Judge hurts oblique as Yankees beat Royals 9-2
NEW YORK (AP) — All-Star slugger Aaron Judge hurt his left oblique while taking a swing and was expected to head to the injured list as the already banged-up New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 9-2 Saturday.
Judge homered early, but hurt himself in the sixth inning while hitting a single. He was taken to a hospital for an MRI and further tests.
Judge winced after taking a swing in the sixth and gingerly made his way to first base. He left the game after being checked by a trainer.
The Yankees, who began the game with 12 players on the injured list, hit four home runs. Judge connected in the first, Clint Frazier had a solo drive in the second and Mike Tauchman and DJ LeMahieu homered on consecutive pitches in the fourth.
Judge and Frazier hit their fifth homers of the season in the opening two innings off Heath Fillmyer (0-1).
Masahiro Tanaka (2-1) pitched seven innings of one-run ball.
Chris Owings homered in the ninth for Kansas City.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols passed Babe Ruth for fifth place on baseball's career RBI chart, but Seattle added four more homers to its major league-leading power binge in a victory over Los Angeles.
Pujols tied Ruth when he drove in Andrelton Simmons with a double in the third inning, and passed the Babe by hitting his 636th homer in the ninth. Pujols has 1,993 RBIs, surpassing Ruth's total from the portion of his career after RBIs became an official statistic in 1920.
But the Angels couldn't follow up Pujols' one-out homer off Anthony Swarzak, who finished off his third save and Los Angeles' sixth consecutive defeat.
Mitch Haniger, Daniel Vogelbach, Edwin Encarnacion and Domingo Santana went deep, giving the Mariners 53 homers already this season.
Yusei Kikuchi (1-1) earned his first major league win, persevering through five innings of 10-hit ball as Seattle improved to 11-1 on the road.
Haniger connected on the third pitch from Trevor Cahill (1-2) for the fourth leadoff homer of his career.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit two home runs, pushing his major league-leading total to 13, and Chase Anderson pitched five strong innings in a spot start in Milwaukee's win over Los Angeles.
Ryan Braun added a three-run homer for the Brewers, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Brewers, who ended the Dodgers' six-game winning streak, got on the board in the third when Yelich hit a solo homer with two out off Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-1). With that homer, Yelich broke the franchise record for home runs in March and April, set by Eric Thames in 2017. His second came in the sixth inning, and his 13 homers in the first month of the season matched the franchise record for homers in a month, set by Prince Fielder in May 2007.
Anderson (2-0) allowed a single to open the game and then retired 15 of the next 17 batters before being lifted for a pinch hitter. He walked two batters and struck out five.
Alex Claudio, Junior Guerra and Matt Albers combined to pitch four innings of one-hit relief.
BRAVES 8, INDIANS 7, GAME 2
CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber working seven solid innings and Carlos Santana celebrated his U.S. citizenship with three hits, as Cleveland topped Atlanta in the opener of a doubleheader.
Kluber (2-2) shook off a rough first inning and allowed four runs and five hits. He didn't get out of the third inning in his previous start.
Max Moroff homered and had two RBIs for Cleveland. Greg Allen hit a run-scoring double off starter Julio Teheran (2-2) and the Indians scored six runs in the fifth — all with two outs.
Brian McCann and Matt Joyce hit back-to-back homers off Kluber in the seventh. The Braves, who have lost four in a row, had just six hits.
In the second game, Ronald Acuña Jr.'s two-run double highlighted Atlanta's five-run rally in the ninth inning as the Braves stormed back to gain a split.
The Braves trailed 7-0 after two innings but chipped away late and stopped a four-game losing streak.
Acuna ripped his double to left on the second pitch from Cody Anderson, who was seeking his first big league save. The Braves also got a two-run single by Ozzie Albies and a bases-loaded walk to Freddie Freeman in the inning before Acuña came through after going hitless in his previous six at-bats.
Luke Jackson (2-0) pitched the eighth, and A.J. Minter struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
The Indians welcomed back All-Star Francisco Lindor, who finally made his season debut. Lindor returned after missing 19 games with an ankle injury, and went 1 for 5 with a run scored.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, CUBS 0
CHICAGO (AP) — Zack Greinke pitched three-hit ball over six innings and was backed by three home runs as Arizona won for the fifth time in six games.
Greinke (3-1) won for the third time in four starts.
Taylor Clarke worked the final three innings for a save in his major league debut, allowing one hit and preserving Arizona's first shutout since last Sept. 19.
Eduardo Escobar and David Peralta hit back-to-back solo homers against Yu Darvish (1-3) in the first. John Ryan Murphy capped a three-run sixth with a two-run homer.
Christian Walker had a career-high four hits.
Darvish allowed three runs and five hits in five innings.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Andrew Benintendi hit a grand slam and a tiebreaking ninth-inning sacrifice fly and catcher Christian Vázquez picked off Tommy Pham for the final out as Boston won a series for the first time this season.
Boston had lost four of its first six series and split the other two during a 6-13 start, its worst since 1996.
Rick Porcello gave up two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, Matt Barnes (2-0) won after allowing Yandy Diaz's tying home run leading off the eighth, and Ryan Brasier got his fifth save in six
Boston went ahead in the ninth against José Alvarado (0-1) after Jackie Bradley Jr. singled leading off. Michael Chivas doubled, and Benintendi followed with his go-ahead fly.
Tampa Bay had won its first six series of the season. The Red Sox won consecutive games for just the second time this year.
MIAMI (AP) — Curtis Granderson homered and Miami broke out at the plate after changing hitting coaches, roughing up ace Max Scherzer in beating Washington to win a series for the first time this season.
Brian Anderson doubled twice and the Marlins finished with 11 hits in their first game under new batting coach Jeff Livesey.
Nationals slugger Anthony Rendon had his 17-game hitting streak halted when he left after being hit by a pitch on the left elbow in the third inning.
Miguel Rojas and Starlin Castro each had two hits for the Marlins.
Scherzer (1-3) struck out nine and allowed 11 hits and six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Jose Urena (1-3) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings with four strikeouts and one walk. Three relievers combined to strike out seven over the final three innings for Miami.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Miles Mikolas tossed eight stellar innings and drove in two runs, leading St. Louis over New York.
Jose Martinez had three hits and three RBIs and Paul Goldschmidt hit his eighth home run for St. Louis.
Mikolas (2-1) became the first St. Louis pitcher to record an out in the seventh inning this season. He allowed two runs and four hits.
Chris Flexen (0-1) surrendered six runs and on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Goldschmidt hit a 464 foot solo home run off Paul Sewald in the eighth inning.
Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter left the game after the sixth inning with a bruised left knee. He appeared to foul a ball off himself, but stayed in and drew a walk, then scored a run and exited.
TWINS 16, ORIOLES 7, GAME 2
BALTIMORE (AP) — Eddie Rosario homered twice for a second straight game, Byron Buxton hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the sixth inning and Minnesota beat Baltimore in the opener of a doubleheader.
Rosario also doubled and made a leaping catch at the wall to take away an extra-base hit from Chris Davis. Willians Astudillo went deep for the Twins.
Dwight Smith Jr., Renato Núñez and Pedro Severino homered for the Orioles in the makeup of a game postponed by rain on Friday.
Minnesota took a 6-3 lead with a three-run sixth against Jimmy Yacabonis (1-1).
Taylor Rogers struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
José Berríos (3-1) gave up all three Baltimore home runs but made it through six innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and three walks.
In the second game, the Twins routed Baltimore with eight homers, matching their single-game mark set on Aug. 29, 1963, against Washington.
Former Oriole Jonathan Schoop, Nelson Cruz and Mitch Garver each had two homers.
Cruz and C.J. Cron connected in the first inning off Alex Cobb (0-1).
Martin Pérez (2-0) gave up four runs in six innings for the Twins, who have won eight straight over Baltimore since falling on opening day last season.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Rowdy Tellez and Brandon Drury hit back-to-back homers in a five-run fourth inning and Justin Smoak also homered as Toronto won for the fifth time in six games on its road trip.
Toronto pitcher Matt Shoemaker injured his left knee in a rundown chase in the third inning.
Toronto's training staff was summoned again after just seven pitches by Shoemaker's replacement, Sam Gaviglio. Gaviglio (2-0) was checked out and remained in the game, throwing four scoreless innings to win.
Tellez homered off A's starter Mike Fiers (2-2) after Smoak and Teoscar Hernandez opened the fourth with consecutive singles. Two pitches later, Drury connected.
Tellez and Drury teamed up again in the fifth with back-to-back doubles that made it 7-0. Smoak hit a two-run homer off Ryan Buchter in the sixth.
PIRATES 3, GIANTS 1, 5 INNINGS
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cole Tucker hit a two-run homer in his major league debut and Pittsburgh beat San Francisco in a game shortened to five innings because of rain.
Tucker, a first-round pick in the 2014 draft, sent a pitch from Derek Holland (1-3) a projected 431 feet into the bushes beyond the center field wall with two outs in the fifth inning to put the Pirates in front.
Jung Ho Kang hit his third home run for Pittsburgh, which has won a season-high five straight. Bryan Reynolds, called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, added a single in his first big league game. Jameson Taillon (1-2) allowed one run and four hits with a walk and three strikeouts to earn his first victory in five starts this season.
Steven Duggar had an RBI single for the Giants, who have lost four straight and five of six.
The game was called after a delay of 3 hours, 8 minutes.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Joey Gallo hit another long home run, Asdrúbal Cabrera accounted for five runs and Texas beat Houston.
Gerrit Cole (1-3) needed 43 pitches to get through a five-run first inning and didn't get the first out until a called third strike against Gallo with the bases loaded on his 32nd pitch. The right-hander struck out eight, but allowed nine runs over 4 1/3 innings.
Cabrera had three RBIs with a two-run single in the first and a run-scoring single in the fifth. He also scored twice.
Shawn Kelly (3-0) worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Adrian Sampson, who allowed hits to the first four batters in the fifth.
Max Stassi and George Springer homered for the Astros, who lost for the second time in 13 games.
DENVER (AP) — Bryce Harper hit a three-run homer, Andrew McCutchen also connected and Philadelphia beat Colorado.
Phil Gosselin drove in three big runs to back scuffling Phillies ace Aaron Nola (2-0). Hector Neris got five outs for his third save.
Gosselin started at shortstop after Jean Segura (left hamstring strain) and Scott Kingery (right hamstring strain) were placed on the 10-day injured list earlier in the day. The backup came through for the banged-up Phillies, delivering a three-run double off Antonio Senzatela (1-1) in the fourth inning to give them a 4-3 lead.
Charlie Blackmon homered for the second straight game and finished with four hits. Raimel Tapia hit an inside-the-park home run for Colorado, which had its five-game winning streak snapped.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Luis Castillo matched a season high with nine strikeouts and Jesse Winker added a pinch-hit homer as Cincinnati extended San Diego's losing streak to six games.
The Reds won their third straight after arriving in San Diego mired in a four-game losing streak.
Castillo (2-1) pitched six innings and was charged with one run, four hits and a walk. After Eric Hosmer (three hits, two RBIs) homered in the second inning, only one other Padres player reached scoring position.
Raisel Iglesias got the last three outs for his fourth save.
Eric Lauer (2-3) pitched five innings, giving up three runs and six hits, with two walks. Lauer struck out five and lost for the third time in four starts.