MLB Roundup: Brewers remain undefeated to start season, beat Twins

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jackson Chourio singled in a run in his first American Family Field plate appearance, Christian Yelich homered and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Tuesday to open a season with four straight wins for the first time since 2006.

Chourio stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the third inning after consecutive one-out singles by Rhys Hoskins, Oliver Dunn and Turang. The 20-year-old followed with an RBI single into shallow right field.

Chourio, who signed an $82 million, eight-year contract in the off-season before making his big league debut, is hitting .400 (6 for 15).

Home after a three-game sweep at the New York Mets, the Brewers never trailed in front of a sellout crowd of 41,659 that saved its biggest cheers for the introduction of Bob Uecker as he began his 54th season of broadcasting Brewers baseball.

Brice Turang went 2 for 3 with an RBI single, improving his batting average to .500 (7 for 14).

Milwaukee is 4-0 for the fourth time after winning its first 13 games in 1987 and its first five in 1978 and 2006.

METS VS. TIGERS ppd.

NEW YORK (AP) — The scheduled game between the unbeaten Detroit Tigers and winless New York Mets was postponed by rain.

The game will be made up at 1:10 p.m. on Thursday, originally an off day for both teams.

ROYALS 4, ORIOLES 1

BALTIMORE (AP) — Alec Marsh pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, Maikel Garcia drove in three runs and Kansas City breezed past Baltimore.

Marsh (1-0) turned in the best performance of his budding career, dominating the defending AL East champions with an exceptional display of control. He struck out five, walked one and retired the side in order five times. 

The Orioles gave their supporters little reason to stand up and cheer. Baltimore’s only run came in the third inning on successive doubles by Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser, but that only served to cut their deficit to 3-1.

ANGELS 3, MARLINS 1

MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Anderson pitched seven scoreless innings, Aaron Hicks homered and the Los Angeles Angeles beat Miami.

Anderson (1-0) scattered four hits, walked two and struck out five. The left-hander was lifted after 83 pitches.

Hicks’ solo blast in the fourth put the Angels ahead 1-0. He drove a fastball from Miami starter Jesús Luzardo inside the foul pole in right for his first homer with Los Angeles.

The Angels increased their lead on run-scoring singles from Hicks and Taylor Ward in the sixth.

Bryan De La Cruz homered in the ninth inning for the Marlins, who lost their sixth straight game to start the season.

RAYS 5, RANGERS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Zach Eflin took a shutout into the seventh inning, Isaac Paredes hit a three-run homer in a four-run fifth and Tampa Bay beat Texas.

Eflin (1-1) allowed three of his five hits and lone run in the seventh, then was removed after Jonah Heim’s one-out RBI single. Heim also had a two-out run-scoring single in the ninth off Pete Fairbanks, who retired Leody Tavares on a game-ending flyout with with two on.

Tampa Bay has a home run and stolen base in each of its first six games, matching Cleveland in 1998 as the only teams since 1901 to accomplish the feat.

Yandy Díaz, hitless in his previous 11 at-bats, put the Rays up 1-0 with a third-inning RBI single that deflected off pitcher Andrew Heaney’s glove and into right field.

Randy Arozarena hit a two-out, run-scoring single on a 3-2 pitch off Yerry Rodríguez and Paredes drove the next pitch into left-field seats.

PHILLIES 9, REDS 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper homered for his first three hits of the season, including a grand slam, and Philadelphia beat Cincinnati.

Brandon Marsh also connected for Philadelphia, which bounced back nicely after dropping the series opener on Monday. Spencer Turnbull struck out seven in five effective innings.

The two-time NL MVP hit a solo shot in the first and fourth innings against Graham Ashcraft. He capped Philadelphia’s five-run seventh against Brent Suter with his seventh career grand slam, a 422-foot drive to right-centre.

WHITE SOX 3, BRAVES 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Garrett Crochet pitched seven sparkling innings, pinch-hitter Paul DeJong had a tiebreaking homer and the Chicago White Sox got their first win by beating Atlanta.

Michael Kopech pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and gave up a solo drive to Marcell Ozuna with one out in the ninth. He walked Michael Harris II with two outs and gave up a single to Orlando Arcia, putting runners on first and second, before retiring Travis d’Arnaud on a pop fly for the save.

