MLB roundup: Rangers lose Jacob deGrom but beat Royals

 

April 18, 2023]  Josh Jung hit a three-run, first-inning home run to pace Texas to a 4-0 road win over the Kansas City Royals on a night when the Rangers lost starting pitcher Jacob deGrom to right wrist soreness.

deGrom, a right-hander, exited after four no-hit innings, five strikeouts and one walk on 58 pitches. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner was a prized offseason acquisition for Texas despite enduring consecutive, injury-plagued seasons at the end of his tenure with the New York Mets.

Dane Dunning (1-0) threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Jose Leclerc got the last two outs to complete Texas' one-hit shutout.

Jordan Lyles (0-3) took the loss for Kansas City, which has dropped seven of its last eight. Lyles gave up three hits and four runs (one earned) with three strikeouts in his eight innings.

Angels 5, Red Sox 4

Hunter Renfroe hit a home run and drove in four runs as visiting Los Angeles used a fast start to earn a victory over Boston in the annual Patriots' Day game at Fenway Park.

The Angels salvaged the finale of the four-game series. Los Angeles' Tucker Davidson (1-1) gave up one run on three hits over 3 1/3 innings to earn the win after taking over for Shohei Ohtani. The second rain delay of the day limited Ohtani's start to two innings, in which he gave up a run with three strikeouts.

Rafael Devers hit a one-out single in the ninth to cut the Red Sox's deficit to a run. However, the Angels' Carlos Estevez stranded two on base for his second save. Boston's Brayan Bello (0-1) struck out five while allowing five runs over 2 2/3 innings.

Marlins 4, Giants 3

Jorge Soler's pinch-hit home run, a two-run shot in the seventh inning, lifted host Miami to a win over San Francisco.

Soler connected off of Giants starter Logan Webb (0-4), who allowed eight hits and four runs in 6 2/3 innings. Prior to that at-bat, Soler had gone 0-for-10 with seven strikeouts and one walk in his career against Webb, who allowed four runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo escaped with a no-decision after he allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings. Four Marlins relievers held the Giants to one hit, one walk and no runs over the final 4 2/3 innings. A.J. Puk pitched the ninth to earn his second save. Matt Barnes (1-0) got the win.

Mets 8, Dodgers 6

Daniel Vogelbach hit a home run and drove in three runs as visiting New York ran its winning streak to five games by rallying past Los Angeles.

Brett Baty had an RBI single in his season debut as the Mets improved to 4-0 on their 10-game West Coast road trip. David Peterson (1-2) earned the victory despite giving up six runs on seven hits over six innings.

Freddie Freeman hit two home runs for the Dodgers and had three hits. Max Muncy added a homer for Los Angeles, while Austin Wynns drove in a pair of runs in his club debut.

Reds 8, Rays 1

Kevin Newman homered and fell a triple shy of a cycle and TJ Friedl drove in four runs to lead host Cincinnati handed Tampa Bay its third loss in the past four games.

Cincinnati starting pitcher Hunter Greene was removed prior to the top of the fourth inning after taking a 97 mph, one-hop ground ball to his right shin in the top of the third inning. Greene held the Rays scoreless over three innings. He was diagnosed with a tibia contusion, and X-rays were negative.

Right fielder Jake Fraley and left fielder Stuart Fairchild made spectacular defensive plays for the Reds. Josh Lowe belted his fourth homer to open the ninth, extending Tampa Bay's string of games with a home run at the start of a season to 17 -- three shy of the record set by the Seattle Mariners in 2019.

Pirates 14, Rockies 3

Mark Mathias had a career-high four hits, Andrew McCutchen and Jack Suwinski homered and Pittsburgh pounded Colorado in Denver.

Ke'Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds and Carlos Santana added two hits apiece and Ji Hwan Bae scored three times for the Pirates, which has alternated wins and losses over its past 11 games. Rich Hill (1-2) gave up one run in six innings.

Apr 17, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) runs the bases after hitting a three run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Kris Bryant homered and finished with three hits and Jurickson Profar had two hits for Colorado, which has dropped six in a row. Kyle Freeland (2-1) was tagged for nine runs (seven earned) in 2 2/3 innings.

Diamondbacks 6, Cardinals 3

Pavin Smith hit a grand slam in a five-run seventh inning to power visiting Arizona past St. Louis in the opener of their three-game series.

Ketel Marte hit a solo homer and an RBI single for the Diamondbacks, who won for the seventh time in the past 10 games. Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (1-2) allowed one run in six innings. Andrew Chafin fanned two in a perfect ninth inning for his third save.

Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty (1-2) yielded four runs on in six-plus innings. Alec Burleson hit a two-run homer for St. Louis.

Astros 9, Blue Jays 2

Jake Meyers slugged an opposite-field, three-run home run in a seven-run first-inning and host Houston rolled to a victory over Toronto.

The Astros ambushed Kevin Gausman (1-2) with haste, starting with a scorching single from Mauricio Dubon leading off the first. After a flyout, six consecutive batters reached base. Gausman was charged with eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (2-0) allowed one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts over five innings. Houston's Jake Meyers and Corey Julks and Toronto's Matt Chapman hit home runs.

Braves 2, Padres 0

Max Fried and three relievers combined on a six-hit shutout and Austin Riley hit a two-run, first-inning homer as the visiting Atlanta defeated San Diego to stretch its winning streak to seven games.

Fried (1-0), who had been on the injured list since Opening Day due to a left hamstring strain, threw five innings. Three relievers followed as the Braves handed the Padres their second straight shutout loss and their third in the past eight games.

A.J. Minter pitched the ninth inning for his fourth save. Padres starter Ryan Weathers (1-1) gave up two runs on six hits in six innings.

Brewers 7, Mariners 3

Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes pitched 5 1/3 innings before leaving with a pectoral injury as the Brewers defeated host Seattle in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

Brice Turang homered for the Brewers, who won for the fourth time in their past five games. Burnes (2-1) got the win, and his ailment was believed to be minor.

Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez hit solo shots for the Mariners, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Seattle starter Chris Flexen (0-3) allowed four runs on six hits in six innings.

Cubs 10, Athletics 1

Patrick Wisdom went 3-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs and Cody Bellinger went 5-for-5 with a double and a run as Chicago pounded out 20 hits in pummeling host Oakland.

Wisdom became the first Cub to homer in four straight games -- all on the road -- since Fred McGriff in September 2001. He also moved into a tie for the major league home run lead with the Mets' Pete Alonso, both with eight.

Hayden Wesneski (1-0) allowed one run on five hits over seven innings. He struck out seven and retired 17 of the last 18 batters he faced, including 15 in a row. Kyle Muller (0-1) allowed six runs on 13 hits over four-plus innings as Oakland dropped its fifth straight game.

--Field Level Media

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