Red Sox beat Royals behind Willson Contreras’ homer and Sonny Gray’s strong outing

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willson Contreras hit his team-leading 10th homer and Sonny Gray outdueled Seth Lugo as the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Monday night.

The first pitch was moved up 30 minutes because heavy thunderstorms were forecast for later Monday.

Gray (5-1) allowed one run on five hits in six-plus innings. He struck out nine and walked one. He has given up two runs over 16 innings (1.13 ERA) since returning from the injured list on May 6. Three relievers followed Gray, with Aroldis Chapman working the ninth for his 11th save in as many opportunities.

Lugo (1-4) allowed two runs on five hits in six innings for Kansas City, which has lost seven of eight.

PHILLIES 5, REDS 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryson Stott hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning and Jhoan Duran worked a 1-2-3 ninth as Philadelphia extended their winning streak to five games with a win over Cincinnati.

The Phillies (25-23) won for the eighth time in nine games and moved two games over .500 for the first time this season. They are 16-4 under interim manager Don Mattingly, who took over last month after Rob Thomson was fired.

Philadelphia scratched MLB home run leader Kyle Schwarber due to illness, and Stott was moved up to the No. 6 spot in a shuffled lineup and hit his fifth homer of the season.

Spencer Steer’s RBI double with two-out in the eighth off reliever Jose Alvarado had given the Reds a short-lived 4-3 lead.

Orion Kerkering (2-0) finished the eighth for Alvarado and was credited with the win. Reds reliever Graham Ashcraft (1-1) took the loss.

MARLINS 12, BRAVES 0

MIAMI (AP) — Javier Sanoja hit his first career grand slam, Joe Mack drove in four runs and Miami shut out MLB-leading Atlanta.

Max Meyer (4-0) continued his strong start to the season, limiting the Braves to just three hits over six innings while striking out six and lowering his team-leading ERA to 2.85.

John King, Calvin Faucher and Lake Bachar combined for a one-hitter the final three innings as the Marlins (22-26) took the first of four games between NL East rivals. It was the largest home shutout win in Marlins history.

The Braves (32-16) were shut out for only the third time this season. Their 12 runs allowed were a season high, and 11 of those came during a disastrous two-inning stretch.

Sanoja’s 375-foot drive against reliever Aaron Bummer highlighted a six-run fifth. It was his first homer of the season, and he became the first Marlins player since Justin Bour (June 10, 2016, at Arizona) to hit a grand slam batting ninth in the lineup.

Xavier Edwards hit a 397-foot shot in the next at-bat against Bummer, who allowed six runs on three hits and walked five.

Mack hit a run-scoring groundout against starter JR Ritchie (1-1) in the second. The rookie catcher followed with a two-run single during a five-run fourth that included Edwards’ run-scoring single and Liam Hicks’ two-run double. Mack also drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth.

Ritchie allowed six hits and struck out four in four innings. Short stop Jorge Mateo pitched the eighth.

RAYS 16, ORIOLES 6

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Díaz had four hits and four RBIs, Junior Caminero homered and drove in four runs, and Tampa Bay battered Baltimore pitching in a victory.

Ryan Vilade and Jonny DeLuca each added three RBIs for the Rays, who had 18 hits and scored their most runs since May 31 last year in a 16-3 win at Houston. Tampa Bay is 13-3 this month and owns the best record in the majors at 31-15.

Díaz got the offense started with a leadoff double and then delivered a two-out, two-run single in the second. The first five hitters in Tampa Bay’s lineup combined to go 13 for 24 with 15 RBIs.

With a thunderstorm pelting Tropicana Field’s new roof, the Rays scored six early runs against Baltimore starter Trevor Rogers (2-5), sending 10 batters to the plate during a five-run second. Tampa Bay also batted around in a four-run sixth, highlighted by Caminero’s three-run homer.

Rays starter Shane McClanahan, a Baltimore native, stretched his scoreless streak to 23 2/3 innings before Adley Rutschman’s two-out RBI single in the third. McClanahan (5-2) then fanned Tampa native Pete Alonso for the left-hander’s 500th major league strikeout.

GUARDIANS 8, TIGERS 2

DETROIT (AP) – José Ramírez homered and hit a two-run double on a 3-for-4 night, and Cleveland beat reeling Detroit.

Slade Cecconi (3-4) held the Tigers to two runs in 7 1/3 innings, his longest outing of the season.

Chase DeLauter and Rhys Hoskins drove in two runs apiece for Cleveland. Angel Martínez extended his hitting streak to seven games with two singles while scoring a run and driving one in. Brayan Rocchio scored three times for the Guardians, who’ve won six of seven.

Matt Vierling homered for the Tigers, who have lost 11 of 13. Riley Greene, whose 11-game hitting streak was snapped on Sunday, had an RBI double among two hits.

Detroit starter Framber Valdez (2-3) battled control issues while giving up four runs in five innings. Valdez, who had won all five of his previous appearances against the Guardians, walked four and threw 89 pitches.

BREWERS 9, CUBS 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Bauers homered and drove in four runs, and Milwaukee beat Chicago in the first meeting this season between the longtime NL Central rivals.

Christian Yelich went deep for the second straight day as Milwaukee used a 13-hit attack to improve to 9-2 in its last 11 games. Andrew Vaughn had two hits and scored twice.

Milwaukee pulled within a half-game of Chicago for the division lead. The Brewers won the Central in 2025 for the third consecutive year and then eliminated the Cubs in a five-game NL Division Series.

Chicago lost for the seventh time in nine games. The Cubs had won 15 in a row at home for their longest win streak at Wrigley Field since an 18-game run in September 1935.

Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (4-4) was tagged for eight runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings in his worst start of the season. He allowed a total of eight earned runs over his previous five starts combined.

YANKEES 7, BLUE JAYS 6

NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit two-run homers off Yariel Rodríguez in the seventh inning, and New York survived another shaky performance by David Bednar to beat Toronto as they opened a homestand against AL East rivals following a 2-7 trip.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs, including a home run on Patrick Corbin’s first pitch of the game, and Bednar allowed a ninth-inning run before stranding a pair of runners by striking out George Springer and retiring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a groundout.

Ernie Clement had four RBIs, including a three-run homer, and Springer hit his first home run since March 30 for the Blue Jays.

New York, which improved to 4-10 in one-run games, trailed 3-1 in the fourth inning and 5-3 in the seventh in its first game against Toronto since losing last year’s AL Division Series.

METS 16, NATIONALS 7, 12 INNINGS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Carson Benge led New York to another extra-inning victory, hitting an RBI single and a two-run double during a 10-run 12th inning in a wild victory over Washington.

New York became the first National League team to score at least 10 runs in an extra inning since the 1919 Cincinnati Reds broke loose for 10 in the 13th inning at Brooklyn.

The Nationals made four errors and left 19 runners on base, but kept it close until falling apart in the 12th. Paxton Schultz (0-1) retired his first hitter on a sacrifice bunt, but the next six reached base, starting with Benge’s infield single off Schultz’s glove that put the Mets up 7-6.

Benge scored on Vidal Bruján’s bunt single with the bases loaded, Brett Baty added a two-run single and Marcus Semien’s RBI single made it 11-6.

New York improved to 6-4 in extra-inning games, the most any major league team has played this season. The Mets, trying to climb out of an early hole, have won six of seven overall — with three coming in extras. Benge came through with the go-ahead swing in all three.

Schultz received his first career decision in his 27th big league appearance.

ROCKIES 7, RANGERS 6

DENVER (AP) — Texas starter MacKenzie Gore surrendered a two-run double to Ezequiel Tovar and then left with an injury after one inning as the Rangers lost to Colorado.

Willi Castro doubled leading off the first against Gore (3-4), and Brenton Doyle and TJ Rumfield drew walks to load the bases. Tovar doubled with one out.

Gore dived for the ball on a swinging bunt by Jake McCarthy that reloaded the bases. He remained in the game and struck out Kyle Karros before getting rookie Sterlin Thompson to ground out, then was replaced by Peyton Gray to start the second.

Jose Quintana (2-2) allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings and left with a three-run lead.

Colorado improved to 10-13 at home this season and 19-11 against the Rangers at Coors Field.

TWINS 6, ASTROS 3

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Josh Bell homered twice and drove in four runs as Minnesota beat Houston.

The game was delayed 1 hours, 57 minutes due to rain and lightning in the bottom of the fifth inning with the Twins leading 3-0.

Bell homered in the second inning to open the scoring, then took Astros starter Tatsuya Imai (1-2) deep to left for a two-run shot in the fourth. It was the 12th multi-homer game of Bell’s 11-year career.

After play resumed, Bell drove in his fourth run with an RBI single in the sixth.

Rojas allowed two hits and struck out three in his first career start. He debuted on April 22 and has made three relief appearances.

Eric Orze (2-1) worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Taylor Rogers got the last two outs for his first save.

ANGELS 2, ATHLETICS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Adam Frazier singled leading off the ninth inning for the first hit against Athletics starter J.T. Ginn, and Zach Neto followed with a two-run homer that gave Los Angeles a victory.

Neto drove a 2-0 sinker 413 feet to center field, stunning Ginn and the A’s while snapping a six-game losing streak for the Angels. It was their third walk-off win this season.

Ginn (2-2) struck out 10 and issued one walk on 105 pitches. He also hit Neto with a pitch in the sixth.

The right-hander was perfect through 4 1/3 innings and came within three outs of the first major league no-hitter since Shota Imanaga combined with two Chicago Cubs relievers for a 12-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 4, 2024.

Lawrence Butler had a pinch-hit RBI single in the top of the ninth that drove in Zack Gelof for the first run of the game, but the Angels rallied to win despite getting outhit 7-2.

Walbert Ureña tossed six scoreless innings for the Angels, allowing four hits and striking out four. Ryan Zeferjahn gave up the first run of the game and walked the bases loaded, but Chase Silseth (1-0) worked out of the jam by getting slugger Nick Kurtz to ground into a game-ending double play.

PADRES 1, DODGERS 0

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Miguel Andujar homered off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first inning, Michael King struck out nine during seven sharp innings of four-hit ball, and San Diego snapped Los Angeles’ five-game winning streak with a victory.

Mason Miller finished the Padres’ five-hitter in their fourth consecutive victory, but only after San Diego’s vaunted closer walked his first two batters on nine pitches. Miller recovered to get three straight outs for his major league-leading 15th save, inducing Andy Pages’ grounder to third to end it.

Andujar had two of the four hits by the Padres in the opener of a nine-game homestand after an impressive sweep of Seattle last weekend.

Shohei Ohtani had two hits for the Dodgers in a pitching-dominated first game of the season between these Southern California rivals.

DIAMONDBACKS 12, GIANTS 2

PHOENIX (AP) — Nolan Arenado hit his seventh career grand slam, Gabriel Moreno added a two-run homer, and Arizona defeated San Francisco.

Arizona matched season highs with 12 runs and 16 hits. Every Diamondbacks player had at least one hit. Ryan Waldschmidt led the way with two doubles and a single. Corbin Carroll hit his fifth triple of the season.

Zac Gallen (2-4) had his second quality start and the ninth overall for the Diamondbacks May 5. He threw six innings and struck out five while allowing four hits and two runs.

The first four batters reached for Arizona, capped off by Arenado’s 403-foot grand slam to left field. They added two more runs in the second, one in the third, and five in the fifth.

Robbie Ray (3-6) took the loss for the Giants, allowing 11 hits and 10 runs, nine earned, in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out one and walked two.

MARINERS 6, WHITE SOX 1

SEATTLE (AP) — Touted prospect Colt Emerson launched a three-run homer for his first major league hit, and Seattle stopped a three-game slide with a victory over Chicago.

Bryan Woo (4-2) pitched six shutout innings for the Mariners, allowing three hits and two walks. The right-hander struck out eight and retired his final 11 batters. He threw 60 of his 90 pitches for strikes.

Julio Rodríguez hit his eighth homer — a solo shot off Noah Schultz (2-3) in the first to put Seattle ahead for good.

Emerson, the team’s top pick in the 2023 amateur draft, connected on a 2-2 pitch from Trevor Richards with two outs in the eighth to extend the lead to 6-1.

The 20-year-old third baseman was selected 22nd overall and recently signed a $95 million, eight-year contract — the largest for a minor league player with no big league experience. He was called up over the weekend and had family in the stands Monday for his second game after they were unable to attend his debut Sunday.