MLB: Double plays boost Rangers over Red Sox

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BOSTON — Robinson Chirinos started a five-run third inning with his first homer of the season and the Texas Rangers won 10-7 as the Boston Red Sox hit into five double plays Tuesday night.

The Red Sox scored three runs in the ninth against Joakim Soria on an RBI single by Jonny Gomes and a two-run double by David Ortiz, but Mike Napoli struck out to end the game.

Boston’s five double plays were one fewer than the American League record for a nine-inning game shared by eight teams. The major league mark of seven was set by the San Francisco Giants in 1969.

All of them came against Martin Perez (1-0).

Texas won for the second time in five games as every starter reached base by the fourth inning. Boston lost its fourth game in the last five.

Chirinos’ second career homer broke a scoreless tie and began an inning in which the Rangers batted around against Felix Doubront (1-0).

ORIOLES 14, YANKEES 5

NEW YORK — Delmon Young, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters homered as Baltimore teed off for 20 hits against New York.

Young and Wieters each drove in three runs, and Jones delivered one of the Orioles’ four doubles at a half-empty Yankee Stadium.

Everyone in Baltimore’s starting lineup got a hit and scored a run. The Orioles posted their second-highest hit total in the Bronx, eclipsed only by a 22-hit outburst in 1986.

RAYS 1, ROYALS 0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — James Loney hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Tampa Bay over Kansas City.

Rays starter Chris Archer wriggled out of two bases-loaded jams and went seven innings in an impressive pitchers’ duel between top young arms. Royals rookie Yordano Ventura dazzled in his season debut, holding Tampa Bay to two hits in six shutout innings.

Loney’s grounder to right scored Wil Myers, who snapped an 0-for-15 slump when he reached on an infield single to start the ninth. Myers advanced on a two-out wild pitch by Greg Holland (0-1).

MARINERS 5, ANGELS 3

SEATTLE — Corey Hart hit a three-run homer and a solo shot, sending Seattle past Los Angeles in its home opener.

The Mariners became the final major league team to open at home and improved to 4-0 against the Angels this season. Before the game, a sold-out crowd at Safeco Field gave Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and other members of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks a raucous ovation.

BLUE JAYS 5, ASTROS 2

TORONTO — Melky Cabrera homered for the fourth straight game, Jose Bautista also went deep and Toronto handed Houston its fifth loss in six games.

Cabrera hit a two-run shot off reliever Kevin Chapman in the seventh, connecting on an 0-2 pitch. Cabrera has hit more home runs in eight games this season than he did in 88 last year, when he missed time with leg injuries before having a benign tumor removed from his spine on Aug. 30.

INDIANS 8, PADRES 6

CLEVELAND — David Murphy hit a three-run homer and had four RBIs as Cleveland took advantage of outdoor batting practice and San Diego’s sloppiness in their delayed interleague series opener.

Murphy’s shot in the fourth inning off Tyson Ross (0-2) gave the Indians a 6-2 lead. He added an RBI double in the sixth and is 6 for 8 with five RBIs in his past two games.

Corey Kluber (1-1) pitched six solid innings. John Axford stopped a rally in the ninth for his third save.

The Indians were rained out for the second time Monday and have endured wintry conditions so far at home. They’ve only had BP on the field twice and have scored 15 runs in those games.

Brewers 10, Phillies 4

PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Braun hit three home runs and tied a franchise record with seven RBIs to lead Milwaukee over Philadelphia, spoiling the Phillies’ home opener.

Coming off a three-game sweep of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, the Brewers won their fourth straight game and improved to 5-2.

GIANTS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 3

SAN FRANCISCO — Michael Morse hit a two-run single to back Tim Hudson as each made memorable home debuts with their new team, and Brandon Belt hit a two-run homer for San Francisco.

Hudson (2-0) shut down the D-backs for the second time in seven days with an eight-inning gem in his first outing at AT&T Park since agreed to a $23 million, two-year contract in November.

Belt’s drive off Trevor Cahill (0-3) gave him five homers and the Giants a majors-leading 12.

NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 0

WASHINGTON — Gio Gonzalez threw six crisp innings to lead Washington.

Gonzalez allowed three singles and two walks. He allowed one baserunner to get as far as second, and struck out five hitters. He retired his last 10 batters and is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA.

Adam LaRoche had three hits and drove in a run off Henderson Alvarez (0-2). Anthony Rendon went 2 for 4 with three RBIs as Washington improved to 5-2.

Miami entered an NL-best 5-2, a year after finishing with a league-high 100 losses.

METS 4, BRAVES 0

ATLANTA — Bartolo Colon combined with two relievers on an eight-hitter, Ruben Tejada drove in two runs with two hits and New York beat Atlanta.

Jose Valverde loaded the basses in the ninth before Jason Heyward flied to the warning track in center field to end it.

The 40-year-old Colon (1-1) was dominant through seven innings. He gave up six hits and no walks, struck out five and didn’t allow more than one baserunner in any inning until the seventh as he outpitched Atlanta’s Aaron Harang (1-1).

Tejada scored on a wild pitch by Harang in the third and had run-scoring singles in the seventh and eighth innings.

CARDINALS 7, REDS 5

ST. LOUIS — Matt Holliday hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning that glanced off right fielder Jay Bruce’s glove on the warning track and St. Louis beat Cincinnati.

Yadier Molina homered and Peter Bourjos had three hits and an RBI to help the Cardinals clinch their 26th series win to go with three losses and two splits since 2003 against Cincinnati.

Bruce had a two-run triple in the first, Billy Hamilton’s second hit of the season drove in a run and Ryan Ludwick had two RBIs for the Reds.

PIRATES 7, CUBS 6

CHICAGO — Pedro Alvarez had two hits and two RBIs and Pittsburgh overcame two home runs by Starlin Castro.

Russell Martin drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning for Pittsburgh and Jason Grilli closed with a perfect ninth.

Cubs right-hander Pedro Strop (0-1) walked two batters in the eighth and recorded only one out before being replaced by left-hander James Russell. Russell immediately walked Pedro Alvarez to load the bases and Martin followed with a fly ball to right field that made it 7-6.

DODGERS 3, TIGERS 2, 10 innings

LOS ANGELES — Carl Crawford hit an RBI double in the 10th inning, lifting Los Angeles over Detroit.

The Tigers were down to their final out in the ninth when Victor Martinez got Max Scherzer off the hook with an RBI single against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen — who had just struck out two-time AL MVP Miguel Cabrera — to make it 2-2. Ian Kinsler ignited the rally with a leadoff double.

Joba Chamberlain (0-1) struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth for Detroit, but walked pinch-hitter Chone Figgins to open the 10th and was replaced by Phil Coke.

WHITE SOX 15, ROCKIES 3

DENVER — Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia each hit two of Chicago’s six homers.

Jose Quintana (1-0) pitched seven sharp innings, and Tyler Flowers and Alexei Ramirez also went deep for the first time this season. The White Sox had six total home runs before the fireworks in this one at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

The long balls were the first of the season for both Garcia and Abreu, the Cuban slugger who signed a $68 million, six-year contract in October.