Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
MLB roundup: Padres prevail in offensive showcase in Mexico City
Padres 16, Giants 11
Manny Machado’s second home run of the game was a go-ahead, two-run shot in the seventh and Nelson Cruz capped the scoring with a two-run single for his fifth hit — tying a career high — on Saturday as the San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants in a 16-11 slugfest in the first major league game played in Mexico City.
Sixteen of the game’s 27 runs scored on 11 homers in a game played at the highest elevation (7,349 feet) in major league history at Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium. Each team had two sets of back-to-back homers. The Padres finished with six homers to the Giants’ five. San Diego also outhit the Giants 17-13, with San Diego drawing 10 of the 15 walks issued in the game.
But the most notable stat of the game might have been turned in by Padres reliever Nick Martinez, who retired all six hitters he faced — fanning five, including striking out the side in the ninth to close out the game — to hand left-hander Tom Cosgrove a win in his big-league debut. Cosgrove (1-0) retired the only hitter he faced to end the seventh.
The Giants were leading 11-10 in the bottom of the seventh when Fernando Tatis Jr. doubled leading off against Tyler Rogers (0-1). Machado followed with an opposite-field homer. Trent Grisham hit a two-run double to increase the Padres’ lead to 14-11 in the eighth. Cruz then hit his two-run single to cap his 5-for-6 game with four RBIs. Machado had three hits with three RBIs and four runs, while Thairo Estrada had four hits and three RBIs for the Giants.
Rays 12, White Sox 3
Wander Franco drove in three runs as part of a 10-run seventh inning that also featured back-to-back homers from Randy Arozarena and Josh Lowe as visiting Tampa Bay cruised past skidding Chicago.
The White Sox entered the top of the seventh with a 3-0 lead and a no-hit bid for right-hander Lance Lynn, but left the inning with a deficit it couldn’t overcome on the way to a 10th straight defeat. The Rays won for the ninth time in 11 games while improving to 6-0 against the White Sox this season.
Franco opened the seventh with an opposite-field home run to left, spoiling Lynn’s pursuit of a no-hitter while giving the Rays a homer in each of their 12 road games to start the season. Franco also had a two-run single during the surge.
Red Sox 8, Guardians 7 (10 innings)
Alex Verdugo hit a walk-off single through the left side as Boston edged out a win over visiting Cleveland.
Cleveland had erased a 6-1 deficit after six innings, scoring four times in the seventh, tying the game against Boston closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth, and jumping ahead on Mike Zunino’s two-out single in the 10th.
Christian Arroyo and Connor Wong both went 3-for-4 for the Red Sox, who totaled a season-high 16 hits. Verdugo, Rafael Devers, and Raimel Tapia all had two hits apiece. Arroyo scored twice, including the game-winner after hitting a leadoff single and advancing on Wong’s sacrifice and a passed ball during the extra frame.
Tigers 7, Orioles 4 (Game 1)
Matt Vierling had three hits and four RBIs as Detroit never trailed in a victory against visiting Baltimore in Game 1 of a doubleheader.
Zack Short belted a solo homer among his three hits and Eduardo Rodriguez (2-2) allowed one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Tigers. Vierling’s four RBIs matched his total from his first 21 games this season. That helped Detroit win for the third time in its last nine games.
Jorge Mateo launched a three-run homer for the Orioles, who saw their four-game road winning streak come to an end.
Pirates 6, Nationals 3 (Game 1)
Miguel Andujar’s tiebreaking, two-run homer in the sixth inning lifted visiting Pittsburgh to a victory over Washington in the first game of a doubleheader.
Andujar went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Connor Joe went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs for Pittsburgh. Starter Rich Hill (3-2) allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts and no walks in 6 1/3 innings
Riley Adams went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Luis Garcia went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs for the Nationals, who dropped their second straight game. Patrick Corbin (1-4) gave up three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 5 1/3 innings.
Royals 3, Twins 2
Runs in the eighth and ninth inning, including Edward Olivares scoring on a Jhoan Duran wild pitch, snapped a three-game losing skid for Kansas City with a defeat of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Bobby Witt Jr. drew a leadoff walk in the eighth, then stole second. Vinnie Pasquantino advanced Witt to third base on a groundout, and after an MJ Melendez fly out, Salvador Perez singled to drive Witt home. The Royals threatened again in the top of the ninth when Olivares and Michael Massey drew back-to-back walks against Duran (0-1). After Nicky Lopez moved Olivares to third on a sacrifice, the Royals made good on this second threat when Duran’s wild pitch sent Olivares home.
Minnesota got the tying run into scoring position when Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco delivered back-to-back, one-out singles off Scott Barlow, but Barlow closed out Kansas City’s third win in 15 games when he struck out Byron Buxton looking and forced Trevor Larnach into a game-ending groundout.
Blue Jays 1, Mariners 0 (10 innings)
Daulton Varsho hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning, and host Toronto defeated Seattle despite only recording three hits.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled against Trevor Gott (0-2) to move automatic runner Bo Bichette to third. Matt Chapman was walked intentionally to bring up Varsho.
Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman had a career-best 13 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings. He allowed six hits and one walk. Seattle right-hander Easton McGee allowed one hit and one walk with two strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Marlins 7, Cubs 6
Edward Cabrera struck out 12 batters in five innings, and host Miami — which scored five runs in the first inning — held on for a win over Chicago.
