MAJOR LEAGUES
Ruben Tejada’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning gave the New York Mets a dramatic 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves in the National League on Monday.
It was the Mets’ (40-49) third win in four games and the Braves’ (49-40) second straight loss after a nine-game winning streak.
Despite the defeat, Atlanta stayed a half-game in front of Washington for the lead atop the NL East.
ORIOLES 8, NATIONALS 2 (11 INNINGS)
Chris Davis crushed a two-run homer to right-center in the 11th inning to break a 2-2 tie and usher in a six-run 11th inning that saw the Baltimore Orioles destroy the Washington Nationals.
Manny Machado also homered during the big inning for Baltimore and finished 5-for-6 at the plate.
The Orioles (49-40) won for the eighth time in 11 games, while the Nationals (48-40) lost for just the second time in nine games.
ROYALS 6, RAYS 0
James Shields was dominant in his return to Tropicana Field, shutting out the Tampa Bay Rays for seven innings in Tampa, Florida.
Shields, who faced the Rays before at Kauffman Stadium since being traded two seasons ago, allowed just three hits with 10 strikeouts.
Alex Gordon and Omar Infante each had three hits and two RBIs for Kansas City (46-42).
YANKEES 5, INDIANS 3
Brett Gardner, Brian McCann and Ichiro Suzuki each had three hits and rookie right-hander Shane Greene, in his first MLB start, pitched six innings to get the win as the Yankees beat the Indians.
The Yankees (45-43) scored all their runs in the second and third innings against right-hander Justin Masterson (4-6), and Greene and the Yankee bullpen made it stand up.
WHITE SOX 4, RED SOX 0
Rookie right-hander Scott Carroll allowed just one hit over 6 2/3 innings and two relievers finished off a two-hitter as the Chicago White Sox cruised to a win over Boston.
White Sox (43-47) designated hitter Adam Dunn and right-fielder Dayan Viciedo homered against Clay Buchholz, Dunn’s 13th of the season a solo shot in the second and Viciedo’s 11th a three-run job in the fourth.
ANGELS 5, BLUE JAYS 2
Albert Pujols hit a game-tying single in the fifth inning where the Angels scored four times to pull away and defeat Toronto.
Angels starter Jered Weaver left the game with back stiffness after just two innings but the bullpen filled in to improve Los Angeles to 52-36. Toronto fell to 47-44.
REDS 9, CUBS 3
Jay Bruce, making his first pro start at first base, hit a two-run homer and center-fielder Billy Hamilton had a career-high four RBIs, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 9-3 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run home run and left fielder Chris Coghlan went 4-for-5 with two doubles for Chicago (38-49), but they went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base against the Reds (46-42).
PHILLIES 3, BREWERS 2
Chase Utley homered in the first inning, Cole Hamels worked into the seventh and the Phillies snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Hamels (3-5) held Milwaukee (52-38) to two runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks, while striking out seven in 6-2/3 innings.
ATHLETICS 5, GIANTS 0
Jesse Chavez pitched six scoreless innings and struck out nine batters and the MLB-best Oakland Athletics cruised to their fifth straight win.
Alberto Callaspo had two hits and two RBIs to lead the Oakland (56-33) offense.
With the loss, San Francisco (49-40) missed a chance to catch the idle LA Dodgers atop the NL West and instead fell one game behind.
MARINERS 2, TWINS 0
A pair of solo home runs was all the offense Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma needed as he silenced the Twins for seven innings.
Iwakuma (7-4) allowed just four hits and no walks while striking out a season-high 10 batters. Over 33-2/3 career innings against the Twins, he has yet to give up an earned run.
Mike Zunino and Michael Saunders homered for Seattle (49-40).
CARDINALS 2, PIRATES 0
Matt Adams drilled a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth as the Cardinals blanked the Pirates.
First-time All-Star Pat Neshek (3-0) worked a clean ninth for the win, after Adam Wainwright (11-4) tossed seven scoreless innings, as St Louis leapt over (48-42) Pittsburgh (47-42) into No. 2 in the NL Central.
ASTROS 12, RANGERS 7
Shortstop Marwin Gonzalez’s three-run triple keyed the Houston Astros’ decisive six-run second inning as the Astros snapped a seven-game skid by beating the Rangers.
Jon Singleton went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and four RBIs. Center-fielder Alex Presley was 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBIs in support of pitcher Jarred Cosart, who won while struggling for a second consecutive game.
PADRES 6, ROCKIES 1
Ian Kennedy tossed seven innings and allowed just one run and Chase Headley went 4-for-5 with two RBIs to lead San Diego to victory.
The win was the sixth in eight games for the Padres (40-49). The Rockies (37-53) fell for the 18th time in 21 games. Colorado also lost for the 16th time in 21 home games.
DIAMONDBACKS 9, MARLINS 1
Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder David Peralta had two hits and drove in three runs and All-Star Paul Goldschmidt had two hits and an RBI in the Diamondbacks’ victory over the Miami Marlins.
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