MLB roundup: Cole, Rizzo help Yankees complete sweep of Guardians - Press Herald

susukema.blogspot.com

Anthony Rizzo, left, celebrates his first-inning home run with Aaron Judge during the Yankees’ 10-2 win Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians in New York. Jessie Alcheh/Associated Press

NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole bounced back from the shortest start of his career, Anthony Rizzo powered an early offensive barrage and the New York Yankees pounded the Cleveland Guardians 10-2 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep in a series marred by fan misbehavior.

Cole (1-0) struck out nine over 6 2/3 scoreless innings, and Rizzo’s two-run drive in the first inning tied him for the AL lead with five homers. New York won for the fifth time in six games.

Cleveland outfielders struggled a day after fans threw bottles, cans and other debris at them immediately following New York’s walk-off victory. Myles Straw and Oscar Mercado were heckled after misplays, and breakout rookie Steven Kwan left early because of right hamstring tightness.

The Yankees said they increased security in the stands, and fans appeared to refrain from more beverage tossing.

The Bronx’s famed Bleacher Creatures lobbed plenty of insults, though, especially at Straw in center and Mercado in right.

Straw, who called Yankee Universe the “worst fan base on the planet” after Saturday’s incident, was greeted by chants of “Crybaby!” and sarcastically called “Peter Parker” for his Spiderman-like climb up the wall Saturday to confront a fan face-to-face.

Straw got the loudest boos during lineup introductions, and fans pointed and jeered when he and second baseman Andrés Giménez miscommunicated on Hicks’ bases-loaded popup during New York’s three-run third inning.

Mercado badly misjudged DJ LeMahieu’s line drive in the second, letting it go over his head for an RBI double that also delighted fans.

LeMahieu had three hits and three RBI, including a two-run homer in the sixth, and pinch-hitter Tim Locastro pulled a two-run drive in the eighth as New York’s slumping offense had its biggest day of the year.

ASTROS 8, BLUE JAYS 7: Rookie Jeremy Peña hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning as Houston avoided a series sweep by visiting Toronto.

The Astros snapped a four-game skid and ended Toronto’s four-game winning streak.

Kyle Tucker was on second as the automatic runner with one out when Peña, a former UMaine shortstop, connected off closer Jordan Romano (1-0) for a drive to center field. Romano had converted 31 save chances in a row.

Peña, taking over as the Astros shortstop this season after the departure of Carlos Correa, hit his third home run of the year.

Bo Bichette started the Toronto 10th on second before Bryan Abreu (1-0) walked Vladimir Guerrero. There was one out in the inning when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubled to the left field corner to make it 7-6.

TWINS 6, WHITE SOX 4: Byron Buxton hit his second home of the game, a 469-foot, three-run drive that overcame a 10th-inning deficit and lifted Minnesota to a win at home.

Buxton’s two-run, opposite-field homer to right in the seventh against Aaron Bummer tied the score 3-3.

After Yasmani Grandal’s RBI single in the 10th off Joe Smith (1-0), Liam Hendriks (0-2) walked José Godoy with one out in the bottom half after automatic runner Nick Gordon began the inning on second.

Hendriks fell beind 3-1 in the count, and Buxton drove a fastball into the left-field second deck for the longest game-ending home run since MLB Statcast starting tracking in 2015.

Tim Anderson and Danny Mendick homered for Chicago, which led 3-1 in the seventh.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

REDS 4, CARDINALS 1: Cincinnati ended an 11-game losing streak – its longest in six years – jumping to a first-inning lead and beating visiting St. Louis as former first-round draft pick Nick Lodolo got his first major league win.

Colin Moran drove in two runs for the Reds, who had been 0-4 at home this year and had not won anywhere since April 10 at World Series champion Atlanta. Cincinnati had been outscored 68-20 during the skid.

Lodolo (1-2), a 24-year-old left-hander selected seventh overall in the 2019 amateur draft, made his third big league start. He allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked none in 5 1/3 innings, holding the Cardinals scoreless until Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill hit consecutive doubles in the sixth.

GIANTS 12, NATIONALS 3: Joc Pederson homered twice, doubled and drove in three runs to help visiting San Francisco rout Washington.

Pederson led off the game with a home run and hit another leading off the seventh. Wilmer Flores added three RBI singles for San Francisco, which swept a series of at least three games at Nationals Park for the first time June 6-9, 2008.

MARLINS 5, BRAVES 4: Garrett Cooper had three hits and two RBI, Avisail Garcia hit a go-ahead double in the fifth inning and Miami held on for a win in Atlanta.

Atlanta trailed 5-1 in the ninth before Matt Olson’s sacrifice fly and Austin Riley’s two-run homer off Tanner Scott. Louis Head relieved and got his first big league save, allowing Marcell Ozuna’s double before striking out Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario.

INTERLEAGUE

ROCKIES 6, TIGERS 2: Randal Grichuk had three hits, including his first home run of the season, and Colorado won at Detroit.

Charlie Blackmon had four hits, scored twice and drove in two runs for Colorado.

Chad Kuhl (2-0) again pitched well for his new team, allowing one run and four hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out four and has a 1.10 ERA in three starts for the Rockies.

NOTES

GIANTS: San Francisco placed outfielder Mike Yastrzemski on the COVID-19 injured list.

Yastrzemski is the first Giants player to test positive for COVID-19 this season. He will remain in Washington for 10 days or until he records two negative tests.

Invalid username/password.

Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

« Previous

NHL roundup: Hurricanes move closer to Metropolitan Division title

Sports Digest: Sea Dogs belt five homers in 13-5 rout of Rumble Ponies