The Marlins, who got a scoreless ninth inning and a save from Tanner Scott, are 9-0 this season in one-run games. Jesus Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a game-high three RBIs for the Marlins. Miami also got three hits apiece from Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Arraez leads the majors with a .442 batting average.
Patrick Wisdom led Chicago with a two-run homer in the second inning, and Cody Bellinger drilled a solo shot in the sixth. It was Wisdom’s team-high 10th dinger of the season.
Reds 3, Athletics 2
Jake Fraley’s bases-loaded, two-out line drive hit first base and bounced over the head of Ryan Noda for a go-ahead, two-run double in the top of the ninth inning, delivering Cincinnati a victory over host Oakland.
Luke Maile homered for the Reds, who had trailed 2-1 from the third inning until Fraley’s difference-making hit in the ninth.
Pitching in just his third major league game, right-hander Casey Legumina (1-0) was rewarded for a scoreless eighth inning with his first big-league win. Alexis Diaz threw a 1-2-3 ninth with all strikeouts for his fourth save.
Orioles 6, Tigers 4 (Game 2)
Rookie Grayson Rodriguez pitched five shutout innings for his first career victory, and Baltimore gained a split of a doubleheader by defeating host Detroit in the second game.
Rodriguez (1-0), a 23-year-old right-hander who is one of the top pitching prospects in the majors, made four previous starts without a decision this year. He allowed two hits and struck out nine with one walk. Ryan McKenna homered and drove in three runs as the Orioles have won 10 of their last 12 games.
Trailing 6-0 in Game 2, Detroit scored four runs in the sixth before the Orioles recorded an out. The rally was capped by pinch hitter Tyler Nevin’s three-run homer against his former team.
Pirates 16, Nationals 1 (Game 2)
Jack Suwinski hit his first career grand slam and Vince Velasquez pitched six scoreless innings as visiting Pittsburgh swept a doubleheader from Washington with a win in the nightcap.
Suwinski went 3-for-6 with a run-scoring double to finish with a career-high five RBIs, while Carlos Santana went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs for the Pirates. Miguel Andjuar hit a three-run homer, while Bryan Reynolds, Jason Delay, and Ke’Bryan Hayes each had two hits and three runs for the Pirates. Velasquez (4-2) allowed just five hits in six innings for Pittsburgh, which won for the 11th time in its past 12 games.
Nationals starter Chad Kuhl (0-2) allowed eight runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks in just 3 2/3 innings. Dominic Smith went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the ninth, while Joey Meneses added two hits for the Nationals.
Rangers 2, Yankees 0
Nathan Eovaldi fired a three-hitter, and Texas recorded a victory over New York in Arlington, Texas.
Texas won its second straight following a season-high four-game losing streak thanks to Eovaldi and a two-run homer by former Yankee minor leaguer Ezequiel Duran off New York starter Jhony Brito (2-3).
Eovaldi (3-2), who pitched two seasons with the Yankees, faced two batters above the minimum, struck out eight, walked none, and threw a season-high 113 pitches. He retired the final 15 hitters he faced and tossed his third career complete game but first career nine-inning shutout.
Brewers 7, Angels 5
Corbin Burnes settled in after an early jam to pitch six effective innings and Milwaukee capitalized on walks and an error for a victory over visiting Los Angeles.
The Brewers, who were outhit 11-5, tallied three unearned runs, and also scored two runs on bases-loaded walks to build a 7-1 lead. Burnes (3-1) allowed one run on five hits, striking out five and walking one. Devin Williams got the final out for his fifth save.
Mike Trout hit a pair of two-run homers to pull the Angels within 7-5. He homered in the eighth off Elvis Peguero and hit his seventh of the season in the ninth off Bryse Wilson. Trout also had a sacrifice fly for five RBIs.
Diamondbacks 11, Rockies 4
Geraldo Perdomo went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs to help Arizona roll to a victory over Colorado in Denver.
Christian Walker went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs, while Jose Herrera and Josh Rojas each had two hits, two runs and two RBIs as Arizona trounced Colorado for the second straight night. The Diamondbacks won the opener 9-1 on Friday. Colorado has lost three straight and 14 of its last 17. Ryan McMahon and Randal Grichuk each had two hits for the Rockies, who dropped their seventh consecutive home game.
Budding Arizona star Corbin Carroll departed the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning after banging his knee during a collision into the left-center field wall. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said after the victory that Carroll is day-to-day with a left knee contusion and that the team “dodged the bullet.”
Dodgers 1, Cardinals 0
Clayton Kershaw gave up two hits over seven innings, and Los Angeles did just enough on offense for a victory over visiting St. Louis.
Kershaw (5-1) struck out nine with no walks in 88 pitches and won his fourth consecutive start, giving up just three earned runs and 13 hits in that 26-inning stretch. Austin Barnes had an RBI single, while Freddie Freeman stole two bases and James Outman swiped another. It was the first time Freeman stole multiple bases in a game in his career.
Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery (2-4) was sharp, giving up one run on five hits over 6 2/3 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. Kershaw retired the first 13 batters he faced before Dylan Carlson delivered a clean single to center field with one out in the fifth inning.
–Field Level Media