UNDATED (AP) — Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings to lift the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep.
In the opener, Ronald Acuña Jr. led the way with a double and a pair of singles to help Atlanta snap a season-starting four-game losing streak by edging Washington 7-6.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— Tyler Naquin hit another leadoff home run and the high-scoring Cincinnati Reds kept rolling, backing Luis Castillo to rout the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-4 for their fifth straight win. The Reds have started a season 5-1 for the first time since 2016. Their 56 runs are the most in Reds franchise history through the first six games of a season.
— Christian Vázquez homered, Xander Bogaerts had three hits and J.D. Martinez went for extra bases for the seventh game in a row to help the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2. Nathan Eovaldi scattered three hits over seven innings, striking out seven. They’ve beaten the defending AL champion Rays in three straight by a combined score of 26-9.
— Mitch Moreland hit an RBI single with one out in the 10th inning and the Oakland Athletics rallied to beat the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 for their first win of the season. The A’s were in danger of falling to 0-7 for the first time in franchise history before tying it in the ninth off Kenley Jansen when Matt Chapman scored on Elvis Andrus’ sacrifice fly. Oakland then won it in the 10th when Moreland’s line-drive single to center off Jimmy Nelson scored Mark Canha from third. Trevor Bauer struck out 10 but got a no-decision for the Dodgers.
— Kyle Seager slapped an opposite-field, bases clearing double for the big blow in Seattle’s seven-run sixth inning, and the Mariners avoided a sweep with an 8-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. Seager had three hits and his two-out liner down the left field line cleared the bases as the Mariners posted their highest scoring inning of the young season.
– Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander threw out Gio Urshela trying to score on a fly ball in the 11th, moments after pinch-hitter Chance Sisco’s go-ahead single in the top of the inning, and Baltimore beat the New York Yankees 4-3. Brett Gardner bunted Urshela, the automatic runner, to third to open the inning. DJ LeMahieu then ripped a liner to right. Santander set his feet, caught it and delivered a perfect throw home, a couple steps ahead of Urshela, who slid face first into catcher Pedro Severino’s tag.
— Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto each hit a three-run homer, Rhys Hoskins had a solo shot and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 8-2. Phillies ace Aaron Nola allowed one run and six hits, striking out five in four innings. Connor Brogdon got five outs to earn his third win in six games. Three relievers pitched the final 3 1/3 innings.
— José Ramírez’s second two-run homer of the game snapped a tie in the eighth inning and sent the Cleveland Indians to a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals after Cy Young winner Shane Bieber struck out 12. Bieber allowed just three hits in 6 1/3 innings. Salvador Perez homered for the Royals.
— Jorge Polanco hit a two-run double in the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins held off Akil Baddoo and the Detroit Tigers 3-2. Baddoo hit an RBI triple and threw a runner out from left field. Wilson Ramos homered for Detroit.
— Antonio Senzatela pitched eight electric innings on a cool evening, Chris Owings had three extra-base hits before leaving with right leg soreness, and the Colorado Rockies snapped a four-game skid by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0. Senzatela scattered four hits by mixing in a sizzling slider with a fastball that was moving all over. He walked two and struck out three. Senzatela was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eight after throwing 96 pitches.
— Kyle Gibson struck out eight over six scoreless innings as the Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 in the rubber game of a three-game series. Nick Solak homered for Texas off left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu. Marcus Semien hit his third homer of the season for Toronto.
— Lorenzo Cain hit his second homer of the game, a three-run shot in the 10th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff had a no-hit bid going until Ian Happ led off the seventh with a clean single.
– Alex Dickerson scored on Donovan Solano’s sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 to take two of three. Dickerson started the 10th on second base and advanced when Mike Yastrzemski beat out a nubber down the first base line for an infield single. Reliever Tim Hill let the ball roll, thinking it would go foul. Solano followed with a flyball to right to bring in Dickerson.
—Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer and Dylan Carlson added a grand slam, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over Miami 7-0 for a three-game sweep that dropped the Marlins to 1-5 for the first time since 2015.
— Kyle Seager slapped an opposite-field, bases clearing double for the big blow in Seattle’s seven-run sixth inning, and the Mariners avoided a sweep with an 8-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. Seager had three hits and his two-out liner down the left field line cleared the bases as the Mariners posted their highest scoring inning of the young season.
