AMERICAN LEAGUE
Orlando Cabrera hit a two-run homer and assisted in the majors’ first triple play of the season to help the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1 on Sunday.
Cabrera connected in the sixth inning off John Danks (0-1), putting Cleveland ahead 2-1.
The Indians got their first triple play in three years in the fourth.
First baseman Carlos Santana made a diving catch on Alexei Ramirez’s bunt, then threw the ball to Orlando Cabrera, who had moved from second base to first to get the out on A.J. Pierzynski.
Cabrera then threw to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera at second base for the putout on Carlos Quentin.
Indians starter Justin Masterson (1-0) allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings.
RANGERS 5, RED SOX 1
In Arlington, Texas, Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz became the first set of teammates to homer in each of the first three games in a season as Texas swept their season-opening series with Boston.
David Murphy and Mike Napoli also homered as Texas’ first three hits — and four of five — were solo shots.
The reigning American League champion Rangers hit 11 home runs and outscored the Red Sox 26-11 in the series.
Texas is 3-0 for the second time in three years. Boston fell to 0-3 for the first time since 1996.
Boston’s Clay Buchholz (0-1) allowed only five hits over 6 1-3 innings, but four of them were homers.
TWINS 4, BLUE JAYS 3
In Toronto, Danny Valencia and Denard Span each homered to help Minnesota avoid a three-game sweep.
Jose Bautista hit his second homer of the season, but it wasn’t enough for the Blue Jays, who left the bases loaded in the ninth when Adam Lind grounded out against closer Joe Nathan.
Nick Blackburn (1-0) pitched 5 2-3 innings for the win and Nathan got his first save since 2009.
ORIOLES 5, RAYS 1
In St Petersburg, Florida, Zach Britton pitched six strong innings in his major league debut and J.J. Hardy hit a two-run double to lead Baltimore to the three-game sweep.
Britton (1-0) allowed one run and three hits, struck out six and walked three.
Mark Reynolds hit a tie-breaking RBI double in Baltimore’s three-run seventh, then added another RBI double in the ninth.
Tampa Bay’s Wade Davis (0-1) gave up four runs and eight hits over 6 1-3 innings.
In other games, it was:
‧ Tigers 10, Yankees 7
‧ Athletics 7, Mariners 1
‧ Royals 12, Angels 9, 13 inns
NATIONAL LEAGUE
REUTERS, LOS ANGELES
The Los Angeles Dodgers scored four runs in the seventh inning to beat the San Francisco Giants 7-5 on Sunday and give them a 3-1 opening series victory over their arch-rivals.
Marcus Thames slugged a RBI triple in the seventh to break a 3-3 tie as the Dodgers scored four runs in the inning.
San Francisco, who had tied it by the top of the seventh after Pat Burrell hit a home run to follow Pablo Sandoval’s in the second, fought back with a run in the eighth.
The World Series champions also had the tying run at the plate in the ninth after Aaron Rowand’s lead-off home run, before Dodgers’ closer Jonathan Broxton got the final out.
Giants’ starting pitcher Barry Zito, who was involved in a car crash last week, threw six -innings and allowed three runs in a no-decision.
Reliever Dan Runzler was credited with the loss after he allowed four runs in one-third of an inning.
The Dodgers took an early 3-0 led in the first, with outfielder Matt Kemp hitting a two-run home run as he continued his powerful start to the season.
He finished the four-game series hitting five-for-12.
“I feel great right now. Our confidence level is up, we had a good series and did what it takes to win ball games,” Kemp told reporters. “We’re having a lot of fun. Our main focus is to work hard and we’re pulling for each other and doing what it takes.”
In other games, it was:
‧ Cincinnati 12, Milwaukee 3
‧ NY Mets 9, Florida 2
‧ Atlanta 11, Washington 2
‧ Philadelphia 7, Houston 3
‧ St Louis 2, San Diego 0
‧ Pittsburgh 5, Chicago Cubs 4
‧ Colorado v Arizona (postponed)
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite