Boston Red Sox

Pearce hits 3 homers, Red Sox boost AL East lead over Yanks

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:55 p.m. ET

BOSTON (AP) Steve Pearce homered three times, the second a three-run drive in an eight-run fourth inning as the Boston Red Sox rallied from an early deficit to beat the New York Yankees 15-7 on Thursday night and take a season-high 6 -game lead in the AL East.

In the opener of a four-game series that gave New York the potential to erase most of its division deficit, the Red Sox instead opened a bigger gap, taking advantage of manager Aaron Boone's decision to pull starter CC Sabathia after three innings with a 4-2 lead. Jonathan Holder (1-2) faced seven batters and did not record an out.

Mookie Betts had four hits and two walks, reaching safely all six times he came to the plate. Pearce, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Andrew Benintendi had three hits apiece for Boston.

Didi Grigorius homered twice, Aaron Hicks hit one and Giancarlo Stanton got his 25th of the season for the Yankees, who have lost just twice in the past week but dropped two games in the division.

Brian Johnson (2-3), making a spot start because AL ERA and strikeout leader Chris Sale went on the disabled list, fanned a career-high 11 for his first victory since April 2.

CARDINALS 3, ROCKIES 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Pinch-hitter Jose Martinez sliced an opposite-field single to the right-center field gap off Wade Davis with one out in the ninth inning, driving in the tying and go-ahead runs and lifting St. Louis over Colorado.

Greg Garcia singled with one out against Davis (2-4) and took third on a single by rookie Harrison Bader.

Bader stole second, and Martinez singled on a high fastball, giving the Cardinals their ninth walk-off win this season.

Davis has a career-high five blown saves in 36 chances.

Chasen Shreve (3-2), acquired from the New York Yankees on Saturday, pitched a perfect ninth in his second appearance for the Cardinals.

DODGERS 21, BREWERS 5

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Cody Bellinger hit a grand slam, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig hit two homers each, and the Dodgers cruised past Milwaukee.

Brian Dozier and Justin Turner also went deep as the Dodgers finished with their highest scoring total at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles hit a season high-tying seven homers, and also set season highs for runs in a game, and in an inning when they had nine in the seventh.

Clayton Kershaw (5-5) gave up two runs and five hits over six innings, winning his second consecutive start.

Christian Yelich and Jesus Augilar each hit home runs for the Brewers, who lost for just the fifth time in 13 games.

Bellinger snapped an 0-for-13 slide when he lifted a 0-1 pitch from Brewers starter Jhoulys Chacin (10-4) off the right-field foul pole for his 18th of the season. It was his second grand slam this season and third of his two-year career.

Chacin (10-4) gave up nine runs and five hits with four walks over 4 1/3 innings.

RANGERS 17, ORIOLES 8

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Jurickson Profar hit a three-run home run and a run-scoring single as Texas scored 10 runs during the first two innings, Rougned Odor homered and walked a career-high five times, and the Rangers routed Baltimore.

Yovani Gallardo (6-1) won his third straight start but lasted only 5 1/3 innings despite having a 13-1 lead through four. Gallardo, a former Oriole, allowed five runs on nine hits, including home runs by Mark Trumbo and Caleb Joseph, plus two walks on a season-high 104 pitches.

The Rangers have won five of their last six games for their best stretch since winning seven straight from June 16-23.

The 17 runs and 18 hits were season highs for Texas, while the Orioles allowed their most runs this year.

Andrew Cashner (3-10) retired only five batters, allowing eight runs on seven hits. He struck out one, walked one and had a wild pitch.

PADRES 6, CUBS 1

CHICAGO (AP) - Austin Hedges hit a go-ahead, three-run homer, Robbie Erlin pitched two-hit ball over five innings in a spot start, and San Diego beat Chicago.

The Padres ended a season-high, seven-game losing streak.

Hedges homered off Jesse Chavez (3-2) in the sixth inning for a 3-1 lead, his third homer in six games and seventh overall. Hedges and Manuel Margot each had three of the Padres' 15 hits, and Margot, Eric Hosmer and A.J. Ellis drove in runs.

Erlin (2-3) allowed one run, struck out four and walked one in his third start this season and first since May 21. Four relievers followed in a three-hitter for the Padres.

NATIONALS 10, REDS 4

WASHINGTON (AP) - Max Scherzer struck out 10 in six innings for his fifth win in as many starts, helping the Washington beat Cincinnati..

Scherzer (15-5) also singled in a run off Tyler Mahle (7-9) during a six-run second inning as the Nationals won their third straight and moved two games above .500 for the first time since July 7.

Washington slugger Bryce Harper hit his 26th homer of the season, a blast into the second deck in right-center in the eighth.

Trea Turner connected for his 14th homer in the same inning and finished with four RBIs for the third-place Nationals, who remained five games back of Philadelphia and 4 behind Atlanta in the NL East.

Mahle failed to make it through the second inning for a second consecutive start.

PHILLIES 5, MARLINS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Maikel Franco hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lift Philadelphia past Miami.

Nick Williams drove in the tying run with a bases-loaded groundout off Kyle Barraclough (0-5) in the ninth.

Franco followed with a high drive on a 2-0 pitch into the seats in left. He flipped his bat backward between home plate and first base, jogged without a helmet and was swarmed by teammates after he circled the bases.

The Phillies remained a half-game in front of Atlanta in the NL East. The Braves beat the Mets 4-2.

Tommy Hunter (3-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning in relief. Philadelphia's Nick Pivetta gave up two runs and four hits, striking out seven in six innings.

GIANTS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 1

PHOENIX (AP) - Madison Bumgarner worked through traffic in five innings to out-pitch Zack Greinke in a duel of aces, lifting San Francisco past Arizona.

Bumgarner (4-4) pitched with runners on in every inning, yet limited the Diamondbacks to a run on seven hits. He stranded nine runners and struck out five.

Evan Longoria hit a solo homer off Greinke (12-6) and San Francisco broke open a close games five runs in the eighth inning. Austin Slater had two RBIs and scored three times for the Giants, who have won four straight.

Greinke gave up two runs on four hits and struck five in six innings to lose for the first time in nine starts.

Arizona's David Peralta had four hits after missing the previous two games with right shoulder tightness.

BRAVES 4, METS 2

NEW YORK (AP) - Ronald Acuna Jr. led off with his first big league triple and reached three times, Johan Camargo hit a two-run double in a three-run third inning, and Atlanta extended its winning streak to four by beating New York.

Mike Foltynewicz (8-7) won for the first time since July 11, allowing two runs and five hits in six innings. Three pitchers followed with one-hit relief as the Braves improved to 10-3 against the Mets this year.

New York dropped a season-low 18 games under .500 at 44-62. The Mets have lost 41 of their last 60 games overall and 23 of their last 32 home games.

Jason Vargas (2-7) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. He has not pitched past the fifth in any of his 11 starts.

WHITE SOX 6, ROYALS 4

CHICAGO (AP) - Jose Abreu hit a tying home run off Jason Adam in the eighth and pinch-hitter Daniel Palka had a three-run homer off Jason Hammel later in the inning, giving Chicago the win over Kansas City.

In a matchup of teams on track to both lose 100 or more games, the White Sox avoided getting swept in the three-game series.

Kansas City overcame a 2-0 deficit when pinch-hitter Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer in the eighth off Xavier Cedeno (1-0), but Abreu homered with one out in the bottom half against Adam (0-3). Abreu's 141st big league homer moved him ahead of Ron Kittle into sole possession of 10th on the White Sox career list.

Avisail Garcia doubled, Omar Narvaez was intentionally walked and Hammel relieved. Palka drove a hanging slider a half-dozen rows in the right-center field bleachers.

BLUE JAYS 7, MARINERS 3

SEATTLE (AP) - Kendrys Morales homered in the seventh inning to back Mike Hauschild's impressive Blue Jays debut as Toronto beat Seattle.

With two outs in the seventh, a runner on first base and the score tied 2-2, Morales hit a fastball from Juan Nicasio (1-6) over the wall in right-center field. It was Morales' 13th home run of the season.

Hauschild (1-0), signed by Toronto after being released by Houston, was pitching in his first game in the majors since April 19, 2017. He entered the game in the second inning after Nelson Cruz's two-run homer off reliever-turned-spot-starter Tyler Clippard gave the Mariners a quick 2-0 lead in the first. Hauschild pitched six scoreless innings, limiting the Mariners to four singles and one walk while striking out five.

The Blue Jays tied the score at 2-2 in the top of the second against Mariners starter Felix Hernandez. Yangervis Solarte led off with a single and Teoscar Hernandez doubled him to third. With one out, Luke Maile walked to load the bases, and Devon Travis had a two-run single.

RAYS 4, ANGELS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Jalen Beeks got his first major league win, C.J. Cron had a two-run single and Tampa Bay completed a three-game sweep of Los Angeles.

Beeks (1-1), the second pitcher on a bullpen day, allowed two runs and two hits in five innings.

Tampa Bay's Hunter Wood struck out five and allowed one hit over the first two innings. Diego Castillo and Sergio Romo, who worked the ninth for his 13th save, completed a three-hitter.

Angels star Mike Trout didn't play because of a sore right wrist.

Cron drove in two with a single during a four-run fourth off Andrew Heaney (6-7). The Rays were aided by two batters hit by pitches and a wild pitch that allowed Tommy Pham to score from third.