LDN - Sports

MLB roundup: Red Sox set franchise mark for April wins

[May 01, 2018] Xander Bogaerts hit a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning as the Boston Red Sox closed out April with a 10-6 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Monday.

The Red Sox set a team record with 19 wins in April. Boston also tied the major league record set by the 1996 Montreal Expos by hitting its sixth grand slam before May 1.

Bogaerts hit his second grand slam of the season and third of his career. He also recorded his fourth three-hit game of the season.

Mitch Moreland added a solo home run and bases-loaded walk for the Red Sox, who scored at least 10 runs for the fifth time.

Astros 2, Yankees 1

Charlie Morton took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and fanned 10 hitters over 7 2/3 dominant innings as host Houston snapped New York's nine-game winning streak.

Morton (4-0) lowered his ERA to 1.72 by allowing only two hits and a run with two walks. Austin Romine's one-out single in the sixth broke up Morton's no-hit bid, and a two-out double off the bat of Gleyber Torres in the eighth ended Morton's night after 102 pitches.

Carlos Correa (first-inning groundout) and Yuli Gurriel (fourth-inning double) drove in runs for the Astros. The Yankees' run scored in the eighth on Brett Gardner's single after Morton had been replaced.

Diamondbacks 8, Dodgers 5

A.J. Pollock hit three home runs, Nick Ahmed added a homer, and Zack Greinke had his first 10-strikeout game of the season as Arizona held off visiting Los Angeles.

Pollock hit bases-empty homers in the second and fifth innings to help Arizona grab a 5-0 lead. He added a third solo homer in the eighth as the Diamondbacks (20-8) equaled the best start in franchise history. They did not lose back-to-back games in April, a franchise record for any month.

Ahmed had three hits, including a bases-empty homer in the fourth inning, and Greinke (3-2) gave up two runs on four hits and one walk in six innings. He had double-digit strikeouts for the first time since fanning 12 Chicago White Sox batters on May 22, 2017.

Giants 6, Padres 5

Pinch hitter Nick Hundley capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning with a two-out, two-run, walk-off single, lifting San Francisco to a victory over visiting San Diego.

The improbable rally off Padres closer Brad Hand (1-3) came with San Diego left-hander Eric Lauer one out away from his first major league win. Instead, San Francisco right-hander Pierce Johnson (1-1), who pitched a scoreless top of the ninth, got his first major league victory.

Hand hit pinch hitter Austin Slater with a pitch to start the ninth. Buster Posey drew a two-out walk, and Evan Longoria, who earlier committed a key two-base error, got San Francisco within 5-4 with an RBI single. After Hand walked Brandon Belt on a full count to load the bases, Hundley came through with the game-winner.

Brewers 6, Reds 5

Domingo Santana laced a two-run double to center field in a three-run seventh inning as Milwaukee won a see-saw game at Cincinnati.

Santana hit the first pitch from Reds reliever and former Brewer Jared Hughes, who inherited runners on first and second. Brandon Woodruff (1-0) got the win in relief, striking out two in 1 1/3 innings.

Hard-throwing Brewers left-hander Josh Hader finished it off with a flourish, striking out eight in 2 2/3 innings and allowing only a walk to record his fourth save. Hader became the first pitcher in major league history to strike out eight batters in an outing of less than three innings.

Rays 3, Tigers 2

C.J. Cron broke a scoreless deadlock with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth, and visiting Tampa Bay held off Detroit.

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Cron crushed a 2-0 pitch to the opposite field off Shane Greene (1-2) after the Tigers closer issued a leadoff walk to Denard Span. Cron's homer was his seventh this season. Brad Miller added a solo shot one out later off Greene as the Rays won for the ninth time in 10 games.

Jacob Faria tossed eight innings to pick up the win. Faria (2-1) gave up just three hits and a walk while striking out six. Jose Alvarado got the last two outs for his first major league save.

Indians 7, Rangers 5

Jose Ramirez had two hits and two RBIs, including the game-winning double in the eighth inning, and closer Cody Allen struggled but got the win as host Cleveland came from behind to beat Texas.

Allen (2-0) entered with one out in the eighth with Cleveland down 4-3 and got the final two outs of the inning. After the Indians took the lead in the bottom of the frame on Ramirez's double, Allen could not finish the game, allowing the Rangers a run with two outs and leaving in favor of Jeff Beliveau.

Beliveau then struck out the Rangers' Joey Gallo looking with runners on the corners to earn his first save of the season.

Nationals 3, Pirates 2

Wilmer Difo, Tanner Roark and Trea Turner each had RBI singles for Washington, and Roark gave the Nationals a strong start in a win over visiting Pittsburgh.

The Nationals, who had lost seven of their previous 10 games, snapped the Pirates' five-game winning streak.

Roark (2-2) tossed a solid seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks after failing to notch a win in his last four starts. Ryan Madson threw a scoreless eighth before Brandon Kintzler took care of the ninth and earned his first save.

Cubs 3, Rockies 2

Kris Bryant tripled and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning as Chicago posted a victory over visiting Colorado.

Cubs starter Jon Lester gave up two runs over 5 2/3 innings, but neither run was earned. Chicago reliever Luke Farrell (1-0) struck out two over 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his first career victory. Steve Cishek recorded the final two outs for his first save.

Kyle Freeland (1-4) allowed three runs in seven innings while taking the loss.

Marlins 8, Phillies 4

Brian Anderson went 3-for-4 with a homer and a clutch catch as host Miami defeated Philadelphia.

Anderson, a rookie third baseman, played in right field for just the third time as a pro. In the seventh inning, after the Phillies loaded the bases with one out while trailing 6-4, Anderson charged in and made a diving grab. The Phillies did not score in the frame.

Reliever Merandy Gonzalez (2-0), another Marlins rookie, earned the win, pitching two scoreless innings. Jorge Alfaro and Maikel Franco each hit two-run homers for the Phillies. Franco has 12 RBIs in four games against Miami this year.

Blue Jays 7, Twins 5

Justin Smoak and Russell Martin hit home runs, and visiting Toronto held on to defeat Minnesota.

Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez (2-2) allowed four runs, six hits, three walks and had two strikeouts in six innings. Roberto Osuna pitched around a single and a double in the ninth to pick up his seventh save of the season.

Twins starter Lance Lynn (0-3) allowed six runs, seven hits and five walks while striking out four in five innings. Eduardo Escobar homered for Minnesota.

--Field Level Media

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