MLB roundup: Rays' Eovaldi dazzles in return
Nathan Eovaldi threw six no-hit innings in his first start since 2016, and Rob Refsnyder belted a three-run home run Wednesday, lifting the visiting Tampa Bay Rays to a third win in three days over the Oakland Athletics, 6-0.
Making his Rays debut, Eovaldi (1-0) was pitching for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery, which cost him the entire 2017 season, and a follow-up procedure that stalled the start of his 2018 season.
The 28-year-old walked the second batter he faced, Matt Chapman, before retiring 17 in a row to carry a no-hitter and a 4-0 lead through six innings. Having thrown 70 pitches, he was pulled after getting 18 outs, four of which were strikeouts.
The no-hit bid ended two batters into the seventh when Jed Lowrie singled to right-center field off reliever Wilmer Font, whom the Rays had acquired last week from Oakland.
Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 4
J.D. Martinez blasted a go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth inning to help host Boston complete a three-game sweep of Toronto.
Martinez's shot over the Green Monster in left-center field pulled him into a tie with Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels for the major league lead with his 18th homer of the year. Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper would later join the two with his 18th homer.
Eduardo Nunez also knocked a solo home run and had an RBI double while both Jackie Bradley Jr. and Brock Holt had one RBI for the Red Sox, who have won nine of their last 11 games. Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer and Kendrys Morales had a two-run double for the Blue Jays, who lost for the 13th time in 17 games.
Nationals 2, Orioles 0
Max Scherzer took the major league lead in wins, and Bryce Harper homered for the second consecutive night as Washington won at Baltimore.
Scherzer (9-1) allowed two hits in eight innings. He struck out 12 and walked just one.
The Nationals stretched their winning streak to six games and swept a second consecutive series. The Orioles lost their fifth consecutive game as their offense continued to struggle, managing just four hits.
Indians 9, White Sox 1
Corey Kluber struck out 10 over six scoreless innings, and Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 19 games, the longest in the majors this season, as Cleveland routed visiting Chicago.
Jose Ramirez and Edwin Encarnacion hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning as the Indians won their fifth consecutive game. Cleveland swept the three-game series against the White Sox by a combined score of 25-10.
Kluber (8-2) did not walk a batter. When he struck out Daniel Palka in the fourth inning, he extended his streak to 100 consecutive batters without issuing a walk.
Brewers 3, Cardinals 2
Orlando Arcia ripped a two-out, RBI single to send home Jesus Aguilar with the deciding run in the seventh inning as Milwaukee defeated visiting St. Louis.
The Brewers finished the month 19-8, the franchise's best-ever win total in May.
Milwaukee starter Junior Guerra was lifted after six innings of scoreless, four-hit pitching with seven strikeouts. He was replaced by Jeremy Jeffress, who promptly surrendered a leadoff home run in the seventh to the Cardinals' Harrison Bader that tied the game at 1 before St. Louis moved ahead.
Reds 7, Diamondbacks 4
Adam Duvall and Scott Schebler homered, and Cincinnati overcame a four-run deficit to salvage the finale of a three-game series with a victory over Arizona in Phoenix.
Schebler's two-run homer off Patrick Corbin (5-2) in the sixth inning broke a 4-4 tie after Duvall's grand slam in the fourth inning knotted the score as the Reds broke a three-game losing streak.
John Ryan Murphy had three hits and a homer, Jarrod Dyson had three hits and Paul Goldschmidt homered for the Diamondbacks, who had won two in a row after a stretch in which they lost 15 of 17.
Yankees 5, Astros 3
Luis Severino tied his season high with 11 strikeouts in seven effective innings as New York beat visiting Houston.
Severino recorded his eighth career double-digit strikeout game, third this season and second against the Astros. Severino (8-1) won his sixth straight decision, allowing just a two-run home run to Max Stassi among four hits.
David Robertson fanned Altuve and Carlos Correa for the final two outs of a scoreless eighth. Aroldis Chapman allowed an RBI double by Stassi in the ninth but recorded his 12th save by fanning George Springer on three pitches.
Pirates 2, Cubs 1
Josh Harrison hit a home run, and Pittsburgh hung on to beat visiting Chicago and end a four-game losing streak.
Colin Moran had three hits for the Pirates. Pittsburgh's Joe Musgrove (2-0) gave up one run and seven hits in seven innings. Felipe Vazquez, who had failed to convert on his past three save opportunities, gave up two hits in a scoreless ninth for his 10th save.
Jason Heyward had three hits for Chicago, which had won three in a row and four of five.
Mets 4, Braves 1
Jason Vargas, working on three days' rest, pitched five scoreless innings as New York got a split of a four-game series at Atlanta.
Vargas (2-3) entered the game with a 10.62 ERA, but he limited the National League's top offensive team to two hits and one walk. Robert Gsellman pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his second save.
The New York attack was led by Adrian Gonzalez and Brandon Nimmo, who each went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Amed Rosario added two hits and two runs.
Tigers 6, Angels 1
Jose Iglesias ripped a two-run, go-ahead single during a five-run uprising in the sixth inning, lifting Detroit past visiting Los Angeles in a game twice delayed by rain.
Leonys Martin reached base four times and had a run, an RBI and a stolen base for Detroit. Nicholas Castellanos supplied three hits, including two doubles, and an RBI. Iglesias left the game after the sixth due to a right hip contusion.
Both starters came out after the second rain delay. Angels rookie sensation Shohei Ohtani gave up one run on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts in five innings. Detroit's Mike Fiers allowed one run on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Royals 11, Twins 8
Mike Moustakas homered and drove in four runs to help Kansas City notch a victory over visiting Minnesota.
Jorge Soler went 4-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs, and Hunter Dozier smacked his first major league homer for Kansas City. Ryan Goins added a two-run triple for the Royals, who were on top 9-0 after two innings before seeing most of the lead evaporate.
Miguel Sano had three RBIs for the Twins, who have dropped six of their past seven games. Ehire Adrianza and Brian Dozier homered, while Eduardo Escobar and Adrianza each had two RBIs.
Giants 7, Rockies 4
Derek Holland settled down after a shaky opening to pitch five innings, Evan Longoria hit a tiebreaking triple and San Francisco beat Colorado in Denver.
Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Mac Williamson and Andrew McCutchen had two hits apiece to help the Giants salvage the finale of the three-game series at Coors Field. San Francisco won for just the second time in eight games.
Nolan Arenado homered for Colorado while Jon Gray struggled for the fourth straight start, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings. Holland (3-6) yielded four runs on eight hits.
Padres 3, Marlins 2
San Diego scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth on a bases-loaded infield single by pinch hitter Hunter Renfroe and a throwing error by Marlins third baseman Miguel Rojas to defeat visiting Miami.
The walk-off win was the Padres' second of the season and extended the strange streak of Marlins starting pitcher Jose Urena. Miami has lost in all 12 of Urena's starts this season and have lost a franchise-record 14 straight games when Urena starts dating back to last season.
The Marlins went into the bottom of the ninth leading 2-1 thanks to Starlin Castro's two-run homer off Padres starter Clayton Richard in the fourth inning.
Dodgers 8, Phillies 2
Ross Stripling had nine strikeouts over seven innings and also contributed an RBI single as Los Angeles routed visiting Philadelphia.
Matt Kemp added four RBIs, delivering a run-scoring double in the first inning, a two-run home run in the third and a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Max Muncy also hit a home run as the Dodgers won for the 10th time in 13 games.
Nick Williams ended Los Angeles' shutout bid with a home run in the seventh inning.
Rangers 7, Mariners 6
Robinson Chirinos went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, including a two-run double with the bases loaded in the seventh inning that snapped a tie, and Texas won at Seattle.
Relievers Tony Barnette (1-0), Jose Leclerc, Alex Claudio and Keone Kela combined for 3 2/3 innings of one-run relief. Kela pitched the ninth for his 12th save of the season.
The Rangers overcame a 5-3 deficit by batting around in a four-run seventh.
--Field Level Media