Mets erupt for nine-run inning
NEW YORK: Yoenis Cespedes’ grand slam capped a nine-run eighth inning on Wednesday night for the New York Mets, who stormed back for an 11-5 win over the visiting Washington Nationals.
Pinch hitter Juan Lagares laced a goahead two-run double three batters before Cespedes iced the game for the Mets. New York, which salvaged the finale of a threegame series, have won 13 of their first 17 games this season.
The rally made a winner out of AJ Ramos (1-1), who tossed a perfect eighth inning. Nationals right-hander Ryan Madson (0-2) drew the loss after starter Tanner Roark limited the Mets to two runs on two hits in seven innings.
Ryan Zimmerman had a hand in all five Nationals runs by hitting a three-run homer in the first, tripling and scoring in the seventh on Moises Sierra’s sacrifice fly and homering again in the ninth. Washington had no runners left on base.
Rafael Devers hit a grand slam and Rick Porcello pitched six scoreless innings to lead Boston to a 9-0 win over Los Angeles in Anaheim.
One night after their 10-1 win, the Red Sox improved their major-league-best record to 15-2, their best mark through 17 games in the 118-year history of the franchise. Boston joined the 2003 San Francisco Giants as the only teams since 1987 to begin a major league season 15-2.
Devers’ first career slam was only a part of the Red Sox’s offensive onslaught. Mitch Moreland had three hits, including a home run, and four RBIs. JD Martinez homered and had three singles.
Ryan LaMarre lined a single to centre field to score Eddie Rosario with no outs in the bottom of the 16th inning, giving Minnesota a 2-1 win as the Twins split in their two-game series against the Indians in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The series was dominated by pitching, with the Indians’ Corey Kluber silencing the Twins in a 6-1 win on Tuesday before Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco and Minnesota’s Jose Berrios each threw seven shutout innings in the second meeting.
The series finale ended on a bit of a powerful note, with the Indians’ Edwin Encarnacion and Twins’ Miguel Sano exchanging solo home runs in the 14th, setting the stage for LaMarre’s heroics two innings later.
Matt Olson singled over the head of left fielder Nick Delmonico with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 14th inning, delivering Oakland a marathon 12-11 victory over visiting Chicago and a three-game series sweep.
Olson’s hit, his fourth of the game, came off right-hander James Shields, who was pressed into his second career relief appearance after the White Sox exhausted nine pitchers in a game that lasted just short of six hours.
Chicago led most of the way after Yoan Moncada belted his first grand slam in a five-run second inning. However, the White Sox could not hold off Oakland.