ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robbie Ray worked around five walks over six innings and the bullpen closed out a two-hitter, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks spoil the St. Louis Cardinals’ home opener 3-1 on Thursday night.
Arizona improved to 6-1 for the second straight season and tied a franchise record for its best seven-game start. The team was also 6-1 in 2000. St. Louis dropped its first home opener since 2015.
METS 8, NATIONALS 2
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Conforto came off the disabled list to hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Stephen Strasburg, Yoenis Cespedes also went deep against the ace, and Jay Bruce tacked on an insurance gland slam, leading New York to the victory in Washington’s chilly home opener.
Jacob deGrom (2-0) wiggled out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam to finish is six-inning outing with a flourish. After walking Bryce Harper to fill the bags, deGrom got Ryan Zimmerman to fly out to shallow right and Howie Kendrick to line out to shortstop, before Trea Turner looked at a 94 mph fastball for strike three. Turner argued and was ejected for the first time in the majors.
Zimmerman, who only got two at-bats in spring training, went 0 for 4 on Thursday and is 3 for 22 (.136) with six strikeouts this season.
RED SOX 3, RAYS 2,
12 INNINGS
BOSTON (AP) — Hanley Ramirez blooped a bases-loaded fly ball over the drawn-in outfield in right to break a 12th-inning tie after Boston overcame a two-run deficit in the ninth in the home opener.
It was the sixth straight victory for Boston and new manager Alex Cora, and the sixth loss in a row for Tampa Bay. Bobby Poyner (1-0) pitched two innings, striking out three for his first major league win. Andrew Kittredge (0-2) took the loss, throwing a pair of scoreless innings before running into trouble.
TIGERS 9, WHITE SOX 7, 10 INNINGS
CHICAGO (AP) — Niko Goodrum hit a two-run homer after replacing the injured Miguel Cabrera, and Detroit rallied to Chicago in the White Sox’s cold home opener.
Goodrum’s shot with two outs in the ninth got the comeback going. The White Sox were leading 7-4 when he drove a 3-2 fastball from Joakim Soria out to right-center to cut the lead to one. Nicholas Castellanos singled and Victor Martinez tied it with an RBI double, drawing boos from a sparse crowd.
Joe Jimenez (1-0) got the win with a scoreless inning in relief.
TWINS 4, MARINERS 2
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mitch Garver hit the go-ahead home run in the seventh for Minnesota, one inning after Miguel Sano tied it with a two-run shot in the Twins’ chilly home opener.
Eddie Rosario went deep in the eighth to pad the lead, and Fernando Rodney worked the ninth for his first save with the Twins. That capped a stretch of 4 2/3 scoreless innings by the bullpen in relief of Kyle Gibson. Zach Duke (1-0) was the winner, and Addison Reed struck out two in a perfect eighth.
ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Jones hit a go-ahead home run, Andrew Cashner pitched six strong innings and beat New York to snap a five-game losing streak.
Jones’ third homer of the season was a two-run drive off Masahiro Tanaka (1-1) in a five-run seventh inning. It came shortly after Aaron Judge gave New York a 1-0 lead in the sixth with his second home run of the year.
CUBS 8, BREWERS 0.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jon Lester pitched six sharp innings and hit a tricky grounder that was tough to corral and Chicago beat Milwaukee.
Brewers star closer Corey Knebel exited with a hamstring injury while getting some work in the ninth inning. Manager Craig Counsell said Knebel will get an MRI and likely go on the disabled list..
ROCKIES 3, PADRES 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Ryan McMahon drew a bases-loaded walk off All-Star closer Brad Hand to break a scoreless tie in the ninth inning, and DJ LeMahieu added a two-run single for Colorado.
Hand (0-2) walked Trevor Story and Chris Iannetta to open the ninth and the Rockies loaded the bases when second baseman Carlos Asuaje committed an error when he couldn’t hold onto the throw from third baseman Christian Villanueva after Gerardo Parra’s bunt.
PHILLIES 5, MARLINS 0
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Maikel Franco homered, tripled, singled and drove in four runs for Philadelphia, and Nick Pivetta struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings.
Pivetta (1-0) allowed four hits and no walks. Adam Morgan retired the four batters he faced and Luis Garcia and Hector Neris combined on the four-hitter.
PIRATES 5, REDS 2
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Gregory Polanco hit a two-run home run during a four-run fifth inning to lift Pittsburgh past Cincinnati.
Polanco broke a 1-1 tie when he drove a ball into the shrubbery in center field off Homer Bailey (0-2). Polanco also had a tying sacrifice fly in the third inning, giving him three RBIs as the Pirates won for the fifth time in six games.
