HOUSTON (AP) - Benches cleared Tuesday night during the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over the Astros in the first game between the teams since it was revealed that Houston illegally stole signs en route to a 2017 championship that came at Los Angeles’ expense in the World Series.
The fracas occurred after Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly threw high-and-tight pitches to Astros stars Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa in the sixth inning.
Kelly threw an errant breaking ball over Correa’s head. Correa, who homered and finished with three hits, took off his batting helmet and stared Kelly down before continuing the at-bat.
Kelly struck out Correa, then stuck out his tongue and made a face in his direction. Correa started walking toward him and the players exchanged words, prompting the benches to clear in the first such incident of this pandemic-delayed season. There was plenty of yelling and crowding - outlawed as MLB tries to play a 60-game season amid the pandemic - but no pushing or punches thrown.
Order was restored after a couple of minutes and there were no ejections, but Houston manager Dusty Baker was still upset before play resumed and got in the face of an umpire.
Brusdar Graterol (1-1) worked a scoreless fifth and Kenley Jansen earned the save.
Astros starter Framber Valdez (0-1) permitted three runs - two earned - in 4 1/3 innings.
CUBS 8, REDS 5
CINCINNATI (AP) - Javier Báez homered twice, doubled and scored on a deft dive to the plate as Chicago extended its opening surge by beating Cincinnati.
Alec Mills pitched six solid innings for the Cubs, who have won four of their first five games and scored first in each one. Jason Kipnis’ triple - Shogo Akiyama lost it in the sun - got Chicago going again.
Mills (1-0) added to Chicago’s stretch of impressive starts, holding the Reds to two hits in six innings. Cubs starters have a 1.80 ERA and a .131 opponent batting average this season.
The Reds got two-run homers by Nick Castellanos - his first since signing a $64 million deal - and Freddy Galvis but fell to 1-4, tied for the worst start in the majors.
Cody Reed (0-1) allowed two runs in the fifth after relieving starter Tyler Mahle.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, RANGERS 1
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Merrill Kelly took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up a home run as Arizona beat Texas.
Rougned Odor’s one-out homer in the seventh was the first of three hits off Kelly (1-0), who struck out seven and walked one in 7 2/3 innings.
After winning the season opener in their new $1.2 billion stadium with a retractable roof, the Rangers have lost three in a row. They are last in the majors with a .156 team batting average and only six runs.
Archie Bradley worked a perfect ninth for his first save.
The Diamondbacks led 3-0 before Kelly threw his first pitch, getting three unearned runs off Kyle Gibson (0-1) in his Texas debut. David Peralta had an RBI single after Arizona scored two runs on a two-out throwing error.
ANGELS 10, MARINERS 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Anthony Rendon hit a two-run homer and reached base three times in his Angels debut, and Albert Pujols added his 657th career homer in Los Angeles’ victory over Seattle.
Max Stassi hit a three-run homer, Shohei Ohtani had a long RBI double and Justin Upton drove in two runs as the Angels won their home opener for only the second time in eight years.
The 40-year-old Pujols has homered in 20 consecutive seasons.
Tim Lopes went deep for the Mariners. Justus Sheffield (0-1) allowed four runs and four hits in three-plus innings.
Ryan Buchter (1-0) worked a perfect inning of relief for his first win with Los Angeles.
BLUE JAYS 5, NATIONALS 1
WASHINGTON (AP) - The reigning World Series champions dropped to 1-4 in the pandemic-shortened season with a 5-1 loss to Toronto that included two outfielders colliding on a homer by Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., two errors by Starlin Castro that led to three unearned runs, and just one hit for Washington after the third inning.
Washington has lost three consecutive games - scoring a grand total of four runs - which looms larger when there are only 60 games to play.
Former Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark (1-0) got a win in his Blue Jays debut, allowing one run and three hits in five innings.
After hitting four solo shots in Monday’s series-opening victory, the Blue Jays tacked on two more off Austin Voth (0-1) - by Guerrero in the second, then Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the fourth.
RAYS 5, BRAVES 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a two-run single during a five-run third inning, and Tampa Bay beat Atlanta for its fourth straight win.
Yonny Chirinos pitched four effective innings for Tampa Bay after missing part of summer camp following a positive coronavirus test. He allowed one run and four hits.
Pete Fairbanks (1-0) struck out three during a perfect fifth. Oliver Drake, the fifth Tampa Bay reliever, worked the ninth for his second save.
The Rays loaded the bases in the third on three walks, and then chased Kyle Wright (0-1) with three consecutive two-out hits.
PIRATES 8, BREWERS 6
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Adam Frazier hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning and Pittsburgh rallied past Milwaukee.
A day after blowing a four-run lead in the ninth in what became an 11-inning loss, Pittsburgh delivered a bit of payback thanks to a shaky performance by the Milwaukee bullpen.
