Angels recover after giving up late lead, beat Astros in 10

Los Angeles Angels' Taylor Ward, right, scores on a sacrifice fly hit by David Fletcher as Brian Goodwin (18) celebrates during the sixth inning of Saturday's game against the Houston Astros in Anaheim, Calif. - Photo by Mark J. Terrill of The Associated Press
Los Angeles Angels' Taylor Ward, right, scores on a sacrifice fly hit by David Fletcher as Brian Goodwin (18) celebrates during the sixth inning of Saturday's game against the Houston Astros in Anaheim, Calif. - Photo by Mark J. Terrill of The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Matt Thaiss scored on Michael Hermosillo's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their three-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.

Jason Castro delivered a tying RBI double in the ninth for the Angels, who improved the majors' worst record to 3-6 despite blowing a two-run lead in the ninth.

David Fletcher hit a leadoff single in the 10th off Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-1), sending Thaiss to third. After the Astros walked Anthony Rendon to load the bases, Thaiss scored on Josh Reddick's inaccurate throw from medium right field.

Angels reliever Noé Ramirez got two outs in the 10th, and Ryan Buchter (2-0) struck out Abraham Toro with the bases loaded in a rare bright moment for the Halos' struggling relievers.

GIANTS 7, RANGERS 3

SAN FRANCISCO -- Donovan Solano hit a two-run single for an early lead and San Francisco overcame an injury to starting pitcher Drew Smyly.

Smyly experienced discomfort in his left index finger while pitching to Rob Refsnyder leading off the fifth. The lefty was pulled and Caleb Baragar (2-0) later recorded the final out in the inning.

Todd Frazier hit a two-run single in the first for Texas and Evan Longoria's two-run double tied it in the bottom half. Solano's single made it 4-2 in the third.

Mike Yastrzemski drew a bases-loaded walk -- one of his four free passes -- In the sixth to give the Giants insurance and Solano singled in another run in the eighth.

Jordan Lyles (0-1) walked five and allowed four runs on three hits in four innings making his first start of the year for Texas.

ORIOLES 5, RAYS 4, 11 innings

BALTIMORE -- Pinch-hitter Pat Valaika singled in the winning run in the 11th inning, and Baltimore handed Tampa Bay its fourth straight loss.

Newcomer Brian Holaday scored the deciding run after making a sensational diving catch in the top of the 11th to start an inning-ending double play. Holaday was added to the roster to replace Richard Bleier, who was traded after midnight on Saturday.

Holaday advanced from second to third on a sacrifice bunt off Oliver Drake (0-2), and with two outs came home on Valaika's opposite-field liner to right off Chaz Roe.

Travis Lakins (1-0) pitched the 11th to earn his first major league win.

YANKEES 5, RED SOX 2

NEW YORK -- Gio Urshela hit his first big league grand slam, Aaron Judge homered for a career-high fourth straight game and New York won its fifth straight.

Nick Nelson (1-0) pitched three hitless innings to win his major league debut. At 6-1, the Yankees are off to their best start since 2003.

Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka made his season debut after recovering from a concussion sustained when he was hit in the head by Giancarlo Stanton's line drive during practice on July 4. Tanaka lasted just 2 2/3 innings and 51 pitches, tiring in his second time through the order.

David Hale finished the six-hitter for his third career save, his first this year.

Judge homered in the first inning off Zack Godley (0-1), a 455-foot drive to left-center. Urshela hit his second homer of the season an inning later for a 5-0 lead.

TWINS 3, INDIANS 0

MINNEAPOLIS -- Miguel Sanó homered twice and Kenta Maeda pitched six scoreless innings in his home debut for Minnesota.

Eddie Rosario added a solo homer for the Twins, who got another strong start from a veteran newcomer to its starting rotation. Maeda (2-0) retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until Bradley Zimmer beat out a weak ground ball to second base in the fifth inning.

Carlos Carrasco (1-1) gave up six hits in six innings for Cleveland and was done in by three solo home runs from the Twins.

Maeda, acquired in an offseason trade from the Dodgers, was one of three key additions to strengthen Minnesota's rotation along with Rich Hill and Homer Bailey.

BRAVES 7, METS 1

ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. shook off a slow start by driving in two runs with two hits, including his first homer, and Atlanta won its fourth straight.

The Mets have lost four straight, including the first two games of the four-game series between the NL East rivals.

Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run homer, his third, off Michael Wacha (1-1) in the first inning.

