Brewers remain unbeaten (4-0)
They’re off to best start since 2006
Jackson Chourio singled in a run in his first American Family Field plate appearance, Christian Yelich homered and the Brewers beat the Twins, 3-2, at Milwaukee Tuesday to open a season with four straight wins for the first time since 2006.
Chourio stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the third inning after consecutive one-out singles by Rhys Hoskins, Oliver Dunn, and Brice Turang. The 20year-old followed with an RBI single into shallow right field.
Chourio, who signed an $82 million, eight-year contract in the offseason before making his big league debut, is hitting .400 (6 for 15).
Home after a three-game sweep at the Mets, the Brewers never trailed in front of a sellout crowd of 41,659 that saved its biggest cheers for the introduction of Bob Uecker as he began his 54th season of broadcasting Brewers baseball.
Turang went 2 for 3 with an RBI single, improving his batting average to .500 (7 for 14).
Milwaukee is 4-0 for the fourth time after winning its first 13 games in 1987 and its first five in 1978 and 2006.
Yelich hit a 423-foot drive over the center-field wall and Turang added a two-out RBI double in the third as the Brewers boosted the lead to 3-0.
Royals’ Marsh is aces
Alec Marsh pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, Maikel Garcia drove in three runs and the Royals breezed past the Orioles, 4-1, at wet and chilly Camden Yards.
Marsh (1-0) turned in the best performance of his budding career, dominating the defending AL East champions with an exceptional display of control. He struck out five, walked one, and retired the side in order five times.
Now in his second season, Marsh previously hadn't gone more than six innings and had not allowed fewer than three hits in any outing longer than an inning. In this one, the righthander threw 72 pitches, only 18 of which were called balls.
Harper shows power
Bryce Harper homered for his first three hits of the season, including a grand slam, and the Phillies beat the Reds, 9-4, at Philadelphia.
Brandon Marsh also connected for Philadelphia, which bounced back nicely after dropping the series opener Monday. Spencer Turnbull struck out seven in five effective innings.
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 five-run 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 multi-homer game overall. He finished with a career-best six RBIs.
It was the first time a Phillies player hit three home runs in a game at Citizens Bank Park 2008.
Eflin shines for Rays
Zach Eflin took a shutout into the seventh inning, Isaac Paredes hit a three-run homer in a fourrun fifth and the Rays beat the Rangers, 5-2, at St. Petersburg, Fla.
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.
Tampa Bay has a home run and stolen base in each of its first six games, matching Cleveland in 1998 as the only teams since 1901 to accomplish the feat.
Yandy Díaz, hitless in his previous 11 at-bats, put the Rays up, 1-0, with a third-inning RBI single that deflected off pitcher Andrew Heaney’s glove and into right field.
Heaney (0-1) struck out his first two batters in the fifth before first baseman Jared Walsh was charged with an error for dropping Díaz’s pop fly in shallow right. Heaney was removed after Harold Ramírez’s single on his 90th pitch.
Randy Arozarena hit a two-out, run-scoring single on a 3-2 pitch off Yerry Rodríguez and Paredes drove the next pitch into left-field seats.
Jays win it in ninth
Davis Schneider’s two-run homer off closer Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth inning lifted the Blue Jays over the Astros, 2-1, at 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.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled starting the ninth inning, but Bo Bichette grounded into a double play. Hader (0-2), signed by the Astros to a $95 million, five-year contract this offseason, walked Justin Turner to bring up Schneider.
Schneider's soaring shot sailed to center field to put the Blue Jays on top, 2-1, and set off a celebration in the Toronto dugout.
Marlins are 0-6
Tyler Anderson pitched seven scoreless innings, Aaron Hicks homered and the visiting Angels beat Miami, 3-1, sending the Marlins to their worst start in franchise history (0-6).
Anderson (1-0) scattered four hits, walked two, and struck out five. The lefthander was lifted after 83 pitches.