Jackson Merrill singled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning as the San Diego Padres edged the host Los Angeles Dodgers 8-7 on Friday, winning a slugfest that featured a history-making moment for the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani.
The teams combined for eight home runs, six of them in the first three innings. One of the long balls was the 175th of Ohtani’s career, which tied Hideki Matsui’s MLB record for homers by a Japanese-born player.
With two outs in the 11th, Merrill punched a single to left off Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia (0-2), scoring automatic runner Jose Azocar from second base. Padres closer Robert Suarez (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. tied the game 7-7 with a two-run shot in the seventh. Manny Machado, Ha-Seong Kim and Jake Cronenworth also went deep for the Padres. The Dodgers also got homers from Max Muncy, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez against Padres right-hander Michael King to go up 7-3 after three innings.
Mets 6, Royals 1
Luis Severino and four relievers combined on a three-hitter as host New York snapped Kansas City’s seven-game winning streak.
The Mets scored their first five runs with two outs as they won for the sixth time in eight games following an 0-5 start. Severino (1-1), who signed as a free agent with the Mets in December, earned his first win with his new team after allowing one run on one hit — Salvador Perez’s leadoff homer in the second — in five innings.
Brandon Nimmo had an RBI double in the third against Michael Wacha (1-1) before the Mets took the lead in the fourth when Jeff McNeil and DJ Stewart laced consecutive RBI singles. Brett Baty added a two-run double in the fifth before Pete Alonso homered leading off the eighth.
Brewers 11, Orioles 1
Willy Adames had three hits, including a home run, Freddy Peralta fanned 11 in six strong innings and visiting Milwaukee routed Baltimore.
Gary Sanchez and William Contreras also homered for Milwaukee, which has won three straight. Peralta (2-0) allowed a run on five hits. Brewers star Christian Yelich left the game in the second inning due to lower back discomfort.
Colton Cowser hit his third homer in two days and doubled for the Orioles. Baltimore starter Tyler Wells (0-2) gave up four runs in four innings.
Cardinals 9, Diamondbacks 6
Nolan Arenado hit a three-run homer and Lars Nootbaar blasted a two-run shot as St. Louis recovered from blowing a 6-0 lead to beat Arizona in Phoenix.
Brendan Donovan went 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs and Masyn Winn was 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs for the Cardinals. Reliever Giovanny Gallegos (2-0) earned the victory and Ryan Helsley picked up his fifth save.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt allowed six runs on seven hits in six innings. Joe Mantiply (1-1) took the loss. Eugenio Suarez hit a three-run homer to cap the Diamondbacks’ six-run fifth inning.
Angels 7, Red Sox 0
Taylor Ward highlighted his three-RBI night with a two-run homer while Reid Detmers threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings to lead visiting Los Angeles over Boston.
Anthony Rendon, Nolan Schanuel and Aaron Hicks finished with two hits apiece for the Angels. Detmers (3-0) struck out seven while allowing just three hits — none after the third inning — and two walks.
The Red Sox committed three errors and managed only three hits. Tanner Houck (2-1) yielded seven runs (four earned) on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Braves 8, Marlins 1
Max Fried retired the side in order in four of the first five innings, leading Atlanta to a win over host Miami.
Ex-Marlins star Marcell Ozuna led Atlanta’s offense, going 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Fried (1-0), who entered the game with an ugly 18.00 ERA after his first two starts, allowed four hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings. He lowered his ERA to 8.74.
Miami fell to 0-8 at home as Trevor Rogers (0-2) gave up eight hits and two runs in five innings. Rogers is 0-6 in eight career starts against Atlanta.
Reds 11, White Sox 1
Elly De La Cruz and Tyler Stephenson connected for back-to-back home runs and Andrew Abbott pitched seven strong innings to lift Cincinnati to a win against host Chicago.
Cincinnati collected 12 hits, including five for extra bases, while drawing nine walks. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Santiago Espinal and De La Cruz each contributed two hits and three RBIs to the Reds’ attack. Abbott (1-1) gave up one run and four hits.
