Category: Major League Baseball (MLB)

Ramon Laureano rapped a two-run triple for one of his two hits to lead the Oakland Athletics to a series-opening, 5-2 win against the host Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

The major-league-worst A’s earned a third consecutive for the first time this season.

The Athletics jumped on Brewers starter Adrian Houser right away, scoring three runs in the first inning. Laureano’s triple drove in the first two, with the Brewers losing a challenge on the safe call at the plate on the second run. After Houser got a strikeout for the second out, Jonah Bride singled home the third run.

Oakland went up 4-0 in the second inning on an RBI single from Esteury Ruiz, who played briefly for the Brewers last season.

In the bottom of the inning, Milwaukee cut the lead in half. Blake Perkins and Luis Urias hit RBI doubles, with Urias missing a home run by centimeters as the ball caromed off the top of the wall. He was 0-for-14 on the season prior to that hit, having missed two months due to a hamstring injury before returning to action on Monday.

Oakland chased Houser (2-2) in the fifth after he gave up a walk and a single to the first two batters. Trevor Megill walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, but the Athletics managed just one run on Bride’s sacrifice fly to make it 5-2.

The Athletics used Sam Moll as an opener, and he gave up a leadoff single to Owen Miller but then struck out the next three batters.

Luis Medina (1-5) then pitched five innings, surrendering two runs on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Lucas Erceg and Trevor May finished the final three innings unscathed. May struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.

This is the first time these teams have faced off since the 2019 season and the Athletics’ first visit to Milwaukee since 2016.

–Field Level Media

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias will not come off the injured list for his scheduled start on Sunday after feeling discomfort in his strained left hamstring, manager Dave Roberts said Friday.

Urias suffered the setback during a bullpen session Thursday and will miss at least another week or two, Roberts said. Urias had been slated to start Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies after being out since May 18.

“He’s going to keep throwing,” Roberts said. “But I think when he tries to ramp up the intensity is when he sort of feels the tightness in the hamstring.”

The 26-year-old is 5-4 this season with a 4.39 ERA in 55 1/3 innings over 10 starts. His recovery likely will include a rehab stint in the minor leagues.

“He wasn’t overly confident in where that hamstring was at, to take on a start,” Roberts said. “So we all decided to put a pin in it, go back to tempering back a little bit and not put a date on when he’s going to return.”

Urias, expected to be the Dodgers’ ace this season, led the National League in ERA (2.16) last season while been honored as All-MLB second team and finishing third in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

The Dodgers have faced a slew of injuries to the pitching staff and expect to use the bullpen to get through Sunday without Urias. Roberts said that with the team having four days off in June, the starting rotation could get by with four until Urias returns.

“Given the off days, I think we potentially could manage it,” Roberts said. “I think where we stand, we’ll be OK.”

–Field Level Media

Orlando Arcia provided the dramatics for the second straight night, this time driving in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to complete a two-run rally and give the Atlanta Braves a 3-2 victory over the visiting Washington Nationals on Friday.

The victory extended Atlanta’s winning streak to six games with the Braves coming from behind to win the last four. Washington has lost five in a row.

Arcia, who hit the game-tying solo homer on Thursday in the ninth inning of a 13-10, 10-inning win over the New York Mets, singled off the glove of shortstop CJ Abrams to score Eddie Rosario with the go-ahead run.

The rally started when Sean Murphy led off by singling off the right calf of reliever Kyle Finnegan (3-3). Rosario singled to right and took second on a fielding error by Lane Thomas, which allowed pinch runner Sam Hilliard to advance to third. Hilliard scored the tying run on Marcell Ozuna’s infield grounder.

The winning pitcher was Kirby Yates (2-0), who struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Raisel Iglesias struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth for his ninth save.

Atlanta rookie AJ Smith-Shawver made a successful debut as a starting pitcher. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, both unearned, on three hits, two walks and two strikeouts. The 20-year-old right-hander became the youngest pitcher to start a game for the Braves since Julio Teheran in 2011.

Washington starter Josiah Gray pitched five innings and allowed one run on two hits, four walks and six strikeouts. Gray lowered his road ERA to 2.36.

The Nationals scored a run in the first inning when Thomas singled, stole second and advanced to third on catcher Murphy’s throwing error. He scored when Luis Garcia lined a single to right field.

The Braves tied it 1-1 in the second. Ozzie Albies walked, went all the way to third on a pair of Gray’s wild pitches and scored on Arcia’s grounder to shortstop.

