Pinch hitter Jorge Alfaro hit a two-out, three-run home run in the ninth inning Sunday afternoon to give the San Diego Padres a 3-2 walk-off victory at home over the Miami Marlins.
Miami pitchers had shut out the Padres for 20 straight innings and had retired 11 straight batters when the Padres launched a game-winning rally against closer Cole Sulser. Jurickson Profar singled with one out in the ninth, which was just the Padres’ sixth hit of the game.
Then followed an unusual play. Left-handed hitter Trent Grisham grounded sharply to third baseman Joey Wendle, who was playing on the right side of the infield in the shift. But Wendle’s throw to second in an attempt to get a forceout was wide of the bag. With no one covering third in the shift, Profar headed to third, only to be tagged out by Sulser on a throw from shortstop Miguel Rojas.
Rookie C.J. Abrams then singled to left, bringing up Alfaro, the last player on the Padres’ bench, as a pinch-hitter. He hit the first pitch from Sulser into the left field seats for his second homer of the season.
Angels 5, Nationals 4
Anthony Rendon’s two-out RBI single drove in Shohei Ohtani from second base to cap a three-run rally in the ninth inning and lift Los Angeles over Washington in Anaheim, Calif.
Facing Nationals reliever Tanner Rainey (0-1), Ohtani’s two-run double tied the game and set the stage for Rendon, who had two hits Sunday after going 0-for-8 in the first two games against his former team. Jaime Barria (1-0) picked up the win with two scoreless innings in relief.
Nationals starter Erick Fedde pitched five scoreless innings with five walks and four strikeouts. Angels starter Patrick Sandoval gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and fanned five.
Mariners 2, Rays 1 (10 innings)
Ty France’s walk-off single to left in the 10th inning ended host Seattle’s six-game skid while snapping Tampa Bay’s six-game winning streak.
After Abraham Toro’s one-out home run in the ninth off closer Andrew Kittredge, France ripped a 1-1 slider from Matt Wisler (1-1) deep to left with one out to send home Jarred Kelenic. Paul Sewald (1-1) pitched a scoreless 10th. Toro went 2-for-4.
In his major league debut, Seattle starter George Kirby displayed the talent and command that made him the best pitcher in Seattle’s minor league system. He struck out seven in five scoreless innings, and got 15 swings-and-misses. Manuel Margot was 2-for-3 with a solo homer and stolen base for the Rays.
Astros 5, Tigers 0
Jake Odorizzi twirled five shutout innings, Aledmys Diaz clubbed a grand slam and Houston capped a sweep of its seven-game homestand by blanking Detroit.
Alex Bregman slugged his fifth home run of the year and Astros right-handed relievers Cristian Javier and Hector Neris completed the one-hit shutout. Odorizzi (3-2) allowed one hit and two walks while posting five strikeouts. He has surrendered one run on six hits and four walks with 12 strikeouts over 17 2/3 innings in his last three starts.
Diaz opened the scoring in a big way in the third inning, driving a 1-0 fastball from Tigers right-hander Drew Hutchison (0-3) out to left-center for his second homer of the season and his third career grand slam.
Reds 7, Pirates 3
Colin Moran victimized his former team for a go-ahead grand slam and a two-run homer to rally Cincinnati past visiting Pittsburgh for its first series win in nine tries.
Down 2-0 entering the sixth inning, Moran’s grand slam came two batters after Tommy Pham worked a bases-loaded walk. Moran followed up his sixth-inning slam with a two-run homer in the eighth to give him a career-high six RBIs.
Michael Perez and Bryan Reynolds hit home runs for the Pirates, who ended their five-game road trip with a 2-3 mark and lost for the eighth time in 11 games.
Dodgers 7, Cubs 1
Walker Buehler won his third straight start, holding host Chicago to a run over seven innings as Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep.
Buehler (4-1), who tossed 14 scoreless innings over his previous two starts, surrendered four hits and two walks while striking out six in his 100th career start. The right-hander didn’t allow a runner past first base after Rafael Ortega scored in the first.
Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger and Freddie Freeman had an RBI apiece for the Dodgers and Bellinger finished with three hits. Willson Contreras had an RBI single in the first for the Cubs.
Guardians 4, Blue Jays 3
Light-hitting outfielder Oscar Mercado drove in the go-ahead run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to propel Cleveland to a victory over visiting Toronto.
Cleveland pushed across two runs in the eighth inning, which started with a solo home run by second baseman Owen Miller to the left-field bleachers off reliever Tim Mayza.
The Blue Jays brought in reliever Adam Cimber (4-2) to face the red-hot Franmil Reyes, who lined a single to left. Cimber allowed his first walk of the season to Andres Gimenez, setting the stage for Mercado to drill a single into center field, which drove home Reyes with the winning run. Reyes was 3-for-4 on the day.
White Sox 3, Red Sox 2
Dallas Keuchel enjoyed his best start of the season and Jose Abreu belted a key two-run double as visiting Chicago edged Boston to complete a three-game sweep.
Keuchel (2-3) allowed two runs on eight hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one as Chicago extended its winning streak to six games and pushed Boston’s losing streak to five. Reese McGuire singled to open the third inning and scored on Leury Garcia’s RBI single, and Abreu laced a two-run, two-out double to left.
Boston’s Tanner Houck (2-3), who started in place of the injured Michael Wacha, was charged with three runs in 2 2/3 innings. Rafael Devers had three hits and a run for the Red Sox.
Phillies 3, Mets 2 (Game 1)
Bryce Harper hit a home run and drove in two runs to lift host Philadelphia over New York in the first game of a doubleheader.
Harper, Jean Segura, Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber each had two hits each for the Phillies, who snapped a four-game losing streak as the teams played for the first time since Thursday after consecutive rain postponements.
