LEFT-HANDER Yusei Kikuchi struck out nine over six innings, and Toronto defeated visiting Tampa Bay 5-2 Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
The Rays entered the series having won their first 13 games of the season, tying a modern baseball record for best start (since 1900). Toronto has now won the first two games of the three-game set and sits three games back in the divisional race. Kikuchi (2-0) allowed one run, four hits and one walk.
Taylor Walls hit a solo homer for Tampa Bay, and Wander Franco had three hits.
Josh Lowe and Manuel Margot led off the ninth with singles against Jordan Romano.
Brandon Lowe blooped a one-out single to load the bases. Romano got the final two outs on a strikeout and a comebacker to earn his sixth save of the season.
In other games, it was the Yankees 6, Twins 1; Padres 10, Brewers 3; Tigers 7, Giants 6 (11 innings); White Sox 7, Orioles 6 (10 innings); Pirates 6, Cardinals 3 (10 innings); Guardians 6, Nationals 4; Mets 3, Athletics 2; Braves 9, Royals 3; Red Sox 9, Angels 7; Reds 13, Phillies 0; Marlins 3, Diamondbacks 2; Astros 8, Rangers 2; Mariners 9, Rockies 2; and Dodgers 2, Cubs 1.
Yankees 6, Twins 1
Domingo German was checked out three times by umpires for possible sticky substances, retired the first 16 hitters he faced and pitched 6 1/3 outstanding innings as New York beat visiting Minnesota in an event-filled game.
At the end of the third, German (1-1) had his hands examined and umpires checked his glove. German was examined before throwing a pitch in the fourth and was allowed to continue. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected by crew chief James Hoye following an animated discussion with umpires.
German, who struck out 10 of the first 15 hitters, also was checked out coming off the mound after the sixth. German allowed one run on three hits and set a career high by striking out 11 batters, five days after walking five and getting no strikeouts in Cleveland.
Jose Miranda had an RBI double to bring home Minnesota’s only run.
Padres 10, Brewers 3
Jake Cronenworth hit a pair of two-run homers and finished with six RBIs as San Diego defeated visiting Milwaukee to end a three-game losing streak.
Cronenworth’s first homer off Brewers starter Freddy Peralta broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth.
Cronenworth’s second homer, a 410-foot line drive to center off Hoby Milner, capped a three-run seventh. It was the first multi-homer game of Cronenworth’s career.
Steven Wilson (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Seth Lugo to earn his first win of the season. Lugo gave up three runs on eight hits and a walk, with five strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Peralta (2-1) took the loss, giving up five runs on nine hits and a walk with five strikeouts in five innings. — Field Level Media
