Victor Robles homered and drove in four runs as the host Washington Nationals overcame five errors and the absence of Stephen Strasburg to record a 9-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday night.
After the Nationals were held to one hit in Thursday’s rain-shortened loss, they totaled 13 on Saturday, and every starter except shortstop Trea Turner had a hit.
Robles fell a triple shy of the cycle and produced his second career game with at least four RBIs. The center fielder had a two-run double down the left-field line in a three-run second off New York left-hander James Paxton (0-1) and added a two-run homer in the fourth off rookie Mike King.
Erick Fedde started for Strasburg (scratched because of a nerve issue in his hand) and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in four innings. He struck out three, walked one and threw 68 pitches to 19 batters. Tanner Rainey (1-0) came in for Fedde and threw one scoreless inning.
Giants 5, Dodgers 4
Wilmer Flores hit a home run, and Logan Webb pitched four strong innings after getting the late call to start as San Francisco held on for a win at Los Angeles.
Donovan Solano hit a two-run double as the Giants won their first game of the season in three tries. San Francisco ended a six-game losing streak to their National League West rivals going back to last season.
Webb was not revealed as the Giants starter until a few hours before Saturday’s game. He gave up one run on six hits over four innings with a walk and two strikeouts. Rookie left-hander Caleb Baragar (1-0) followed with two scoreless innings to earn the win in his major league debut, retiring five consecutive All-Stars.
Rockies 3, Rangers 2
Matt Kemp got his first hit as a Colorado Rockie and drove in a run, David Dahl had an RBI single and the Rockies beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday.
Daniel Bard (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings in his first game in more than seven years after a long battle with the yips, notching his first win in more than eight years. Wade Davis got the final three outs for the save.
Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Gallo had RBI singles, and Mike Minor (0-1) allowed two runs — one earned — and struck out six in five innings for Texas.
Astros 7, Mariners 2
Lance McCullers worked six innings in his first start in almost two years as host Houston rode a balanced attack to top visiting Seattle.
McCullers (1-0) missed the 2019 campaign following Tommy John surgery the previous offseason. He wobbled early facing the Mariners, needing a pair of double-play grounders to escape traffic in the first and second innings, but he breezed from there to finish with two runs allowed on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Every Astros starter had at least one hit.
Mariners rookie center fielder Kyle Lewis cranked his second home run in as many games, taking McCullers the opposite way to right field with one out in the sixth inning. But Taijuan Walker (0-1) was chased in the fourth, as Seattle lost for the 12th straight time in Houston.
Brewers 8, Cubs 3
Justin Smoak and Christian Yelich each blasted their first home run of the season as Milwaukee pulled away from Chicago at Wrigley Field for its first win of the season.
Ben Gamel added a two-run triple, and Lorenzo Cain finished 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the Brewers. Brewers left-hander Brent Suter (1-0) earned the victory in relief despite allowing two runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Kyle Schwarber clubbed a two-run homer, also his first of the season, to lead the Cubs at the plate. Right-hander Yu Darvish (0-1) gave up three runs on six hits in four innings. He walked none and fanned five.
Braves 5, Mets 3 (10 inn.)
Dansby Swanson’s RBI single leading off the 10th inning sparked a three-run outburst and lifted visiting Atlanta past New York, which was trying to start 2-0 for the third straight season.
Mets closer Edwin Diaz was one strike away from closing out the win with a 1-2-3 ninth when Marcell Ozuna homered to right field to knot the score at 2. Then Adam Duvall, who made the final out of the ninth, opened the 10th at second and scored when Swanson singled on the third pitch by Hunter Strickland (0-1). Swanson would score on Ender Inciarte’s comebacker, and William Contreras — making his first career at-bat — doubled on Strickland’s next pitch to score Camargo.
The Mets mounted a mini-rally against Luke Jackson (1-0) in the bottom half. With McNeil on second base to start the inning, Jake Marisnick and Pete Alonso each singled to load the bases. Eduardo Nunez flew out to Inciarte in shallow center, and pinch-hitter Dominic Smith followed with a sacrifice fly before Alonso was forced at second on Wilson Ramos’ grounder
Tigers 6, Reds 4
JaCoby Jones hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, and Detroit overcame an early deficit to win at Cincinnati.
After Austin Romine singled to open the ninth of a 4-4 game, ninth-place hitter Jones belted a pitch from Reds closer Raisel Iglesias over the wall in left-center field to put the Tigers ahead in a game that featured a combined six home runs. Closer Joe Jimenez overcame a walk in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save and help Detroit even the three-game set that concludes Sunday.
Detroit did not have many answers for Reds starter Luis Castillo, who allowed a run and struck out 11 in six innings.
Orioles 7, Red Sox 2
Alex Cobb pitched 5 1/3 masterful innings in his first start in well over a year as Baltimore exacted a measure of revenge with an easy win at Boston.
Beaten 13-2 in the season opener at Fenway Park on Friday, the Orioles jumped to a five-run advantage after two innings and held on. The right-handed Cobb (1-0) limited the Red Sox to a run on four hits and no walks, striking out six. The Boston native had last pitched April 26, 2019, making only three starts last season before undergoing hip surgery.
Mitch Moreland hit the first home run of the season for the Red Sox, and Alex Verdugo went 3-for-4 in his highly anticipated team debut. Rafael Devers struck out four times. Lefty Martin Perez (0-1) overcame a rough start to go five innings with five runs allowed (four earned) on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks in his Boston debut.
Rays 4, Blue Jays 1
Brandon Lowe’s tiebreaking two-run triple in the eighth inning lifted Tampa Bay to its first win of the season, beating Toronto in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Lowe scorched a gapper to right-center with one out, easily scoring pinch runner Hunter Renfroe and Ji-Man Choi. Reliever Sam Gaviglio (0-1) then balked home Lowe.
Lowe went 2-for-4, and Choi drove in a run with a double for the Rays, who had just five hits. Starting pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, elevated to the No. 2 spot in the rotation, gave up four hits in a 69-pitch start over 5 1/3 scoreless innings.
Padres 5, Diamondbacks 1
Wil Myers and Manny Machado homered, and right-handed starter Dinelson Lamet held visiting Arizona to one run on five hits over five-plus innings in San Diego’s victory.
Myers’ three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth off Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray erased a 1-0 deficit. It was the first homer ever by a Padres designated hitter at Petco Park. Machado hit a two-run home run in the seventh off right-handed reliever Hector Rondon, swinging freely on a 3-0 pitch.
The Padres opened the season with two straight wins as starting pitchers Chris Paddack and Lamet held the Diamondbacks to one run on nine hits and two walks against 12 strikeouts over 11 innings.
Royals 3, Indians 2 (10 inn.)
Maikel Franco’s sacrifice fly plated Brett Phillips in the 10th inning to lift visiting Kansas City past Cleveland and nemesis Mike Clevinger.
Phillips, who was stationed at second base to start the 10th inning under rules installed for the 2020 season, advanced to third on a bunt from Erick Mejia. Phillips came around to score after Franco’s sacrifice fly to deep center field off James Karinchak (0-1). Scott Barlow (1-0) was credited with the win after striking out back-to-back batters with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.
Indians starter Mike Clevinger, who entered the game with a 9-0 record and 1.93 ERA in 13 career appearances versus Kansas City, overcame a sluggish start in the first before shutting down the Royals over the next six innings for a no-decision.
Angels 4, A’s 1
Right-hander Dylan Bundy pitched effectively into the seventh inning, and David Fletcher capped a three-run fifth with a two-run double, allowing visiting Los Angeles and new manager Joe Maddon to beat Oakland and break into the win column for the first time.
Bundy allowed just three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He was charged with one run when reliever Keynan Middleton served up the A’s only score, as Robbie Grossman singled in an inherited base runner, Stephen Piscotty.
The Angels broke the game open in the fifth after singles by Taylor Ward and Max Stassi. With two outs, Andrelton Simmons doubled to left, scoring Ward, and Fletcher followed with his two-run double to left-center.
White Sox 10, Twins 3
Leury Garcia homered twice — once from each side of the plate — and drove in four runs as host Chicago hit five home runs to avenge its Opening Day loss to Minnesota.
Edwin Encarnacion, Eloy Jimenez and James McCann also hit home runs for the White Sox, while Dallas Keuchel (1-0) picked up the victory in his Chicago debut in allowing two runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings. He held the Twins to just an infield single over the first five innings and finished with one strikeout and no walks.
Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer and Mitch Garver had two hits and a walk for Minnesota. Starter Randy Dobnak (0-1) suffered the loss, giving up one run on three hits over four innings.
Cardinals 9, Pirates 1
Adam Wainwright and three relievers combined on a three-hitter as St. Louis won for the second time in as many games against visiting Pittsburgh.
Wainwright (1-0) held the Pirates to their one run and three hits in six innings to earn the victory. John Gant, Tyler Webb and Daniel Ponce de Leon combined to close out the last three innings. The victory was Wainwright’s 163rd for the Cardinals, tying him with Bob Forsch for third-most in franchise history.
Pirates starting pitcher Trevor Williams (0-1) suffered the loss while allowing three runs in 3 2/3 innings. Paul Goldschmidt’s blast off the third deck of the left field stands gave the Cardinals a 1-0 first-inning lead; he hit .366 in 19 games against the Pirates last season with three doubles, seven homers and 23 RBIs.
Phillies 7, Marlins 1
Phil Gosselin hit two home runs, Didi Gregorius and J.T. Realmuto also went deep, and Zack Wheeler tossed seven strong innings in his Philadelphia debut as the host Phillies topped Miami.
Wheeler (1-0), who threw 87 pitches, 57 for strikes, gave up five hits and one run. The former Met signed a $118 million free agent contract with Philadelphia after last season and still started for his new team despite his wife giving birth to a baby last Monday.
Marlins starter Caleb Smith struggled with his command and was pulled after only three innings. He gave up just one hit and one run and struck out three, yet walked six while throwing 70 pitches, 36 for strikes. Alex Vesia (0-1) took the loss in relief for Miami.
–Field Level Media
