth start of the season a day later than expected after dealing with right leg soreness. Scherzer is 11-10 in 32 career starts when coming off six or more days of rest.