Cubs top Tribe 7-2; Chicago's 12-3 start is best in 50 years

Updated Aug. 13, 2020 12:49 a.m. ET

Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kyle Hendricks pitched six strong innings in his first appearance against Cleveland since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and Anthony Rizzo homered, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 7-2 win over the Indians on Wednesday night to match their best start in 50 years.

Hendricks (3-1) didn’t have much trouble with the slumping Indians. He allowed one run and seven hits and handled everyone in Cleveland’s lineup but Franmil Reyes, who got three hits.

The Cubs are 12-3 in their first season under manager David Ross, matching the club’s start after 15 games in 1970.

Rizzo homered in the third off Carlos Carrasco (2-2), David Bote drove in two runs and Kris Bryant connected for a 430-foot shot as the Cubs swept the two-game interleague set.

Hendricks hadn’t faced the Indians since Nov. 2, 2016, when he started the dramatic finale as the Cubs beat the Indians in extra innings to clinch their first Series title since 1908.

ATHLETICS 8, ANGELS 4

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Piscotty, Matt Olson and Robbie Grossman homered, center fielder Ramón Laureano made three nifty catches and Oakland averted a sweep with a win over Los Angeles.

Piscotty put the A’s ahead with his solo drive in the fourth inning. Olson and Grossman also went deep off Griffin Canning (0-3).

Seven of the Athletics’ nine hits were for extra bases, including a pair of doubles by Matt Chapman.

Chris Bassitt (2-0) went 5 2/3 innings en route to his third straight win against the Angels. The right-hander gave up four runs on five hits while striking out four.

Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon hit solo homers for the Angels.

MARLINS 14, BLUE JAYS 11, 10 inn.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Magneuris Sierra hit a go-ahead single in the 10th inning and Miami overcame Toronto’s seven home runs in the final game of its season-opening, three-week road trip.

Bo Bichette went 5 for 5 for the Blue Jays, a day after homering during a 10-inning win in their first game at their new Buffalo home. He connected again as Toronto became the fourth team in major league history to lose while slugging at least seven homers.

After this detour to Sahlen Field, the Marlins finally get to go home.

Miami has an off day before facing Atlanta for three games to start a seven-game homestand. The Marlins’ grueling road odyssey began with a trip to Atlanta on July 21 for a pair of exhibition games and moved on to Philadelphia for a season-opening, three-game series.

DIAMONDBACKS 13, ROCKIES 7

DENVER (AP) — Starling Marte homered and drove in four runs as Arizona battered Colorado in a Coors Field slugfest featuring 34 hits, but none by blistering Charlie Blackmon.

Blackmon went 0 for 4, ending his hitting streak at 15 games, and his average dipped to .472. Nolan Arenado homered twice and doubled for the Rockies.

Marte had three hits, including a go-ahead single in an eight-run seventh inning. It was 5-all going into the inning.

Nick Ahmed had three hits and a pair of RBIs and Kole Calhoun added three hits with an RBI for the Diamondbacks.

Ryan McMahon connected for a three-run homer to chase Arizona starter Luke Weaver with one out in the fourth inning. Garrett Hampson added a career-high four hits for the Rockies. A total of 11 players had multihit games, seven with at least three hits

Andrew Chafin (1-0) picked up the win with an inning of scoreless relief.

RANGERS 7, MARINERS 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Todd Frazier scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning, Willie Calhoun then hit a two-run single and Texas overcame an early four-run deficit to beat Seattle.

Derek Dietrich started the Rangers’ five-run eighth with his one-out single, before Elvis Andrus doubled and pinch-hitter Frazier was hit by a pitch. Dietrich scored on No. 9 batter Jeff Mathis’ bloop single to left center before Shin-Soo Choo’s sacrifice fly tied the game. Then came the wild pitch by Taylor Williams, who had just taken over for Erik Swanson (0-1).

Dietrich had three hits and was hit by a pitch, becoming the first player since Joey Gallo in June 2015 to reach base safely four times.

Jonathan Hernandez (3-0), the fourth Texas pitcher, pitched a scoreless eighth before Rafael Montero’s perfect ninth for his fourth save in as many chances.

Seattle scored all of its runs in the second off Jordan Lyles. Austin Nola led off by lining a 424-foot homer into Seattle’s bullpen in left-center. Daniel Vogelbach then made it 3-0 when he pulled a 442-foot shot into the right field seats. Kyle Lewis later added a sacrifice fly.

DODGERS 6, PADRES 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Gonsolin and five relievers combined on a six-hit shutout, Justin Turner hit a three-run homer, and Los Angeles beat San Diego and avoided losing three in a row for the first time since last August.

The Dodgers played small ball to score two runs in the fifth, then Turner slugged his second three-run blast of the season in the eighth off Craig Stammen.

Blake Treinen (1-1) got the win, striking out three in 1 1/3 innings.

San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. was hitless in four at-bats, including a strikeout that snapped his nine-game hitting streak.

Zach Davies (2-2) took the loss, allowing two runs and four hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked two.

WHITE SOX 7, TIGERS 5

DETROIT (AP) — Tim Anderson had four hits and finished a double shy of the cycle, and Luis Robert hit a bases-clearing double to lift Chicago past Detroit.

Anderson and Eloy Jimenez led off the game with consecutive home runs.

Anderson had a triple and added two singles before striking out on three pitches in the eighth.

Jonathan Schoop and Willi Castro homered for the Tigers, who scored four unearned runs in the fourth before Matthew Boyd (0-2) gave the lead right back.