Washington scored in the sixth when Thomas reached on shortstop Arcia’s fielding error. He advanced to second on a fielder’s choice and scored when Joey Meneses doubled off reliever Collin McHugh.

–Field Level Media

Will Brennan hit a walk-off double in the 14th inning after Tyler Freeman doubled in the tying run and the Cleveland Guardians outlasted the visiting Houston Astros 10-9 on Friday.

Houston moved ahead on Kyle Tucker’s RBI single off Xzavion Curry (3-0) in the top of the 14th inning before Cleveland took its only lead of the game in the bottom half. The Guardians trailed five different times in a game they ended up winning.

Freeman hit a leadoff double off Seth Martinez (1-2) to score automatic runner Josh Naylor, and Brennan’s one-out double to deep left field gave the Guardians their third straight win and fifth in their last six games.

Jose Abreu hit a three-run homer and Jeremy Pena had four hits for the Astros, who lost their fourth straight and went 6-for-28 with runners in scoring position, leaving 14 men on base.

Cleveland trailed 5-1 before battling back and tying the game on Jose Ramirez’s leadoff homer in the seventh inning. Ramirez finished with three hits and three walks, one day after recording the first 3-home run game of his career in a 10-3 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Yainer Diaz delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning before Cleveland forced extra innings on Naylor’s two-out RBI double in the bottom of the ninth. The teams went scoreless for the next two frames and exchanged runs in the 12th and 13th innings.

Houston jumped to an early lead in the first inning on Abreu’s three-run homer off Logan Allen. Abreu’s 377-foot shot to right field was his second of the season.

The Astros, who placed outfielder Yordan Alvarez on the 10-day injured list with right oblique discomfort prior to the game, tacked on a run in the second inning when Pena scored from third on Mauricio Dubon’s groundout.

Cleveland had two runners on with one out in the third, but Cristian Javier struck out Josh Bell to escape the jam after Amed Rosario scored on Naylor’s groundout.

Houston extended its lead to 5-1 in the fifth against Allen on consecutive doubles by Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. Allen was later lifted after giving up five runs on nine hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out four.

The Guardians rallied with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning against Javier, who had won his previous five starts. After Myles Straw began the rally with a leadoff double, Steven Kwan and Rosario followed with run-scoring doubles. Rosario later scored on Andres Gimenez’s sacrifice fly.

Javier allowed four runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts over five innings.

–Field Level Media

Michael A. Taylor hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to go with his two-run homer in the fifth and the visiting Minnesota Twins defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Friday night.

Royce Lewis added a career-best four hits for the Twins, who ended their five-game losing streak. The Blue Jays had their three-game win streak stopped, although they have still won seven of their last nine.

Minnesota right-hander Sonny Gray allowed one run, five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in five innings.

Toronto left-hander Yusei Kikuchi also lasted five innings, allowing two runs and four hits with one walk while striking out four.

Kikuchi overcame a leadoff double and a two-out walk in the first inning before retiring Kyle Farmer on a groundout.

Gray pitched around Matt Chapman’s one-out double in the bottom of the fourth, getting the final two outs to keep the game scoreless.

After allowing a one-out single in the second to Lewis, Kikuchi retired eight batters in a row until Lewis led off the fifth with an infield single to second. With one out, Taylor hit a drive to left-center for his ninth home run of the season and Minnesota led 2-0.

Toronto scored once in the home fifth. Santiago Espinal led off with a walk, Tyler Heineman blooped a one-out single and Bo Bichette hit an RBI single.

The Blue Jays tied the game in the sixth as Espinal singled with two outs against Jovani Moran and scored on a double by pinch-hitter George Springer against Brock Stewart.

Jhoan Duran (2-2) hit Espinal with a pitch to start the home ninth. Espinal took third on Springer’s double. But Duran worked out of the jam, allowing only an intentional walk and ending the frame by inducing Brandon Belt to line out to second.

Lewis opened the 10th with an infield hit against Adam Cimber (0-1), moving automatic runner Ryan Jeffers to third. Taylor then hit a sacrifice fly with one out before Tim Mayza replaced Cimber to get the final out.

Duran allowed only a walk in the bottom of the 10th.

Toronto center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (wrist) was used only as a pinch-runner. Earlier in the day, the Jays reinstated right-hander Mitch White from the 60-day injured list (right elbow inflammation) and designated right-hander Anthony Bass for assignment.

Minnesota second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) did not start, and the Twins put left-hander Caleb Thielbar (oblique) on injured reserve — recalling right-hander Josh Winder from Triple-A St. Paul.

