Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer, Eduardo Rodriguez struck out 10 and the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 Friday night in the opener of a three-game rematch of the 2018 World Series.
Rafael Devers and Christian Vázquez also homered for the Red Sox, who broke the game open with a five-run rally that was interrupted by a one-hour rain delay in the seventh inning.
The Red Sox, who beat the Dodgers in five games to win their ninth World Series title, returned from the All-Star break with their fifth straight victory.
Rodriguez (10-4) tied his season-high for strikeouts and held the Dodgers to five hits in seven innings.
Alex Verdugo hit his 10th homer and Kenta Maeda struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers fell to 1-6 at Fenway Park in the few regular-season meetings between the franchises.
Kenta Maeda (7-6) struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings for Los Angeles. He allowed three runs, two on solo homers by Devers and Vázquez, on four hits with one walk.
TWINS 5, INDIANS 3
CLEVELAND (AP) — Minnesota slowed Cleveland’s charge in the AL Central as Jorge Polanco’s two-run double in the seventh inning helped end the Indians’ six-game winning streak.
The Twins took advantage of an error in the seventh by reliever Nick Goody before Polanco delivered his clutch, two-out hit off Oliver Perez (2-2).
Nelson Cruz and Mitch Garver homered for Minnesota.
Zack Littell (2-0) pitched a scoreless sixth, Ryne Harper worked the seventh and left-hander Taylor Rogers got six outs for his 13th save.
Carlos Santana connected for his 20th homer for Cleveland.
Indians starter Mike Clevinger allowed just one run — the homer to Nelson in the first — over five-plus innings and was in line to get the win before Cleveland’s bullpen had a rare meltdown.
RAYS 16, ORIOLES 4
BALTIMORE (AP) — Tommy Pham and Nate Lowe homered and Tampa Bay emerged from the All-Star break by scoring seven runs in the first inning in the rout of Baltimore.
Lowe had a career-high four hits and three RBIs, and Kevin Kiermaier had three hits, scored three runs and drove in two.
Yonny Chirinos (8-4) had an easy time earning his first victory in six starts since June 7. He gave up two runs and four hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts.
The Rays sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning against Dylan Bundy (4-11). After Pham homered, Tampa Bay added four doubles and three singles in an uprising that Bundy fueled with a wild pitch and a walk.
Renato Núñez hit his 21st home run, but the Orioles fell to 11-32 at home and 27-63 overall.
YANKEES 4, BLUE JAYS 0
NEW YORK (AP) — Domingo Germán cruised through six innings of three-hit ball, Edwin Encarnación hit a three-run double and New York beat Toronto.
New York has won 17 of 21 and boasts the American League’s best record at 58-31.
Germán (11-2) threw just 78 pitches, 54 for strikes, and retired 15 in a row following Eric Sogard’s leadoff hit. He had seven strikeouts. Tommy Kahnle and Chad Green combined for three scoreless innings in relief.
Aaron Sanchez (3-13) allowed four runs on seven hits, two walks and a hit batter in five innings. He leads the majors in losses.
Brett Gardner was 2 for 4 and also threw out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. trying to stretch a double to left in the seventh.
MARLINS 8, METS 4
MIAMI (AP) — Garrett Cooper, Curtis Granderson and Brian Anderson all homered and drove in two runs to power Miami past New York.
The Marlins beat the Mets for the fourth straight time.
Miami’s Caleb Smith (5-4) pitched six innings, allowing two unearned runs and three hits. He struck out six and worked around a season-high five walks.
Granderson and Cooper hit consecutive homers as part of a four-run third inning off Jason Vargas (3-5). The pair keyed another rally in the sixth. Starlin Castro added an RBI triple in the eighth.
The Mets took an early lead on a two-run single by Wilson Ramos, and Todd Frazier added a two-run homer.
NATIONALS 4, PHILLIES 0
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Stephen Strasburg struck out six in six innings, Victor Robles hit a two-run single and Washington blanked Philadelphia.
Strasburg (11-4) allowed seven hits and walked one, extending his dominance over the Phillies. He’s 13-2 against them, 6-0 in Philadelphia.
Phillies starter Nick Pivetta (4-4) allowed three runs and six hits in five innings.
Ryan Zimmerman drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the third. Juan Soto made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly off Ranger Suarez.
Wander Suero, Fernando Rodney pitched and Sean Doolittle combined to finish off the seven-hitter for the Nationals, who have won 16 of 20.
Bryce Harper was 2 for 4 against his former team.
