Semien, Dunning lift Rangers over Mariners, win series

Wed, May 10, 2023
Other News (AP)

SEATTLE (AP) - Marcus Semien homered and drove in a pair of runs, Dane Dunning allowed only two runs in six strong innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday.

Dunning (3-0) scattered six hits, struck out five and avoided any major trouble.

Semien's solo home run led off the third inning, when the Rangers got to Seattle ace Luis Castillo. Nathaniel Lowe and Jonah Heim both had RBI doubles later in the inning, Heim's coming with two outs. Castillo (2-1) needed 37 pitches to get out of the inning and was done after five innings. He struck out nine and allowed eight hits.

Seattle's J.P. Crawford scored on an error in the first inning and had an RBI single in the fifth. Jarred Kelenic hit a two-out RBI triple in the eighth off reliever Brock Burke to pull the Mariners within a run.

Will Smith pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

DODGERS 8, BREWERS 1

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Freddie Freeman homered and drove in three runs and Clayton Kershaw won his National League-best sixth game as Los Angeles beat Milwaukee to take the three-game series.

Will Smith and Miguel Vargas also went deep for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who top the NL in home runs (64).

Kershaw (6-2) struck out eight batters and walked none over seven innings while allowing five hits. Besides giving up a home run to William Contreras, he allowed only one other runner to reach second base.

The Dodgers scored seven runs in five innings off Milwaukee starter Wade Miley (3-2).

Milwaukee closer Devin Williams appeared in a rare non-save opportunity, throwing a perfect ninth inning. He hadn't pitched since Sunday.

ROCKIES 4, PIRATES 3

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Jurickson Profar hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the top of the seventh inning and Colorado rallied past a struggling Pittsburgh.

Less than 24 hours after homering twice in a 10-1 rout, Profar gave the Rockies their eighth win in 10 games by lacing a Robert Stephenson (0-1) pitch into left field to score Austin Wynns. Alan Trejo had two hits and an RBI for Colorado. Randal Grichuk added a run-scoring double as the Rockies earned their third-straight series win.

Brad Hand (2-1) earned the win in relief by inheriting a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the sixth and wiggling out of it. Pierce Johnson struck out Josh Palacios with the tying run on third in the ninth to record his sixth save in as many chances.

Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill lasted just 3 2/3 innings, his shortest appearance of the season.

YANKEES 11, ATHLETICS 3

NEW YORK (AP) - Rookie Anthony Volpe hit his first career grand slam to cap a seven-run fifth inning and New York pulled away to rout Oakland and complete their first series sweep this season.

Harrison Bader hit a three-run homer in the first inning that was upheld after a review and DJ LeMahieu added a two-run shot in the fifth. The Yankees hit nine homers in the series.

New York starter Jhony Brito allowed two runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He left after Brent Rooker doubled and Jimmy Cordero (2-1) got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.

Kyle Muller (1-3), who got Oakland's first win by a starting pitcher in its 33rd game Friday in Kansas City, allowed six runs and five hits in four innings.

MARLINS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4

PHOENIX (AP) - Jesus Sanchez hit a three-run homer and started the winning rally in the ninth with a double and Miami improved to 12-0 in one-run games, the best start to a season in baseball history in that category.

Sanchez led off the ninth against Andrew Chafin (2-1) with an opposite-field double to left. Miguel Castro relieved and Bryan De La Cruz ran for Sanchez and advanced to third on Jon Berti's groundout. Joey Wendle doubled down the line in left to drive in the go-ahead run.

Dylan Floro (2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth for the Marlins and A.J. Puk, the seventh Miami pitcher, finished for his sixth save.

ASTROS 5, ANGELS 4

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Cristian Javier struck out 11 over six strong innings of three-hit ball, and Houston overcame Shohei Ohtani's two-run homer in the ninth inning to beat Los Angeles.

Ohtani made things interesting with a two-run shot off Houston closer Ryan Pressly in the ninth, golfing a curveball below the zone into the right-field stands for his eighth homer following Mike Trout's leadoff single.

Anthony Rendon and Hunter Renfroe then delivered singles, but Pressly retired three straight Angels to complete his sixth save.

Houston got back-to-back outstanding starts from Framber Valdez and Javier (3-1), who allowed three runs and struck out 23 over 14 combined innings.

Griffin Canning (2-1) was chased in the fourth for Los Angeles, yielding five hits and five runs. Canning threw several of the fastest pitches of his career in this start, topping 97 mph early, but he also made a two-base error on a pickoff throw during Houston's fourth-inning rally.

TIGERS 5, GUARDIANS 0

CLEVELAND (AP) - Eduardo Rodriguez struck out eight over seven innings, Javier Baez had two hits and two runs and Detroit cruised over Cleveland to win the three-game series.

Rodriguez (4-2) gave up four hits and two walks, allowing only two runners past first base in his sixth straight dominant performance. The left-hander is 4-0 with a 0.43 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings since April 12.

Baez singled, doubled and scored twice in the first three innings as the Tigers built a 5-0 lead. Andy Ibanez and Akil Baddoo each had RBI doubles, Spencer Torkelson singled in a run and Riley Greene plated another off Cleveland starter Peyton Battenfield (0-4).

Jason Foley and Chasen Shreve wrapped up the combined four-hitter and Detroit's fourth shutout of the season. The Tigers handed the Guardians their fifth series loss in six home series this season.

NATIONAL 11, GIANTS 6

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Riley Adams and Lane Thomas homered, Josiah Gray pitched seven strong innings and Washington beat San Francisco in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Ildemaro Vargas went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, finishing a home run shy of the cycle.

Michael Conforto and LaMonte Wade Jr. homered for San Francisco.

The Nationals roughed up Giants left-hander Sean Manaea for eight runs (four earned) in 2 2/3 innings. Manaea (1-2) walked three and struck out four.

Gray (3-5) allowed two runs and five hits, walking four and striking out three. The right-hander has permitted three runs or fewer in seven consecutive starts.

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