–Field Level Media

Austin Hays homered and doubled and starting pitcher Tyler Wells worked into the seventh inning as the Baltimore Orioles edged the visiting Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.

Gunnar Henderson rapped three singles and scored a run for the Orioles, who have won back-to-back games for the first time since May 24-25.

Wells (5-2) mostly cruised until retiring the first two batters in the seventh and later leaving with the bases loaded. Felix Bautista, who was Baltimore’s third reliever used, pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his 17th save.

The Royals have lost four games in a row and seven of their last eight.

Hays hit the first pitch from Royals starter Daniel Lynch for his seventh homer of the season.

Lynch (0-2) took the loss, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out four.

The Orioles made it 2-0 in the second. Henderson, who was the hero with a go-ahead home run in Thursday’s comeback win at Milwaukee, singled and stole second before scoring on Jorge Mateo’s single.

Kansas City responded in the third with Nicky Lopez smacking a one-out triple and coming home on Nick Pratto’s sacrifice fly.

Hays and Anthony Santander doubled in the fifth to produce the third Baltimore run.

Kansas City began a seventh-inning rally with two-out singles by Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey. Then Wells issued his lone walk to Drew Waters and was pulled.

The Royals got a run on reliever Mike Baumann’s wild pitch before he struck out Lopez to halt the threat.

Wells finished with four strikeouts, giving up two runs and five hits in his 6 2/3 innings.

Kansas City finished with seven hits, but no Royal had more than one.

–Field Level Media

Rafael Devers hit another home run off Gerrit Cole, Kenley Jansen worked out of a jam in the ninth inning and the visiting Boston Red Sox hung on for a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees Friday night in the first meeting of the season between the longtime rivals.

Triston Casas had two hits and an RBI and Enrique Hernandez homered as the Red Sox ended a six-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium and won for the sixth time in their past 18 games overall.

Josh Donaldson homered for the Yankees, who lost for the third time in four games and dropped to 1-19 when scoring two runs or fewer this season.

Devers hit his seventh homer in 33 career at-bats against Cole (7-1). The third baseman also ended a 16-game homerless drought by going deep for the first time since hitting two May 19 at San Diego.

Jansen, who entered with a 7.88 ERA over his past nine outings, got two quick outs before encountering trouble. Billy McKinney and Gleyber Torres singled to give the Yankees runners on first and second for rookie Anthony Volpe.

Volpe hit a foul ball down the left field line that missed a game-ending three-run homer by a few feet. Jansen then got the rookie on a pop-up to secure his 14th save in 17 chances.

Garrett Whitlock (3-2), a former 18th-round pick by New York in 2017, allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. In his first start against his former organization after 12 relief appearances versus them, Whitlock struck out six and walked one.

Cole allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings for his first loss since his final regular-season start of last season. Cole struck out six and walked one.

Devers hit a one-out double in the fourth and scored two batters later on Casas’ single. In his next at-bat, Devers reached for a first-pitch changeup and lifted it into the visiting bullpen beyond the left-center field fence for his 14th homer and a 2-0 Boston lead in the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Donaldson hit the second pitch of the inning into the netting above Monument Park in center field to make it 2-1, but Hernandez homered to left off Albert Abreu in the seventh.

The Yankees made it 3-2 when Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored on a wild pitch, which chased Whitlock. Nick Pivetta finished the seventh and Chris Martin worked a 1-2-3 eighth before Jansen escaped.

–Field Level Media

Ke’Bryan Hayes was 5 for 5 with four RBIs Friday in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 14-7 drubbing of the visiting New York Mets.

Every starter for the Pirates had a hit. Carlos Santana homered, Jack Suwinski also homered, Austin Hedges added a two-run double, Josh Palacios two RBI singles and Ji Hwan Bae an RBI single.

Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill (6-5) allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Francisco Lindor homered, Luis Guillorme added an RBI double and Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez RBI singles for the Mets, who have lost a season-worst seven straight.

New York starter Tylor Megill (5-4) gave up nine runs, seven earned, and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the second. Jeff McNeil doubled with one out, and Eduardo Escobar walked with two out. Vientos drove McNeil in with a single.

In the bottom of the inning, Hayes singled with one out. Bae walked. After a double steal and a flyout, Hedges doubled in both runners for a 2-1 Pirates lead.

Lindor tied it in the third with his 12th homer.

Pittsburgh broke it open with a five-run third. With one out, Andrew McCutchen got an infield single for his 1,999th career hit. On a grounder by Santana, both runners were safe on Lindor’s fielding error at shortstop. Suwinski walked to load the bases. Hayes’ single drove in two to make it 4-2.

Bae’s bunt for a single, combined with Escobar’s throwing error from third, brought in two more runs. Palacios singled in Bae to increase it to 7-2.

With two outs in the fourth, McCutchen walked and went to third on Santana’s single. That chased Megill for Zach Muckenhirn. Suwinski doubled to bring McCutchen home, and Hayes doubled in two more to make it 10-2.

Bae’s sacrifice fly and Palacios’ RBI single in the sixth increased it to 12-2.

Santana hit his fourth homer and Suwinski his 12th in the eighth inning to make it 14-2.

New York scored five times in the ninth on two errors, Alvarez’s single and Guillorme’s double.

–Field Level Media

Kyle Schwarber hit a game-ending home run with two outs in the ninth inning as the Philadelphia Phillies extended their winning streak to a season-best six games Friday with a 5-4 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers.

Schwarber reached base four times on a pair of hits while also walking twice, and finished off the victory with his 17th home run of the season by going deep against Dodgers left-hander Caleb Ferguson.

Trea Turner had a pair of hits with an RBI against his former team as Philadelphia followed a walk-off win Thursday against Detroit with another in the series opener against Los Angeles.

Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman hit back-to-back home runs for the Dodgers and Jonny DeLuca recorded his first major league hit, while Los Angeles lost for the fifth time in its last six games — three by walk-off hit.

Ferguson (3-2) came on in the ninth inning for the Dodgers and got two quick outs before giving up Schwarber’s blast to right field.

The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Freeman doubled and J.D. Martinez had an RBI double to left field.

The Phillies got even in the third inning on a Schwarber leadoff triple and a one-out RBI single from Bryce Harper.

Philadelphia jumped in front in the fifth inning when Nick Castellanos had an RBI double, Schwarber scored on a wild pitch by Michael Grove and Turner had an RBI single for a 4-1 advantage.

The Dodgers roared back in a hurry in the seventh inning. Betts hit a two-out, two-run home run, his 17th, and Freeman followed with a blast to center field, his 12th. Both home runs came against Phillies left-hander Matt Strahm.

The Dodgers nearly took the lead in the eighth inning, but Martinez’s drive to left field just fell short of being a home run and went for a leadoff double. Max Muncy followed with a line drive toward right field but second baseman Bryson Stott made a diving catch.

Phillies starter Ranger Suarez gave up one run on four hits over six innings, striking out eight with two walks. Left-hander Gregory Soto (2-4) pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

–Field Level Media

Isaac Paredes hit two homers and drove in a career-high six runs and Tyler Glasnow pitched six strong innings to lead the host Tampa Bay Rays to an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Paredes finished 3-for-4 with an RBI double in the first, a three-run homer in the third and a two-run shot in the sixth to lead the Rays to their seventh straight win.

Manuel Margot and Taylor Walls each had a run-scoring single for the American League East-leading Rays, who won the first game of a three-game set between baseball’s two winningest teams.

The Rays’ offensive outburst was more than enough for Glasnow (1-0), who allowed only a run on one hit to go along with six strikeouts and three walks in a dominant performance.

Leodys Taveras went 2-for-2 with two solo homers, two RBIs and a walk for the AL West-leading Rangers, who have dropped two straight following a five-game winning streak. Josh Jung also hit a solo homer for Texas.

After Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the first when Paredes’ two-out double to left scored Harold Ramirez, the Rangers tied the game in the third on Taveras’ solo homer to right.

But Tampa Bay took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. After Ramirez lined a two-out double to left, Randy Arozarena walked before Paredes cleared the bases with a homer to left off Andrew Heaney to give the Rays a 4-1 lead.

Heaney (4-4) allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks in five innings before the Rays put the game away with a four-run sixth against reliever Spencer Howard.

After Arozarena led off by being hit by a pitch, Paredes hit a two-run homer to make it 6-1. Jose Siri walked and Christian Bethancourt followed with a base hit to left before Margot’s single plated Siri. Walls singled three pitches later to score Bethancourt, pushing the lead to 8-1.

Howard allowed four runs on four hits and a walk and retired just one batter before he was replaced by John King, who got the final two outs to end the inning.

Taveras’ second homer of the game made it 8-2 in the eighth before Jung capped the scoring for Texas with a solo homer in the ninth.

–Field Level Media