CUBS 4, PIRATES 3
CHICAGO (AP) — Jason Heyward hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two out in the eighth inning, and Chicago beat Pittsburgh.
Kris Bryant set up Heyward’s winning hit with a one-out walk off Kyle Crick (3-5). The All-Star slugger advanced on Victor Caratini’s two-out walk and then hustled home from second on Heyward’s opposite-field hit to left, sliding home just ahead of the tag attempt by catcher Elias Díaz.
Randy Rosario (1-0) the fourth of five Cubs relievers, got the last out of the eighth for the win. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in four chances.
Chicago blew a late 3-0 lead before earning its third win in its last four games in the opener of an important nine-game homestand.
ROYALS 8, TIGERS 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Martin Maldonado and Jorge Soler hit late homers and Whit Merrifield scored on a wild pitch as Kansas City beat Detroit.
Bubba Starling was hitless in his long-awaited major league debut for Kansas City, and the Royals lost starter Danny Duffy to a bruised pitching hand.
Maldonado hit a solo homer that snapped a 5-5 tie in the seventh inning. Merrifield hit a double, stole third and scored on a wild pitch in the same inning. Soler added an insurance run, opening the eighth inning with his 24th homer of the season.
Victor Reyes had three hits and scored twice for the Tigers.
Jake Newberry (1-0) picked up the win; Ian Kennedy struck out two and earned the save.
Blaine Hardy (1-1) allowed two hits and two earned runs with a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning for the loss.
RANGERS 9, ASTROS 8
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Danny Santana lined a game-winning single with two outs in the ninth inning and Texas rallied from a four-run deficit after major league strikeout leader Gerrit Cole exited the game.
Elvis Andrus had a one-out single and a stolen base before Joey Gallo drew a walk off Roberto Osuna (3-2). Santana, who homered earlier, ended it with a liner just out of the reach of center fielder George Springer.
Shawn Kelley (5-2) had a perfect ninth.
The Rangers got even at 8 when Ronald Guzmán hit their fifth homer of the game.
Rookie Yordan Álvarez hit two of Houston’s four homers.
Cole struck out 13 in six innings. He threw 74 of 101 pitches for strikes. Three of the four hits Cole allowed were solo homers to Shin-Soo Choo, Santana and Gallo. Tim Federowicz also went deep for Texas.
GIANTS 10, BREWERS 7, 10 INNINGS
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Buster Posey hit a grand slam in the top of the 10th inning to lift San Francisco over Milwaukee.
Joe Panik singled, Mike Yastrzemski walked and Brandon Belt singled to load the bases for Posey who hit the first pitch from Matt Albers (4-3) to deep left-center. It was Posey’s fifth career grand slam and first this season.
Keston Hiura, who had three hits, got his eighth homer of the season off Mark Melancon in the bottom of the 10th for the final margin.
Christian Yelich tripled off All-Star Will Smith (2-0) to start the bottom of the ninth and scored on Mike Moustakas’ ground out to tie the game at 6. It was Smith’s first blown save of the season, but he picked up the win thanks to Posey’s fourth homer this season.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, CARDINALS 2
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jake Lamb and Ketel Marte homered, Robbie Ray allowed just two hits over 6 1/3 innings, and Arizona beat St. Louis.
Ray (7-6) struck out eight and walked two as the Diamondbacks won their fourth straight.
Yoshihisa Hirano finished the seventh and Yoan López allowed an unearned run in the eighth before Greg Holland earned his 15th save in 19 tries.
Daniel Ponce de Leon, named the starter in place of ailing Adam Wainwright, gave up one run over a season-high 6 2/3 innings. He allowed three hits, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.
ROCKIES 3, REDS 2
DENVER (AP) — Daniel Murphy hit a go-ahead solo shot in the eighth for his first homer at Coors Field as a member of the Rockies and Colorado snapped a six-game skid with the win over Cincinnati.
Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, David Dahl tied the game with a solo homer off David Hernandez (2-5). Two batters later, Murphy, who also had an RBI double, hit is eighth homer of the season.
Jairo Diaz (2-2) picked up the win despite a rocky eighth and Wade Davis threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his 13th save.
This game marked the first showdown between starters with the last name “Gray” — Sonny for Cincinnati, Jon for Colorado — according to Stats.
Sonny Gray went seven strong innings and allowed just five hits. His nine strikeouts tied a season high.
Jon Gray matched his counterpart pitch-for-pitch in going seven innings and scattering four hits.
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