Chris Flexen (0-3) endured the shortest among his three starts with the White Sox, as the Reds reached him for six runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Mariners 4, Cubs 2
Bryce Miller allowed just an unearned run over 6 1/3 innings as Seattle defeated visiting Chicago.
Ty France went 2-for-4 and Julio Rodriguez hit a two-run single for the Mariners, who won back-to-back games for only the second time this season. Miller (2-1) allowed three hits, walked three and struck out four.
Michael Busch doubled and homered for the Cubs, who managed just four hits. Chicago lost for the third time in four games at the start of its nine-game road trip.
Tigers 8, Twins 2
Mark Canha homered and drove in two runs, Tarik Skubal pitched five scoreless innings and host Detroit cruised past Minnesota.
Skubal (2-0) allowed only two hits and struck out five. Spencer Torkelson and Matt Vierling had two hits and two RBIs apiece.
Twins starter Pablo Lopez (1-2) gave up five runs and six hits in four-plus innings. Kyle Farmer’s RBI double in the ninth broke up Detroit’s shutout bid. Minnesota shortstop Carlos Correa was removed in the bottom of the third inning and later diagnosed with a right oblique strain.
Rangers 12, Astros 8
Jonah Heim clubbed a three-run homer to cap a six-run third inning and Texas added four runs in the sixth to top host Houston.
Evan Carter went 3-for-5 and scored twice for the Rangers. Texas’ Dane Dunning (2-1) allowed three runs on five hits over five innings.
Kyle Tucker homered twice and Jake Meyers drove in three runs for the Astros. J.P. France (0-2) surrendered eight runs on eight hits in four innings.
Pirates 5, Phillies 2
Bailey Falter pitched five effective innings against his former team and Henry Davis drove in two runs as Pittsburgh beat host Philadelphia to even the teams’ four-game series at one win apiece.
Falter (1-0) allowed one run on four hits in his first outing against Philadelphia since being traded to Pittsburgh last season. Davis collected two hits and two runs batting ninth for the Pirates.
Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm supplied the Phillies’ lone RBIs. Bryce Harper went 2-for-4 with a double for Philadelphia, which had its two-game winning streak snapped.
Rays 2, Giants 1
Harold Ramirez went 3-for-4, scored twice and stole a base as Tampa Bay won its third straight game, edging San Francisco in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Ramirez scored on a bases-loaded walk to Yandy Diaz in the second inning and on a third-inning double by Amed Rosario, who went 2-for-4. Garrett Cleavinger (2-0) fired 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief. Pete Fairbanks picked his third save in as many opportunities.
San Francisco’s Thairo Estrada went 2-for-4 with a double and Jung Hoo Lee singled, stole a base and scored. Giants starter Keaton Winn (0-3) went five innings and gave up two runs on five hits.
Rockies 12, Blue Jays 4
Nolan Jones and Ezequiel Tovar led a 20-hit attack with solo home runs and Colorado earned its first win in Toronto in 10 tries dating to 2002.
Jones, Tovar, Ryan McMahon and Kris Bryant each had two RBIs for the Rockies. McMahon was 4-for-6, Brendan Rodgers was 3-for-4 and Brenton Doyle was 3-for-5. Ryan Feltner (1-1) allowed two runs on eight hits in five innings.
Daulton Varsho and Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit solo homers for the Blue Jays, who have lost two in a row. Kevin Gausman (0-2) allowed six runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings.
A’s 2, Nationals 1 (10 innings)
Lawrence Butler hit a game-winning single with one out in the 10th inning to go with an earlier home run as Oakland defeated visiting Washington.
Paul Blackburn remained unscored upon through three starts and the A’s won despite managing only three hits. Blackburn tossed 6 1/3 innings. Michael Kelly (2-0) pitched the 10th for the victory.
The Nationals’ Jesse Winker, who went 4-for-4, homered to lead off the ninth inning and tie the score. Kyle Finnegan (0-2) took the loss.
Yankees at Guardians, ppd.
The scheduled game between the Guardians and New York Yankees was postponed due to inclement weather in the Cleveland area. The teams will make up the contest as part of a split doubleheader on Saturday.
–Field Level Media