Marte, Kelly lead D-backs over Yankees 3-2 for 2-game sweep
PHOENIX (AP) — Ketel Marte homered, Merrill Kelly won his first start against the Yankees and Arizona beat New York 3-2 Wednesday to sweep a two-game series.
New York dropped to 0-5 this year against teams that currently have winning records and is 17-8 against clubs that started the day under .500.
Kelly (3-2) allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings as Arizona won for the seventh time in nine games. Greg Holland pitched around Cameron Maybin’s one-out walk in the ninth to remain perfect in seven save chances.
Masahiro Tanaka (2-3) allowed three runs and five hits in four innings, which matched his season low.
BOSTON (AP) — Mitch Moreland homered and drove in another run on a sacrifice fly after a lucky hop off the second base bag moved the runners along as Boston completed a three-game sweep.
Boston was seven games under .500 and 7½ games out of first place on April 16. The Red Sox have won eight of 12 since.
Marcus Walden (4-0) relieved Red Sox starter Hector Velázquez after two innings and pitched three scoreless innings, striking out three and allowing one hit.
Mike Fiers (2-3) gave up three runs and five hit in five innings for Oakland, which has lost six in a row starting a nine-game trip.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rookie Bryan Reynolds hit a three-run double as Pittsburgh completed a two-game sweep.
A day after his first career home run put the Pirates ahead in the 11th inning of a 6-4 win that ended an eight-game losing streak, Reynolds extended his career-opening hitting streak to nine games with a liner over left fielder Joey Gallo in the fourth.
Felipe Vázquez got his eighth save by striking out Shin-Soo Choo and pinch-hitter Hunter Pence with the potential tying run at second in the ninth.
Jameson Taillon (2-3) allowed five hits and four runs — three earned — in 6 1/3 innings.
ROYALS 8, RAYS 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kelvin Gutierrez hit his first big league homer and Kansas City pounded AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell for the second time in a week to complete Kansas City’s first doubleheader sweep since July 7, 2015, also against Tampa Bay.
In the opener, Adalberto Mondesi hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning for Kansas City, and Jacob Junis (3-2) and the bullpen held on.
Snell was easily outpitched by Glenn Sparkman (1-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and earned his first career win.
Billy Hamilton’s RBI single in the fourth chased Snell (2-3), who allowed seven runs, six hits and three walks. Ryne Stanek (0-1) lost the opener.
CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Villar hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth Kelvin Herrera (0-1) after Richie Martin’s leadoff triple, and Baltimore won a doubleheader opener to stop a four-game losing streak.
Branden Kline (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings, and Mychal Givens got four outs for his second save, striking out Jose Abreu with a runner on first to end the game.
