Category: Baseball

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

Corbin Carroll homered twice, including a grand slam, and the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks overpowered the slumping Detroit Tigers 11-6 on Friday night.

Carroll’s grand slam capped a seven-run seventh. Emmanuel Rivera had two hits, scored three runs and knocked in another, while Geraldo Perdomo supplied two hits and drove in two runs. Ketel Marte scored two runs and drove in another.

Arizona starter Merrill Kelly (8-3) gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Jake Rogers homered twice for the Tigers, who have lost seven straight. Zack Short added two RBIs and Javier Baez chipped in a solo shot.

Detroit starter Michael Lorenzen (2-3) was charged with six runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Rivera led off the second inning with a single. A sacrifice moved him up, and Perdomo knocked him in with a single.

Detroit scored a run in the bottom of the inning when Kerry Carpenter singled, and Short knocked him in with a double. Short advanced to third on a groundout, but Kelly struck out the next two batters to leave him stranded.

The Tigers tied it in the bottom of the sixth. Nick Maton walked with one out and advanced to third on a Carpenter single. Short’s sacrifice fly brought in Maton.

Arizona regained the lead in the next inning. Christian Walker doubled to lead off the inning and Rivera followed with another double to bring him home. After a sacrifice, Jake McCarthy singled to score Rivera for a 4-2 lead. With two out, a single and catcher’s interference loaded the bases. Marte drew a walk to force in another run.

Carroll then smacked a 2-2 fastball from Will Vest over the left-field wall to give the Diamondbacks a seven-run lead.

The teams would exchange runs the rest of the way, with the Tigers getting two more in the bottom of the ninth.

–Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Vince Velasquez underwent season-ending elbow surgery Friday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Velasquez began his second stint on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation on May 28.

He was reinstated from the IL on May 27 to make a start at Seattle but allowed four runs on seven hits in two innings of a 5-0 loss to the Mariners.

Velasquez, 31, is 4-4 with a 3.86 ERA in eight starts in his first season with Pittsburgh after signing a one-year, $3.15 million deal in December.

He is 38-51 with a 4.88 ERA in 191 career games (144 starts) with five teams since making his MLB debut in 2015.

Also Friday, the Pirates recalled outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba from Triple-A Indianapolis and designated right-hander Chase De Jong for assignment.

–Field Level Media

The Boston Red Sox transferred left-hander Chris Sale to the 60-day injured list on Friday, further delaying the seven-time All-Star’s return from his latest setback.

Boston also activated outfielder Adam Duvall from the 60-day IL and optioned second baseman Enmanuel Valdez to Triple-A Worcester.

Sale, 34, was placed on the 15-day IL on June 2 with inflammation in his left shoulder. He is 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA in 11 starts this season, striking out 71 and walking 15 in 59 innings.

Since making at least 25 starts in each of his first three seasons with Boston from 2017-19, Sale’s career has been riddled with injuries. He missed all of 2020 after Tommy John surgery and made a total of 11 starts from 2021-22 due to rib and finger fractures.

Sale is 119-77 with a 3.08 ERA in 334 career games (254 starts) with the Chicago White Sox (2010-16) and Red Sox.

Duvall, 34, opened the season as Boston’s starting center fielder and was off to a hot start before landing on the 10-day IL with a fractured left wrist on April 10. He batted .455 with four homers and 14 RBIs in eight games before sustaining the injury while attempting a diving catch. He was shifted to the 60-day IL on May 6.

Valdez, 24, made his MLB debut on April 19 and is batting .234 with four homers, 11 RBIs and four stolen bases in 33 games.

The Red Sox also selected left-handed pitcher Joe Jacques to the major league roster and DFA’d left-hander Matt Dermody, who made his Boston debut and his first career start Thursday in a loss to the Cleveland Guardians.

–Field Level Media

The Detroit Tigers claimed second baseman Nick Solak off waivers from the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

The Tigers also reinstated outfielder Kerry Carpenter from the 10-day injured list.

Detroit optioned Solak to Triple-A Toledo after clearing room on the 40-man roster by transferring right-hander Spencer Turnbull to the 60-day IL.

Infielder Tyler Nevin was optioned to Toledo to make room for Carpenter on the 26-man active roster.

Solak, 28, was designated for assignment Tuesday after appearing in just one game for Atlanta. He is a career .252 hitter with 21 homers and 93 RBIs in 254 games with the Texas Rangers (2019-22) and Braves.

Carpenter, 25, landed on the IL with a right shoulder strain on April 29 after crashing into a wall while making a catch. He batted .217 with four homers and eight RBIs in 20 games before the injury.

Nevin, 26, batted .128 with one homer, four RBIs and 10 strikeouts in 16 games with the Tigers.

Turnbull, 30, is 1-4 with a 7.26 ERA in seven starts. He was placed on the 15-day IL last month with neck discomfort.

–Field Level Media

The Philadelphia Phillies reinstated reliever Jose Alvarado from the 15-day injured list on Friday.

The 28-year-old left-hander landed on the IL on May 10 with inflammation in his pitching elbow.

Prior to the injury, Alvarado posted a 0.63 ERA with no decisions and five saves in 14 appearances.

He has struck out 24 batters and walked none in 14 1/3 innings this season.

The Phillies optioned right-hander Connor Brogdon to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room on the roster.

Brogdon, 28, is 2-1 with a 4.03 ERA in 27 appearances this season. He has 26 strikeouts in 29 innings.

–Field Level Media

The Houston Astros placed outfielder Yordan Alvarez on the 10-day injured list Friday due to right oblique discomfort.

Alvarez will return to Houston for further evaluation, the team announced.

He aggravated an oblique injury on his final swing in the batting cage before exiting after his lone at-bat in Houston’s 3-2 setback to the host Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

“That’s a tough blow right there,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said following Thursday’s game. “We’ve just got to regroup and see how we’re going to get through this.”

Alvarez, 25, is hitting .272 with 17 homers and a majors-best 55 RBIs in 57 games this season.

The American League Rookie of the Year in 2019, Alvarez is batting .293 with 115 homers and 338 RBIs in 425 career games with the Astros.

Houston recalled catcher Cesar Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. Salazar, 27, went 2-for-14 (.143) in 10 games with the Astros earlier this season.

–Field Level Media

The Minnesota Twins placed left-hander Caleb Thielbar on the 15-day injured list Friday with a right oblique strain.

The move was made retroactive to Tuesday, two days after he was reinstated from the 15-day IL following a stint with the same injury. He allowed one hit and threw 10 pitches in one-third of an inning in relief Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians.

In 12 appearances this season, the 36-year-old Thielbar is 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA, two walks and 10 strikeouts.

Also on Friday, the Twins recalled right-hander Josh Winder from Triple-A St. Paul.

Winder, 26, allowed two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning in his lone appearance for the Twins this season on April 30 against the Kanas City Royals.

He recently appeared in nine games for the Saints from May 7-June 3, posting a 2-1 record with two saves and a 6.60 ERA.

–Field Level Media