ARLINGTON, Texas — Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead grand slam off closer Sam Dyson in the ninth inning and the defending AL champion Cleveland Indians completed a season-opening sweep with a 9-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead grand slam off closer Sam Dyson in the ninth inning and the defending AL champion Cleveland Indians completed a season-opening sweep with a 9-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.
Lindor’s first career slam and second homer of the game came after he put the Rangers ahead in the fifth when the shortstop misjudged Joey Gallo’s speed, couldn’t beat the slugger to second base on an attempted two-out force play and allowed two runs to score on a throwing error.
Dyson (0-2) loaded the bases and walked in a run before Lindor’s homer down the right field line during a five-run Cleveland ninth. Dyson blew his first save after giving up three runs in a tie game in an 8-5 loss on opening day. He has allowed eight runs in one inning for the defending AL West champs.
The switch-hitting Lindor homered from both sides and had a career-high five RBIs.
Shawn Armstrong (1-0) struck out the only hitter he faced, Jonathan Lucroy, for his first major league win. Bryan Shaw pitched a perfect ninth for his first save.
Notable games:
RED SOX 3, PIRATES 0
12 INNINGS
BOSTON — Sandy Leon hit a three-run homer in the 12th inning — his third hit of the game — and Chris Sale pitched seven dominant innings in his Boston debut.
Leon also doubled in the third inning but got thrown out at the plate after running through third base coach Brian Butterfield’s stop sign. It was scoreless into the bottom of the 12th, when Antonio Bastardo (0-1) walked Jackie Bradley Jr. and Pablo Sandoval with one out.
Leon followed with a drive over the Green Monster to end a cold night for the Red Sox, who also beat Pittsburgh in the season opener on Monday.
Joe Kelly (1-0), the sixth Red Sox pitcher, earned the victory with two innings of one-hit relief.
BRAVES 3, METS 1
12 INNINGS
NEW YORK — Bartolo Colon drew all sorts of nods, taps and tributes in his return to Citi Field during a sharp debut for Atlanta, and Matt Kemp’s third double of the game in the 12th inning led the Braves over New York.
Kemp’s two-out, bases-loaded liner off Rafael Montero (0-1) gave Atlanta its first win of the season after losing on opening day. Jim Johnson (1-0) worked two scoreless innings.
Pitching a day after the 20th anniversary of his major league debut, and now just more than a month shy of turning 44, Colon was as nifty as ever. He tossed two-hit ball — including a home run by Jay Bruce — for six innings, striking out six and walking one.
Jacob deGrom threw six shutout innings for the Mets.
DIAMONDBACKS 8, GIANTS 6
PHOENIX — Chris Owings reached safely four times and stole two bases, and the Arizona Diamondbacks scored seven unanswered runs in coming back from a three-run deficit to beat the San Francisco Giants 8-6 on Wednesday night.
A.J. Pollock went 3 for 5 with an RBI and Yasmany Tomas had two hits and an RBI to help starting pitcher Taijuan Walker win his Diamondbacks debut despite allowing four runs and seven hits in six innings.
Walker (1-0) struck out seven before the Diamondbacks turned the game over to their bullpen. Jorge De La Rosa whiffed two in one inning on his 36th birthday and Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his first save with Arizona.
Dodgers 3, Padres 1
LOS ANGELES — Rich Hill pitched five innings of two-hit ball, Yasiel Puig hit his first home run of the season and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Hill (1-0) struck out five, walked three and allowed Hunter Renfroe’s homer in his first start since signing a $48 million, three-year free agent contract in the offseason. Relievers Sergio Romo, Alex Wood and Kenley Jansen shut the Padres down the rest of the way, and Jansen pitched the ninth inning for his first save of the season.
The left-handed Hill was hit by a pitch in his right hand while batting in the second inning. After a short delay, he remained in the game.
Trevor Cahill (0-1) allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings in his first start with San Diego. Cahill was a reliever last season with the world champion Chicago Cubs but signed a one-year deal this winter to start for the Padres. He allowed five hits and three walks and struck out seven.
