Adolis Garcia’s bat told the story on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas, as the Texas Rangers right fielder swatted three home runs among his five hits and drove in eight runs, leading an 18-3 thumping of the visiting Oakland A’s.
Texas’ offensive outburst saw the hosts regain traction after Oakland snapped the Rangers’ four-game win streak with a 5-4 win in the series opener Friday. The A’s allowed double-digit runs in a game for the ninth time this season, as the Rangers tallied 18 hits.
Though he struggled early, Texas starter Andrew Heaney (2-1) gave up just two runs in six innings. It was a sharp contrast to the showing from Oakland starter Shintaro Fujinami (0-4), who allowed eight runs in just 2 1/3 innings. The rookie right-hander’s ERA swelled to 14.40.
Texas’ Josh Jung proved to wield one of many hot bats for the Rangers, as he extended his hit streak to 10 games by going 2-for-6. Garcia’s five runs tied a franchise record.
Rays 4, White Sox 3 (10 innings)
Randy Arozarena, who homered in his first at-bat, delivered an RBI single to right field in the 10th inning to lift host Tampa Bay to a victory over Chicago in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Arozarena finished 3-for-5 and drove in all four Rays’ runs. The Rays improved to 18-3, and for the second straight game, walked-off the White Sox. Garrett Cleavinger (1-0) threw a scoreless top of the 10th to earn the win.
The White Sox chipped back in the second inning on Eloy Jimenez’s home run. And in the fifth inning, Yasmani Grandal’s home run to lead off the inning pulled the White Sox even at 2-2.
Royals 11, Angels 8
Kansas City scored five runs in the ninth inning to rally from a two-run deficit and post a victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Backup catcher Matt Thaiss hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Angels an 8-6 lead, one of four homers by the Angels in the game. Hunter Renfroe hit two and Mike Trout hit one. The Royals, however, rallied in the ninth against Angels reliever Jose Quijada (0-1), tagging the left-hander with his first blown save and loss of the season.
The Royals appeared to tie the game at 8-8 on Kyle Isbel’s two-run homer, but it was overturned after a replay review showed the ball hit the yellow line atop the right field fence. Kansas City, though, tied the game anyway when Edward Olivares followed with an RBI single. The Royals took the lead later in the inning when MJ Melendez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and they tacked on two more runs on a two-out single by Hunter Dozier.
Yankees 3, Blue Jays 2
Pinch hitter DJ LeMahieu singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as New York defeated visiting Toronto. The teams have split the first two games of the three-game series.
The Yankees took the lead on Anthony Volpe’s two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Toronto pinch hitter Danny Jansen tied the game with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth.
Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole allowed four hits and two walks in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out four and hit a batter. Toronto right-hander Alek Manoah limited New York to two hits and one walk while striking out five in seven scoreless innings.
Pirates 2, Reds 1
Jack Suwinski’s RBI double in the fourth was the difference-maker as Pittsburgh won its sixth game in a row, defeating visiting Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill (2-2) allowed one run and six hits in five innings, with seven strikeouts and three walks. The walks and the fact the Reds had at least one baserunner in each inning he pitched got his pitch count up, and thus the Pirates’ streak of quality starts ended at 11 games.
The Reds have lost five straight and six of their past seven. They have managed just six runs through the first three games of this four-game series. Cincinnati starter Luis Cessa (0-3) pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and six hits, with four strikeouts and no walks.
Nationals 10, Twins 4
C.J. Abrams hit a three-run home run and Joey Meneses collected four hits and two RBIs, helping Washington defeat Minnesota in Minneapolis.
It was Abrams’ first home run since the Nationals acquired him in a deal with San Diego last August. Meneses had an RBI single in each of the first two innings. Dominic Smith, Luis Garcia, Jeimer Candelario and Victor Robles each added two hits for the Nationals, who can sweep the three-game series with a win on Sunday.
Byron Buxton homered for the Twins, who have lost six of their last seven. Carlos Correa had three hits for Minnesota.
Dodgers 9, Cubs 4
James Outman and Max Muncy each homered twice and combined for seven RBIs as visiting Los Angeles beat Chicago.
Dustin May (2-1) allowed two runs with two hits, while walking three and striking out six, in 5 1/3 innings for Los Angeles, which has split its first 22 games but has taken two of three in this four-game set.
Nico Hoerner belted his second homer in as many days for the Cubs, who had won four straight entering this series and rolled to a 13-0 win on Friday. Chicago’s Hayden Wesneski (1-1) yielded three runs and five hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Phillies 4, Rockies 3
Nick Castellanos hit two solo home runs and also doubled to lift host Philadelphia over Colorado.
Cristian Pache added a solo homer, single and two RBIs for the Phillies, who have won two straight.
Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez tossed 4 1/3 innings in his season debut and allowed five hits and three runs, with five strikeouts and two walks. Connor Brogdon (1-0) earned the win in relief. Craig Kimbrel threw a scoreless ninth inning for his second save in two chances.
Marlins 6, Guardians 1 (Game 1)
Bryan De La Cruz homered, and Miami struck early and never looked back in defeating host Cleveland in the first game of a doubleheader.
Friday night’s rainout of the series opener caused the twin bill, and Saturday’s first game was delayed by nearly two hours due to more showers. Marlins left-hander Devin Smeltzer made the start because Sandy Alcantara was scratched (biceps tendinitis). Smeltzer went four innings, and Andrew Nardi (2-1), Huascar Brazoban, Matt Barnes and Steven Okert combined for five innings of scoreless relief.
Guardians starter Shane Bieber (1-1) lasted just 5 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs on four hits while walking four and fanning four. Miami hitters drew a total of seven walks in the game.
Marlins 3, Guardians 2 (Game 2)
Garrett Hampson drove in two runs and scored another as visiting Miami completed a sweep of its doubleheader with a victory over Cleveland.
Hampson ripped an RBI double in the fourth inning, added a run-scoring single in the sixth and came around to score on Garrett Cooper’s sacrifice fly. Bryan De La Cruz had three doubles and Luis Arraez also had three hits for the Marlins.
Braxton Garrett (1-0) picked up the win after allowing just one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Giants 7, Mets 4
Brandon Crawford launched a three-run home run in the first, Logan Webb retained a comfortable lead through seven innings for his first win of the season and San Francisco finally got the better of visiting New York.
Wilmer Flores also homered for the Giants, who had lost seven of their previous eight, including 9-4 and 7-0 blowouts to the Mets on the first two nights of the four-game set. A 15-game winner last season, Webb finally broke into the win column this year, allowing two runs and five hits in his seven innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
After being shut out for seven innings by left-hander Joey Lucchesi the night before, the Giants jumped on fellow lefty David Peterson (1-3) for six runs in the first two innings, including four in the first. In the eighth, an RBI single by Starling Marte made it 7-3 and brought the potential tying run to the on-deck circle.
Orioles 5, Tigers 1
Ramon Urias drilled a three-run double and Kyle Gibson struck out 11 as Baltimore picked up a victory against visiting Detroit.
James McCann hit his first home run in an Orioles uniform against one of his former teams as Baltimore won its fifth game in a row.
Gibson (4-0) logged 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three walks. Yennier Cano and Danny Coulombe completed what became a two-hitter, though Coulombe did issue a walk.
Brewers 5, Red Sox 4
Rowdy Tellez had a two-run homer, and the bullpen preserved Milwaukee’s victory over visiting Boston.
Rafael Devers pulled Boston to within 5-4 in the sixth with his eighth homer of the season, a 416-foot, two-run shot to right off Joel Payamps. Peter Strzelecki and Hoby Milner kept the Red Sox off the board until the ninth, when Devin Williams worked around a one-out single to pick of his third save of the year.
Brewers starter Wade Miley (3-1) allowed two runs on four hits in five innings, striking out three and walking one. Boston starter Garrett Whitlock (1-2) was tagged for all five runs on eight hits in four innings.
Astros 6, Braves 3
Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker each hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to power Houston to a win over host Atlanta.
Alvarez delivered a go-ahead home run for the second time in as many nights, as his sixth round-tripper of the season ignited a four-run sixth. With his homer, Alvarez extended his streak of consecutive games reaching base to 23, dating to last season.
Kyle Wright (0-1) cruised through five scoreless innings for Atlanta, but he gave up three hits to start the sixth inning and didn’t record an out. He was charged with four runs (three earned) on seven hits.
Padres 5, Diamondbacks 3
Ha-Seong Kim snapped a 0-for-16 skid with a tiebreaking, two-run single in the top of the sixth inning to help lead visiting San Diego to a victory over Arizona in Phoenix.
Joe Musgrove (1-0) made his first start of the season for the Padres and gave up three runs on seven hits, with six strikeouts over five innings to earn the win. Four Padres relievers each worked a scoreless inning, with Josh Hader earning his seventh save.
Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly gave up four runs on three hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in five-plus innings to take the loss and fall to 1-3.
Mariners 5, Cardinals 4
Eugenio Suarez’s two-run single with two outs in the seventh inning broke a tie and Seattle went on to defeat visiting St. Louis.
Jarred Kelenic and Teoscar Hernandez homered for the Mariners, who will try to sweep the three-game interleague series Sunday afternoon. Tommy Edman hit a solo homer in the ninth for the Cardinals. Mariners reliever Matt Brash (2-2) struck out three batters in the top of the seventh and earned the victory. Seattle starter Luis Castillo allowed three runs on seven hits over five innings.
St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media