AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay’s Ben Zobrist hit a tiebreaking two-run single as part of the Rays four-run ninth inning that lifted them to a 4-2 win over Detroit on Wednesday, inflicting the Tigers first loss of the season.
Detroit starter Justin Verlander (0-1) took a one-hitter into the ninth and had not allowed a run all season, but he gave up one on a wild pitch. Evan Longoria then tied the game 2-2 with a single to left on Verlander’s 104th and final pitch.
Daniel Schlereth came on and allowed a walk to load the bases, and Zobrist singled up the middle off Jose Valverde.
Tampa Bay starter James Shields (1-0) allowed two runs in eight innings. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his third save.
MARINERS 4, RANGERS 3
In Arlington, Texas, John Jaso had an RBI single with two outs in the ninth to cap a three-run rally that gave Seattle victory over Texas.
Jaso, the No. 9 hitter playing his first game of the season, had a leadoff triple in the eighth and then scored Seattle’s first run on a single by Dustin Ackley.
Justin Smoak led off the ninth with a single against Joe Nathan (0-2) before Kyle Seager’s double. Jesus Montero then had a sacrifice fly and Michael Saunders an RBI double before Jaso’s liner up the middle.
Rookie left-hander Lucas Luetge (1-0) had two strikeouts in 1-1/3 innings for his first major league victory. Brandon League worked the ninth for third save in as many chances.
ATHLETICS 5, ROYALS 4, 12 INNINGS
In Oakland, Jonathan Broxton hit the batter with the bases loaded in the 12th inning, forcing Jemile Weeks home for the winning run.
Moments earlier, Broxton (0-1) had also hit Yoenis Cespedes to load the bases and the closer received a mound visit from the pitching coach, but stayed in.
It marked the third time in Athletics’ history they had won a game on a hit-by-pitch.
Coco Crisp’s RBI groundout earlier in the 12th tied it 4-4 after Kansas City’s Billy Butler had doubled home the go-ahead run in the top half of the inning against Andrew Carignan (1-1).
In Wednesday’s other games, it was:
‧ Yankees 6, Orioles 4,
10 innings
‧ Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 1
‧ Twins 6, Angels 5
‧ White Sox 10, Indians 6
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
The Washington Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg outpitched the New York Mets’ Johan Santana in a matchup of aces on the mend, as the Nationals won 4-0 to spoil the 50th anniversary of the Mets’ first game.
Meeting in a blustery matinee, Strasburg (1-0) and Santana each got off to an erratic start, but settled into a duel between pitchers coming back from major arm operations.
Strasburg struck out nine in six innings.
Santana (0-1) allowed five hits in five-plus innings, while he and the bullpen combined to walk 10 and hit one batter.
REDS 4, CARDINALS 3
In Cincinnati, Joey Votto tied a career best with four hits and scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning to complete Cincinnati’s comeback win over St Louis.
Down 3-0 in the third, the Reds tied the score in the fifth.
Votto doubled off Marc Rzepczynski (0-1) leading off the ninth. After an intentional walk and a strike out, Fernando Salas came on to pitch and pinch-hitter Chris Heisey lined a single to left for the crucial run.
Reds reliever Aroldis Chapman (2-0) struck out five in two scoreless innings.
PADRES 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1
In San Diego, Chris Denorfia hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning that lifted San Diego over Arizona, ending the Diamondbacks’ status as the last unbeaten team in the major leagues.
Denorfia’s clutch shot to straightaway center field — his first of the season — came off David Hernandez (0-1). Cameron Maybin was on base after a walk.
Padres reliever Ernesto Frieri (1-0) threw 1 1-3 innings to take the win, and Huston Street pitched a perfect ninth for his first save with his new team.
In Wednesday’s other games it was:
‧ Brewers 2, Cubs 1
‧ Phillies 7, Marlins 1
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
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB