Fight mars A's 9th straight win, 7-2 over Astros
Benches cleared and even the stands emptied during Oakland's 7-2 victory over the Astros on Sunday, tempers flaring at last between the AL West rivals months after Houston's sign-stealing scandal was brought to light by Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers.
Oakland's Ramon Laureano got hit by a pitch - for the third time in the three-game series - this one by Humberto Castellanos with one out in the seventh. Laureano began exchanging words with animated Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron, then left first base, threw down his batting helmet and began sprinting toward him.
Astros catcher Dustin Garneau tackled Laureano before the A's outfielder reached Cintron, and a wild scene ensued.
Players rushed out of both dugouts to join the fray. A's and Astros players who were sitting in the seats, observing COVID-19 social-distancing protocols, also rushed onto the field. Laureano was ejected by plate ump Ted Barrett.
Oakland won its ninth straight, and Houston lost its fifth in a row.
Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the third and Matt Chapman connected the very next pitch, taking the score from 1-0 to 5-0 on consecutive offerings from Astros starter Cristian Javier (1-1). Robbie Grossman also homered and Mark Canha contributed an RBI single.
A's rookie left-hander Jesus Luzardo (1-0) earned his first major league win in his second career start.
BRAVES 5, PHILLIES 2, 1st game; BRAVES 8, PHILLIES 0, 2nd game
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Ronald Acuna Jr. homered twice and Freddie Freeman also went deep to spoil Spencer Howard's big league debut and Atlanta Braves completed a sweep of the doubleheader with an 8-0 win in the second game.
Acuna also homered in Atlanta's 5-2 victory in the first game. He had four hits in the second game and added his his fourth career multihomer game.
The Phillies had waited since the restart to send Howard (0-1) to the mound.
Freeman hit a two-run homer in the third for the early lead and Acuna had a solo shot to the opposite field in right for a 3-0 lead.
Atlanta's Max Fried (3-0) hummed along against the Phillies until needed to get out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the fifth.
Acuna hit a two-run shot off Trevor Kelley for a 6-0 lead in the sixth.
In the first game, Acuna hit a two-run homer off Deolis Guerra (1-1) and Adam Duvall had a three-run double to lead the Braves.
Tyler Matzek (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Mark Melancon worked a scoreless ninth for his third save.
INDIANS 5, WHITE SOX 4, 10 innings
CHICAGO (AP) - Delino DeShields snapped a tie with a perfectly placed squeeze bunt in the 10th inning to lift Cleveland.
DeShields' bunt drove in José RamÃrez, who started the inning on second as part of baseball's extra-inning rule for the pandemic-shortened season. Mike Freeman added a two-out RBI single that gave Cleveland a 5-3 lead.
Veteran left-hander Oliver Perez got the final two outs following a 46-minute rain delay for his first save. It was just the fifth save of his 18-year career.
Phil Maton (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Jimmy Codero (0-1) allowed two runs, one earned, in the loss.
José Abreu and James McCann homered for Chicago.
ROYALS 4, TWINS 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo (AP) - Hunter Dozier hit a two-run single in his first at-bat since testing positive for COVID-19, and prized prospect Brady Singer earned his major league win to lead Kansas City.
The Royals won their fourth in a row overall. The Twins lost all three at Kauffman Stadium and have dropped four straight.
Dozier hadn't played this season while recovering from the virus. He quickly delivered, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 in the first inning.
Singer (1-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. The Kansas City bullpen threw four shutout innings with Scott Barlow closed for his first save.
Jose Berrios (1-2) went 5 1/3 innings giving up four runs. He allowed Maikel Franco's leadoff homer in the sixth.
RANGERS 7, ANGELS 3
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell was charged with a rare four-base error when a fly ball from Texas' Nick Solak popped out of the rookie's glove and flew the few remaining feet over the fence in the Rangers' win.
The play was initially ruled a home run for Solak, but the official scorer changed it to an error after consulting with the Elias Sports Bureau.
Texas completed a three-game sweep as Lance Lynn (2-0) earned his 100th career win, losing a shutout on Tommy La Stella's two-run homer in the fifth.
Shin-Soo Choo capped a four-run fourth with a two-run single that chased Angels starter Andrew Heaney (1-1). Rougned Odor ended an 0-for-18 skid with an RBI single for the first run in the fourth.
BREWERS 9, REDS 3
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Christian Yelich homered, tripled and drew a bases-loaded walk Milwaukee got its first home victory.
The Brewers avoided falling to 0-5 at home for the first time since 1970, the franchise's inaugural season in Milwaukee.
Justin Smoak broke out of a slump and delivered hits from each side of the plate during a six-run rally in the sixth that put the Brewers ahead for good. Milwaukee poured it on in the seventh with back-to-back homers from Keston Hiura and Yelich.
Sonny Gray (3-1) gave up three hits to the Brewers' first four batters of the sixth and left with the score tied and runners on the corners with one out. Michael Lorenzen replaced Gray and didn't retire any of the four hitters he faced as the Brewers eventually built a 7-2 lead.
Brent Suter (2-0) earned the win with two innings of shutout relief.
METS 4, MARLINS 2
NEW YORK (AP) - Jacob deGrom dodged trouble for five innings, rookie Andrés Giménez had three hits and scored three runs, and New York won a home series for the first time this season.
DeGrom (2-0) allowed two runs and seven hits, marking the 25th time in his past 27 starts he permitted three runs or fewer.
Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run homer in the fifth for the Marlins, who lost their second straight after getting off to a 7-1 start despite 18 players testing positive for the coronavirus.
Seth Lugo tossed a scoreless ninth for his third save.
Pablo Lopez (1-1) allowed three runs - two earned - and five hits in five innings.
RED SOX 5, BLUE JAYS 3
BOSTON (AP) - Mitch Moreland hit two home runs, including a walk-off shot over the Green Monster to lead Boston.
Xander Bogaerts drew a two-out walk from Thomas Hatch (0-1) to set up Moreland's game-winner. Matt Barnes (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth to get the win.
The Blue Jays now head to Buffalo, New York, where they'll play their remaining home games at the site of their Triple-A affiliate across the Niagara River from Canada.
Rafael Devers also homered for the Red Sox.
RAYS 4, YANKEES 3
ST. PETERSURG, Fla. (AP) - Michael Perez had an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Tampa Bay.
Mike Brosseau started the ninth with a double off Zack Britton (0-1) but was thrown out at third on Brandon Lowe's grounder. Lowe advanced to second on a wild pitch before Manuel Margot walked.
After both runners advanced on Willy Adames grounder to first, Perez lined a single to right as the Rays took three of four from the AL East leaders.
Brosseau and Lowe both homered in the seventh, when the Rays tied it at 3.
Ryan Thompson (1-0) worked a perfect ninth for his first major league win.
TIGERS 2, PIRATES 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Spencer Turnbull pitched seven strong innings and Miguel Cabrera singled home the tiebreaking run in the eighth for Detroit.
Cabrera's single to left-center field off Richard Rodriguez (0-1) scored Jonathan Schoop, who was hit by a pitch with two outs and took second on a wild pitch.
Turnbull (2-0) allowed only one run and five hits while striking out four and walking two.
Buck Farmer pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Joe Jimenez retired the side in order for his fifth save.
PADRES 9, DIAMONDBACKS 5
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Dinelson Lamet was brilliant in taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Fernando Tatis Jr. continued his remarkable power surge with a two-run homer off winless Madison Bumgarner, who allowed four of San Diego's club-record six long balls as the Padres beat Arizona.
Manny Machado homered twice off Bumgarner. Wil Myers, Francisco Mejia and Ty France also went deep for San Diego.
Lamet (2-0) had allowed only one baserunner, on a hit by pitch, until Kole Calhoun homered leading off the seventh. The right-hander struck out 11 and walked none in 6 2/3 innings.
The Padres remain the only major league team without a no-hitter, having played 8,154 games since 1969 without one.
With the Padres leading 9-1, Diamondbacks catcher Carson Kelly pitched a scoreless eighth.
Bumgarner (0-3) has struggled with the Diamondbacks, who gave him an $85 million, five-year contract in December after he spent a decade with the San Francisco Giants, helping them win three World Series titles in five seasons.
He allowed six runs and five hits in two innings. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said the 31-year-old lefty exited after experiencing back spasms.
DODGERS 6, GIANTS 2
LOS ANGELES (AP) - AJ Pollock and Mookie Betts each hit a three-run homer to rally Los Angeles past San Francisco.
The Dodgers have won nine of 12, and they took two of three in the series from their NL West rivals. Their 29 long balls lead the majors.
With the Dodgers trailing 2-0, Cody Bellinger singled off Giants starter Kevin Gausman with one out in the seventh inning and Justin Turner followed with a single off submariner Tyler Rogers (1-3). Max Muncy took a called third strike, but Pollock sent a full-count pitch to left-center for his fourth homer and a 3-2 lead.
Betts' shot in the eighth made it 6-2.
Jake McGee (1-0) got the win with a hitless inning.
Mike Yastrzemski had a two-run single in the fifth for the Giants.
MARINERS 5, ROCKIES 3
SEATTLE (AP) - Justus Sheffield pitched six shutout innings for his first major league win, Dylan Moore hit a two-run homer and Seattle slowed down Colorado.
Sheffield (1-2) gave up four hits without a walk and struck out seven in his longest stint this season. He worked his way out of a jam with a strikeout to end the fifth, then sat down two more Rockies in the sixth before reaching his pitch limit.
Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a first-inning double for Colorado. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Rockies, who had won seven of eight in August -- including two straight over the Mariners.
Colorado starter German Marquez (2-2) allowed six hits in seven innings.