The Chicago White Sox further enhanced their MLB World Series potential after pounding the Minnesota Twins 16-4.
Having made no secret of their World Series aspirations at the start of the season, the White Sox continue to impress following Monday's crushing win over the Twins.
American League (AL) Central leaders the White Sox – who have won nine of their past 11 games – posted season highs in hits (18) and runs.
Nick Madrigal had three hits, including his maiden MLB homer and White Sox team-mate Danny Mendick launched his first career grand slam in Minneapolis.
For the ninth time in White Sox history, a player hit their first career homer and first career grand slam, however, Monday was the first time it was achieved by two different players.
Yasmani Grandal became the first player in White Sox history with three four-plus walk games in a season, while team-mate Yermin Mercedes is the first player in franchise history to homer off a position player pitcher since 1955.
White Sox ace Dallas Keuchel pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits against the hapless Twins.
Meanwhile, two-way star Shohei Ohtani was at it again as the Los Angeles Angels took down the Cleveland Indians 7-4.
Ohtani hit his MLB-leading 13th home run of the season – a three-run homer in the second inning.
Cole makes history
The New York Yankees were beaten 5-2 by the Texas Rangers but it was a memorable outing for ace Gerrit Cole, who recorded the most strikeouts without a walk (61) in any stretch of a season since 1983, eclipsing the 58 tallied by Corbin Burnes earlier this season. The Rangers snapped a six-game skid in the victory.
The San Francisco Giants trumped the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 behind six shut-out innings from Logan Webb, who gave up six hits, struck out four and walked a batter.
Pillar left bloodied in scary incident
The New York Mets topped the Atlanta Braves 3-1 but it came at a cost. Right fielder Kevin Pillar was hit in the nose by a pitch from Atlanta's Jacob Webb in the seventh inning. Pillar fell straight to the ground as blood poured from his nose. The incident left Mets and Braves players shaken in Atlanta.
Angels star Mike Trout exited in the first inning of the team's victory. Trout walked and reached second base before sustaining a right calf strain.
Pujols makes immediate impact
Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, following his exit from city rivals the Angels. The 41-year-old slugger – a two-time World Series champion, three-time MVP and 10-time All-Star – made his first appearance for the Dodgers that day, his first hit an RBI single. It brought in star Mookie Betts to score in the World Series champions' 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Monday's results
San Francisco Giants 6-3 Cincinnati Reds
New York Mets 3-1 Atlanta Braves
Chicago White Sox 16-4 Minnesota Twins
Chicago Cubs 7-3 Washington Nationals
Texas Rangers 5-2 New York Yankees
Los Angeles Angels 7-4 Cleveland Indians
Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
San Diego Padres 7-0 Colorado Rockies
Detroit Tigers 4-1 Seattle Mariners
Red Sox at Blue Jays
AL East leaders the Boston Red Sox (25-17) will travel to Dunedin for their series opener against division rivals the Toronto Blue Jays (22-17) on Tuesday. Blue Jays ace Ryu Hyun-jin takes to the mound, while the Red Sox counter with Eduardo Rodriguez.
MLB: Holliday gets first hit, Rays batter Snell
Jackson Holliday collected his first major league hit and scored the go-ahead run to help the Baltimore Orioles to a 6-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
Holliday, the No. 1 pick of the 2022 MLB draft, was part of a two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning that enabled the Orioles to prevent Milwaukee from sweeping the three-game series.
The 20-year-old infielder had gone 0 for 13 with nine strikeouts to begin his major league career before recording a single in the seventh.
Former Brewers ace Corbin Burnes did not factor in the decision in his first meeting against his ex-team since being traded to Baltimore in the offseason. The 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs - two earned - while striking out five in five innings.
Blake Perkins' solo homer in the top of the seventh gave Milwaukee a 4-3 lead that turned out to be short-lived, as Jordan Westburg, Holliday and Gunnar Henderson all singled off reliever Abner Uribe in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
Holliday advanced to third on Henderson's run-scoring hit before crossing the plate on a double-play grounder off the bat of Adley Rutschman.
Colton Cowser's solo homer in the eighth gave Baltimore some insurance before Craig Kimbrel stranded two runners in a scoreless ninth to earn his third save of the season.
Burnes was greeted by a leadoff homer from William Contreras in the top of the first inning, though the Orioles answered in their half when Henderson was hit by a pitch by Milwaukee starter Colin Rea and later scored on Ryan O'Hearn's single.
Cedric Mullins' homer off Rea in the second put Baltimore up 2-1, and O'Hearn sent the Orioles back ahead with a solo shot in the third after the Brewers scratched home a run in the top of the inning.
Burnes couldn't protect the 3-2 lead, though, as the Brewers put two on in the fourth before Brice Turang put down a bunt that brought in a run when the Baltimore right-hander threw wildly to first base to allow Willy Adames to score.
Perkins went 3 for 4 with two runs scored for Milwaukee. Rea lasted 5 2/3 innings and was reached for three runs while striking out six.
Rays slug four homers to spoil Snell's return to Tampa Bay
Rene Pinto drove in four runs and had two of four Tampa Bay homers as the Rays spoiled Blake Snell's return to Tropicana Field with a 9-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Snell was tagged for seven runs in four innings in his second straight lacklustre start since joining the Giants as a free agent in the offseason. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was making his first appearance at Tropicana Field since being traded by the Rays to the San Diego Padres in December 2020.
The 31-year-old pitched five seasons for Tampa Bay and won the American League's Cy Young Award after going 21-5 with the Rays in 2018.
Snell took the mound with a 1-0 lead after the Giants scored once in the top of the first inning, but the left-hander was greeted by a leadoff double from Yandy Diaz and a one-out single by Randy Arozarena that quickly tied the game.
Two batters later, Amed Rosario homered to left to give Tampa Bay a 3-1 advantage.
Isaac Paredes' two-out RBI single off Snell in the third increased the Rays' margin, and Snell issued two walks in the fourth before Pinto launched a three-run homer to center to extend the lead to 7-1.
Tyler Fitzgerald doubled in the top of the sixth and scored on Jorge Soler's single to get the Giants closer, though Pinto answered in the bottom of the inning with his second homer of the day.
A solo homer by San Francisco's Michael Conforto in the seventh was countered by Paredes' solo blast in the Rays' half of the inning as Tampa Bay took a 9-3 lead into the eighth.
Fitzgerald finished 2 for 4 and knocked in the Giants' final run with a triple in the ninth.
Tyler Alexander picked up the win after allowing two runs across six innings in relief of opener Shawn Armstrong, who permitted one run in two innings.
Guardians rally for three runs in 10th to stun Yankees
Andres Gimenez's sacrifice fly capped a stunning 10th rally as the Cleveland Guardians avoided a series sweep by the New York Yankees by rallying for a wild 8-7 win.
After the Yankees tied the game on Anthony Volpe's RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning and scored twice more in the top of the 10th, Cleveland struck for three runs off reliever Caleb Ferguson in the bottom of the inning to salvage the series finale.
Jose Ramirez started the comeback with a leadoff single and Josh Naylor followed with a fielder's choice groundout that scored brother Bo Naylor, the Guardians' designated runner to begin their half of the inning. David Fry then doubled to put two men on before Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres threw late to home plate after bobbling a ground ball, allowing Josh Naylor to score and tie the contest at 7-7.
Gimenez then lifted a fly ball to right deep enough to bring home Fry with the winning run.
The Yankees were down to their final out in the ninth when Volpe drove a pitch from Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase into the gap in right center field to drive in Oswaldo Cabrera from first and knot the score at 5-5.
New York then loaded the bases with none out in the 10th to set up Anthony Rizzo's single off Tyler Beede which sent home designated runner Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, who was intentionally walked.
Judge belted a three-run homer off Cleveland starter Logan Allen in the top of the third inning to open the scoring, though the Guardians countered with Ramirez's two-run shot off Nestor Cortes in their half of the frame.
Jose Trevino's solo homer in the fourth increased New York's lead to 4-2, but Cleveland again answered with two runs in the fifth.
Gabriel Arias led off the bottom of the inning with a homer off Cortes before Josh Naylor later tied it with a one-out single that plated Steven Kwan.
The score remained 4-4 until former Yankee Estevan Florial delivered a pinch-hit solo homer off Luke Weaver in the eighth.
Ramirez and Josh Naylor each had two hits and two RBIs for Cleveland, while Allen allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Volpe went 3 for 4 for New York, which removed Cortes after four-plus innings after the left-hander was reached for four runs despite striking out six.
MLB: Yankees sweep Guardians to improve to 12-3
Juan Soto’s three-run homer backed a stellar season debut by Cody Poteet and the New York Yankees rolled to an 8-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians for a doubleheader sweep on Saturday.
With a 3-2 victory in the opener, the Yankees are 12-3 for the seventh time in their history and first since 2003. They have won eight of nine road games.
Poteet allowed one run and six hits over six innings to earn his first win since 2021 with Miami. He did not pitch in the majors last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022.
Soto’s three-run homer came off starter Triston McKenzie and was preceded by Anthony Volpe’s RBI single.
Josh Naylor and Estevan Florial homered for Cleveland, which is 1-9 in its last five doubleheaders.
In the opener, Oswaldo Cabrera hit a two-run homer and Clay Holmes survived a shaky ninth inning.
Brewers slug way to another win
Jake Bauers snapped a tie with a three-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers scored at least seven runs again in an 11-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Rhys Hoskins also homered and Willy Adames and Brice Turang each added three hits for the Brewers, who have scored 58 runs in their last six games, with at least seven in each. That streak ties a franchise record set in 1982 and 1989.
Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg and Adley Rutschman went deep for Baltimore, which has allowed 22 runs in the first two games of this series.
Milwaukee went 6 for 10 with runners in scoring position and is 33 for 69 (.478) over the last six games.
Cubs’ Imanaga continues strong start
Shota Imanaga allowed one unearned run over 5 1/3 innings and Michael Busch homered in his third straight game to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.
Imanaga has thrown 15 1/3 innings in his first three major league starts without giving up an earned run. He scattered five hits, struck out four and walked two.
Mark Leiter Jr., Yency Almonte, Hector Neris and Adbert Alzolay surrendered just two baserunners in 3 2/3 innings of relief.
Seiya Suzuki and Miguel Amaya added solo home runs as the Cubs improved to 2-3 on a nine-game road trip.
Spencer Strider has season-ending elbow surgery
Atlanta Braves ace and 2023 All-Star Spencer Strider will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his right elbow Friday.
Strider, 25, had his right ulnar collateral ligament repaired by Dr. Keith Meister, the club announced Saturday.
The procedure was notably a repair of Strider’s existing UCL with an internal brace, not a total reconstruction, also known as Tommy John surgery.
While UCL repairs typically require less recovery time than Tommy John surgery, the Braves said that Strider will not return this season.
Strider pitched four innings in the Braves’ 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 5, leaving the game with elbow discomfort. An MRI the next day revealed damage to his UCL.
Strider led the major leagues with 20 wins and 281 strikeouts last season and finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting.
The flame-throwing right-hander made two starts in 2024, allowing seven runs in nine innings.
Elbow injuries have ravaged major league pitching staffs early this season, with the Cleveland Guardians announcing last week that ace Shane Bieber will undergo Tommy John surgery. New York Yankees ace and reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole is out at least until June with elbow inflammation.
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