CESPEDES’ HOME RUN LEADS METS PAST REDS
new york» Yoenis Cespedes returned from a leg injury to line a tying, three-run homer as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning off Brandon Finnegan, slumping David Wright had a go-ahead single later in the inning and the Mets rallied past the Reds 4-3 on Tuesday night for their 10th consecutive win against Cincinnati.
Cespedes had missed three straight games because of a bruised right thigh and had fluid drained Monday. He electrified the small Citi Field crowd on a cool night when he rocketed a 93 mph fastball, the first pitch he saw from Finnegan, off the green wall that was the fence when the ballpark opened in 2009.
The ball caromed back over the new, blue fence erected in 2012 and into left field, and Cespedes initially seemed to think it was in play. Third-base umpire Sam Holbrook immediately signaled home run, and Cespedes took a slow trip around the bases.
Wright, who had been 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position, broke the tie later in the inning against Tony Cingrani (0-2).
TUESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
David Price matched his career high with 14 strikeouts, Travis Shaw homered and drove in five runs and the Red Sox beat the Braves 11-4 as Atlanta’s staggering home run drought reached 15 games. Price (3-0) allowed two runs on six hits in eight innings. The left-hander struck out the side in the eighth to match his career high. … A.J. Griffin pitched eight strong innings, Mitch Moreland hit a bases-loaded two-run single during a five-run third and the Rangers beat the Yankees 10-1. Griffin (3-0) allowed four singles and a walk and struck out five. Griffin, who didn’t pitch in the majors during the past two seasons after Tommy John surgery, has limited opponents to a .189 batting average in four starts. … Chris Sale won again, pitching eight sharp innings and leading the White Sox over the Blue Jays 10-1 for their fifth straight win. Sale (5-0) has won all of his starts this season and leads the majors in victories. The lefty ace has a 1.66 ERA. Sale carried a one-hitter into the seventh inning, retiring 13 straight batters before Edwin Encarnacion homered. Sale gave up four hits in eight innings, striking out six and walking two. … Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run homer and the Rays beat the Orioles 3-1. After Steven Souza Jr. had a two-out single in the sixth, Kiermaier put the Rays up 3-1 on his two-run shot off Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2). Reliever Enny Romero (1-0) gave up a hit in oneplus innings for win. Alex Colome got the final two outs to get his fifth save. … Rich Hill allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings , and the A’s beat the Tigers 5-1. Marcus Semien homered for the A’s, and Hill (3-2) breezed through Detroit’s righty-heavy lineup with little trouble. The left-hander struck out eight and wasn’t really in any jams after he escaped the first inning with two on. Mike Pelfrey (0-4) allowed five runs and nine hits in 6M innings. … Andres Blanco’s three hits included a two-run homer and he scored the go-ahead run on Maikel Franco’s seventh-inning double, helping the Phillies edge Bryce Harper and the Nationals 4-3. Jeanmar Gomez, Philadelphia’s fourth pitcher, got Harper to ground out to third with a man on first in the ninth to end the game and earn his fifth save. … Miguel Sano singled in a run with one out in the ninth inning, giving the Twins a 6-5, walk-off win over the Indians. … Shortstop Addison Russell went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and the Cubs beat the Brewers 4-3. The Associated Press