Apr 26, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun (56) celebrates with teammates third basemen David Fletcher (6) and first baseman Albert Pujols (5) after beating the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken/USA TODAY Sports
April 27, 2019
Albert Pujols continued to move up the career RBI list, passing Lou Gehrig for fourth place all-time in the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-1 victory over the Royals Friday in Kansas City.
Pujols stands one behind Barry Bonds for third place with 1,995 RBIs. Only two players (Hank Aaron, 2,297; and Alex Rodriguez, 2,086) have driven in at least 2,000 runs.
Tyler Skaggs (2-2) continued his mastery of the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Skaggs allowed three hits and no runs in five innings (plus one batter). He now has allowed one earned run in 26 innings (0.35 ERA) in four appearances. He has the best ERA all-time against the Royals at Kauffman (min. 20 innings).
Danny Duffy (0-1), who came off the 10-day injured list for his first start of the season, allowed three runs on five hits in five innings. He struggled in the first inning, giving up two runs and three hits. Pujols took a 2-1 pitch from Duffy and drove it into the fountains in left center, 430 feet away. With the home run, his fourth of the year, he moved past Lou Gehrig into fourth place all-time in RBIs.
Blue Jays 4, Athletics 2
Brandon Drury hit a two-run home run with two out in the ninth, and Toronto defeated visiting Oakland.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the bottom of the ninth with a double, his first major league hit, against Yusmeiro Petit (0-1). Billy McKinney sacrificed pinch runner Alen Hanson to third. One batter later, Drury drilled his third homer of the season and his first career walk-off homer.
Robbie Grossman hit a two-run, pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning against Toronto reliever Joe Biagini to tie the game at 2. Ken Giles (1-1) pitched around Chad Pinder’s two-out double that hit the top of the left-field wall in the top of the ninth and got the win.
Reds 12, Cardinals 1
Anthony DeSclafani tossed six shutout innings, while his teammates clouted five homers in visiting Cincinnati’s rout of streaking St. Louis.
DeSclafani (1-1), who entered the night with a 5.59 ERA, gave up four hits and three walks in his 91-pitch stint. Using a four-seam fastball to get St. Louis to chase pitches out of the strike zone, he fanned six.
Eugenio Suarez gave the Reds the lead for good two batters into the game by bombing a homer off the facing of the second deck in left field. It was the first of three solo shots they pounded off Miles Mikolas (2-2).
Phillies 4, Marlins 0
Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run, J.T. Realmuto and Maikel Franco each added a solo homer, and host Philadelphia defeated Miami.
The game began more than 90 minutes late because of thunderstorms in the area.
Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff (1-1) pitched seven strong innings, giving up just two hits and no runs while striking out six and walking one. He threw 86 pitches, 57 for strikes, and lowered his ERA to 2.12. It was the first time in Eickhoff’s career that he lasted at least seven innings and allowed two hits or fewer with no runs.
White Sox 12, Tigers 11
Tim Anderson belted a solo homer with two outs in the ninth inning as host Chicago overcame a seven-run deficit to post a wild victory over Detroit.
After making a pair of solid defensive plays in the top of the ninth inning, Anderson, who finished with four hits, deposited a first-pitch slider from Joe Jimenez (1-1) over the wall in left field for his first career walk-off homer.
Alex Colome (1-0) worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth inning to pick up the win.
Mariners 5, Rangers 4 (11 innings)
Mitch Haniger drove in the winning run on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the 11th inning as Seattle defeated visiting Texas.
With one out and the bases loaded, Haniger hit a hard shot to the left of third baseman Logan Forsythe, who was playing deep. Forsythe attempted to throw to second to start an inning-ending double play but struggled to get the ball out of his glove, and the speedy Dee Gordon beat the throw to second.
Rangers pinch-hitter Shin-Soo Choo had forced extra innings with a game-tying solo home run with one out in the top of the ninth inning.
Brewers 10, Mets 2
Eric Thames and Orlando Arcia drove in two runs each in a five-run third inning, and visiting Milwaukee spoiled the return of New York starter Jacob deGrom with a victory in the opener of a three-game series.
Lorenzo Cain had two hits and three RBIs, Mike Moustakas had two hits and two RBIs, and Christian Yelich also had two hits for the Brewers, who ended a four-game losing streak.
After a nearly three-hour rain delay, deGrom (2-3) made his first pitch shortly before 10 p.m. ET. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner went on the injured list last week after experiencing elbow discomfort. He went four innings, allowing five runs and five hits, striking out seven, walking three and hitting two batters on 89 pitches.
Twins 6, Orioles 1
Nelson Cruz, Eddie Rosario and C.J. Cron hit back-to-back-to-back solo homers in the first inning, and Minnesota continued its recent homer barrage against visiting Baltimore with five blasts in the victory.
The Twins hit 11 homers against the Orioles while sweeping last Saturday’s doubleheader in Baltimore. They now have 16 homers in four games against the Orioles this season.
Cruz hit two, while Rosario, Cron and later Max Kepler added homers as Minnesota improved to 4-0 vs. Baltimore in 2019.
Dodgers 6, Pirates 2
Cody Bellinger and Austin Barnes hit home runs as Los Angeles set the major league record for long balls in consecutive home games during a victory over visiting Pittsburgh.
Bellinger’s first-inning home run gave the Dodgers homers in 33 consecutive home games going back to last season, one better than the 1999 Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers also tied the record for consecutive home runs at home to start a season at 14.
Josh Bell hit a home run for the Pirates, who saw their losing streak extend to a season-long six games during the opener of a five-game road trip.
Indians 6, Astros 3
Houston native Tyler Naquin delivered a run-scoring double in the seventh inning, and visiting Cleveland claimed its second consecutive victory over Houston, rallying for a win.
Cleveland hit three solo home runs off Astros starter Collin McHugh before Naquin completed the comeback by driving home Greg Allen with his double off right-hander Hector Rondon (2-1) for a 4-3 lead. Reliever Adam Cimber (2-1) earned the victory.
Francisco Lindor, who became the third-youngest shortstop to reach 100 career homers, added a two-run shot off right-hander Josh James that scored Naquin in the ninth.
Yankees 7, Giants 3
New York pelted Madison Bumgarner with 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings, then used the no-hit work of four relievers to hold on for a victory over host San Francisco in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
DJ LeMahieu singled, doubled twice and scored three times for the Yankees, who were playing their first game in San Francisco since 2007.
The Yankees scored in four separate innings against Bumgarner (1-4), who remained winless against New York in two career starts.
Rockies 8, Braves 4
Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado hit back-to-back home runs on consecutive pitches and finished with two hits each, and Colorado beat host Atlanta.
Daniel Murphy had three hits, and Antonio Senzatela pitched into the sixth inning for the win.
Tyler Flowers homered twice and finished with four hits, and Nick Markakis had two hits for the Braves.
Padres 4, Nationals 3
Defensive replacement Hunter Renfroe hit a 1-2 pitch for a home run off closer Sean Doolittle with one out in the top of the ninth, as San Diego beat Washington.
Washington shortstop Carter Kieboom, in his third MLB at-bat, hit a solo homer in the eighth off Craig Stammen to tie the game at 3-3.
Padres closer Kirby Yates retired Kieboom on strikes for the last out with the bases loaded in the ninth.
Diamondbacks 8, Cubs 3
Adam Jones had three hits and two RBIs, and Wilmer Flores had two singles and three RBIs as host Arizona extended its winning streak to five games with a victory over Chicago.
The Diamondbacks have won 10 of 12 and have outscored opponents 38-10 during their season-long five-game winning streak, which began with a four-game sweep in Pittsburgh to cap an 8-2 road trip.
David Peralta had two hits, including his 13th double, which broke Paul Goldschmidt’s franchise record for doubles in the first month of a season. Robbie Ray (1-1) struck out seven in five innings.
Red Sox, Rays (ppd.)
Friday’s game between Boston and Tampa Bay at Fenway Park was postponed due to heavy rain in Boston. The game will be made up June 8 as part of a day-night doubleheader.
–Field Level Media
