DETROIT — Chris Tillman outpitched Justin Verlander, allowing one run while working into the ninth and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 3-1 Sunday to avoid getting swept.
DETROIT — Chris Tillman outpitched Justin Verlander, allowing one run while working into the ninth and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 3-1 Sunday to avoid getting swept.
Tillman (1-0) gave up five hits, including Torii Hunter’s solo homer in the fourth, in 8 1-3 innings. Tommy Hunter entered with one out in the ninth and Victor Martinez on second base and retired the last two batters for his second save.
Baltimore won for the first time since its opener against baseball’s last undefeated team.
Verlander (0-1) gave up two runs on five hits and two walks over eight innings. He struck out three, moving past Tommy Bridges and into fourth place on the franchise’s all-time list with 1,674 in his career.
Adam Jones drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly after Nick Markakis tripled.
Rangers 3, Rays 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yu Darvish allowed seven hits over seven innings in his season debut, Elvis Andrus hit a two-run homer, and Texas avoided a three-game sweep.
Darvish (1-0) struck out six and walked one. Sidelined by neck stiffness, it was his first outing since a spring training game on March 16.
Darvish got his 500th career strikeout, coming in 401 2-3 innings, by fanning David DeJesus and Wil Myers in the first. According to the Rangers, it is the fewest innings for a starter to reach 500 strikeouts in major league history.
Andrus put the Rangers up 2-0 with his homer off Joel Peralta (0-1) in the eighth. Donnie Murphy made it 3-0 on an RBI infield during the ninth.
Yankees 6, Blue Jays 4
TORONTO — CC Sabathia pitched six innings for his first victory of the season and Brett Gardner hit a two-run home run for the New York.
Sabathia (1-1) allowed four runs and seven hits, walked none and struck out six. He was hit hard in Tuesday’s opening day loss at Houston, allowing six runs and eight hits, including two home runs, in six innings.
The left-hander was taken deep again Sunday when Melky Cabrera connected in the first inning. The homer was Cabrera’s third of the season and third this series.
Maicer Izturis followed with an infield single but was erased on a fielder’s choice. Sabathia retired 16 of the next 17 hitters before running into trouble in the sixth.
Twins 10, Indians 7
CLEVELAND — Chris Colabello drove in four runs, Brian Dozier scored three times and Minnesota outslugged Cleveland.
Colabello, who played seven seasons of independent ball in Canada before signing with the Twins in 2012, broke a 6-6 tie with a three-run double in the sixth inning off Blake Wood (0-1). The 30-year-old Colabello leads the AL with 11 RBIs after six games.
Joe Mauer had three hits and scored twice for the Twins, who took two of three in the series and will play their home opener Monday against Oakland.
Anthony Swarzak (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Ricky Nolasco. Glen Perkins worked a perfect ninth for his second save.
David Murphy had four hits, Jason Kipnis had three RBIs and Yan Gomes hit a two-run homer for Cleveland.
Astros 7, Angels 4
HOUSTON — Scott Feldman threw seven strong innings, five Astros homered, and Houston snapped a three-game losing streak.
Feldman (2-0) did not allow a hit until two outs in the fourth, when Josh Hamilton dribbled one toward first base that went under the glove of Feldman, who charged at it off the mound.
The right-hander allowed his first run in 11 1-3 innings this season in the fifth on a groundout to second by Erick Aybar that cut the lead to 4-1.
Chad Qualls got the last two outs for his first save of the season.
Jason Castro, Matt Dominguez, Jesus Guzman and Alex Presley homered off Jered Weaver (0-2). Jonathan Villar added a two-run shot in the seventh off Matt Shoemaker.
White Sox 5, Royals 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chris Sale gave up four singles in eight scoreless innings for Chicago.
Alexei Ramirez and Tyler Flowers each drove in a pair of runs as the White Sox won the series finale after dropping the first two games.
Sale (2-0) struck out six and walked one. In his previous four starts against the Royals, the White Sox had backed him with one run, enough to beat James Shields 1-0 in the 2012 opener.
Shields (0-1) took the loss in this one, too, giving up a run on five hits, striking out six, walking none and hitting two batters in seven innings.
Athletics 6, Mariners 3
OAKLAND, Calif. — Jim Johnson struck out two and closed it out after losing back-to-back outings to begin with his new team, saving Oakland’s victory.
Brandon Moss hit a three-run homer, Yoenis Cespedes connected in the eighth and Josh Donaldson beat out an infield single in the fifth to drive in the go-ahead run.
Sonny Gray (1-0) allowed one earned run and six hits, struck out three and walked two in six innings. In the ninth, manager Bob Melvin went back to Johnson, who delivered his first save despite allowing two baserunners.
Johnson, who converted 50 of 59 save opportunities in 2013, was acquired from Baltimore to replace departed All-Star Grant Balfour.
Brewers 4, Red Sox 0
BOSTON — Yovani Gallardo made his second straight scoreless start and Milwaukee completed a three-game sweep.
The World Series champion Red Sox, who never had a losing record last year, fell to 2-4 and matched their longest skid of 2013. They were swept just once last season, in a three-game series against the Texas Rangers from May 3-5.
But the Red Sox couldn’t score against Gallardo (2-0), who pitched six innings in Milwaukee’s 2-0 win over the Atlanta Braves in the season opener, and have lost their first three home games for the first time since 1984.
Jon Lester (0-2) pitched well for his second straight start but received little support again.
Nationals 2, Braves 1
WASHINGTON — Ian Desmond led off the seventh inning with a home run — the only run of the game scored on a hit — and the Washington Nationals and their makeshift lineup avoided a sweep.
Desmond ripped a down-the-middle fastball from Alex Wood (1-1) well into the left field bleachers, the Nationals’ first hit since the first inning. But it was enough to win on a day when four Washington pitchers combined to allow eight hits.
Taylor Jordan allowed one run over 6 2-3 innings, working out of several jams along the way, and Jerry Blevins (1-0) retired two batters in the seventh to get the win. Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth for his first save.
Pirates 2, Cardinals 1
PITTSBURGH — Tony Sanchez hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the seventh inning and Pittsburgh edged St. Louis.
Sanchez’s double to deep center field with two outs came off Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright (1-1) and snapped a 1-1 tie.
The hit by the rookie reserve catcher scored Pedro Alvarez, who led off the inning with a walk, and was Sanchez’s second game-winning hit of the week as he singled home the winning run in the 16th inning of Wednesday night’s victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Tony Watson (1-0) retired all four batters he faced, striking out three, and ran his string of consecutive scoreless innings to 24, dating to last season. Jason Grilli pitched a scoreless ninth to convert his first save.
St. Louis managed just three hits.
Padres 4, Marlins 2
MIAMI — Pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista celebrated his 25th birthday by delivering a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning to lift San Diego.
Ian Kennedy (1-1) allowed one run and three hits in six innings for the Padres. He struck out five.
Four relievers then helped the Padres end a four-game losing streak, including two against the Marlins to begin the series. Huston Street pitched the ninth for his second save.
Amarista’s home run came off Nathan Eovaldi (1-1), who held the Padres scoreless through six. Eovaldi struck out eight and allowed six hits.
The Marlins completed their opening homestand with a 5-2 record.
Reds 2, Mets 1
NEW YORK — Alfredo Simon pitched seven impressive innings in his first start in more than two years and began the go-ahead rally with his second career hit, helping Cincinnati salvage a win in the three-game series.
Joey Votto had a sacrifice fly and Ryan Ludwick a tiebreaking single off Jonathon Niese (0-1), who was making his first start of the season after a being slowed by shoulder and elbow injuries this spring.
Simon (1-0) made 99 relief appearances for the Reds since his previous start, on Sept. 28, 2011, for Baltimore, but manager Bryan Price tapped the right-hander because Mat Latos is rehabbing from knee and elbow operations.
Manny Parra retired all six batters he faced for his first career save.
Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 3
DENVER — Mark Trumbo homered for the fourth straight game as Arizona averted a sweep.
Wade Miley pitched eight strong innings to extend his mastery over the Rockies. He also had a career-best three hits, including an RBI single and benefited from a defense that turned five double plays as the Diamondbacks won for just the second time in nine games this season.
Miley improved to 7-0 with a 2.52 ERA in 10 career games (nine starts) against the Rockies, matching the longest winning streak against Colorado to start a career.
The winning pitcher in Arizona’s only other victory this season, Miley (2-1) allowed two runs and seven hits.
Addison Reed gave up a leadoff single to Carlos Gonzalez in the ninth and Gonzalez stole second and went to third on catcher Miguel Montero’s throwing error. Troy Tulowitzki walked to put runners on the corners.
Cubs 8, Phillies 3
CHICAGO — Ryan Kalish hit a two-run double and an RBI triple and Chicago avoided a sweep.
Cubs starter Carlos Villanueva (1-2) allowed a run in five innings in his first start and third outing of the season.
A.J. Burnett (0-1), who signed a one-year, $16 million contract with the Phillies after he spent the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowed eight runs, four earned, in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out three but walked six.
The Cubs scored four runs in the first and sixth innings.
Kalish opened up the scoring with an RBI triple in the first. It was his first hit since Sept. 11, 2012, when he played for the Boston Red Sox.
Dodgers 6, Giants 2
LOS ANGELES — Matt Kemp hit his first two home runs at Dodger Stadium since late in 2012 and Hanley Ramirez slugged his first two homers this season, helping Los Angeles avoid a three-game sweep.
Zack Greinke (2-0) pitched six innings, allowing two runs and six hits — including Brandon Belt’s fourth homer leading off the sixth, and the first of the season by Hunter Pence three batters later. The right-hander struck out eight and walked none.
Matt Cain (0-1) gave up five runs and six hits in six innings with three strikeouts and no walks. It was the eighth time the right-hander has surrendered three or more homers in a game during his 10-year career, and the first time since May 16, 2013 at Colorado in an 8-6 win.