J.D. Martinez on Wednesday had three of Boston’s season-high 22 hits, including a three-run homer that brought his major league-leading RBI total to 127, as the Red Sox beat Baltimore 19-3 in the first game of a doubleheader that sent the Orioles to a franchise-record 112th loss.
The once-proud Orioles (45-112) had lost more than 100 games just once since moving to Baltimore in 1954: in 1988, when they lost their first 21 games en route to a 55-107 record.
The previous franchise record of 111 losses was set by the 1939 St Louis Browns.
Photo: AP
Baltimore dropped 61.5 games behind Boston (107-51), who extended their franchise-record wins they set on Monday.
In the makeup of Tuesday night’s rain-out, David Price (16-7) settled down after an early stumble in his final tuneup before the playoffs. He allowed three runs — all in the second inning — six hits and three walks, striking out six before leaving with a 10-3 lead after five.
Price is expected to start Game 2 of the American League (AL) Division Series against the New York Yankees or Oakland.
BLUE JAYS 3, ASTROS 1
Toronto gave outgoing manager John Gibbons a winning home send-off against celebrating Houston.
Before the game, Toronto general manager Ross Atkins announced that Gibbons would not return next season. After getting the final out, closer Ken Giles gave the ball to Gibbons and the crowd rose for a standing ovation.
World Series champions Astros clinched the AL West title when Oakland lost in extra innings at Seattle well past midnight on Tuesday.
Several of the Astros partied at a hotel meeting room, but they held a more traditional clubhouse celebration — complete with rain jackets and goggles — despite the loss.
Houston are to open the best-of-five Division Series matchup against Cleveland at home on Friday next week.
Joe Biagini (4-7) pitched 1-1/3 innings for the win and Giles, the seventh Toronto pitcher, needed just five pitches to wrap it up in the ninth, earning his 25th save in 25 opportunities.
NATIONALS 9, MARLINS 3
Bryce Harper was 0-4 with two strikeouts in a rain-shortened game that many expect was his last at Nationals Park as a Washington player, as he is to become a free agent at season’s end.
The storm arrived as Harper stood in the on-deck circle while the last out of the seventh was recorded.
Nationals rookie Victor Robles had a career-high four hits, including a three-run homer and a two-run double, and also stole a base. Brian Anderson homered for the Marlins.
Wander Suero got the win with an inning of scoreless relief. Taiwan’s Chen Wei-yin was the loser.
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