Sale remains winless as Tigers sweep Red Sox 7-4, 4-2
BOSTON (AP) — Chris Sale remained winless after five starts but struck out a season-high 10 in five innings as the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox 7-4 Tuesday to start their first doubleheader sweep at Fenway Park since August 1965.
Spencer Turnbull (1-2) pitched five shutout innings for his first major league win, leading the Tigers to a 4-2 victory in the nightcap that left the World Series champions at 9-15.
Brandon Dixon greeted Marcus Walden with a three-run double after the Tigers loaded the bases against Hector Velázquez (0-2), and the Red Sox were swept in a twin-bill for the first time since the Los Angeles Angels accomplished the feat on July 20, 2015.
Sale gave up two runs, five hits and two walks, lowering his ERA from 8.50 to 7.43. The 30-year-old, who signed a $160 million, six-year contract late in spring training, had never gone his first five starts in a big league season without a victory.
In the first game, Matthew Boyd (2-1) combined with three relievers on a five-hitter against Boston, starting a 10-game homestand after a three-game sweep at Tampa Bay. Josh Harrison hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth off Colten Brewer (0-2) and scored two pitches later on a single by Grayson Greiner.
In the second game, Shane Greene struck out two in a one-hit ninth for his 11th save in as many tries. The opener was Detroit’s first win that Greene did not save.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Beeks took over from opener Ryne Stanek in the second and struck out seven in 4 2/3 shutout innings, Mike Zunino homered for the second straight game and Tampa Bay sent Kansas City to its fifth straight loss.
Homer Bailey (2-2) failed in his attempt to win three straight starts for the first time in five years, getting taken out after Tampa Bay’s first four batters reached in the second inning.
Zunino had three of Tampa Bay’s seven hits and drove in two runs.
AL East-leading Tampa Bay clinched its seventh series win in eight series and extended its winning streak against the Royals to 10 games. Kansas City is an AL-worst 7-17.
Beeks (1-0) allowed two hits and two walks, retiring eight straight in one stretch.
NEW YORK (AP) — Zack Wheeler hit his first major league home run and struck out 11 in seven sharp innings as New York handed Philadelphia its fifth loss in six games.
The only spirit the Phillies showed came with two outs in the ninth when two fastballs by Mets reliever Jacob Rhame sailed over Rhys Hoskins‘ head. The benches started to clear after the first time, and Hoskins angrily slung his bat after the next one, which was ball four.
A career .129 hitter, Wheeler (2-2) lined a two-run double in the second off Zach Eflin (2-3). The next time up, Wheeler did even better, launching a drive over the wall in left-center.
Todd Frazier connected for a grand slam that made it 8-0 in the fifth.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Paul DeJong hit a tiebreaking, leadoff homer in the eighth inning, Yadier Molina had three hits and two RBIs, and St. Louis beat Milwaukee.
Milwaukee had three solo homers, two by Travis Shaw and another by Orlando Arcia.
DeJong took reliever Alex Wilson (1-1) deep to make it 3-2. Molina hit his second double with one out, scoring Jose Martinez, who had walked to go with two singles. Molina stole third but was stranded there. It was his first stolen base this season and the 17th time he’s stolen third in his career.
Andrew Miller (1-1) struck out two in a perfect eighth to pick up his first win as a Cardinal. Jordan Hicks pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
CHICAGO (AP) — José Quintana pitched seven crisp innings in his third straight win, and Chicago used a fast start to beat Los Angeles.
Willson Contreras hit a three-run double in Chicago’s four-run first, and Anthony Rizzo added a two-run drive in the second. Javier Báez juked around first baseman David Freese for a memorable infield single in the second and had a solo homer in the seventh.
It was more than enough support for Quintana (3-1), who turned in another gem in the Cubs’ sixth win in seven games. The veteran left-hander allowed two runs and four hits while improving to 3-0 with a sparkling 0.86 ERA since he was hit hard in a loss at Milwaukee on April 5.
NL West-leading Los Angeles had won seven of eight. But the Dodgers were unable to recover after Kenta Maeda (3-2) struggled early on.
HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer and Alex Bregman added three RBIs as Houston rallied over Minnesota to snap a three-game skid.
The game was tied in the seventh when Trevor Hildenberger (2-1) allowed a single to Tyler White before issuing consecutive walks to Altuve and George Springer to load the bases with one out. Bregman’s sacrifice fly to right field put Houston up 5-4 and chased Hildenberger.
Houston had been foiled by big first innings in a three-game losing streak with its starters allowing a combined 10 runs in the opening frame. The first-inning trouble continued on Tuesday as Eddie Rosario hit a three-run homer off Wade Miley with one out in the inning.
Wade Miley, who was the first left-handed starter the Twins have faced this season, yielded three hits and three runs while striking out seven in six innings for his 21st straight start where he allowed three earned runs or fewer. Hector Rondon (2-0) allowed three hits and a run in the seventh for the win.
DENVER (AP) — Patrick Corbin pitched six strong innings, Victor Robles hit a three-run double, and Washington beat Colorado.
Corbin (2-0) gave up three runs — two earned — and five hits, and had a key base hit in Washington’s four-run third inning. Sean Doolittle got the last four outs for his third save.
Washington scored two runs in the top of the ninth when Rockies reliever DJ Johnson walked Juan Soto with the bases loaded before hitting Howie Kendrick with a pitch.
Raimel Tapia homered for Colorado and Ryan McMahon had two hits. Jeff Hoffman (0-1), recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to start in place of injured Kyle Freeland (finger blister), sailed through the first two innings only to run into trouble in the third. He allowed four runs in five innings.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Pablo López allowed just two hits in his longest start this season and Jorge Alfaro homered on reliever Neil Ramírez’s first pitch, moments after Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco left with another injury.
López (2-3) stopped a three-start losing streak. The right-hander, who had not gone more than 5 1/3 innings, held the Indians without a hit until the sixth and was not charged with an earned run in 6 1/3 innings.
Miami closer Sergio Romo worked the ninth for his third save, completing a three-hitter as the Marlins improved to 2-5 on the road.
Alfaro’s homer triggered Florida’s three-run fifth off Ramírez (0-1), who came in after Carrasco hurt his left knee while covering first base.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Yasiel Puig hit a two-run homer in the first inning off the facade of the second deck in left-center field, and Cincinnati wasted an early lead and then rallied to beat Atlanta.
José Peraza had his first RBIs since homering on opening day, and Tucker Barnhart homered for the Reds, who have won four of five following a four-game losing streak. Cincinnati led 3-0 in the fifth inning, fell behind 4-3 in the sixth, then scored four runs in the bottom half.
Peraza hit a two-run double off Kevin Gausman (1-2) for a 5-4 lead, Jessie Biddle forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter Phillip Ervin and Puig hit a sacrifice fly against Wes Parsons.
Robert Stephenson (2-0) struck out two batters with a runner on third to end the sixth. Raisel Iglesias retired Ozzie Albies, Josh Donaldson and Freddie Freeman for his fifth save.
DIAMONDBACKS 2, PIRATES 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jarrod Dyson dived around catcher Francisco Cervelli but was only credited with the go-ahead run in the sixth inning after a replay review.
Luke Weaver (2-1) struck out seven over 6 1/3 innings and won his second straight start. Andrew Chafin and Archie Bradley got the ball to Greg Holland, who worked around a walk and a wild pitch to earn his fifth save.
Both runs went against Pirates starter Trevor Williams (1-1), who threw seven innings. He struck out four and walked one.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Dwight Smith Jr. hit a three-run homer, one of four long balls off Iván Nova (0-3), and Baltimore overpowered Chicago to end a four-game losing streak.
Renanto Núñez, Chris Davis and Joey Rickard also connected for the Orioles, who improved their home record to 2-10 before a cozy, appreciative crowd of 8,953.
Andrew Cashner (4-1) gave up one run, five hits and a walk over seven innings to win his fourth straight decision. Just as important, he provided much needed rest to a bullpen that was drained in a 12-2 loss to Chicago one night earlier.
TORONTO (AP) — Pablo Sandoval went 3 for 4 and homered for the first time this year, one of a season-high four home runs for San Francisco.
Joe Panik, Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt also homered for the Giants, who came in 29th in the majors in batting and ahead of just one team in home runs. Rowdy Tellez hit an eighth-inning grand slam for the Blue Jays, whose four-game winning streak was snapped.
Jeff Samardzija (2-1) allowed two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, improving to 3-0 in four starts against the Blue Jays. Toronto’s Trent Thornton (0-3) lasted five innings in his fifth major league start, giving up four earned runs off of six hits.
