Brewers clear benches, then beat Orioles
Freddy Peralta struck out 11 in six outstanding innings, and the Brewers hit three home runs in an 11-1 rout of the Orioles that included a bench-clearing incident in the sixth inning Friday night in Baltimore. Gary Sánchez, Willy Adames, and William Contreras went deep for the National League-leading Brewers (9-3), who have scored 47 runs in their last five games.
Intrigue built for the matchup when Milwaukee traded ace Corbin Burnes to the Orioles for lefthander DL Hall and infielder Joey Oritz just before spring training. Hall pitches Saturday and Burnes takes the mound Sunday. Ortiz had his first big league three-hit game Friday.
Benches and bullpens cleared — although no real fighting took place — after Orioles catcher James McCann came face to face with Adames as he came to bat in the sixth.
Rays keep up winning ways
Jacob Waguespack and five relievers combined on a six-hitter and the Rays beat the Giants, 2-1, in San Francisco. Waguespack gave up one run and four hits over four innings in his first start since Sept. 25, 2019. Garrett Cleavinger (2-0) followed with 1„ scoreless innings.
Phil Maton, Colon Poche, Jason Adam, and Pete Fairbanks — who worked the ninth to get his third save in as many chances — closed out the Rays’ fifth win in six games. Tampa Bay has five starting pitchers on the injured list and the Rays’ bullpen entered with an AL-worse 6.43 ERA.
Yankees-Guardians rained out
Steady rain and strong winds postponed the Guardians’ three-game series opener against the Yankees. The teams will play a split doubleheader Saturday, with the first game starting at 12:10 p.m., and the second game slotted for 6:10 p.m. This is New York’s only visit to Cleveland this season, so it was essential for the game to made up right away.
Carlos Carrasco, who was scheduled to start Friday, is expected to pitch Game 1 for the Guardians with Triston McKenzie pitching the second game. New York will start Clarke Schmidt in Game 1, and Cody Poteet will make his season debut in the second game.
Scary scene for Brewers prospect
Brewers third-base prospect Brock Wilken was placed on the 7-day injured list after getting hit on the face with a pitch during a minor league game. Wilken, the Brewers’ 2023 first-round pick, was playing for Double A Biloxi when he was hit by a pitch from the Mississippi Braves’ Domingo Gonzalez during the sixth inning Thursday. Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said Wilken sustained multiple fractures but didn’t have a concussion or experience vision issues. Arnold said surgery is likely once swelling has subsided but added Wilken’s long-term prognosis is good.
Rockies’ Bard done for season
Colorado righthander Daniel Bard, who pitched five seasons with the Red Sox from 2009-13, needs surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow and will not pitch again this season, Rockies manager Bud Black said. Bard, 38, is in the final season of a $19 million, two-year deal. He has not pitched in 2024 after surgery in February to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee . . . Shohei Ohtani hit his 175th home run in MLB, tying Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japan-born player with a solo shot during the first inning of the Dodgers’ game against the Padres . . . Jordan Montgomery switched agents from Scott Boras to Joel Wolfe of Wasserman Media Group after his drawn out free agency ended with a $25 million, one-year contract with the Diamondbacks rather than a long-term deal . . . Houston ace Justin Verlander is scheduled to make his second and likely final rehabilitation start for Double A Corpus Christi on Saturday. The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder . . . Eduardo Rodríguez’s return to the mound is on hold after the Diamondbacks lefthander, who made 153 starts with the Red Sox from 2015-21, felt “tightness” during a recent bullpen session. Rodriguez signed an $80 million, four-year deal during the offseason, but he hasn’t pitched yet this season.