Mets starter Max Scherzer (4-1) gave up three runs on 10 hits over six innings. Scherzer, who had a 15-game winning streak halted, struck out seven and walked none.
Mets 6, Phillies 1 (Game 2)
Pete Alonso hit two home runs, a single and drove in five runs as visiting New York salvaged a doubleheader split with Philadelphia.
Tomas Nido added two hits for the Mets, while starter Chris Bassitt (4-2) gave up five hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings with one walk and four strikeouts.
Jean Segura hit a home run with a single and a walk for the Phillies, who managed just six hits.
Yankees 2, Rangers 1 (Game 1)
Gleyber Torres homered to lead off the ninth inning, lifting New York over Texas in the opener of their doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
Torres won it when he hit a 3-1 sinker from John King (1-1) into the right-field seats. New York ace Gerrit Cole allowed a run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out 10, walked one and threw a season-high 114 pitches. Clay Holmes (3-0) pitched a scoreless ninth to get the win.
Texas’ Dane Dunning took a no-hitter into the sixth and wound up allowing one run and two hits in six innings. Kole Calhoun ended Cole’s bid for a third straight scoreless start when he lined a full-count 98.7 mph fastball to the short porch and just inside the foul line with one out in the seventh.
Rangers 4, Yankees 2 (Game 2)
Pinch-hitter Brad Miller hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning against Michael King to lift Texas to a victory over host New York for a doubleheader split.
Miller gave the Rangers a 4-2 lead when he hit King’s 1-0 fastball to center field after Jonah Heim had scored the tying run on a wild pitch to the backstop. King hadn’t given up a run in his past six appearances.
Miller’s third homer of the season marked the first time King allowed a run since giving up a run-scoring double to George Springer in the seventh inning against Toronto on April 11. Eli White also homered in the sixth as Texas won for the fifth time in six games.
Braves 9, Brewers 2
Charlie Morton rediscovered his form with five shutout innings and William Contreras drove in four runs to lead Atlanta past visiting Milwaukee in the rubber game of their three-game series.
It was just the second series win of the season for the Braves as Morton (2-3) broke a three-game losing streak. He allowed only two hits, walked three and struck out five. The veteran had allowed 17 runs (16 earned) over 18 1/3 innings in his previous four starts.
The losing pitcher was Aaron Ashby (0-3), who pitched four innings and allowed six runs on six hits, four walks and three strikeouts. He also had a wild pitch and committed an error, and his ERA soared from 2.33 to 4.24.
Royals 6, Orioles 4 (Game 1)
Michael Taylor’s RBI single in the ninth inning was the difference as Kansas City beat host Baltimore in the opener of a Mother’s Day doubleheader.
Taylor’s single to left field off Baltimore’s Jorge Lopez with two outs scored Nicky Lopez with the go-ahead run. Salvador Perez’s single to right field off Cionel Perez then scored Taylor, padding the lead for Kansas City.
Taylor Clarke and Scott Barlow combined for two shutout innings to close the game for the Royals. Jordan Lyles started on the mound for the Orioles, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out five in 7 1/3 innings. He notched the 900th strikeout of his career in the first inning when he got Edward Olivares to swing and miss on a high fastball.
Orioles 4, Royals 2 (Game 2)
After faltering earlier in the day, Baltimore bounced back in the second game of a Mother’s Day doubleheader, topping Kansas City at home.
Orioles’ starter Bruce Zimmermann (2-1) allowed two runs while striking out five in six innings of work. Baltimore has now won five of its last eight games, while Kansas City has lost six of its last eight.
Baltimore’s offense exploded for three runs in the opening inning against Royals starter Daniel Lynch (2-2). With the bases loaded, a passed ball allowed Cedric Mullins to score from third, and then Ryan Mountcastle singled to center field to bring Trey Mancini home. A few pitches later, Ramon Urias lofted a sac fly to right field, bringing in Austin Hays.
Giants 4, Cardinals 3
Mike Yastrzemski broke a sixth-inning tie with a solo home run, John Brebbia pitched out of a jam in the eighth and San Francisco outlasted visiting St. Louis for a split of their four-game series.
LaMonte Wade Jr. also homered for the Giants, who got five sharp innings from right-hander Jakob Junis in his first start for the team.
Yastrzemski’s homer, his second of the season, came after the Cardinals had tied the score at 3 in the top of the sixth on a Harrison Bader infield out. Dylan Carlson’s ground-rule double set up the score. Juan Yepez also hit his first big-league home run for the Cardinals.
Twins 4, Athletics 3
Jorge Polanco drove in two runs and five relievers combined for 6 2/3 scoreless innings as Minnesota completed a three-game sweep of Oakland with victory at Minneapolis.
Cody Stashak (3-0) replaced injured starter Chris Paddack in the third inning and tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Twins right-hander Emilio Pagan retired Cristian Pache with runners at second and third in the ninth for his fourth save.
Minnesota has won 14 of its last 17 games, including nine straight at home. Gilberto Celestino recorded the first three-hit game of his career in the victory. Sean Murphy and Seth Brown had two hits apiece for Oakland, which has lost nine straight games and 12 of its last 14.
Diamondbacks 4, Rockies 0
Zac Gallen pitched seven shutout innings, yielding five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks, to help Arizona beat Colorado in Phoenix.
Relievers Noe Ramirez and Joe Mantiply did not allow a hit or walk in the last two innings in relief of Gallen (2-0) as the Diamondbacks took two of three against the Rockies.
The Diamondbacks’ No. 1 prospect, center fielder Alek Thomas, made his major league debut and got his first career hit. He doubled to lead off the fifth inning and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by fellow rookie Jose Herrera. Thomas later scored when Rockies starter German Marquez (0-3) committed a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at first.
–Field Level Media
