Brad Miller ended a scoreless deadlock with a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning Saturday as the Texas Rangers beat the host Oakland Athletics 2-0 in a pitchers’ duel that featured just eight hits.

After rival Martin Perez had left following six shutout innings during which he allowed just two hits, A’s right-hander Frankie Montas (2-2) took a one-hit shutout into the eighth and got Kole Calhoun to ground out for the first out.

However, Adolis Garcia and Willie Calhoun followed with singles, prompting A’s manager Mark Kotsay to pull Montas in favor of Domingo Acevedo with runners at the corners.

The reliever got Jonah Heim to ground out to first, advancing pinch-runner Eli White to second, and Miller followed with a liner the opposite way to left field for the game-winning blow.

Initially, White had been called out at the plate after a strong throw from left fielder Tony Kemp, but the Rangers challenged the call, claiming that A’s catcher Sean Murphy had blocked the plate.

The call was reversed on replay, allowing a second run to score, after which Kotsay was ejected for arguing.

Brock Burke (2-0) was awarded the win after pitching a scoreless seventh in which the A’s mounted their biggest threat of the game.

Brett Martin threw a 1-2-3 eighth and Matt Bush a perfect ninth for his first save, wrapping up Texas’ third straight win.

Perez did not get a decision after his six shutout innings, during which he walked one and struck out five.

The only hits he allowed were a two-out double by Nick Allen in the third and a two-out single by Cristian Pache in the fifth.

The A’s threat in the seventh consisted of a one-out double by Stephen Piscotty and a walk to Elvis Andrus. But Burke got Christian Lopes to pop out and Pache to ground to shortstop to keep the game scoreless.

Montas was charged with both Rangers runs on three hits in 7 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

The doubles by Allen and Piscotty were the game’s only extra-base hits. No player had more than one hit.

–Field Level Media

Alfonso Rivas hit a three-run homer during an eight-run second inning, and finished with five RBIs, while Nico Hoerner posted a career-high four hits as the Chicago Cubs snapped a four-game losing streak with a 21-0 rout of the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Starter Kyle Hendricks yielded two of Pittsburgh’s three hits over seven innings.

In his fourth game of 2022, Rivas’ second career homer landed high into the right-field bleachers and added to the misery of Pittsburgh starter Zach Thompson (0-2) during the Cubs’ breakout second. Rivas also delivered run-scoring singles in the fourth and during a five-run fifth to cap his career day for Chicago, which posted its highest-scoring contest since a 26-7 win at Colorado on Aug. 18, 1995.

The Cubs had 23 hits in the largest shutout victory since at least 1901.

Hoerner followed a three-hit night with a career day that included three RBIs. Seiya Suzuki, Willson Contreras and Ian Happ each had three hits and combined for six RBIs for the Cubs, who scored 12 runs in their previous four contests.

Hendricks (1-1) cruised in the longest outing of any 2022 Cubs starter. Daniel Vogelbach’s ground-rule double in the fourth, Cole Tucker’s sixth-inning single and Anthony Alford’s infield hit in the ninth was all the offense mustered by the Pirates, who won the first two games of this four-game set.

According to STATS, this is the most runs Pittsburgh has allowed since a 21-4 loss to the New York Giants on May 25, 1954.

The Cubs opened the scoring with straight singles from Suzuki, Conteras and Happ in the first. They rapped out four consecutive singles in the second, with an RBI from Suzuki and two via Contreras for a 4-0 lead.

Two errors by Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman, sandwiched by a walk, led to two more runs for Chicago in the second. Rivas’ homer made it a 9-0 game.

Thompson yielded nine hits while walking two in just two innings of work, but only four of the nine runs he gave up were earned.

Chicago added two runs in the fourth, before breaking out again in the fifth. The Cubs added another in the seventh and four with Pittsburgh rookie infielder Diego Castillo on the mound in the eighth.

–Field Level Media

Chicago White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez had to be carted off the field with a right hamstring injury in the second inning after landing awkwardly after crossing first base while trying to beat out a grounder to third base during Saturday’s road game against the Minnesota Twins.

Jimenez landed on the bag with his left foot but then stumbled and crashed to the ground. He laid face-first down on the grass for several minutes while waiting for the cart to arrive but eventually got up and limped to the back of the cart under his own power.

Jimenez won a Silver Slugger Award in 2020. He is batting .222 with a homer and seven RBIs in 11 games this season.

–Field Level Media

The Seattle Mariners have traded for outfielder Stuart Fairchild, acquiring him Saturday from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash considerations.

Fairchild, 26, was a second-round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2017. He made his major-league debut last year for Arizona, batting .133 in 17 plate appearances over 12 games.

In other roster moves, Arizona recalled right-hander Corbin Martin from Triple-A and placed right-hander Sean Poppen (right-shoulder inflammation) on the 10-day injured list.

Martin, 26, is 0-0 in two appearances this season, surrendering two earned runs over six innings. Poppen, 28, is 1-0 this season, surrendering one run (earned) in in six innings over five appearances.

The Mariners designated infielder Kevin Padlo, who has 15 plate appearances, all in 2021, for assignment.

–Field Level Media

Miguel Cabrera became the 33rd major-leaguer to reach 3,000 career hits and drove in two runs as the Detroit Tigers routed the visiting Colorado Rockies 13-0 in the first game of a split doubleheader Saturday.

Cabrera, 39, grounded a first-inning single to right field off right-hander Antonio Senzatela to join an exclusive club. The two-time AL MVP is the seventh player in major-league history with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. He also became the first Venezuelan player to reach 3,000 hits.

After receiving a lengthy ovation from the Comerica Park crowd, Cabrera later came around to score on Spencer Torkelson’s two-out, three-run homer to right field.

Harold Castro went 4-for-5 with two runs scored for Detroit, which out-hit the Rockies 20-7 and set season highs in runs and hits. Robbie Grossman tallied three hits and reached base four times.

Detroit starter Tarik Skubal (1-1) allowed five hits with no walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out six while throwing 91 pitches.

The Tigers sent nine batters to the plate in the first inning and scored four runs on six hits. Jonathan Schoop singled with two outs to score Austin Meadows from third.

Torkelson followed with a 354-foot blast score off Senzatela (1-1) for his third homer of the season.

The Tigers added a run in the fourth when Castro hit a leadoff single and later scored on Grossman’s single to right field.

Senzatela departed after yielding five runs on 10 hits over five frames. He struck out three with no walks.

Detroit broke the game open with four runs off Ty Blach in the sixth. Akil Baddoo singled in a run before Cabrera came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.

After delivering a two-run single to left field, Cabrera was lifted for a pinch runner and received a large cheer from the crowd. Jeimer Candelario followed with a run-scoring single to cap the rally.

Detroit added four runs in the seventh, highlighted by Meadows’ two-run single off Lucas Gilbreath.

Randal Grichuk had two hits for Colorado, which was playing just its third road game of the season.

Detroit right-hander Beau Brieske will make his major-league debut for Detroit in the nightcap.

–Field Level Media

Alex Wood pitched five strong innings as the visiting San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Saturday.

Wood (2-0) allowed two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out five. His career ERA at Nationals Park actually rose to 2.86, still good for second behind Jacob deGrom (2.80) among active pitchers with 40 or more innings at the stadium.

Wilmer Flores had a double and a single for the Giants. Camilo Doval pitched the ninth for his third save.

Former Giant Aaron Sanchez (0-1) was called up from Triple-A Rochester to make the start for Washington. He gave up four runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Riley Adams homered, and Maikel Franco and Cesar Hernandez had two hits for Washington.

Nationals first baseman Josh Bell left the game after two innings. Bell walked to start the bottom of the second and ended the inning on third base. He left a game earlier in the week with left-knee tightness.

The Giants got to Sanchez for a run in the first. With two outs, Darin Ruf walked and went to third on Joc Pederson’s single. Brandon Crawford, who had three hits on Friday night, followed with an RBI single to make it 1-0.

Sanchez then retired nine straight batters before Flores doubled to right leading off the fifth. Thairo Estrada followed with an infield single off Sanchez’s foot, and Luis Gonzalez followed with a sacrifice fly for his first major-league RBI. Estrada then stole second and scored the Giants’ third run when Curt Casali singled to right center.

That was all for Sanchez as Sam Clay came to face pinch-hitter Austin Slater, who singled. After Brandon Belt was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Ruf grounded into a force play at second, scoring Casali, and Pederson’s RBI single through the shortstop spot vacated by a shift made it 5-0.

Adams homered with two outs in the fifth to make it 5-1. Victor Robles doubled and scored on a Lane Thomas single, but Wood struck out Juan Soto.

–Field Level Media

Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a game-tying double off Emmanuel Clase, and pinch-hitter Gleyber Torres hit a game-winning RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to give the host New York Yankees a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday.

After Josh Donaldson opened the ninth with a walk, pinch-runner Tim Locastro stole second as Aaron Hicks struck out. After Joey Gallo lined out, Kiner-Falefa lifted a double over rookie left fielder Steven Kwan’s head in front of the video board to tie the game.

Batting for Kyle Higashioka, Torres won it when he lined a 1-2 slider from Clase (0-2) to the gap in right-center field, scoring Kiner-Falefa.

After Torres’ hit, fans sitting in the seats began throwing things onto the field. A few Yankees quickly raced to the area to tell fans to stop throwing things.

Before the ninth-inning comeback, Cleveland’s Austin Hedges hit a go-ahead, two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning off Chad Green, but Miguel Castro (1-0) tossed a scoreless ninth.

Hedges, who entered the game hitting .103, gave Cleveland a 4-3 lead when he hammered a full-count fastball from Green into the left-field seats.

The blast occurred after Donaldson gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead on a solo homer with one out in the seventh inning.

Donaldson hit his second homer as a Yankee when he hammered a 1-0 cutter from Cal Quantrill into Cleveland’s bullpen beyond the left-center-field fence.

Hedges’ homer spoiled a terrific outing by New York’s Nestor Cortes, who pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed just Josh Naylor’s two-run homer with one out in the fifth.

Coming off a 12-strikeout performance Sunday in Baltimore, Cortes struck out eight and walked two in a 91-pitch outing. He struck out Kwan twice and also earned a standing ovation after retiring slugger Jose Ramirez to end his outing.

Kiner-Falefa hit an RBI single and Higashioka lifted a sacrifice fly in the fifth for New York to tie the score at 2.

Quantrill was activated off the COVID-19 injured list and allowed three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings for Cleveland.

–Field Level Media

The Cincinnati Reds activated outfielder Tyler Naquin from the COVID-19 injured list on Saturday.

The Reds also optioned outfielder TJ Friedl to Triple-A Louisville and placed right-hander Daniel Duarte on the 60-day injured list.

Naquin, 30, is hitting .273 (9-for-33) with one homer, five RBIs and one stolen base in nine games this season. He is in his second season with the Reds after spending his first five campaigns with the Cleveland franchise.

Friedl, 26, is 0-for-7 in three games this season.

Duarte, 25, appeared in three games, allowing three runs in 2 2/3 innings for a 10.13 ERA. He walked three and struck out two.

–Field Level Media

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera recorded his 3,000th career hit with a first-inning single to right field off Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela on Saturday in Detroit’s 13-0 rout in Game 1 of a doubleheader.

Cabrera, 39, is the 33rd major league player to reach 3,000 hits and the first Venezuelan player to do so.

The future Hall of Famer also became the seventh player in major league history with both 3,000 hits and 500 homers. He joins a fraternity limited to Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.

“I was really nervous,” Cabrera said after Game 1. “I wanted to get my 3,000th hit here in Detroit because of what happened last year with 500 (home runs) on the road. This one was really special for me because I wanted to do it here for my fans in my hometown here in Detroit.”

Cabrera later recorded hit No. 3,001, a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning to increase Detroit’s lead to 8-0. Cabrera was then replaced by pinch-runner Eric Haase and received a standing ovation.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was excited to see the historic moment.

“We don’t know if we’re going to see another one in our baseball lifetime or our whole lifetime,” Hinch said. “We’re going to look back at this and rank it at or near the top of our experience – having been a part of this small juncture of his Hall of Fame career. The next thing will be when he gets inducted, years from now (into the Hall of Fame). … I know none of us in the building will forget it.”

The two-time American League MVP, 2012 Triple Crown winner, four-time batting champion and 11-time All-Star had three hits on Wednesday before going hitless Thursday and then seeing Friday’s scheduled series opener postponed due to rain.

He wasted no time Saturday etching his name into immortality.

“Seeing Miguel grow from a teenager taking batting practice on neighborhood fields in Venezuela to becoming one of the best players in baseball history has been one of the great joys of my life,” Tigers executive vice president and general manager Al Avila said in a statement. “His humility, passion for having fun and genuine love of the city of Detroit are completely unmatched and joining the 3,000 hit club only strengthens his standing as one of the game’s all-time greats. This is a tremendous accomplishment, and we know there are many more exciting times on the horizon.”

Tigers chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch also praised Cabrera in a statement.

“Congratulations to Miguel Cabrera on his 3,000th career hit! Like Tigers fans, I’ve been proud to witness Miggy’s amazing and historic 3,000 hit and 500 home run milestones, putting him among a select few MLB legends,” Ilitch said. “I thank Miguel for a career of exciting, Hall of Fame caliber play towards our objective of championship baseball for Tigers fans. Miggy has and continues to build his status as one of the greatest Tigers of all-time.”

Cabrera was in the starting lineup for Game 2 and kept the good times rolling with a single to center in the first inning.

–Field Level Media

Baltimore Orioles left-hander John Means announced Saturday that he will undergo Tommy John surgery on his injured pitching arm.

Means, 28, will miss the rest of the season after making only two starts in 2022. He went 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA.

“Hey all, just wanted to put a statement out,” Means wrote on his Twitter page. “After multiple MRI’s it’s confirmed that I need Tommy John surgery.

“I’m obviously disappointed, but more motivated than ever.

“In the meantime, I’m looking forward to watching what this team can do this year.”

In 70 career games (65 starts), Means is 20-24 with a 3.81 ERA. He earned an All-Star selection in 2019.

Means tossed a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners on May 5, 2021.

–Field Level Media