Astros RHP Abreu impresses in debut
Astros 11, Tigers 1: After an impressive September call-up, Bryan Abreu was impressive in his spring debut, striking our four of the Tigers he faced, including perennial All-Star Miguel Cabrera. All four went down swinging. Jake Adams hit a solo homer, scored twice and drove in four runs.
Matthew Boyd struck out three Astros over two innings, allowing two hits and a walk.
Twins 3, Red Sox (SS) 2: Kenta Maeda made his first appearance in a Twins uniform, pitching two innings and allowing a leadoff home run to Andrew Benintendi. Maeda was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Feb. 10. Nelson Cruz made his spring training debut, hitting a two-run homer.
Jackie Bradley, Jr. had two singles for Boston. Nathan Eovaldi allowed two hits and struck out four in two innings.
Red Sox (SS) 2, Rays 2: Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, the Japanese league outfielder signed by the Rays to add some power to the lineup, homered in his second game. He has yet to make an out, walking twice with a single and home run.
Nick Lovullo, son of Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, played second base for the Red Sox. Tanner Houck, Boston’s first-round draft pick in 2017, walked two and gave up a hit in a two-inning start.
Marlins 6, Cardinals 3: Sandy Alcantara, expected to be the Marlins’ opening-day starter, threw 19 of 38 pitches for strikes in two innings. He allowed one earned run, two hits and three walks.
Cardinals starter John Gant worked two hitless innings, as did Ryan Helsley. Junior Fernández and Zack Thompson, the Cardinals’ No. 1 draft pick last year, each worked an inning as St. Louis held the Marlins hitless through six innings.
Phillies 8, Orioles 7: Mikie Mahtook hit a three-run homer for the Phillies and Logan Forsythe homered and single. Expected to battle for a spot in the rotation, Vince Velasquez worked two innings and allowed a hit, walking one and striking out one.
Alex Cobb worked an inning in the start for the Orioles, allowing a hit.
Blue Jays 4, Braves 3: Cavan Biggio, son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, and Randal Grichuk each doubled for the Blue Jays.
Braves starter Max Fried, who won 17 games last year, retired one batter and gave up three earned runs in his spring training debut.
Ian Anderson, the team’s top pitching prospect, gave up an earned run, two hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning.
Mets 2, Nationals 1: Wilson Ramos singled and homered for the Mets while catcher David Peterson, the team’s first round draft pick in 2017, allowed one hit and struck out two over two innings.
Wil Crowe, the Nationals’ secondround draft pick in 2017, gave up two hits and struck out one in two innings.
Reds 7, Rangers 6: Nick Castellanos, a doubles-hitting machine (58 last season) who signed a free agent contract with the Reds earlier this month, had a double and fellow Cincinnati newcomer Mike Moustakas homered. Luis Castillo, the opening day starter a year ago, did not make it out of the first inning in his spring debut, allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks.
Royals 8, Padres 5: Jorge Soler homered for the second time this spring and Khalil Lee added a solo shot for the Royals. Greg Holland, who re-signed in late January, worked a clean inning.
Manny Machado homered and Fernando Tatis Jr. doubled for San Diego.
Dodgers 2, White Sox 2, 9 innings: Mookie Betts had two hits and Cody Bellinger doubled for the Dodgers. Cody Thomas hit one home run and saved another with a leaping catch to rob Blake Rutherford. Ross Stripling, who is working a changeup into his arsenal of pitches, struck out two in his one-inning start.
Yermin Mercedes, Chicago’s Triple-A catcher, belted a tape-measure home run to left and Matt Skole hit an RBI double in the ninth to tie the game.
Brewers (SS) 2, Angels 1: The favorite to draw the opening day start, Brandon Woodruff walked a batter in his one-inning start.
Angel Perdomo struck out two in his one-inning.
Brewers (SS) 12, Athletics 1: Orlando Arcia hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs for the Brewers. Keon Broxton doubled and Lucas Erceg homered and singled.
Sean Manaea struck out two over 1 2/3 innings, but was tagged for six earned runs on six hits, two of them home runs and three more doubles.
Rockies 12, Indians 8: Francisco Lindor and Bradley Zimmer each belted a two-run home run. Zach Plesac, nephew of former major league reliever Dan Plesac, gave up a run on two hits while striking out two in his twoinning start.
Cubs 13, Mariners 9: Josh Phegley became the third Cubs catcher to homer when he belted a three-run shot in his first at-bat.
Marco Gonzales, the Mariners’ ace, was tagged for five runs on three hits and two walks and did not make it out of the first inning. Dylan Moore hit a two-run homer.