Colorado Rockies right-hander Chad Kuhl will look to continue a stellar beginning to the season when he takes the mound against the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.

Kuhl (2-0, 1.10 ERA) has allowed just eight hits and two runs while striking out 13 and walking seven in 16 1/3 innings through three starts. He hasn’t allowed more than four hits in any outing.

In his most recent appearance, he gave up four hits and a run in six innings during a 6-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Kuhl, who played five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates before signing with Colorado as a free agent in March, is 2-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 10 career appearances, including eight starts, against the Reds. He compiled 50 strikeouts and 22 walks over 42 2/3 innings during those games.

One of the biggest reasons Kuhl has been successful this season has been his ability to keep the ball in play. Entering the year, he had allowed an average of 1.2 home runs per nine innings.

Kuhl has yet to serve up a home run or a triple this year. He has allowed just one double, and opponents are hitting .145 against him.

“I’m surrounded by good people,” he recently told Rox Pile. “They’ve made it super easy on me. Obviously, this is a (starting pitching) staff that has been together for a good while, so they’re all familiar with each other. To fit in, they’ve been super welcoming.”

On Saturday, Kuhl will be opposed by Cincinnati right-hander Connor Overton, who will make his season debut. Overton will fill the spot in the rotation vacated by Nick Lodolo, who was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a lower back strain.

Overton struck out 22 and walked two over 19 innings for Triple-A Louisville this season, going 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA.

“I’ve been feeling good the last couple of starts,” Overton said. “I feel like I’m ready to go and show these guys what I can do up here.”

Overton signed a minor-league deal with the Reds in November. He was waived by the Toronto Blue Jays in September and finished last season with the Pirates.

The Rockies ended a four-game losing streak on Friday with a 10-4 rout of the Reds, who lost their fourth game in a row. Cincinnati has dropped 17 of its 20 games and is off to its worst start since the team was 3-18 in 2018.

Colorado broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning when Ryan McMahon blasted a three-run home run off Reds rookie starter Hunter Greene (1-3).

That was more than enough for Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela (2-1), who allowed one run on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout in 6 1/3 innings.

Colorado’s C.J. Cron went 2-for-2 with a run, an RBI and three walks. Elias Diaz, Randal Grichuk, Jose Iglesias and Connor Joe each had two hits for the Rockies, who saw every hitter besides Sam Hilliard, who went 0-for-3 with two walks, record at least one hit.

Tommy Pham went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a run while Jonathan India had a three-hit game for the Reds.

The Rockies were helped by turning four double plays.

“There are such things as defensive slumps, too,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “We had one as a team. There’s no doubt about it. We broke out of that today with four double plays.”

–Field Level Media

The Kansas City Royals’ offense is struggling, but that won’t affect the strategy of New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole during his start on Saturday night.

Cole (1-0, 4.00 ERA) will oppose fellow right-hander Carlos Hernandez (0-0, 6.43) as the Yankees and host Royals meet Saturday night in the second game of a three-game series.

The Yankees took the opener 12-2 on Friday night in a game that was called after eight innings because of rain. The contest was close through six, with the Yankees holding a 3-2 lead, but New York blew it open with a four-run seventh and a five-run eighth.

The Yankees hit four home runs to take the major-league lead with 29. New York earned its seventh win in a row while Kansas City lost for the sixth time in eight games.

Only two teams have hit fewer than the Royals’ 11 homers, and only three teams have a worse OPS than Kansas City’s .597 mark. Cole is shrugging off those numbers, though.

“I had no idea,” Cole said about the Royals’ problems before Friday’s game. “It won’t get past me tomorrow, but I’m not going to change my approach. I’m probably going to stick with the keys that give me the leverage to execute my pitches. It’s still early, so a little bit more of my focus will be on myself.

“But coming in I’ll be looking at the top six hitters in their lineup. They’re all professional hitters.”

Recognizing that Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield usually is among the American League hits leaders won’t be far from Cole’s mind, even with Merrifield struggling with a .133 average after going 1-for-4 on Friday.

