Rays defeat Nationals 7-2, open season with 6 straight wins

Wed, Apr 5, 2023
MLB News (AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Wander Franco and Harold Ramirez each had two hits including a home run, and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Wednesday.

The Rays improved to 6-0 and extended the best start in franchise history. They are off to the best start of any team since Baltimore opened 7-0 in 2016.

Taylor Walls and Randy Arozarena had two hits each for Tampa Bay, which has outscored opponents 44-13.

Shane McClanahan (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits and four walks over six innings, allowing at least one baserunner in every inning but the sixth. He struck out six.

Victor Robles had two hits for the Nationals, who have lost five of their first six games. Washington starter Patrick Corbin (0-2) gave up six runs on 10 hits over six innings.

BRAVES 5, CARDINALS 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Matt Olson homered and drove in three, and Atlanta completed a three-game sweep of St. Louis.

Bryce Elder (1-0), who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, pitched six strong innings, giving up two hits, striking out six and walking three. Jesse Chavez retired the only batter he faced to earn his first save of the season.

The Braves won for the fifth time in their first six games, while St. Louis has lost three straight.

MLB

Cardinals rookie Jordan Walker hit his first career home run, driving a Michael Tonkin slider over the left field wall in the seventh. Walker, who added an RBI double in the ninth, has a six-game hitting streak to start his career.

Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (0-1) struggled in his second straight start to begin the season, allowing five runs on nine hits, as well as striking out six and walking one. His six innings was the longest for a St. Louis starter this season.

BREWERS 7, METS 6

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Garrett Mitchell hit a tiebreaking homer off Adam Ottavino in the ninth inning and Milwaukee earned its fifth straight victory.

Mitchell sent a 3-2 cutter from Ottavino (0-1) over the right-field wall for his third homer in his two games. Milwaukee's Joey Wiemer added a three-run shot for the rookie's first career homer.

After going scoreless in their first 16 innings of the season, the Brewers have scored 38 runs in their past 36 innings.

Milwaukee's Devin Williams (1-0) retired the side in order in the ninth.

GUARDIANS 6, ATHLETICS 4, 10 INNINGS

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Andres Gimenez scored on pinch-hitter Will Brennan's groundout for the go-ahead run, Stevan Kwan followed with an RBI single and Cleveland held off Oakland.

Gimenez began the inning at second base and Myles Straw drew a walk against Zach Jackson (0-1). After Gimenez advanced to third on a wild pitch, Brennan lined a 3-2 pitch to shortstop Nick Allen, who threw to first for the out as Gimenez crossed home plate.

Eli Morgan (1-0), who was the fourth of five Cleveland pitchers, worked one scoreless inning of relief to win. Emmanuel Clase retired three batters for his second save.

RANGERS 5, ORIOLES 2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Josh Jung hit a tiebreaking two-run homer soon after Jacob deGrom threw his final pitch of the game, giving the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner his first victory in the American League.

DeGrom (1-0) retired the first 12 batters he faced and finished with 11 strikeouts, but the game was tied 2-2 after he ended the sixth with back-to-back Ks.

Jung's second homer this season came in the bottom of the sixth off Austin Voth (0-1), who had taken over in relief after top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez went five innings in his big-league debut and finished with a no-decision.

Texas avoided a series sweep and ended its eight-game skid against the Orioles, who won all six of their games against the Rangers last season.

YANKEES 4, PHILLIES 2

NEW YORK (AP) - Gerrit Cole outpitched Aaron Nola in a marquee matchup, Gleyber Torres had three hits and two RBIs and the New York Yankees beat Philadelphia.

Torres also stole two bases and is hitting .421 with six RBIs and five steals. Jose Trevino added a two-run homer off reliever Gregory Soto, and New York took two of three for the second straight series. NL champion Philadelphia has skidded to a 1-5 start, its worst since 2007.

Coming off six scoreless innings against San Francisco in the opener, Cole (2-0) pitched shutout ball into the seventh and left after a pitch-clock violation put on a runner who scored the first run off him this season.

On a 48-degree afternoon with a chilling mist, Nola (0-1) gave up three runs and seven hits in six-plus innings with a walk and five strikeouts. He has a 7.45 ERA.

PIRATES 4, RED SOX 1

BOSTON (AP) - Mitch Keller struck out seven, Carlos Santana homered and Bryan Reynolds knocked in his seventh run of the season as Pittsburgh completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox.

Ke'Bryan Hayes drove in a run with a perfectly-placed bunt in the sixth and Santana added an RBI double during a two-run seventh that put the Pirates up 4-0.

Keller (1-0) braved short sleeves despite the blustery conditions and held Boston to one run on four hits, striking out seven and walking two. He carried a shutout into the seventh, when Triston Casas doubled with two out and scored on a single by Christian Arroyo.

Boston's Corey Kluber (0-1) held the Pirates to one run on three hits over five innings. The only run charged to Kluber was in the fourth, when Santana pounced on an inside cutter and drove it out to right for his first homer of the season.

MARLINS 5, TWINS 2

MIAMI (AP) - Bryan De La Cruz hit a go-ahead single in the eighth, Jorge Soler homered twice and Jesus Luzardo fanned 10 to lift Miami over Minnesota.

Jean Segura and Jon Berti hit back-to-back one-out singles against reliever Griffin Jax (0-1) in the eighth before De La Cruz's RBI single against Caleb Thielbar scored Segura and broke a 1-1 tie. Soler followed with a three-run shot to left field.

Luzardo had his fifth career double-digit strikeout game; the 25-year-old left-hander struck out 12 against Atlanta on Oct. 25, 2022. On Wednesday, he allowed five hits and a run with one walk before Dylan Floro (1-0) replaced him in the seventh after 99 pitches.

ANGLES 4, MARINERS 3

SEATTLE (AP) - Shohei Ohtani held Seattle to one run in six innings and drove in a run at the plate, leading the Los Angeles Angels over the Mariners.

Ohtani (1-0) kept the Mariners scoreless after allowing a run in a bumpy first inning, finishing his day having allowed three hits and four walks while striking out eight.

After Julio Rodriguez scored in the bottom of the first to give Seattle the early lead, Logan O'Hoppe hit a two-run homer against Mariners starter Chris Flexen (0-1) to put the Angels on top 2-1.

WHITE SOX 7, GIANTS 3

CHICAGO (AP) - Dylan Cease went five innings in his first win, Tim Anderson got ejected and Chicago came away with the win after losing three of four.

Luis Robert Jr. had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. Gavin Sheets added three RBIs.

Cease (1-0) kept the Giants in check despite some control issues after they smacked seven homers in Monday's 12-3 romp. The AL Cy Young Award runner-up walked five, but struck out eight. The only hit and run he allowed was a solo homer to J.D. Davis in the second.

Anderson got tossed in the third after being called out on strikes.

Logan Webb (0-2) went five innings, allowing four runs and nine hits.

ASTROS 8, TIGERS 2

HOUSTON (AP) - Chas McCormick, Kyle Tucker and Jeremy Pena all homered and combined for six RBIs to help Houston snap a three-game skid.

McCormick hit a two-run home run in the second off Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2) and doubled in the fourth. Rodriguez allowed six hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings for his second loss to open the season.

Tucker homered for a second straight game with his solo home run in the fourth to help the Astros avoid a three-game sweep. Tucker added an RBI double in a two-run seventh as Houston padded the lead.

Cristian Javier (1-0) allowed five hits and one run with five strikeouts in six innings for the win.

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