Gavin Sheets and Andrew Vaughn hit RBI singles, and the White Sox overcame two home runs by Ozuna to win after an 0-4 start.

CUBS 12, ROCKIES 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki, Christopher Morel and Garrett Cooper homered, and the Chicago Cubs pounded Colorado.

Bellinger’s two-run drive off the right-field scoreboard at Wrigley Field was his first homer of the season..

Cooper hit a three-run shot in the sixth that gave Chicago a 10-0 lead. He also doubled and tripled in his first home start with the Cubs. 

Nick Madrigal added two hits and three RBIs on a chilly, breezy night at Wrigley Field. Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson each had two of the Cubs’ 14 hits.

Michael Toglia hit a two-run homer for Colorado in the seventh against Jose Cuas. Charlie Blackmon had three of the Rockies’ seven hits.

BLUE JAYS 2, ASTROS 1

HOUSTON (AP) — Davis Schneider’s two-run homer off closer Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth inning lifted Toronto over Houston.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled starting the inning, but Bo Bichette grounded into a double play. Hader (0-2), signed by the Astros to a $95 million, five-year contract this off-season, walked Justin Turner to bring up Schneider.

Schneider’s soaring shot sailed to centre field to put the Blue Jays on top 2-1 and set off a celebration in the Toronto dugout.

Toronto starter José Berríos yielded six hits and one run in six innings in another solid start after getting the win on opening day. Chad Green (1-0) got the final four outs for the win.

Jose Altuve had two hits, and his solo homer in the fourth was all the offence the Astros could muster.

DIAMONDBACKS 7, YANKEES 0

PHOENIX (AP) — Christian Walker hit a three-run homer, Zac Gallen pitched six scoreless innings and the Arizona beat the New York Yankees.

Defending NL champion Arizona is off to a 4-2 start. The D-backs took a 3-0 lead in the first after five of the first six batters reached base on Nestor Cortes. Blaze Alexander, Eugenio Suárez and Gabriel Moreno all had RBI singles.

CARDINALS 5, PADRES 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, and St. Louis beat San Diego to win the first two of a three-game series.

Miles Mikolas (1-1), who broke into the majors with San Diego in 2012, improved to 3-2 against his old squad. He allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings.

Ryan Helsley worked the ninth for his first save in two chances.

GUARDIANS 5, MARINERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched six scoreless innings for the second straight start, leading Cleveland over Seattle.

Bieber (2-0), the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner, struck out nine, walked none and threw 55 of 83 pitches for strikes. He allowed six hits and didn’t permit a runner past second base.

Emmanuel Clase pitched a one-hit ninth for his second save.

RED SOX 5, ATHLETICS 4, 11 INNINGS

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Trevor Story had three hits and two RBIs and Wilyer Abreu scored the go-ahead run on a double-play grounder in the 11th inning, sending Boston to a victory over Oakland.

Abreu began the 11th on second as the automatic runner. He advanced on Reese McGuire’s single and scampered home on Tyler O’Neill’s 5-4-3 double play off Mitch Spence (0-1).

Ceddanne Rafaela made a great running catch in centre with one out in the bottom half, robbing Shea Langeliers of extra bases. Josh Winckowski (1-0) then fanned Lawrence Butler for the final out.

Winckowski struck out three in two innings. Five Red Sox relievers allowed two hits in six scoreless innings.

Langeliers and JJ Bleday homered for Oakland.

DODGERS 5, GIANTS 4

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts hit his major league-leading fifth home run, Freddie Freeman had three hits and Los Angeles beat the San Francisco for their third straight victory.

Betts lifted a hanging changeup from Giants starter Logan Webb into the left-centre field bleachers in the third inning for a game-tying solo home run and the 1,500th hit of his career.

Betts finished 2 for 5 with two runs scored and a stolen base. He is batting .500 and has reached base in 23 of 38 plate appearances to open the season.

Jorge Soler led off the sixth with his first home run as a Giant and Michael Conforto singled and scored on a fielder’s choice to bring San Francisco within a run, but the back of the Dodgers’ bullpen held on.