“I hope Whit doesn’t have one of those days against us where he all of a sudden raises his average up near .300,” Cole said. “He’s like (the Yankees’ DJ) LeMahieu. If he’s 0-for-3, when he’s coming up for his fourth at-bat, the numbers say he’s going to get a hit.”

The Yankees are 3-1 in Cole’s four starts, but he has pitched more than four innings only twice. In his latest outing, he threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out nine in a 10-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday.

Cole is 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA in five career starts against the Royals.

Hernandez has enough to worry about without focusing on the Yankees’ lineup. He has allowed at least three runs and six hits without ever completing six innings in his three starts.

In his most recent outing, Hernandez gave up three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. He allowed a two-run home run to Ty France, the second batter he faced, but then settled down.

“He got ambushed (by France),” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “But I thought he did a nice job pretty much all day, making pitches and knowing when to stretch the zone.”

After retiring 15 of the next 18 hitters, Hernandez gave up three hits in a row with one out in the sixth inning, including an RBI double by J.P. Crawford, leading to his removal.

Hernandez, 25, has made two career appearances (one start) against the Yankees, producing no decisions and a 3.12 ERA.

–Field Level Media

Jose Ramirez might be swinging the hottest bat in the majors, and he looks to conclude his stellar month in style when the Cleveland Guardians visit the Oakland Athletics on Saturday afternoon.

Ramirez leads the majors with 28 RBIs and is batting .360 with seven homers. He already has 15 extra-base hits and is slugging .760.

The 29-year-old third baseman helped the Guardians end a seven-game losing streak on Friday in the opener of the three-game series. He went 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBIS, three runs and two walks while playing his 1,000th game for Cleveland.

“He’s incredible. My opinion, he’s the best player in baseball,” teammate Josh Naylor said after the Guardians’ 9-8 victory. “He’s unbelievable. He’s a great teammate and an even better player. He helps everyone out daily and we all learn from him. He’s a great leader.”

Ramirez’s 28 RBIs rank third before the start of May in franchise history. Manny Ramirez set the record of 30 in 1999 after David Justice had 29 one season earlier.

The win on Friday was the Guardians’ first on a 10-game road trip that concludes Sunday in Oakland.

Naylor hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning and Andres Gimenez smacked the first grand slam of his career as Cleveland won for the first time since beating the Chicago White Sox on April 21.

Oakland put the tying run on third with one out in the ninth but came up empty.

“Ultimately, I thought it was an exciting game,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “Unfortunately, we ended up on the wrong end. That’s a team that fights. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a Terry Francona team.”

Right-hander Shane Bieber (1-1, 2.82 ERA), the 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner, will look to help the Guardians notch another win on Saturday.

Bieber has seen fastball velocity drop a few miles per hour into the 90-91 range, but he maintains he isn’t concerned. Pitchers had less time to ramp up due to the shortened spring training that followed the labor stoppage.

“I feel good,” Bieber told The Athletic. “I’m getting good results. Do I want to throw harder? Yeah. It’ll come. That’s how I feel. I wish I could give you more, but to give you more, I’d have to be tripping about it and I’m not really tripping about it.”

Bieber tossed a season-high 100 pitches while losing to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday in his most recent outing. He gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

His lone win in four starts this year came against the White Sox on April 20, when he allowed one run and four hits over six innings.

Bieber lost his lone career start against Oakland, giving up four runs and eight hits in six innings on July 8, 2018.

Left-hander Cole Irvin (2-1, 3.32 ERA) will make his fifth start of the season for the Athletics.

Irvin allowed just one hit over five innings in a 2-0 home win over the Texas Rangers last Sunday. He has given up just one run in 10 innings over his past two outings.

The 28-year-old had faced Cleveland just once, on Sept. 22, 2019, when he was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched in relief and gave up one run, one hit and recorded a strikeout for his lone out.

Cleveland’s Myles Straw is 2-for-6 against Irvin from the center fielder’s time with the Houston Astros. Straw had three hits on Friday.

Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario (left wrist tightness) wasn’t in the lineup for the series opener. Francona said the move was precautionary.

Oakland activated infielder Jed Lowrie from the COVID-19 list prior to the Friday game. He served as the designated hitter and went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run.

A’s second baseman Tony Kemp (triceps) departed the game after the seventh inning, one frame after being hit by a pitch. Kotsay hoped Kemp would be available Saturday.

–Field Level Media

The San Francisco Giants hope for a repeat performance from their top returning pitcher from last season, Logan Webb, as they attempt to rebound from a series-opening home loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday afternoon.

Juan Soto hit Alex Wood’s ninth pitch of the game for a home run and the Nationals led the entire game in an 14-4 rout in the series opener on Friday night.

The three-game set is the rematch of a Giants road sweep last weekend, when they ran up 7-1, 5-2 and 12-3 scores.

Webb (2-1, 2.96 ERA) dueled fellow right-hander Joan Adon (1-3, 6.98) in the series finale last Sunday. They also are the scheduled pairing on Saturday.

Webb pitched well on the road last week — allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings — but has done most of his best work in his career at home, where he has gone 9-4 with 2.91 ERA.

One of the few blemishes on his record in last Sunday’s outing was a two-run home run by Yadiel Hernandez.

Webb is 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in two career starts against Washington. He has fanned 10 and walked one in 9 2/3 innings vs. the Nationals.

The 25-year-old Northern California native will be tasked with cooling a Washington attack that sizzled in the series opener. Victor Robles, Josh Bell and Maikel Franco all had four hits as the Nationals ran up 22 in all, two more than their total in last week’s three matchups.

Two of the hits came from Soto, who entered the night hitting just .243.

Nationals batting coach Darnell Coles had to be happy about one other thing — Soto also drew his major-league-leading 21st walk of the season.

“Big picture, he’s the best hitter in baseball,” Cole said of Soto. “The one thing I reiterate to him every day is for him to take his walks and not try and do too much.”

Adon served up six hits and five runs in four-plus innings while losing to San Francisco on Sunday. He allowed a homer, a double and a sacrifice fly to Joc Pederson, who has since suffered a groin strain that will keep out of the current series.

Adon, 23, will be making the sixth start of his career, just his second on the road. The first did not go well as he was torched for nine hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 9-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 14. Last week’s matchup was the first time he faced San Francisco.

The Giants not only have lost Pederson since last weekend, but they had to place Brandon Belt on the COVID-19 injured list prior to the start of Friday’s game.

Five Giants, including key reliever Dominic Leone, have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi to request that all players wear masks. He also closed the Giants’ clubhouse to the media through the weekend.

“We have concerns about the level of contagiousness in our clubhouse given a string of recent positives,” Zaidi said. “We are taking measures to try to mitigate risk of further spread both internally and externally.”

Belt had a triple off Adon last Sunday.

–Field Level Media

At this early stage of the season, myriad factors can be at the root of a slumping offense, and the Houston Astros entered a three-game road series against the Toronto Blue Jays seeking answers.

Houston, which posted an 11-7 win in the series opener on Friday, will hope that result represented a breakout heading into the rematch on Saturday.

The Astros matched their season high with 14 hits, getting three apiece from Yuli Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez. Alex Bregman, Jeremy Pena and Alvarez hit home runs, and Aledmys Diaz was the only starter who failed to record a hit.

Entering the night, Houston had averaged 3.5 runs in its previous four games. Even so, the Astros are now riding a four-game winning streak.

“I have a lot of faith in this club,” Gurriel said. “We’ve always hit well, and we know that we have time. It’s still the beginning of the season.”

The day began poorly for the Astros when left fielder Michael Brantley was scratched due to health and safety protocol. Houston, which entered the weekend last in the American League in batting (.204) and 12th with a .279 on-base percentage, rolled without him.

Alvarez and Bregman scored three times each. Gurriel and Jose Siri both recorded two doubles, and Kyle Tucker and Alvarez posted multi-hit, multi-RBI games. Pena and Alvarez both knocked in three runs.

“I knew (the hitting) was going to come sooner or later,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ve got some guys swinging better.”

Luis Garcia (1-0, 4.60 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Saturday, and he will face Toronto for the second consecutive outing.

The right-hander did not factor into the decision in the Astros’ 8-7, 10-inning victory over the Blue Jays on Sunday, having allowed five runs on five hits and one walk with six strikeouts over six innings.

In two career starts against the Blue Jays, Garcia is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 12 innings. The 2021 American League Rookie of the Year runner-up, Garcia is 12-9 with a 3.53 ERA over 38 career appearances (32 starts).

Right-hander Jose Berrios (1-0, 4.91 ERA) will make his fifth start of the season for Toronto on Saturday.

He is 3-3 with a 5.46 ERA over six career starts against the Astros. Berrios faced Houston once last year while with the Minnesota Twins, and he allowed two runs on five hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over seven innings in a 5-2 victory on June 12.

Berrios made seven more starts for the Twins before being shipped to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline.

Berrios is coming off consecutive quality starts, both against the Boston Red Sox, having allowed three runs on 13 hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts over 13 innings during that stretch.

The Blue Jays fell to 3-2 on their 10-day, 10-game homestand despite some offensive fireworks of their own on Friday.

Toronto trailed 4-1 but tied the game 4-4 on a three-run homer from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the third inning. Houston then pulled away for a 10-4 lead before the Blue Jays got within three on a Matt Chapman homer in the seventh.

“We thought we had a chance to come back until the end,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said.

–Field Level Media

A successful first month of the season doesn’t guarantee playoff success for the New York Mets or the franchise’s first championship in 36 years.

However, after Friday night, the Mets know they will have one moment from 2022 that will be replayed at Citi Field and on the team’s broadcasts forever.

The Mets will look to build off the momentum of the second no-hitter in team history Saturday night, when they host the Philadelphia Phillies in the middle game of a three-game series between the National League East rivals.

Taijuan Walker (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will come off the injured list to start for the Mets against Kyle Gibson (2-1, 3.47) in a battle of right-handers.

Five Mets pitchers combined to no-hit the Phillies in a 3-0 win Friday night.

Tylor Megill went five innings — and was put in position to earn the win when Jeff McNeil delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth — before Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez, Seth Lugo and Edwin Diaz got the final 12 outs in New York’s first no-hitter since Johan Santana’s gem against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 1, 2012.

“(The Santana no-hitter is) one of the highlights we see most often here — before games, after games, during rain delays,” Mets center fielder Brandon Nimmo said. “It’s something that you’re like, ‘I’d like to be a part of a game that they play over and over again.’

“So I’m just trying to soak it all in and enjoy this night. It is one of those that you guys are going to be playing over and over again.”

The Mets, who have the best record in baseball at 15-6, have won their first six series of the season for the first time in franchise history. Their run differential of plus-36 is tied with the crosstown Yankees for third-best in baseball.

“I feel like we’re doing a really good job of answering the bell so far,” said first baseman Pete Alonso, who hit a solo homer in the sixth inning on Friday. “We just need to keep rolling — keep going and competing every day, just focusing on who’s in front of us that day.”

The Phillies, who arrived in New York after outscoring the Colorado Rockies 32-9 during a four-game series sweep, drew six walks Friday but didn’t come close to a hit after a diving Nimmo caught Jean Segura’s liner for the final out of the third inning.

“The great thing is it only counts as one loss, right?” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said with a chuckle after he was on the losing end of a no-hitter for the first time in his career as a player or manager.

Girardi caught Dwight Gooden’s no-hitter and David Cone’s perfect game with the Yankees and was the then-Florida Marlins manager when Anibal Sanchez threw a no-hitter in 2006.

“I’ve seen a lot of them, so it’s a real exciting time at the moment,” he said. “But it’s still one game.”

Walker made his only appearance of the season against the Phillies on April 11, when he retired all six batters he faced — four via strikeout — before exiting with a stiff shoulder. He threw four innings in a simulated game Monday.

He is 1-2 with a 3.15 ERA in seven career starts against Philadelphia.

Gibson recorded a win against the Rockies in his most recent start, when he allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings in the Phillies’ 8-2 victory on Monday.

In five career starts vs. the Mets, Gibson is 1-3 with a 4.85 ERA.

–Field Level Media

Tylor Megill and four relievers combined on the second no-hitter in team history as the host New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Friday night.

Johan Santana threw the Mets’ only previous no-hitter on June 1, 2012, when he struck out eight in an 8-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Mets threw 159 pitches — the most ever thrown in a nine-inning no-hitter — while striking out 12 and walking six. It was the first no-hitter of this season in the majors.

Megill threw 88 pitches in five innings. He issued two of his three walks to Kyle Schwarber and struck out five but was pulled due to several long counts.

Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez, Seth Lugo and Edwin Diaz completed the no-hitter, Diaz striking out Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto in the ninth for his fourth save in five chances to complete the 17th combined no-hitter in major league history.

Nationals 14, Giants 4

Victor Robles, Josh Bell and Maikel Franco led a 22-hit assault with four hits apiece as Washington got a measure of revenge for a three-game shellacking at home last weekend with a destruction of host San Francisco.

Alcides Escobar and Cesar Hernandez each added three hits and Juan Soto homered for the Nationals, who snapped an eight-game losing streak. The Giants took their second loss in a row after winning five straight.

In a matchup of two guys who started for the Giants last season, Aaron Sanchez (1-1) outdueled Alex Wood (2-1), limiting San Francisco to three runs on six hits in five innings. He struck out four without walking anyone.

Astros 11, Blue Jays 7

Alex Bregman, Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez smacked home runs and Houston slugged its way past host Toronto.

Pena and Alvarez homered in the Astros’ five-run sixth inning to extend their tenuous 5-4 lead. Bregman and Alvarez scored three times each, and Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel notched three hits apiece. Starter Jose Urquidy (2-1) worked five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his sixth homer of the season, a three-run shot, for Toronto. Matt Chapman also homered and drove in two runs, and Raimel Tapia had four hits. Reliever Trent Thornton (0-2) took the loss. He allowed one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Guardians 9, A’s 8

Josh Naylor belted a go-ahead, two-run homer and Andres Gimenez hit his first career grand slam to help Cleveland snap a seven-game losing streak with a victory at Oakland.

Jose Ramirez added three RBIs on a solo shot and a two-run double while reaching base four times and scoring three runs. Ramirez, who played in his 1,000th game with the franchise, has a major-league-best 28 RBIs. Gimenez and Myles Straw each had three hits for the Guardians.

Sheldon Neuse had three hits and three RBIs and Sean Murphy smacked a three-run homer for the A’s, who have lost four of their past six games.

Yankees 12, Royals 2

New York hit four home runs, including a three-run blast by Aaron Judge to break open a close game in the seventh, as the Yankees defeated host Kansas City in a game shortened to eight innings by rain.

The Yankees, who lead the majors with 29 home runs, extended their winning streak to seven games. Nestor Cortes (1-0) picked up the win. He allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits in five innings.

Losing pitcher Kris Bubic (0-2) surrendered three runs on four hits in five innings with no walks and three strikeouts.

Diamondbacks 6, Cardinals 2

Arizona left-hander Madison Bumgarner allowed one run in five innings and Daulton Varsho had two hits and an RBI in a win over host St. Louis.

Bumgarner (1-1) settled down after giving up a home run to Paul Goldschmidt on a 12-pitch at-bat with one out in the first inning. Bumgarner allowed three hits with two strikeouts and a walk. He has a 1.17 ERA through five starts this season.

The Diamondbacks took a 2-1 lead in the third inning against 17-year veteran Adam Wainwright (2-3), who allowed three runs and four hits in six innings with five walks and four strikeouts for the Cardinals.

Brewers 11, Cubs 1

Hunter Renfroe hit two of Milwaukee’s six home runs and Adrian Houser pitched six shutout innings to open a three-game home series against rival Chicago with an easy win.

The Brewers never trailed en route to their fourth straight win, with Jace Peterson going deep in a three-run second and Andrew McCutchen hitting his second in two days in the third. Christian Yelich and Willy Adames also homered for Milwaukee.

Houser (2-2) limited the Cubs to two hits in his six innings. He walked three and struck out six. Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks (1-2) was gone after 4 1/3 innings, pounded for six runs and seven hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Angels 5, White Sox 1

Taylor Ward homered on the second pitch of the game and finished with three hits, Shohei Ohtani also homered, and seven Los Angeles pitchers combined on a three-hitter in Chicago.

Los Angeles right-hander Noah Syndergaard was scratched from his scheduled start due to an undisclosed illness, prompting manager Joe Maddon to open the game with reliever Jimmy Herget, who allowed one run and one hit in three innings with two strikeouts.

Austin Warren (2-0) earned the victory with two innings of perfect relief. Raisel Iglesias entered with two on and one out in the ninth to pick up his sixth save, working around a walk that loaded the bases to retire Luis Robert on a flyout to end the game.

Rays 6, Twins 1

Josh Lowe belted his first career home run in a four-run first inning as Tampa Bay ended Minnesota’s seven-game winning streak in the opener of a three-game series in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Corey Kluber (1-1) gave up one run and one hit across six innings for his first victory as a member of the Rays, who’ve won three games in a row and five of their last six. Kluber struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.

Twins starter Dylan Bundy (3-1) had allowed a total of one earned run in his first three games. He lasted six innings and was charged with six earned runs and seven hits despite striking out seven. Carlos Correa had two of Minnesota’s three hits and drove in the Twins’ run.

Marlins 8, Mariners 6

Jorge Soler and Miguel Rojas each drilled two-run home runs as host Miami won its sixth straight game by edging Seattle.

Soler’s homer was a monster blast, measured at 468 feet, and Miami’s Jesus Sanchez added a two-run single and a diving catch in center field. Elieser Hernandez (2-1) earned the win, allowing five hits, one walk and three runs in five innings.

Seattle, which lost its third straight game, was led by nine-hole hitter Luis Torrens, who drove in four runs, including a three-run double. Mariners right-hander Penn Murfee made his major league debut, pitching two scoreless innings in relief. Rookie Matt Brash (1-2) took the loss, allowing seven hits, two walks and six runs in two innings.

Padres 7, Pirates 3

Ha-Seong Kim, Jake Cronenworth and Trayce Thompson drove in two runs apiece and Yu Darvish pitched six innings despite being struck in the thigh by a 105-mph line drive as San Diego defeated host Pittsburgh.

The win stretched San Diego’s winning streak to four. Darvish (2-1) gave up three runs on eight hits and a walk with five strikeouts in six innings to get the win. Taylor Rogers entered with two on and one out in the ninth to get his eighth save.

Pirates starter Zach Thompson (0-3) gave up four runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss. Daniel Vogelbach led Pittsburgh with two hits and two RBIs.

Red Sox 3, Orioles 1

Christian Arroyo hit a two-run home run as Boston opened a three-game series by handing host Baltimore its fifth straight loss.

Baltimore was limited to three hits before Ryan Mountcastle homered off Hansel Robles to lead off the ninth inning. Matt Strahm, who replaced Robles with two outs and a runner at second, walked Anthony Santander before striking out pinch hitter Chris Owings for his first career save.

Rich Hill yielded one hit over four-plus scoreless innings for Boston, which won for just the second time in its last seven games. Tanner Houck (2-1) earned the victory after allowing two hits over three scoreless frames.

Braves 6, Rangers 3

William Contreras hit two of Atlanta’s four home runs, the first multi-homer game of his career, in the win over Texas in Arlington, Texas.

Austin Riley hit a two-run homer and Travis Demeritte had an inside-the-park homer when the ball skipped past center fielder Adolis Garcia. Atlanta starter Ian Anderson (2-1) pitched six innings, allowing two runs on three hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

Garrett Richards (0-1) opened the game for Texas and allowed two runs in one inning before giving way to Spencer Howard, who gave up one run on two hits, two walks and three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Garcia and Corey Seager blasted home runs for the Rangers.

Rockies 10, Reds 4

Ryan McMahon blasted a three-run homer and Antonio Senzatela allowed just one run in 6 1/3 innings to power Colorado to a victory over visiting Cincinnati in Denver.

McMahon went 1-for-4 with a walk while Senzatela (2-1) allowed the one earned run on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout.

The Rockies ended a four-game losing streak, while the Reds lost for the 17th time in their first 20 games.

Dodgers 5, Tigers 1

Justin Turner and Chris Taylor hit their first home runs of the season and host Los Angeles downed struggling Detroit.

Los Angeles’ Tyler Anderson (2-0) pitched the first five innings, allowing one run on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Evan Phillips, Phil Bickford, Brusdar Graterol and Reyes Moronta each tossed a single inning of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and no walks overall while recording four strikeouts.

Detroit starter Tyler Alexander (0-3) lasted just 2 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on three hits, as his team’s losing streak extended to six games.

–Field Level Media

Chicago left-hander Justin Steele and Milwaukee lefty Eric Lauer will be the focus of a smoldering beanball war when the visiting Cubs and the Brewers continue their three-game series on Saturday.

The Brewers used six home runs, two by Hunter Renfroe, and six shutout innings from Adrian Houser as the foundation for an 11-1 victory in the series opener on Friday.

The game featured just one hit batter — Kolten Wong was plunked by Kyle Hendricks’ fourth pitch of the game — after the season-opening, three-game series between the National League Central rivals saw seven players get hit, including Cubs catcher Willson Contreras twice.

Contreras was behind the plate for Friday’s game, which saw no retaliation after Wong’s plunking evened the score at four for each team this season.

Interestingly, before Wong got hit, Cubs pitchers had drilled just one batter since the three Brewers they nailed in the opening series. Still, the Cubs entered the series having hit 11 batters, tied for third most in the National League.

The Brewers let their bats do the talking to Hendricks, even though they did not score in the same inning in which Wong got hit.

Milwaukee came out swinging in the second, however, with Jace Peterson highlighting a three-run uprising with the first of Milwaukee’s home runs.

Wong got a measure of revenge six pitches later with a double to right field.

Andrew McCutchen, who was drilled by a Keegan Thompson pitch in the opening series, contributed another of the Brewers’ homers.

Thompson was suspended three games for the incident, but the punishment was reduced to two games after an appeal.

Lauer (1-0, 2.20 ERA) will get an opportunity to set the pitching tone in the rematch when he takes the mound for the top of the first inning.

He did not pitch in the season-opening series and has not hit a batter all season. In 16 1/3 innings, he has limited the Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies to a total of four earned runs and 13 hits.

Lauer has gone 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in four previous outings against the Cubs, including three starts. He has hit only one Cub — David Bote — in those 14 2/3 innings, that coming in a 2018 start for the San Diego Padres.

Having lost eight of 10 while scoring three runs or fewer seven times in that stretch, the Cubs would like to get slugging outfielder Clint Frazier back from appendicitis this weekend.

“I got a pretty funny text back, saying he was ready to rake already,” Chicago manager David Ross said of a communication earlier this week. “He seems to be doing well.”

Steele (1-2, 5.40 ERA) pitched the controversial second game of the season, a 9-0 home win over the Brewers. He allowed four hits in five innings without hitting a batter.

In fact, like Lauer, he hasn’t hit a batter this season.

The 26-year-old has faced the Brewers five times, including three starts, going 1-1 with a 2.76 ERA. He hit Avisail Garcia in a relief appearance against Milwaukee last April.

Like the Cubs, the Brewers appear likely to play the rest of the series without one of their regulars. Luis Urias (quad strain) will extend his injury-rehab stint in the minors a few more days.

“He’ll play through the weekend, and we’ll evaluate it after,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Friday. “After the weekend, we’re looking at a pretty good number of at-bats. But he’s going to be there at the minimum for the weekend.”

–Field Level Media

Rookie Bryce Elder will have hundreds of family members and friends in Globe Life Field on Saturday when he pitches near his hometown for the first time in his career.

Elder, a native of nearby Decatur, Texas, will be on the mound for the Atlanta Braves when they play the Texas Rangers in the second game of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

Elder (1-2, 4.30 ERA) will be opposed by Texas right-hander Dane Dunning (0-1, 4.91).

“A lot of memories made by that 2010, 2011 run they made,” Elder said. “As much as I would have liked to pitch in the other ballpark, (Globe Life Park) is sweet. I’m looking forward to it.”

Elder was Atlanta’s fifth-round draft choice in 2020 and he passed on a scholarship to Texas to sign with the Braves.

In his major league debut on April 11, he pitched 5 2/3 innings and got the win against Washington.

In the two starts since, Elder has not gotten past the fifth and has walked 11 and struck out seven in nine combined innings.

Dunning will make his fifth start of the season. He has limited the opposition to three or fewer runs in each start. He will be working on regular four days rest after receiving no decision against the Houston Astros on April 25 when he allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk.

He will be making his first career start against a National League opponent.

Dunning will try to stop the Texas slide. The Rangers have lost four in a row and have won only six games, tied for the fewest wins in the American League.

“We’ve got to find a way to win, not find a way to lose,” said Texas manager Chris Woodward. “I think that’s where we’re kind of at. The team has to kind of look inside yourself and say, ‘OK, how are we going to get better at those spots.”

The Braves have received a boost in offensive production thanks to the promotion of a pair of players who were teammates in Triple-A Gwinnett just 10 days ago.

The Braves had four home runs in Friday’s 6-3 win in the series opener. They had three on Thursday against Chicago and lead the National League with 28.

On Friday night, William Contreras had his first multi-home run game in his first start since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.

“To come in and take advantage of that situation, he did a really good job,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “Two big hits in a game like this and that’s just a credit to William that when we sent him out, he went down there and worked his tail off and stayed ready.”

Outfielder Travis Demeritte and Contreras have added some life to a lineup that had struggled.

Demeritte has two home runs, including an inside-the-parker, and is batting .389 since being recalled on April 20.

Contreras had two homers on Friday in his first game since being promoted Thursday.

–Field Level Media

Teams heading in opposite directions will meet on Saturday when the surging San Diego Padres visit the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates.

San Diego has won four straight, while the Pirates have lost four in a row following the Padres’ 7-3 win on Friday.

The Padres broke a 2-2 tie on a bases-loaded, sharp grounder by Jake Cronenworth that struck second base umpire Jeremie Rehak’s lower leg. The play was scored as an RBI single. Manny Machado followed with a sacrifice fly — and the Pirates never recovered.

In the bottom of the ninth, with two on and two out, Bryan Reynolds rocketed a 100-mph line drive that appeared headed to the left-field corner. But it was hit right at Machado, one of the best fielding third basemen in the game.

“We haven’t really caught a break,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton after the game. “If it’s not right at Manny it’s a double. We’ve got to keep swinging the bats. We need to find some offense and maybe find it in some different ways.”

The Pirates haven’t homered in six games. They have only one extra-base hit in the past three. Pittsburgh had 10 hits — all singles — Friday.

“And we hit some balls hard at people,” said Shelton.

On Saturday, Padres left-hander Sean Manaea (2-2, 3.47 ERA) will be paired against right-hander JT Brubaker (0-2, 6.46). Each will be making his fifth start of the season while coming off a shaky performance.

Manaea, who was acquired from Oakland just before the start of the season, had his worst start as a Padre in his last outing. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings at home against the Dodgers on Sunday.

“It was one of those games where he just didn’t have his best stuff,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said of Manaea, who entered his fourth start with a 1.42 ERA.

Brubaker worked only three innings against the Cubs in Chicago last Sunday, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in three innings while battling a case of the flu.

Brubaker, 28, is still trying to prove himself as a big-league starter.

He has a 6-18 career record with a 5.34 ERA and 1.342 WHIP in 39 career appearances (37 starts). He has 194 strikeouts in 185 innings.

Brubaker has faced the Padres once before, last May 5 in San Diego where he gave up two runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in five innings.

Manaea, 30, has a 52-43 record with a 3.85 ERA in 132 career starts. This will be his first career start against the Pirates.

“The last couple of games, the ability to come back from early deficits then keep adding on later in the game has been big for us,” Melvin said after Friday’s win. “That, and getting production from the bottom of the order.”

–Field Level Media