J.C. Escarra blasted a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to lift the host New York Yankees to a 10-9 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon in Tampa, Fla.
Toronto had entered the top half of the frame trailing 8-4, but it struck for five runs, three of which came on Steward Berroa’s home run.
Anthony Volpe went 4-for-4 with two runs for New York, which built an 8-1 lead before Bo Bichette ignited the Blue Jays’ comeback with a two-run shot in the sixth. Clayton Andrews (1-0) blew a save but still came away with a win thanks to Escarra’s heroics.
Berroa finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs. Toronto starter Paolo Espino escaped with a no-decision despite giving up three runs on six hits in four innings.
Cardinals 8, Nationals 5
Miles Mikolas scattered two runs and seven hits across six innings to record a quality start as visiting St. Louis downed Washington in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Mikolas (2-0) walked one and struck out two. Cesar Prieto went 2-for-3 with five RBIs for the Cardinals.
Lewin Diaz ripped a solo shot and Juan Yepez added a two-run homer in the eighth, but the Nationals’ rally came up short. Luis Perdomo (1-1) was tagged for three runs on four hits in just one inning of relief.
Orioles 5, Red Sox 4
Dylan Beavers hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth as host Baltimore edged Boston in Sarasota, Fla.
Jud Fabian also had a run-scoring single in the ninth as the Orioles overcame a 4-2 deficit. Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes gave up four runs (three earned) and four hits in five innings. He fanned two without issuing a walk.
The Red Sox scored all four of their runs in the second. Bobby Dalbec and Wilyer Abreu set the tone with back-to-back home runs to open the inning. Like Burnes, Boston starter Cooper Criswell was not involved in the decision. He surrendered two runs on four hits in four innings.
Twins 6, Rays 5
Minnesota brought home three runs in the eighth and held off visiting Tampa Bay in the ninth for a win in Fort Myers, Fla.
RBI singles from Misael Urbina, Keoni Cavaco and Brian O’Keefe put the Twins up 6-4 in the eighth. Tanner Murray scored on a groundout to pull the Rays within one in the final frame, but C.J. Hinojosa grounded out to end the game with the tying run on third.
Royce Lewis smacked a two-run double for Minnesota, which served up four homers to Tampa Bay.
Marlins 3, Phillies 3
Five relievers combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing host Miami to come away with a tie against Philadelphia in Jupiter, Fla.
The Marlins’ bullpen cleaned things up after Trevor Rogers gave up three runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings. Jesus Sanchez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. had RBI singles for Miami.
Max Castillo let a 3-0 Phillies lead slip away by giving up three runs on five hits in three innings of relief. Whit Merrifield brought home a pair of runs with a base hit as Philadelphia fell below .500 this spring at 8-9.
Tigers 6, Pirates 4
Justyn-Henry Malloy clubbed a two-run homer and Eddys Leonard added a solo shot as part of a four-run fifth that visiting Detroit used to dispatch Pittsburgh in Bradenton, Fla.
The Tigers’ outburst spoiled a solid outing from Pirates starter Mitch Keller, who scattered three hits across four scoreless innings. He permitted one walk while picking up three strikeouts.
Pittsburgh catcher Henry Davis opened the scoring with a two-RBI double in the first. Dustin Peterson went deep in the eighth for the Pirates.
Mets 6, Astros 1
Yolmer Sanchez ripped a three-run double and New York limited host Houston to one hit in a victory in Palm Beach, Fla.
Jake Diekman (2-0) blew a save but picked up the win with one inning of relief, allowing one run on no hits while walking three and striking out two. Tyrone Taylor hit a solo shot in the first and finished with two RBIs.
Jon Singleton collected Houston’s lone hit and Chas McCormick notched the lone RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Pirates 4, Braves 2
Jack Suwinski and Billy McKinney drilled early homers as Pittsburgh built a four-run lead before holding off host Atlanta in North Port, Fla.
Suwinski finished 3-for-3 with a two-run shot to support Pirates starter Jared Jones (1-0), who twirled four scoreless innings of two-hit ball with four strikeouts and one walk.
Atlanta starter Charlie Morton (1-1) took the loss, yielding three runs on five hits over five innings while striking out seven and walking one. Sebastian Rivero and Kade Kern delivered RBI singles in the ninth, but the rally fell short.
Cubs 7, Royals 6
Seiya Suzuki went 3-for-3 with two home runs, three RBIs and three runs, carrying Chicago past visiting Kansas City in Mesa, Ariz.
Yan Gomes also had two homers and Cody Bellinger had one to back Drew Smyly (3-1), who was roughed up for five runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Royals starter Jordan Lyles (0-1) also struggled to find his footing, giving up five runs and seven hits in three innings. Kansas City nearly crawled out of a 7-3 hole, getting a two-run blast from Cam Devanney in the fifth and an RBI single from Logan Porter in the seventh.
Mariners 11, Reds 7
Seattle scored five times in the top of the ninth to record a come-from-behind victory over host Cincinnati in Goodyear, Ariz.
Trailing 7-6 entering the final frame, the Mariners got a two-run bomb from Tyler Locklear and a three-run jack from Alberto Rodriguez to stun the Reds.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s run-scoring triple ignited a three-run eighth that had put Cincinnati in front. Carlos Vargas (1-0) needed to record just one out to tally the win.
Giants 6, Guardians 0
Daulton Jefferies logged four shutout innings to help San Francisco blank visiting Cleveland in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Jefferies (1-0) permitted four hits, walked one and fanned three before a quartet of relievers kept the shutout intact. Matt Chapman slugged a solo home run and Nick Ahmed had an RBI triple in the second to give the Giants the lead for good.
Brayan Rocchio, Josh Naylor and Estevan Florial combined for six of the Guardians’ seven hits.
Diamondbacks 5, Rangers 4
Jancarlos Cintron provided some critical insurance with a solo shot in the top of the ninth as Arizona snuck by host Texas in a World Series rematch in Surprise, Ariz.
Carlos’ blast became all the more important when Jose Godoy brought home a run with a double in the home half of the ninth. Ryne Nelson (4-0) snatched the win and was the beneficiary of a 4-0 Diamondbacks lead. He allowed one run on four hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The Rangers were within one run twice, but they could never find the equalizer. Jack Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, was strong in relief, as Cintron’s homer was the only hit he allowed across three innings.
Giants 11, White Sox 7
David Villar collected four hits, including a home run, to headline a 14-hit attack that visiting San Francisco’s split squad used to beat Chicago in Glendale, Ariz.
The Giants did most of their damage during a six-run seventh, when Villar and Casey Schmitt each hit an RBI single, Ismael Munguia chipped in with a two-run double and Chase Pinder slapped a two-RBI single.
Spencer Howard baffled the White Sox, tossing four perfect innings. After he departed, Chicago struck for three runs in the fifth, but San Francisco’s seventh put the game out of reach.
Brewers 11, Athletics 4
Oliver Dunn cranked a three-run home run among his two hits in Milwaukee’s rout of host Oakland in Mesa, Ariz.
Jake Bauers added a two-run homer for the Brewers, who shelled Athletics reliever Trevor Gott (0-1). Gott didn’t record an out and gave up five runs on four hits.
Jakob Junis (1-0) got the win after allowing three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, only walking one and striking out four. Tyler Soderstrom had a two-run double for Oakland.
Cubs 4, Angels 3
Ben Brown shined on the mound for four innings and visiting Chicago secured a split-squad victory over Los Angeles in Tempe, Ariz.
Brown (1-0) surrendered three hits, walked one and fanned four while keeping the Angels off the scoreboard. The Cubs raced out to a 4-0 advantage thanks in large part to Christopher Morel’s two-run blast.
The Angels rallied, though, with Livan Soto’s ninth-inning RBI single making it a one-run game. However, Thomas Pannone buckled in and got the final two outs of the contest for his first save this spring.
Rockies 11, Athletics 9
Kyle Freeland posted five strong innings in what was an otherwise offensive-oriented game as host Colorado eked by Oakland’s split squad in Scottsdale.
Freeland (2-0) limited the Athletics to two runs and seven hits. He didn’t walk anyone and notched three strikeouts. Michael Toglia led the way at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs for the Rockies.
Kyle Muller (0-2) was tagged with six runs (five earned) on nine hits in three innings en route to a loss. Hoy Park finished with three hits and two RBIs for Oakland.
Mariners 8, White Sox 2
Luis Castillo surrendered one run on four hits in five innings as Seattle powered past visiting Chicago in a battle of split squads in Peoria, Ariz.
Castillo (2-1) paired one walk with five strikeouts. Dominic Canzone’s two-run big fly was the main highlight of a four-run first, then Seattle later extended its lead to 8-1 in the fifth to virtually put the game away.
Braden Shewmake had a run-scoring single for the White Sox. Jake Woodford (0-1) was attacked for seven runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Brewers 5, Rangers 1
Host Milwaukee scored five unanswered runs to prevail against Texas in Phoenix.
Davis Wendzel went deep to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the third, but it was all Brewers from there. Eric Haase and Christian Yelich capped the scoring with back-to-back homers in the eighth, with Haase’s two-run shot.
Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta had to settle for a no-decision. He gave up just one run and four hits in five innings, striking out five without issuing a walk. Texas utilized seven pitchers, with none going longer than two innings.
–Field Level Media