When the Los Angeles Angels host the Washington Nationals Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif., Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon will have come full circle.

Sunday’s game will complete the three-game series between the two teams, who split the first two games. This is the first time Rendon has come face-to-face with his old team since he was a key component in the Nationals’ World Series title in 2019.

But while the uniform looked familiar to Rendon, not many players did. Only seven players from the 2019 championship team remain, and three of them (Stephen Strasburg, Sean Doolittle and Joe Ross) are on the injured list.

Only Juan Soto, Victor Robles, Patrick Corbin and Tanner Rainey were on the championship team and are on the active roster now. But it didn’t matter much to Rendon, who said the reunion brought back happy memories.

“Yeah, without a doubt,” he said. “I actually have (a replica of) the World Series trophy here in my house, so I see it every day. It’s a constant reminder. It’s something spectacular, and now I want to bring that here.”

Rendon said that the changes are simply a reflection of the game today.

“It’s the business, you know?” he said. “They just had a couple of bad-luck incidents (injuries) the last couple years, and they ended up kind of dispersing everybody. It is what it is.”

Rendon is 0 for 8 with two strikeouts in the first two games of the series and still has a ways to go to look like the hitter who batted .319 with 34 homers and 126 in 2019.

He endured an injury-plagued 2021 season, and is off to a slow start so far in 2022, hitting .202 with three homers and 12 RBIs. He made just one error in 57 games last year, but has made four already this season.

“I feel like I’m getting there,” he said. “I’m getting more at-bats, more swings, getting the timing down, getting used to the new body, the new hip and the new leg. So I think we’re getting better. And we’re winning. I mean, I’ll keep hitting .200 if we keep winning.”

Left-hander Patrick Sandoval (1-1, 1.29 ERA) will make his fifth start of the season for the Angels. He had not allowed an earned run all season until his last time out, when he gave up three runs in six innings against the Chicago White Sox, getting tagged for his first loss of the season. He has never faced the Nationals.

Right-hander Erick Fedde (2-2, 4.68) will make his sixth start of the season for the Nationals, coming off his best start of 2022 when he allowed just one run in seven innings in a win over the Rockies on Tuesday.

The performance was big for Fedde because it marked the first time he pitched more than five innings all season. Nationals manager Dave Martinez said he had to convince Fedde not to try to do too much when he got ahead in the count, which ultimately will help keep his pitch count down and keep him in games longer.

“I talked a little … about not doing that, just stay within yourself and make a good pitch,” Martinez said. “I always say, when the hitter is 0-2, it becomes a different at-bat for him, so just make a good pitch, don’t try to make the turbo pitch, and you might get out of those situations in 3-4 pitches.”

Fedde never has faced the Angels.

–Field Level Media

Trevor Rogers has a tough act to follow.

Over the past three nights, Miami Marlins starters Jesus Luzardo, Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez have combined to hold the San Diego Padres to five runs (four earned) on 13 hits and six walks with 17 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings.

It’s a small sample size, but that’s a 1.35 ERA and 0.712 WHIP.

“We’ve gotten great starting pitching; actually, we’ve gotten great pitching from everyone the first three games of the series,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Saturday night after the Marlins won 8-0 to snap a six-game losing streak. “With an other hit here or there, we could have been looking at a very good week.”

So it’s up to Rogers on Sunday to keep the Padres’ bats cold in San Diego and give the Marlins a split of the four-game series.

The left-handed Rogers (1-4, 6.14 ERA) will be paired against Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (4-0, 1.97).

Not only is Musgrove undefeated, the Padres are 5-0 in his 2022 starts.

“Joe is special,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said recently. “Not only is he very competitive and a battler, we just seem to play well behind him, both offensively and defensively.”

The Padres have outscored the opposition 37-13 in Musgrove’s five starts. They will turn to their stopper Sunday seeking to avoid losing two straight games for the first time since April 16.

The only question is how many runs the Padres can score. Though they are 8-3 over their past 11 games, they have struggled at the plate. No one below the No. 4 hitter in their lineup the past two nights is hitting .200.

Rogers could be the remedy for San Diego’s slumping offense.

In his first five starts this season, he has given up 17 runs (15 earned) on 22 hits and 11 walks with 18 strikeouts in 22 innings. He has a 1.50 WHIP, and opposing hitters are batting .262 against him.

Rogers, who finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting last year, had a 2.64 ERA and a 1.150 WHIP while being named to the National League All-Star team.

His strikeouts-per-nine-innings count of 7.4 is down 3.2 from a year ago. Meanwhile, he is giving up more hits and walks. Rogers will face the Padres for the first time.

Meanwhile, Musgrove has given up 10 runs (seven earned) on 27 hits and just two walks with 33 strikeouts in 32 innings this season for a 0.906 WHIP and a .227 opponents’ batting average.

“Joe is getting better and better and strives to be even better,” Melvin said. “He worked hard to add the changeup to his mix this season. And he’s not afraid to use it, which gives him a five-pitch mix. The biggest thing is confidence. Off the success that he had last season and the changes he’s made this year, he is very confident in what he is doing and what he brings to the game.”

–Field Level Media

After breaking out of their offensive funk Saturday, the San Francisco Giants will try to continue their revival Sunday when they host the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Giants snapped their five-game losing streak Saturday by hammering the Cardinals, 13-7. They powered up with a grand slam from Wilmer Flores and two-run homers from Mauricio Dubon and Darin Ruf after scoring just five runs in their previous four games.

That was Ruf’s first homer in 27 games and 100 at bats. He had 16 homers in 262 at bats last year.

“Darin, he needed that — we all needed that,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.

The Giants had lost seven of their previous eight games while getting outscored 51-23.

The slump-breaking victory came with a cost, though, because first baseman Brandon Belt exited the game in the eighth inning after suffering neck stiffness during the game.

Belt drew three walks and scored two runs Saturday in his first game back from the COVID-19 list. Kapler said Belt began feeling discomfort earlier in the game and he is considered day-to-day with the ailment.

Right-hander Jakob Junis (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the starting pitching assignment for the Giants as they bid for a split of this four-game series at Oracle Park.

Junis has pitched five scoreless innings in each of his two outings this season. He has struck out 10 batters and walked only one while allowing seven hits.

He is 0-0 with a 2.87 ERA in four career appearances against the Cardinals, including three starts.

Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson (2-2, 3.16 ERA) is coming off a 7-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals. After throwing 12 2/3 scoreless innings in his previous two starts, Hudson allowed three runs on nine hits and two walks in six innings on Tuesday.

“I forced them to swing the bat,” Hudson said. “I was living and dying by the ground ball, I guess.”

“‘Dak’ was good,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He got ahead of a lot of hitters. I think the first 15 out of 18 he got ahead of.”

Hudson is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four career appearances against the Giants, including two starts.

The Cardinals also have picked up their offense while scoring 27 runs in their past four games. They had 14 hits and worked three walks in Saturday’s loss.

“I liked what our offense did,” Marmol said. “We had opportunities, we took advantage of some and left some guys on, but overall there’s some bright spots in what we did today.”

Dylan Carlson is in a 6-for-16 upturn with a double, a homer and four RBIs over the past six games — matching his run production for April. Rookie Juan Yepez is 7-for-16 with three doubles with in four games since his recall from Triple-A Memphis.

Catcher Yadier Molina is 10-for-32 during his seven-game hitting streak that lifted his batting average from .138 to .230. After hitting just .188 in April, Tyler O’Neill is 7-for-28 with two doubles, a triple, a homer and seven RBIs in seven games in May.

–Field Level Media

The Cleveland Guardians will try to capture their four-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, but they know the task will be a tall one.

That’s because they will be facing one of the top pitchers in the American League this season in right-hander Alek Manoah (4-0, 1.45 ERA). He’s tied for the most wins in the majors and has the second-best ERA in the AL. He has a 13-2 record in 25 career starts.

The Guardians will recall left-hander Konnor Pilkington (0-0, 0.00) from Triple-A Columbus to make his first major-league start. The rookie tossed five scoreless innings in three relief appearances for Cleveland earlier this season.

The 6-foot-6 Manoah has never faced Cleveland in his brief career. He was No. 11 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.

“I feel so good when he’s on the mound,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told the Toronto Star.

The two teams split a doubleheader on Saturday and the Guardians won Thursday.

Kevin Gausman was the winning pitcher in Game 1 on Saturday. With Manoah and Jose Berrios in the rotation, Toronto is well-fortified.

Toronto reliever Adam Cimber, who formerly played in Cleveland, said Manoah has a chance to be very special.

“One hundred percent,” he said. “It’s not a fluke. He’s the real deal, man. … He’s just nasty, man.”

The Guardians were excited about two defensive gems made by second baseman Andres Gimenez in the second game of the doubleheader won by Cleveland 8-2. He made two diving stops on balls that looked like sure hits by the Blue Jays.

“We knew he was capable of that,” said Guardians bench coach DeMarlo Hale. “It’s helped that his offense is coming together. He’s feeling pretty good about himself. We like what we see of him, no doubt.”

Gimenez was 2-for-4 with an RBI in Game 2 and is now batting .348 on the season. In his past nine games, he’s batting .412 (14-for-34), with four extra base hits and nine RBIs.

First baseman Owen Miller was 2-for-3 in the nightcap with two runs scored and two RBIs and is batting a team-high .353.

And right fielder Franmil Reyes is starting to hit. He was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and his third homer of the season in the second game on Saturday. It was his first long ball since April 22. During his current five-game hitting streak, he’s batting .474 (9-for-19) to finally get over the .200 mark (.204).

“He’s going to battle his (butt) off,” Hale said of Reyes. “He has the power to turn the game around.”

Rookie outfielder Steven Kwan has hit safely in seven consecutive games and knocked in a run in five games in a row. During the hitting streak, he’s batting .286 (8-for-28).

Hale said it’s a benefit that the Guardians have several players who can play more than one position, including Josh Naylor (first base, right field), Miller (first and second base) and Gimenez (second base and shortstop).

He said eventually, the players will become more comfortable at one position, such as Miller, who is best suited to play first base.

–Field Level Media

Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez had moments last season when he pitched like an ace, often doing so when Houston was in dire need of an effective performance from a starter.

On Saturday against the visiting Detroit Tigers, Valdez delivered an effort that could qualify as underappreciated.

With Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez pitching brilliantly, Valdez weaved his way in and out of trouble. He kept the Astros in contention long enough for them to mount a two-run, eighth-inning rally in a 3-2 victory.

The Astros can sweep this four-game series and their seven-game homestand with a win in the finale for both teams on Sunday.

Valdez allowed nine hits and one walk over six innings yet surrendered only two runs. It was a display of maturation, because in seasons prior, he might not have weathered such a storm.

“Yeah, that’s definitely a thing of maturity,” Valdez said. “In the past, I would give up one or two hits and I would lose my focus. Now I can give up four or five hits and stay focused and continue working on the game.”

Astros manager Dusty Baker added: “What I saw more than anything is he didn’t get frustrated. Sometimes young pitchers, when they’re giving up hits that are dribbling through there, sometimes they can start feeling sorry for themselves or it’s a bad day or bad look. That’s where guys mature. It’s like, OK, they’ve gotten some hits. It’s time for me to not let them push any across the plate. He kept battling and battling. That’s one of the best battles that I’ve seen him exhibit.”

Right-hander Jake Odorizzi (2-2, 4.15 ERA) will start the series finale for the Astros on Sunday. His previous outing not only marked his second consecutive quality start, but his 6 2/3 scoreless innings marked his longest appearance with Houston.

Odorizzi allowed four hits and one walk with three strikeouts in a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on May 2, on the heels of allowing one run on one hit and one walk with four strikeouts over six innings in a 5-1 victory at Texas.

Odorizzi is 6-2 with a 3.35 ERA over 14 career starts against the Tigers, including an 0-1 record and 5.40 ERA in two starts against them last season.

The Tigers will seek to avoid their fifth consecutive loss while utilizing an opener in the series finale. Detroit manager A.J. Hinch on Saturday did not name an opener for Sunday, announcing that a decision would be made later.

Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera recorded his 600th career double in the third inning, driving in Javier Baez and Robbie Grossman to pass Hall of Famer Frank Robinson for 19th place on the career RBI list with 1,813.

Cabrera joined Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols as the only players in history with 3,000 hits, 600 doubles and 500 home runs.

“Miggy is making history, and we’re following along,” Hinch. “Every day we’ve got to remind ourselves to enjoy it. We’re seeing historical things with him. We’re enjoying it, but I know he wants to enjoy it in wins.”

–Field Level Media

The Cincinnati Reds will try to capture their first series of the season while the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates will attempt to end their rain-disrupted road trip on a winning note as the clubs meet in the series finale on Sunday.

The teams split Saturday’s doubleheader after Friday night’s rainout. The Pirates won the nightcap 8-5 for just their third win in 10 games while the Reds snapped a nine-game losing streak in the first game but enter Sunday having dropped 21 of their past 23 games.

Brandon Drury has been one of the few bright spots for the Reds, who are 4-23 overall. He was 5-for-8 in the two games Saturday, including a three-run homer in the nightcap as the Cincinnati rally fell short. He leads the team with five homers.

“Yeah, that’s great (personally), but this is very frustrating for all of us. I still think we can get hot and win some games,” Drury said after the loss.

The Reds will send right-hander Tyler Mahle (1-4, 7.01 ERA) to the mound on Sunday.

Mahle, Cincinnati’s Opening Day starter, is making his team-leading seventh start of the season. He has two starts of at least five innings on a staff that is the only one in the majors without a six-inning start in 2022.

Mahle was 3-1 with a 4.00 ERA in five starts against the Pirates in 2021 and will make his 12th lifetime start against Pittsburgh. He is 4-4 with a 3.94 ERA in his previous 11 starts against Pittsburgh.

The Pirates will counter with right-hander Zach Thompson (1-3, 9.39), who will make his fifth start and sixth appearance of the season. Thompson has lost three of his four starts.

Thompson returns to the rotation after making his first relief appearance in Wednesday night’s nightcap to the split doubleheader in Detroit. He threw a scoreless inning to earn his first win as a Pirate.

Lifetime against the Reds, Thompson is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career starts, both in 2021 as a member of the Miami Marlins.

The Pirates placed Roberto Perez on the injured list immediately following Saturday’s first game after the catcher hurt his left hamstring rounding second base in the eighth inning of the 9-2 loss to the Reds. To take Perez’s place, the Pirates promoted Michael Perez from Triple-A Indianapolis.

What complicated matters for the Pirates was the sixth-inning ejection of their other catcher, Andrew Knapp, for arguing balls and strikes from the dugout. That meant when Perez was injured, infielder Josh VanMeter had to serve as the emergency catcher in the eighth as the Reds scored seven runs.

“It happened really fast,” VanMeter said. “Pitchers did a really good job working with me. Didn’t bounce too many balls, which made it easy. (Stinks) that we lost and it unfolded that way, but it’s part of the gig. Just got to step up.”

Knapp regretted the ejection after the game.

“It’s a horrible feeling,” he added. “I feel terrible. Shouldn’t happen. I feel bad for the guys who came into the game to pitch. I feel bad for Josh, the whole team. It falls on me to be smarter than that. There’s really no excuse.”

The Reds were expecting to activate left-hander Nick Lodolo off the injured list in time for Saturday’s doubleheader, but that plan was scratched Friday when his latest exam indicated his lower-back injury had not recovered sufficiently.

“It’s definitely concerning that he can’t make a start,” Reds manager David Bell said. “I have not been told that it’s a long-term issue. Anything that keeps a major league player out for any amount of time is obviously concerning. I don’t know exactly what that means for when we can expect him back.”

–Field Level Media

For two teams that have struggled across the first month of the season, going a few days in May without any losses would seem like a major development for the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles.

But instead, it has been another form of frustration because the weather has caused havoc, leading to a doubleheader slated to begin Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.

The Royals and Orioles were rained out Saturday for the second night in a row. The Royals haven’t played for three consecutive days because they were scheduled off Thursday.

“One off day in there is good, but three days is not ideal,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “But we have no control over that.”

The Orioles are aiming for a three-game winning streak for the first time this season.

The first pitching matchup Sunday is set to involve Kansas City right-hander Zack Greinke (0-2, 2.57 ERA) and Baltimore righty Jordan Lyles (2-2, 4.50).

Greinke is 3-2 with a 4.79 ERA all-time against the Orioles, though the only meeting in the past dozen years came a season ago when he posted a victory.

This will mark Lyles’ first outing against the Royals as a member of the Orioles, though he’s 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA all-time against Kansas City.

Kansas City’s Daniel Lynch (2-1, 3.86) will face Bruce Zimmermann (1-1, 2.59) in the second game in a matchup of left-handers. Lynch has never faced the Orioles, and this will be Zimmerman’s first appearance against the Royals.

Kansas City is counting on pitching until its hitting perks up. The Royals have been blanked in three of their last five games.

The Orioles have found strong outings from relievers to be huge difference-makers.

“We’re getting zeros out of the bullpen,” manager Brandon Hyde said, calling that the key to the success in the two wins against the Twins.

The often-quiet Baltimore bats awoke in the last two games of the series against the Minnesota Twins. They hit seven homers in those two games combined. Center fielder Cedric Mullins, who’s riding a six-game hitting streak, homered in both of those games.

If nothing else, the doubleheader should be a case of pretty much everyone available, particularly with the addition of an extra player for the day.

The time off should have given Baltimore infielder Tyler Nevin extra time to mend from a groin ailment suffered earlier in the week.

Hyde called Nevin’s injury “a day-to-day thing,” and certainly the time off should be a bonus in getting him back in the lineup.

Sunday’s twinbill already was planned because of Friday night’s postponement. The teams will play Monday afternoon to make up the second postponement. This means Kansas City won’t have another scheduled off day until May 25.

The Orioles are 4-3 during their 10-game homestand.

–Field Level Media

Veteran Atlanta right-hander Charlie Morton will try to regain his form on Sunday when the Braves host the Milwaukee Brewers in the rubber game of their three-game series.

Morton (1-3, 6.85 ERA) will be opposed by Milwaukee left-hander Aaron Ashby (0-2, 2.33). The Braves won Saturday’s game 3-2 to end Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak.

Morton has been struggling. He has lost three of his last four starts and has a 7.85 ERA over that stretch. In his last start on Tuesday, Morton allowed five runs (four earned) in 5 2/3 innings against the New York Mets.

His lack of success has left him confused.

“There were still signs last year that I could still be a dominant pitcher because I would still get swings and misses,” Morton said. “Now it seems like more of those at-bats have turned into long at-bats that result in walks or hits and my pitch counts are just driven up.”

Morton has made 16 career starts against Milwaukee, going 4-8 with a 4.15 ERA.

He faced the Brewers once during the 2021 regular season and absorbed a loss, despite giving up only two runs in six innings on Aug. 1. He lost the first game of the NLDS to the Brewers last year, giving up two runs in six innings.

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker did not express concern.

“You’ve got to look at the baseball card. It will be there,” Snitker said.

Ashby will be making his seventh appearance and third start. He pitched in relief Tuesday against Cincinnati and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. His last start came April 27 at Pittsburgh, when he allowed one run on one hit, five walks and six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

“I though his stuff was excellent,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It was exciting to see. It’s special stuff for sure.”

Ashby has never faced Atlanta during the regular season. He made two relief appearances against the Braves in the 2021 NLDS, posting a 6.75 ERA in 2 2/3 innings. That includes a blown save in the deciding fourth game of the series.

The Brewers will be without outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who was placed on the COVID list after testing positive shortly before Saturday’s game. McCutchen reported symptoms earlier Saturday. McCutchen was hitting .240 with two homers and 14 RBIs.

“He came in, got tested and just went back to the hotel,” Counsell said. “He’s just going to stay at the hotel and as he feels better, we’ll figure out what to do.”

McCutchen was replaced in left field by Tyrone Taylor and replaced on the roster by utility man Mike Brosseau, who had been optioned on Sunday.

Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has reached base in all eight games since returning from knee surgery. He has homered in both games of the Milwaukee series and has a 22-game on-base streak, dating to last season, the best in the National League.

Milwaukee closer Josh Hader needs two strikeouts to reach 500. He earned his 107th career save on Friday and moved into second place on the club’s all-time list, trailing only Dan Plesac (133). Hader has 11 saves in 11 tries and became only the fifth pitcher to earn a save in their first 11-plus games of a season.

–Field Level Media

Wilmer Flores hit a grand slam and drove in six runs as the San Francisco Giants snapped their five-game losing streak with a 13-7 victory Saturday over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

Mauricio Dubon and Darin Ruf hit two-run homers for the Giants, who had scored just five runs in their previous four games. Giants starter Logan Webb (4-1) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out seven batters and walked two.

San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt suffered an injury swinging his bat in the eighth inning and exited the game.

Cardinals starter Steven Matz (3-2) lasted just two innings while allowing eight runs on five hits (including three homers) and three walks. Dylan Carlson hit a three-run homer and Paul DeJong drove in two runs with two hits to pace the Cardinals’ offense.

Yadier Molina extended his hitting streak to eight games and got his 1,000th career RBI. He became the eighth primary big league catcher with 2,000 hits and 1,000 RBIs.

Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 1

Consecutive singles by Yonathon Daza, Jose Iglesias and Connor Joe with two outs in the ninth inning capped a four-run rally to give visiting Colorado a victory over Arizona in Phoenix.

Called on to protect a 1-0 lead in the ninth, Diamondbacks closer Mark Melancon (0-3) gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits in 2/3 innings.

Daniel Bard retired three straight batters after allowing a leadoff walk to Pavin Smith in the ninth inning to earn his ninth save.

Nationals 7, Angels 3

Washington got home runs from Josh Bell, Yadiel Hernandez and Nelson Cruz to pave the way to a victory over host Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.

The Angels’ pitching staff entered the game on an 18-inning scoreless streak but the streak ended in the top of the first inning on Bell’s solo homer, one of two hits for the Nationals’ first baseman. Third baseman Maikel Franco had two hits and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who had 10 hits in all.

The Angels hit two home runs of their own, one by Jared Walsh and the other by Brandon Marsh, both coming in the fourth inning, which cut Washington’s lead to 4-3. Angels starter Michael Lorenzen (3-2) had his toughest outing of the season, giving up five runs on five hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out seven.

White Sox 3, Red Sox 1

Jose Abreu and Luis Robert logged back-to-back RBI hits in the 10th inning as Chicago came from behind to beat host Boston.

Leury Garcia’s sacrifice fly erased the 1-0 lead that Boston held from the fifth inning on, and the White Sox went on to win their fifth consecutive game.

The Red Sox had a chance to walk off in the ninth after Jackie Bradley Jr. lined a one-out single to left and Christian Vazquez doubled into the left-center gap. But both were stranded as Bobby Dalbec struck out looking and Trevor Story popped up.

Braves 3, Brewers 2

Max Fried pitched seven strong innings and Ronald Acuna Jr. homered for the second straight game to help Atlanta over visiting Milwaukee.

The win evened the three-game series between the teams and ended Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak. The game lived up to expectations as a pitching duel, with Fried going head-to-head with Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes, the reigning National League Cy Young winner.

Fried (4-2) allowed one run on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts to earn his fourth straight win. The walk was the first allowed by Fried since opening day and only his second of the year. Burnes (1-2) pitched six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.

Reds 9, Pirates 2 (Game 1)

Tyler Stephenson broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double and drove in four to help Cincinnati snap a nine-game losing streak with a win over visiting Pittsburgh in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Stephenson finished 3-for-4 with two doubles while Lucas Sims (1-0) pitched out of his own bases-loaded, none-out jam in the eighth to record just the second win in 22 games for the Reds.

Tyler Naquin’s three-run double highlighted the seven-run uprising in the eighth for Cincinnati’s biggest inning of the season. The nine runs marked a season high for the Reds, while the Pirates lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Pirates 8, Reds 5 (Game 2)

Pittsburgh clubbed four homers to overpower host Cincinnati and to earn a split of the scheduled day-night doubleheader.

It was the second doubleheader split in the last four days for the Pirates, who had an extra off day on Friday due to a rainout in Cincinnati.

Bryan Reynolds, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Diego Castillo and Ben Gamel all homered for Pittsburgh.

Astros 3, Tigers 2

Michael Brantley delivered a game-tying RBI triple in the eighth inning, and Houston scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded walk later in the frame to push its winning streak to six with a win over visiting Detroit.

Brantley followed a one-out single from Jose Altuve with his extra-base hit into the right field corner, scoring Altuve and knotting the game at 2-2. Altuve and Brantley each reached base against Tigers reliever Michael Fulmer (1-1), who later issued a bases-loaded walk to Kyle Tucker.

Astros closer Ryan Pressly notched his fourth save with a perfect eight-pitch ninth. Bryan Abreu (1-0) earned the victory.

Dodgers 7, Cubs 0 (Game 1)

Clayton Kershaw threw seven scoreless innings, and Austin Barnes had a home run with three RBIs, as visiting Los Angeles beat Chicago in the opener of a doubleheader.

Freddie Freeman matched a career high with three doubles for the Dodgers, while Trea and Justin Turner combined to deliver three hits with three RBIs.

Kershaw (4-0) yielded all five Chicago hits and walked one with two strikeouts to match the longest outing of his season. The left-hander lowered his ERA to 1.80.

Dodgers 6, Cubs 2 (Game 2)

Mookie Betts delivered a three-run double and two-run homer for two of Los Angeles’ three hits, but they were more than enough to cap the visiting Dodgers’ doubleheader sweep of reeling Chicago.

Betts cleared the bases with his double down the left-field line during a four-run second and added some insurance via a drive high into the left-field bleachers in the ninth. Los Angeles also benefited from nine walks issued by Chicago pitching to win its fifth in a row. Tyler Anderson (3-0), meanwhile, gave up two runs, four hits and struck out seven with a walk over five innings.

Willson Contreras went 3-for-4 with a triple and home run for the Cubs, who have dropped four in a row and 13 of 16 since starting 6-4. They’ve also lost five straight and nine of their last 10 at home.

Blue Jays 8, Guardians 3 (Game 1)

Raimel Tapia and George Springer each had three RBIs as visiting Toronto defeated Cleveland in the opening game of a doubleheader.

Kevin Gausman (3-1) earned his third successive win while allowing one run, six hits and one walk and striking out five in 6 1/3 innings.

Cleveland starter Shane Bieber (1-2) was knocked around for seven runs on eight hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings.

Guardians 8, Blue Jays 2 (Game 2)

Franmil Reyes continued his hot hitting with a home run to support a strong outing by winning pitcher Triston McKenzie in Cleveland’s victory over visiting Toronto in Game 2 of a doubleheader. Cleveland has won six of its last eight games.

The Blue Jays won the first game of the doubleheader, 8-3 and their first three batters reached safely in Game 2, but Toronto scored just one run in the first and Cleveland rallied.

McKenzie (2-2) settled in after the rocky start. He retired the final 11 hitters he faced. The 6-5, 165-pound right-hander pitched six innings and allowed four hits, two runs and two walks. He struck out six batters.

Twins 1, Athletics 0

Sonny Gray struck out seven in four scoreless innings in his return from the injured list, as four Minnesota pitchers combined for a three-hit shutout over visiting Oakland.

Jorge Polanco hit a solo homer in the sixth inning for the game’s lone run. Polanco had three of the Twins’ five hits, finishing a triple shy of the cycle for the AL Central-leading Twins, who have won back-to-back games.

Oakland continued its tailspin with its eighth loss in a row. The Athletics have scored one run overall in their past three games, and the game marked the 10th time this season that they have been held to fewer than two runs.

Marlins 8, Padres 0

Joe Dunand homered in his first major league at-bat and Jorge Soler capped a five-run ninth with a grand slam as visiting Miami routed San Diego to snap a six-game losing streak.

Pablo Lopez shut out the Padres over eight innings. The right-handed Lopez ran his record to 4-1 and lowered his earned run average to a miniscule 1.00. He issued two walks and had five strikeouts. He retired nine straight Padres at one point and got 13 outs on ground balls.

The 26-year-old Dunand is a Miami native and a nephew of Alex Rodriguez. He reached the first row of seats in left on the third pitch he saw from Padres left-handed starter Sean Manaea with one out in the bottom of the second.

–Field Level Media

Before Saturday’s game, Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom offered his outlook on the team’s disappointing start to 2022.

“Obviously, we’ve had some tough losses late, you know, more than more than our share,” Bloom said. “But they happened. We don’t have a time machine. We can’t go back and change them.”

Ten innings later against the Chicago White Sox, another tough loss. Boston lost a 1-0 lead in the ninth and fell 3-1, its sixth loss in as many extra-inning games.

The next challenge is avoiding a three-game series sweep at home in a Sunday morning affair.

“We had a chance to finish the game in the ninth,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, whose team had two runners in scoring position with one out after Jackie Bradley Jr. singled and Christian Vazquez doubled but couldn’t score. “… Where we’re at right now, any chance we have, we have to take advantage.”

Starting pitching hasn’t been an issue, as Nick Pivetta pitched six shutout innings and struck out eight.

Now, Michael Wacha (3-0, 1.38 ERA) will look to continue Boston’s recent trend of starting pitchers allowing two or fewer runs in 13 of the last 15 games.

Wacha dealt 5 2/3 shutout innings Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels. Just one baserunner reached scoring position against Wacha, who retired 15 of the 20 total batters he faced.

The right-hander hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his five starts, the last three of which he has won. For the season, his .148 opponent’s batting average is the lowest in the American League.

“(Wacha) was pounding the strike zone with good stuff and got some quick outs,” Cora said. “For a defender, he’s a dream come true. His pace, throwing strikes, you have to be ready because the ball will get hit. So far we’ve done an outstanding job defensively behind him. He’s been great.”

Saturday’s resilient effort helped Chicago extend its win streak to five straight.

The White Sox, who have allowed two runs or fewer in four of those five games, were previously 0-10 when trailing after eight innings.

“This kind of game, that’s what we need to get our confidence up,” center fielder Luis Robert said. “We had a really rough April and to win this kind of game gives us hope.”

Jose Abreu and Robert had back-to-back RBI hits to begin the 10th after Leury Garcia hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

“It proves what I’ve been telling you all about them all along — heart, guts, talent,” manager Tony La Russa said.

Chicago’s pitching plan for the final two games wasn’t determined before the series, as the team still awaits the return of Lance Lynn (right knee tendon tear) which is expected at some point in May.

Dallas Keuchel (1-3, 8.40) will get the ball despite struggling mightily with command in recent starts.

Last Sunday against the Angels, the big southpaw allowed four earned runs on six hits and five walks. It was his second straight start with five free passes and his third consecutive loss.

Following his last outing, Keuchel had allowed more hits (24) and earned runs (14) than any White Sox starter.

“I still feel good,” Keuchel said. “That’s the main thing and I’m upbeat with how things are progressing. Obviously, I want to win every start, that’s not likely. But at the same time, I gotta give six, seven innings instead of five.”

–Field Level Media