Acuña led off the game with his 18th strikeout, the most in the majors, before emerging from his funk. He doubled in a run in the second for his first RBI as the Braves stretched the lead to 5-0. Acuña lined his first homer into the left-field seats in the sixth off right-hander Franklyn Kilome.

Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings with three strikeouts for the win.

WHITE SOX 11, ROYALS 5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Gio Gonzalez made his first start for the hot-hitting Chicago White Sox more than 16 years after they drafted him, and the veteran responded by holding the Kansas City Royals scoreless into the fourth inning.

Eloy Jimenez hit a three-run homer and finished with a career-high four hits, and rookie Luis Robert had four hits while finishing a triple shy of the cycle, leading a White Sox barrage of 21 hits in all. Leury Garcia also pounded out four hits, Yoan Moncada added three and Yasmani Grandal had a pair of hits while driving in two runs.

That was plenty of support for Gonzalez, who scattered five hits and three walks while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings. Matt Foster (1-0), one of six White Sox relievers, got the win.

Much of Chicago's damage came off spot starter Ronald Bolanos (0-2), who allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Whit Merrifield hit a two-run homer for the Royals. Ryan O'Hearn drove in their other two runs.

ROCKIES 6, PADRES 1

DENVER -- Kyle Freeland pitched six innings of two-hit ball and was backed by the superb defense of Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado as Colorado beat San Diego.

Freeland (2-0) allowed a two-out single to Tommy Pham in the first and then retired 13 in a row before Francisco Mejia's double in the sixth. The left-hander struck out four and walked one in throwing an economical 83 pitches.

Story contributed at the plate as well with a solo shot in the fourth. It was his second straight game with a homer. Matt Kemp hit a solo homer in the third for the Rockies.

Padres lefty Joey Lucchesi (0-1) had a forgettable outing in going 1 2/3 innings and giving up three runs.

Trent Grisham homered to center in the eighth off Rockies reliever Yency Almonte.

DODGERS 11, DIAMONDBACKS 2

PHOENIX -- Chris Taylor hit a three-run homer, A.J. Pollock and Edwin Ríos added two-run shots and Los Angeles rolled past Arizona.

The bottom of the Dodgers' order showed big power in the fourth inning when Ríos -- who was hitting seventh -- smashed a two-run homer over the 413-foot sign in center field. Two batters later, Matt Beaty ripped another homer that barely stayed fair down the right-field line.

D-backs starter Luke Weaver (0-2) took the loss after giving up six runs in four-plus innings.

The Dodgers broke the game open with a five-run fifth when the first six batters reached base on Weaver and reliever Yoan López. Justin Turner hit a two-run triple and Pollock added a two-run homer as Los Angeles pushed its lead to 8-2. Taylor's three-run homer in the eighth made it 11-2.

Dodgers starter Julio Urías (1-0) gave up two runs over six innings while striking out five.

CUBS 4, PIRATES 3

CHICAGO -- Tyler Chatwood matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in another terrific performance, and Chicago used the long ball to beat Pittsburgh.

Javier Báez, Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ hit home runs as Chicago won for the fifth time in six games. The Cubs have homered in each of their first eight games for the first time since 1958. Schwarber's two-run shot in the eighth made it 4-0.

Chatwood (2-0) departed after Pittsburgh loaded the bases with two out in the seventh. Jeremy Jeffress came in and retired Phillip Evans on a grounder to third.

The Pirates got three in the ninth on Colin Moran's two-run homer off Kyle Ryan and Gregory Polanco's run-scoring groundout. But Rowan Wick got pinch hitter José Osuna to bounce into a fielder's choice for his third career save.

The Pirates finished with six hits in their fourth loss in five games. Pittsburgh also lost Mitch Keller (1-1) in the third inning because of left side discomfort.

ATHLETICS 3, MARINERS 2, 10 innings

SEATTLE -- Pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman lined an RBI double to score Tony Kemp in the top of the 10th inning to lift Oakland.

The A's snapped a three-game losing streak, escaping a major jam in the bottom of the ninth inning before Grossman came through in the 10th. Hitting for Ryan Murphy, Grossman lined a pitch from Dan Altavilla (1-1) into the right-center field gap to easily score Kemp.

Liam Hendriks pitched the 10th for his second save of the season.

Oakland's Joakim Soria (1-0) escaped a jam in the ninth after Seattle loaded the bases with one out. Soria struck out Jose Marmolejos and Shed Long Jr. to send the game to extra innings, leaving pinch-runner Dee Gordon stranded at third base.

Oakland trailed 2-0 until Chad Pinder's two-out, two-run home run in the seventh inning off Seattle reliever Nick Margevicius.

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