Dylan Cease (3-1) allowed one earned run and seven hits in six innings. Alex Colome working a perfect ninth for his fifth save in five chances.

YANKEES 6, BRAVES 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Injury fill-in Clint Frazier had three hits, including a home run, and scored twice in his season debut as New York swept a two-game set with Atlanta.

Johan Camargo lined a two-run homer in the second to give the Braves an early lead against New York starter Masahiro Tanaka, charged with two runs on five hits and two walks in four innings.

The Yankees tied it in the bottom of the frame, clubbing back-to-back homers for the first time this season. Gary Sanchez connected for a leadoff shot to left and Frazier followed with a blast into the Atlanta bullpen.

Jonathan Loaisiga (2-0) hurled a pair of scoreless innings for the win, striking out three. Tyler Matzek (2-1) took the loss.

ROYALS 5, REDS 4

CINCINNATI (AP) — Streaking Salvador Perez had three more hits, including a homer and RBI double, Reds left-hander Wade Miley made another early exit after a misstep, and Kansas City beat Cincinnati for its fifth victory in six games.

The Royals’ offense has led the way during the surge. It scored one run at a time to keep it going, led by Perez’s homer, double and single.

Brad Keller (2-0) allowed two singles in six shutout innings. The bullpen barely held on.

Jesse Winker, Freddy Galvis and Josh VanMeter homered in the seventh, cutting it to 5-4. Josh Staumont escaped a two-on threat in the eighth with a pair of called third strikes.

Trevor Rosenthal walked the bases loaded with one out in the ninth but got Christian Colón to ground into a double play, earning his fourth save in as many chances.

The Reds wasted a chance to get back to .500 and lost their only left-handed starter after less than two innings. Miley (0-2) appeared to hurt himself when he stepped awkwardly while covering first base in the second inning.

RAYS 9, RED SOX 5

BOSTON (AP) — Blake Snell pitched five shutout innings and Tampa Bay backed him with a trio of 400-foot homers to beat Boston and earn a fifth straight victory.

Willy Adames, Brandon Lowe and Yoshi Tsutsugo all homered off Zack Godley, and Austin Meadows hit a solo shot in the ninth after Boston scored five in the eighth to cut into an eight-run lead.

Lowe had a single, homer and double in his first three at-bats.

J.D. Martinez hit a grand slam as Boston’s first six batters in the eighth hit safely off Aaron Slegers. Kevin Pillar had four hits for the Red Sox, who have lost three in a row and eight of 11 heading into a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Snell (1-0) allowed four hits and walked no one, striking out six to earn his first win of the season.

Godley (0-2) was charged with eight runs on 10 hits and two walks, striking out three in three innings.

METS 11, NATIONALS 6

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith had back-to-back RBI doubles in a four-run first inning and hit consecutive homers in a five-run sixth, leading New York over Washington.

The fourth, fifth and sixth batters in the Mets’ lineup, Michael Conforto, Alonso and Smith, went 7-for-11 with eight RBIs, eight runs scored, three walks and a hit batsman in 15 plate appearances.

The Mets have scored four runs or fewer in 12 of their first 18 games.

Seven pitchers combined on a 10-hitter for the Mets, who lost the first two games of the four-game series. Jeurys Familia was awarded the win after striking out four over two innings.

Juan Soto went 3-for-4 and accounted for the Nationals’ first four runs with homers, including one that traveled 466 feet.

Starlin Castro and Kurt Suzuki hit solo homers in the eighth and ninth, respectively. Castro and Howie Kendrick had two hits.

Anibal Sanchez (0-3) gave up five runs over 2 2/3 innings as his ERA rose to 9.69.

TWINS 12, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Byron Buxton hit two solo homers and Miguel Sanó added another as Minnesota jumped to an early lead and routed Milwaukee.

The victory gave the AL Central-leading Twins a 2-1 series win over the Brewers, who dropped to 2-6 at home.

Minnesota starter Kenta Maeda (3-0) retired the first 11 batters he faced. He allowed two runs in 6 2 / 3 innings, striking out five and walking one.

Brewers left-hander Eric Lauer (0-2) surrendered seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.

The Twins set the tone in the second inning, jumping to a 5-0 lead. The Twins led 12-0 before Milwaukee pushed across its two runs in the sixth inning on a single by Luis Urías.

ORIOLES 5, PHILLIES 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rio Ruiz, Chance Sisco and Anthony Santander homered to lead Baltimore past Philadelphia.

Baltimore reliever Miguel Castro wiggled out a jam in the eighth thanks to a fantastic diving stop by Ruiz. Cole Sulser worked a scoreless ninth for his fourth save.

The Orioles took the first two games of the series and have won four straight completed games -- they are also winning a game that was suspended Sunday against Washington.

The Orioles ran through six pitchers and reliever Shawn Armstrong (2-0) got the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Zach Eflin (0-1) struck out a career-high 10 and walked only one in six innings. But the bullpen continued to struggle.

ASTROS 5, GIANTS 1

HOUSTON (AP) — Martín Maldonado hit a three-run home run to back a strong start by Zack Greinke and help Houston beat San Francisco.

The game was tied with no outs in the sixth when Carlos Correa, Kyle Tucker and Abraham Toro hit consecutive singles. Houston took a 2-1 lead when Correa scored on a wild pitch by Caleb Baragar (2-1). Maldonado then knocked his two-strike homer into the seats in left field to make it 5-1.

Greinke (1-0) allowed one run and scattered seven hits over a season-high 6 1/3 innings for his first win. He struck out seven and walked one.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports