Gardner slam lifts Yanks over Red Sox 5-3 for 2-game sweep

NEW YORK — Brett Gardner smiled through the fog left from a gaudy celebration in the New York Yankees clubhouse, part of the new postgame routine that includes the razzle-dazzle of a smoke machine and strobe lights.

“I think the idea was to play it after we win big games,” he said.

This was as big as an April game gets.

Gardner hit a grand slam off Ryan Brasier in the seventh inning for his 100th career home run, and the Yankees rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 5-3 Wednesday night for a two-game sweep of the reeling World Series champions.

“About time. I think he was just waiting for the right moment,” teammate Aaron Judge said with a mischievous grin.

J.D. Martinez hit a first-inning home run off J.A. Happ, just like he did in the AL Division Series opener last October, and Christian Vázquez’s two-run homer in the second built a 3-0 lead. The Yankees were on the verge of failing to win any of their first four home series for the first time since 1913, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Clint Frazier started the comeback with an RBI double in the fourth against former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi, and New York loaded the bases in the seventh against Brandon Workman on Frazier’s single and walks to Mike Tauchman and Austin Romine.

Brasier got ahead 0-2 as Gardner took a slider and fouled off another. Brasier left a fastball up that Gardner drove 364 feet over the right-field scoreboard.

“It was chaos. The Stadium was rocking. Our dugout was going crazy,” Judge said.

Tommy Kahnle (1-0) got two outs for the win, Adam Ottavino retired Eduardo Núñez on a bases-loaded flyout that ended the eighth and Aroldis Chapman got three straight outs for his third save as the Yankees improved to 8-9, including 5-6 at home.

Gardner’s hit led to the postgame vapor, technology installed after general manager Brian Cashman had heard about young players on other teams embracing flashier jubilation.

“We kind of need a little kick start,” Gardner said. “Obviously, these first couple of weeks we’ve been dragging.”

Frazier had three hits and raised his average to .333 in 45 at-bats with 12 RBIs. He proclaimed before spring training he hoped to take away Gardner’s job — some day.

“He’s been like a dad at the field for me,” the 24-year-old Frazier said. “He’s always led me in the right direction. He’s let me be myself around him regardless of how ridiculous at times I’ve acted. So he’s a great guy to come in here and be good to the young guys.”

Boston dropped to 6-13, the worst start for a World Series champion since the 1998 Florida Marlins opened 5-14. The Red Sox did not lose their 13th game last year until May 14 and face daunting math: No team has lost 12 or more of its first 18 games and reached the playoffs since the 2002 Anaheim Angels, who won the World Series.

“I made a bad pitch on a good count for me and it bit me in the butt,” Brasier said.

Boston dropped eight games behind AL East-leading Tampa Bay.

“We always have a sense of urgency,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We need to get better in all aspects of the games.”

Gardner’s home run ball was retrieved in the bleachers by 16-year-old Will Clemens of Greenwich, Connecticut, who traded it for a signed ball, photos with Gardner and a clubhouse tour with his friends.

“It’s always good to get a cool memento like this, and it’s something that I’m sure that my kids will appreciate,” Gardner said. “They’ll probably be in the driveway playing catch with it tomorrow. That’s all right, too.”

WHITE SOX 4, ROYALS 3

CHICAGO — Fiercely energetic Tim Anderson spiked his bat to celebrate a home run and Kansas City’s Brad Keller responded by drilling him with a fastball, setting off a benches-clearing fracas in the Royals’ 10-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Anderson tossed his bat toward the White Sox dugout following his two-run drive in the fourth inning. Keller hit him in the buttocks with his first pitch leading off the sixth.

Anderson, the AL’s leading hitter, was restrained by Royals catcher Martin Maldonado but kept jawing with Keller on the way to first base. The dugouts and bullpens emptied, though no punches appeared to be thrown. White Sox manager Rick Renteria and Royals bench coach Dale Sveum shoved each other, and the usually mild-mannered Renteria was particularly animated.

There were four ejections — Anderson, Keller, Renteria and Sveum.

Hunter Dozier led off the 10th with a tiebreaking homer against Nate Jones (0-1). His drive to left on a 2-0 fastball made a winner of Wily Peralta (2-1), who worked two innings.

INDIANS 1, MARINERS 0

SEATTLE — Carlos Carrasco rebounded from one of his worst starts with 12 strikeouts, Jake Bauers hit a solo homer and Cleveland completed a three-game sweep.

Carrasco (2-2) pitched three-hit ball over seven innings, dominating as the Indians handed Seattle its sixth straight loss. The right-hander struck out the side three times and only allowed one baserunner to reach third base.

The Mariners ended their 20-game home run streak, a record to open a season. Seattle appeared to make it to 21 games in the third, when Ryon Healy hit a line drive down the left field line that was initially ruled a homer. It was overturned to a foul ball via replay, and Healy struck out.

Nick Wittgren pitched the final two innings for his first career save.

Seattle’s Erik Swanson (0-1) pitched six innings of two-hit ball but allowed Bauers’ homer in his first big league start.

CARDINALS 6, BREWERS 3

MILWAUKEE — Michael Wacha cooled off NL MVP Christian Yelich, Matt Carpenter and Marcell Ozuna each went deep, and St. Louis beat Milwaukee to avoid being swept.

Yelich came in batting .556 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in the series, but he was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and a walk against Wacha. Yelich did single in a run in the eighth off Andrew Miller.

Wacha (1-0) bounced back after a tough start Thursday against the Dodgers. He struck out seven over six innings, allowing two runs and five hits to improve to 6-0 career against the Brewers. Jordan Hicks pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes (0-2) got beat by the long ball again. He surrendered three home runs in each of his first three starts, then coughed up two more against St. Louis. He’s allowed a major league-most 11 on the season.

PHILLIES 3, METS 2

PHILADELPHIA — Jake Arrieta pitched neatly into the ninth inning, Scott Kingery and Cesar Hernandez hit solo homers and Philadelphia beat New York.

Hector Neris blew a 95 mph fastball past Keon Broxton with a 3-2 count and the bases loaded for the final out and his second save.

Arrieta (3-1) allowed two runs and six hits, inducing three double-play grounders. The veteran righty has pitched like the ace who won the 2015 NL Cy Young Award with the Cubs. He’s thrown at least seven innings in three straight starts and lowered his ERA to 1.93.

Zack Wheeler (1-2) gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings.

DODGERS 3, REDS 2

LOS ANGELES — A.J. Pollock hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning, and Los Angeles tied the major league record by homering in its 32nd consecutive home game.

Pollock broke open a scoreless game when he connected off Sonny Gray (0-3). Los Angeles has homered in every regular season game at Dodger Stadium since last Aug. 21, including 13 straight this season.

The Dodgers matched the mark set by the Colorado Rockies in 1999, but won’t get the chance to break it until April 26 when they return from a road trip.

Walker Buehler (2-0) pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning for the Dodgers, striking out eight and allowing one unearned run.

PIRATES 3, TIGERS 2, 10 INNINGS

DETROIT — Colin Moran hit an RBI single in the 10th inning and Pittsburgh beat Detroit in extras for a second straight night. It was Pittsburgh’s sixth extra-inning game already this season. The Pirates are 4-2 in those.

The game was played in rainy conditions, and Tigers left fielder Christin Stewart slipped and fell while catching Bell’s flyball in the eighth. Stewart stayed in for his plate appearance in the bottom of the inning, then left with a right medial quad spasm.

Adam Frazier led off the 10th with a double off Buck Farmer (1-1), and Starling Marte and Moran followed with singles, giving the Pirates the lead. Nick Burdi (2-1) pitched a perfect ninth, and Felipe Vázquez finished for his fifth save in five chances.

DIAMONDBACKS 3, BRAVES 2, 10 INNINGS

ATLANTA — Adam Jones worked a bases-loaded walk against Jesse Biddle in the 10th inning and also homered, lifting Arizona over Atlanta.

Biddle (0-1) filled the bases and then walked Jones on six pitches. Jones also homered in the fourth inning and scored the tying run in the seventh on Ketel Marte’s double. Arizona has won a season-best three-straight.

Arizona’s Greg Holland struck out Josh Donaldson and Freddie Freeman in the 10th before Ronald Acuña Jr. looped an opposite-field single to right. Holland ended it by getting Nick Markakis to line out for his fourth save. Archie Bradley (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings.

RAYS 8, ORIOLES 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Brandon Lowe, Ji-Man Choi and Yandy Diaz homered and Tampa Bay beat Baltimore.

Yonny Chrinos (3-0) replaced opener Ryne Stanek in the second inning and gave up one hit in five scoreless innings. He struck out six of the first seven batters he faced.

Rio Ruiz hit his second home run for the Orioles, who have lost seven of nine.

After singles by Austin Meadows and Choi in the first inning, Lowe hit a long three-run homer off Baltimore starter David Hess (1-3). It was Lowe’s fourth homer in seven games and his fifth of the season.

NATIONALS 9, GIANTS 6

WASHINGTON — Juan Soto and Howie Kendrick hit first-inning home runs, Matt Adams and Kurt Suzuki connected in the seventh, and Washington beat San Francisco.

Soto’s two-run drive, Kendrick’s solo shot and an RBI single by Adam Eaton put Washington ahead 4-0 against Jeff Samardzija (1-1) in the second.

Gerardo Parra and Steven Duggar each hit two-run homers in the ninth for San Francisco off rookie Austen Williams. Jeremy Hellickson (2-0) allowed two runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings for the Nationals.

CUBS 6, MARLINS 0

MIAMI — Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings and Chicago completed a three-game sweep of Miami.

Hamels (3-0) allowed three hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out eight while throwing 65 of his 97 pitches for strikes. Daniel Descalso had two hits and three RBIs, Javier Baez homered and knocked in two, and Jason Heyward also drove in a run for the Cubs, who have won five of six.

Descalso started the scoring for the Cubs with a base hit in the second off Sandy Alcantara (1-2).

RANGERS 5, ANGELS 4

ARLINGTON, Texas — Shin-Soo Choo delivered a tiebreaking two-run triple off Matt Harvey (0-1) while reaching base his first three times from the leadoff spot, and Texas finished a three-game sweep of Los Angeles.

Texas closer Jose Leclerc earned his fifth save in six chances despite loading the bases with no outs in the ninth, capped by hitting Mike Trout with a pitch.

The right-hander got a called third strike on Justin Bour that led to Bour’s ejection before an RBI groundout by Andrelton Simmons. Brian Goodwin was called out on a check swing strikeout to end the game.

Lance Lynn (2-1) won his second straight decision in the right-hander’s first season with Texas, allowing 10 baserunners (seven hits, three walks) but just two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

TWINS 4, BLUE JAYS 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Nelson Cruz had two hits and two RBIs, helping Jake Odorizzi and Minnesota beat Toronto following a 54-minute rain delay.

Odorizzi (1-2) won for the first time in four starts this season, striking out six in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits, one run and one walk. Blake Parker got his fourth save with a perfect ninth inning.

Blue Jays starter Trent Thornton (0-2) allowed four of the first five Twins to reach base before settling in and lasting until recording the first two outs in the fifth.

OAKLAND 2, ASTROS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. — Frankie Montas pitched into the seventh inning to stop Houston’s 10-game winning streak, Matt Chapman homered for the third time in six games and the Athletics beat the Astros.

Jurickson Profar added two hits including an RBI double to make up for his team-leading fifth error. Profar has driven in 10 runs over his last eight games after batting .106 with zero RBIs in the first 12.

It’s the A’s first win over the Astros in five games.

Montas (3-1) didn’t allow a hit until Yuli Gurriel’s one-out single up the middle in the fifth. He also gave up an RBI single to Michael Brantley in the sixth and left after Josh Reddick’s one-out single in the seventh.

Lou Trivinio struck out three of the five hitters he faced. Blake Treinen retired three batters for his sixth save.