MAJOR LEAGUES
Atlanta catcher Brian McCann hit a two-run homer and an RBI single in only his third game this season after injury, boosting the Braves to a 6-3 win over San Francisco in Thursday’s clash of National League division leaders.
Also on Thursday, the New York Yankees pitchers were in command against Colorado, while Kansas City avoided a three-game sweep against Baltimore.
Photo: AFP
Washington’s bullpen came to the rescue to secure a close win over Detroit, and Minnesota capitalized on a fielding error to down Boston.
Atlanta pitcher Julio Teheran (2-0) pitched seven efficient innings after his last scheduled outing was rained out.
San Francisco were done in by the fifth inning when the Braves batted around. San Francisco (20-15) fell into a first-place tie in the NL West with Arizona.
The New York Yankees waited out a two-hour rain delay before beating Colorado 3-1.
New York starter C.C. Sabathia had to be replaced after the rain delay in the fourth inning, and combined with five relievers to hold Colorado to four hits.
Robinson Cano smacked a solo homer and also had an infield single in the third inning for his 1,500th hit.
Kansas City’s Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer homered in a four-run fourth inning as the Royals beat Baltimore 6-2.
Kansas City starter Jeremy Guthrie (5-0), facing his old team for the first time since being traded prior to last year’s season, allowed one earned run in six innings to lower his season ERA to 2.28.
Mike Moustakas also homered for the Royals, who hit three homers in a game for the first time this season, having gone into the game with an American League-low 19 long balls.
Washington almost blew a four-run lead before the bullpen kept Detroit in check as the Nationals beat the Tigers 5-4.
Washington starter Dan Haren (4-3) allowed nine hits in six innings, giving up a three-run homer.
Ryan Mattheus and Drew Storen did their job in relief before closer Rafael Soriano converted his 12th save in 13 chances, retiring Prince Fielder on a game-ending flyout to the center-field warning track with a runner on.
The Nationals notched their first four-game winning streak of the year.
Minnesota seized on a throwing error by Boston pitcher John Lackey to beat the Red Sox 5-3.
Lackey’s wild throw to second base on a potential inning-ending double play gave the Twins another chance in the sixth and they responded with four unearned runs to take a 5-2 lead.
Oswaldo Arcia hit a two-run homer in that rally.
Aside from his costly mistake, Lackey (1-3) was strong on the mound, going seven innings allowing only one walk, with eight strikeouts.
The Red Sox lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell out of first place in the AL East.
Arizona’s Patrick Corbin (5-0) won his fifth consecutive decision to start the season and drove in a run to help the Diamondbacks beat Philadelphia 2-1.
Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis, Nick Swisher and Mark Reynolds hit home runs, while Scott Kazmir struck out 10 in six innings, leading the Indians to a 9-2 win over Oakland and a four-game sweep of the Athletics.
New York’s rookie center-fielder Juan Lagares took a fine leaping catch at the wall to rob Andrew McCutchen of a go-ahead hit in the top of the ninth inning, then Mike Baxter’s single in the bottom half sent the Mets to a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh.
Tampa Bay’s Luke Scott drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Rays a 5-4 win over Toronto.
Los Angeles’ Mark Trumbo hit a two-run double in the eighth inning before Alberto Callaspo’s go-ahead sacrifice fly sent the Angels to a 6-5 win over Houston.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set