MLB: Brewers win in 14th after early brawl with Pirates

PITTSBURGH — Ryan Braun homered in the ninth inning to tie it, then Khris Davis hit a home run in the 14th that put Milwaukee ahead for good.

Yet those were hardly the big blows that attracted all the attention Sunday in the Brewers’ 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez, Pirates outfielder Travis Snider and Milwaukee bench coach Jerry Narron were ejected after a shouting match quickly escalated into a punch-filled brawl in the third.

“I’m not apologetic for anything that I did today,” Gomez said. “I was just doing my job.”

The problems started when Gomez paused at the plate and flipped his bat to watch his two-out drive off Pirates starter Gerrit Cole.

Gomez said he thought the ball would be caught. Instead, it hit the wall and he sped into third base, making a headfirst slide for a triple.

Cole, who was near third base backing up the play, stormed toward Gomez and they exchanged words.

Cole said he told Gomez: “If you’re going to hit it out of the ballpark, then you can stop and look at it. But it you’re going to hit just a fly ball to center field, then don’t stand and look at it.’”

That didn’t sit well with Gomez. He took a couple steps toward Cole and the benches and bullpens emptied.

“Everything had stopped,” Gomez said. “He told me something, I told him back, then I talked to the umpire. Then Snider came like a superhero, trying to throw punches at everybody. I just tried to protect myself.”

Milwaukee’s Martin Maldonado came from the dugout and threw a punch that knocked off Snider’s hat.

“We’re a family,” said Maldonado, who expects to be suspended. “I see two guys over Gomez, so I tried to protect him.”

Snider, who wasn’t in the game, and Gomez shoved each other, and the Brewers star fell to the ground.

Pirates catcher Russell Martin called Maldonado’s swing a “sucker punch” and had to be restrained by teammate Gaby Sanchez as he walked off the field.

Last September, Gomez was in the middle of the bench-clearing brawl after arguing with Atlanta pitcher Paul Maholm while rounding the bases after homering.

Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said he fears Gomez could develop a reputation as a guy who starts conflicts. But he said he found little fault in the way Gomez initially handled Cole’s challenge.

“(Cole is) the one that started it all,” Roenicke said. “If you start it, we’re going to respond. Gomey’s not going to sit there and not say anything.”

Gomez said he planned to appeal any suspension.

The Brewers won their third in a row. Pittsburgh has lost three in a row and five of six.

Davis hit his first homer, connecting for a leadoff shot against Jeanmar Gomez (0-1).

“It was pretty hard to see with the shadow,” Davis said.

Zach Duke (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings and Francisco Rodriguez got his seventh save.

Cole allowed one run and six hits in a career-high eight innings, striking out six.

Cole appeared to be in line for the win after Jose Tabata’s eighth-inning infield single scored Ike Davis to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. Roenicke challenged the call, but the play was upheld.

Braun hit his sixth homer with one out in the ninth, giving Pittsburgh closer Jason Grilli his second blown save in as many games.

Mark Reynolds hit his fifth home run, a solo drive in the Milwaukee seventh.

Neil Walker homered for the Pirates in the fourth off Marco Estrada.

METS 4, BRAVES 3, 14TH INNING

NEW YORK — Slumping newcomer Curtis Granderson hit a sacrifice fly in the 14th inning and New York outlasted Atlanta to prevent a three-game sweep.

David Wright had four hits and New York took advantage of three early errors by Atlanta, which had won seven of eight. Granderson went 0 for 6 with an error and was booed all afternoon, but turned those jeers to cheers at the end of a long day.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis drew a leadoff walk from Gus Schlosser (0-1) and advanced on Ruben Tejada’s sacrifice bunt. Eric Young Jr. was intentionally walked to bring up Granderson, hitless in his last 16 at-bats and stuck in a 4-for-44 slide.

The runners moved up on a wild pitch, and Granderson lifted the next delivery into medium left field. Nieuwenhuis slid home ahead of Justin Upton’s throw, and the Mets mobbed Granderson near first base.

Jose Valverde (1-0) worked a scoreless inning for the win, hours after he was demoted from his closer role in favor of Kyle Farnsworth.

NATIONALS 3 CARDINALS 2

WASHINGTON — Denard Span hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and Washington, with Bryce Harper back in the lineup, rallied past St. Louis.

The Nationals loaded the bases in the ninth against Seth Maness (0-1) when Danny Espinosa singled with one out for his third hit, Jose Lobaton singled through the right side of the infield and pinch hitter Nate McLouth walked.

In his second game since being activated from the seven-day disabled list following a concussion, Span lofted a fly to left field. Espinosa easily beat the throw from John Jay, who shifted over from right field as St. Louis used a five-man infield.