Cole Tucker went 2 for 4 for the Pirates, including a double leading off the eighth against Bobby Wahl (0-1). With one out and Tucker on third, Frazier sent the second pitch he saw from Wahl halfway up one of the tarps covering the seats in right field at empty PNC Park.
Geoff Hartlieb (1-0) picked up his first major league win after being called up earlier in the afternoon. Nick Burdi worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth to collect the first save of his career.
METS 8, RED SOX 3
BOSTON (AP) - J.D. Davis banged a two-run homer off the Pesky Pole, and left-hander David Peterson pitched 5 2/3 innings to win his major league debut and lead New York past Boston.
The Mets swept the two-game series and sent the Red Sox to their fourth consecutive loss.
Peterson (1-0) allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three on the day he was called up from the team’s alternate training site.
The Mets took a 3-0 lead in the second when Matt Hall (0-1), making his 2020 debut, gave up an RBI double to Robinson Canó and a two-run single to Amed Rosario. Hall allowed three runs on three hits and two walks, striking out three in 2 2/3 innings.
INDIANS 4, WHITE SOX 3, GAME 1
CLEVELAND (AP) - Francisco Lindor and Bradley Zimmer each homered and drove in two runs, propelling the Cleveland past Chicago in the first game of a doubleheader.
Aaron Civale (1-0) struck out a career-high nine and allowed two runs over six innings in his first start of the season. Brad Hand gave up an RBI single to Yasmani Grandal in the ninth before picking up his second save for the Indians, who never trailed.
Lindor hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Zimmer had a solo shot in the second as Cleveland took a 3-0 lead off Dylan Cease (0-1). Zimmer added an RBI single in the third to make it 4-1.
INDIANS 5, WHITE SOX 3, GAME 2
CLEVELAND (AP) - Carlos Santana hit a three-run homer, Oscar Mercado had a two-run single and Cleveland competed a doubleheader sweep of Chicago.
Santana’s first inning blast helped spoil the return of White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodón (0-1) from Tommy John surgery. The left-hander gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings in his first appearance since May 1, 2019.
Mercado drove in Franmil Reyes and Domingo Santana in the fourth, extending Cleveland’s lead to 5-1. James McCann hit a solo homer for Chicago in the second, and Jose Abreu added another in the sixth off Adam Plutko (1-0).
Rookie Cam Hill earned his first save with a perfect ninth. Plutko struck out four over six innings in his season debut.
TWINS 6, CARDINALS 3
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Josh Donaldson homered and drove in two runs in his Target Field debut with Minnesota, Jorge Polanco hit a two-run shot and the Twins beat St. Louis.
Homer Bailey (1-0) pitched five innings in his first start for the Twins, allowing a two-run homer to Tyler O’Neill in the fifth.
Cardinals starter Carlos Martínez (0-1) was pulled after 3 2/3 innings, when the homer by Donaldson ended his night. Polanco’s drive capped a five-run second for the Twins, with Max Kepler pitching in an RBI single and Donaldson contributing a sacrifice fly.
Sergio Romo pitched a hitless ninth for a stress-free save, preserving a third victory in four games for the defending American League Central champions.
TIGERS 4, ROYALS 3
DETROIT (AP) - Jonathan Schoop and Christin Stewart each hit a two-run homer in the third inning to lift Detroit over Kansas City.
Whit Merrifield hit a three-run shot in the top of the third for Kansas City, but the Tigers answered quickly and held on from there. Tyler Alexander (1-0) and four other relievers kept the Royals scoreless for the final six innings, with Joe Jimenez pitching the ninth for his third save.
Kansas City starter Kyle Zimmer pitched two scoreless innings, then hit JaCoby Jones with a pitch to start the Detroit third. Tyler Zuber (0-1) relieved and allowed the homers to Schoop and Stewart.
PADRES 5, GIANTS 3
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a three-run homer, Wil Myers added a two-run drive and San Diego spoiled San Francisco’s home opener.
Zach Davies (1-0) struck out five over five innings to win his Padres debut, allowing five hits and three runs - two earned - as San Diego won for the fourth time in five games this season. The right-hander came over in a trade with Milwaukee last November.
Drew Pomeranz, the Padres’ fourth reliever, finished for his first save.
Jeff Samardzija (0-1) gave up five runs in four innings.
ROCKIES 8, ATHLETICS 3
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Sam Hilliard homered for the first time this season and Antonio Senzatela pitched out of an early jam on his way to a rare road win as Colorado beat Oakland.
Charlie Blackmon had two hits, David Dahl drove in a pair of runs and Nolan Arenado made up for an uncharacteristic fielding error with a single and sacrifice fly to help the Rockies to their third straight victory following an opening day loss to Texas.
Hilliard was hitless going into the day before doubling off starter Daniel Mengden (0-1) in the second and then homering in the fourth.
Senzatela (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) and six hits in five innings.
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