DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Byron Buxton hit back-to-back home runs and Chris Paddack pitched seven shutout innings, but the Minnesota Twins’ 11th consecutive victory was soured by a collision among teammates when they beat the host Baltimore Orioles 4-0 on Thursday afternoon.
Twins shortstop Carlos Correa and center fielder Buxton left the game following a pile-up in the bottom of the third inning. The duo was pursuing Cedric Mullins’ pop-up in shallow center field when Buxton made the catch before colliding with Correa. Both players entered concussion protocol.
The Twins completed a three-game sweep and a six-game season sweep after winning three times against the Orioles last week at home. Paddack (2-3) was splendid in allowing three hits and one walk while striking out three.
Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano (4-3) went 6 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on six hits. Ryan O’Hearn had two of the hits for Baltimore, which has lost nine of its last 11 games.
Dodgers 19, Athletics 2
Shohei Ohtani delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as Los Angeles poured it on with five long balls in a victory over the visiting Athletics.
Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Hyeseong Kim each had three hits. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he was recalled from the minors earlier in the day.
A’s right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-4) lasted just 1 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on five hits. Right-hander Jason Alexander followed by giving up nine runs on seven hits and four walks in 2 1/3 innings.
Braves 5, Nationals 2
AJ Smith-Shawver threw six quality innings and Drake Baldwin tallied three hits and an RBI to help Atlanta defeat visiting Washington.
Smith-Shawver (3-2) allowed one unearned run on two hits while striking out six and walking two for the Braves, who took three of four against their National League East foe. Nick Allen added two hits with an RBI single for Atlanta.
Nationals starter Trevor Williams (2-5) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits across 4 1/3 innings. CJ Abrams had two hits — including a solo homer in the eighth — for the Nationals, who dropped their eighth game in nine tries.
Reds 7, White Sox 1
Will Benson went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs for Cincinnati, which snapped a three-game skid with a win against visiting Chicago.
Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez (2-4) was stellar through seven innings, allowing just two hits without a walk. Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain also homered for the Reds.
Miguel Vargas went 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot and drove in the only run for the White Sox.
Rays 8, Blue Jays 3
Brandon Lowe hit two home runs, right-hander Zack Littell pitched into the eighth inning and visiting Tampa Bay defeated Toronto.
Littell (3-5) allowed three runs, eight hits and one walk with two strikeouts and induced three double-play grounders in 7 1/3 innings. Brandon Lowe had four RBIs and three hits, Josh Lowe had a home run among three hits and Kameron Misner added a homer for the Rays in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Addison Barger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nathan Lukes had solo homers for Toronto. Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman (3-4) allowed six runs, 10 hits and no walks with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Rangers 1, Astros 0
Jake Burger’s sixth-inning solo home run was the difference in a dynamite pitchers’ duel as Texas defeated Houston in the opener of a four-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (4-1) went eight innings, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out seven. Shawn Armstrong pitched the ninth, earning his second save of the season.
Astros starter Hunter Brown (6-2) gave up only up one run on three hits in eight-inning complete game. Houston’s Victor Caratini collected two hits.
–Field Level Media