Harper started in left field and went 1 for 4 with his first stolen base of the season. The two-time All-Star was pulled from the game a day earlier for what manager Matt Williams called a “lack of hustle.”

Rafael Soriano (1-0) pitched one inning for the win.

REDS 8, CUBS 2

CHICAGO — Homer Bailey pitched six scoreless innings for his first win of the season and Jay Bruce homered and doubled as Cincinnati won for the 17th time in its last 19 games at Wrigley Field.

Zack Cozart hit a two-run homer for Cincinnati, which took two of three this weekend from the Cubs.

Bailey (1-1) struck out eight while allowing six hits and three walks.

The Reds have won 10 straight when Bailey faces the Cubs. He is 7-0 in his last 10 outings against Chicago and 5-0 in his past six at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs have lost six of their last seven.

Carlos Villanueva (1-4) was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings.

DODGERS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1

LOS ANGELES — Yasiel Puig hit a three-run homer and threw out a runner at second base, leading Los Angeles over Arizona.

Puig flipped his bat after connecting to cap a four-run sixth inning. His second homer of the season came after a two-out intentional walk to Adrian Gonzalez.

Dodgers starter Josh Beckett pitched five innings of one-hit ball, striking out seven and walking two.

Jamey Wright (1-0) got three outs for his 93rd career victory, spread over 19 big league seasons and 10 different clubs.

The Dodgers won on manager Don Mattingly’s 53rd birthday.

Josh Collmenter (0-2) gave up Puig’s homer.

GIANTS 4, PADRES 3

SAN DIEGO — Buster Posey hit a two-run home run and Tim Lincecum earned his first victory of the season for San Francisco, which had only three hits in snappng a three-game losing streak.

Padres pitchers retired 23 of the final 24 batters and the Giants didn’t get a hit after the second inning.

The Giants had scored only one run in each of their previous three games.

Lincecum (1-1) was chased by Nick Hundley’s first homer of the season, on the first pitch of the seventh inning that pulled the Padres to 4-3. Lincecum allowed three runs and seven hits, struck out seven and walked three. Sergio Romo pitched the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances.

Padres starter Robbie Erlin (1-2) took the loss.

PHILLIES 10, ROCKIES 9

DENVER — Jimmy Rollins homered early, then hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning that sent Philadelphia past Colorado.

Rollins finished with three hits as the Phillies averted a series sweep. Ryan Howard added four hits, including a homer and triple while driving in three runs.

Rockies star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez exited early because of a sore left knee. He appeared to tweak it running out a high chopper to end the sixth inning.

Justin Morneau homered and drove in five runs for the Rockies. The teams combined for 30 hits, 15 for extra bases.

Jake Diekman (2-1) got the win despite allowing two runs in 1 1-3 innings. Jonathan Papelbon earned his fifth save in six chances.

Matt Belisle (0-2) gave up Rollins’ single that broke an 8-all tie.

MARLINS 3, MARINERS 2

MIAMI — Adeiny Hechavarria hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning after an instant replay went in Miami’s favor and the Marlins completed a three-game sweep.

Mike Dunn (1-2) picked up the win in relief and Steve Cishek pitched the ninth for his third save of the season and 32nd in a row.

Tom Wilhelmsen (0-1) took the loss for the Mariners, who dropped their sixth straight.

In the bottom of the eighth, Christian Yelich was ruled safe at home after plate umpire Ed Hickox initially ruled him out on a force play. First baseman Justin Smoak threw home on a grounder by Garrett Jones.

Marlins manager Mike Redmond challenged the call. It was overturned after a delay of 2 minutes, 20 seconds. Replays showed Yelich slid in safely tying the game at 2.

With the bases loaded and one out, Hechavarria followed with a sacrifice fly to right field against Wilhelmsen.

WHITE SOX 16, RANGERS 2

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jose Abreu and Jordan Danks each had two-run homers, Erik Johnson combined with three relievers on a two-hitter and Chicago snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over Texas, which had won five in a row.

The White Sox went ahead to stay with three unearned runs off Robbie Ross (1-1) in the fifth, including Abreu’s fifth homer of the season for a 5-2 lead.

Johnson (1-1) allowed two runs and only a single over his five innings, but the right-hander walked the leadoff batter the first four innings and threw only 44 of his 87 pitches for strikes. The Rangers also scored on a wild pitch, and had another runner thrown out trying to do the same.

Ronald Belisario threw two scoreless innings before Andre Rienzo and Matt Lindstrom each worked an inning.

Marcus Semien had four hits, including a bases-loaded triple, while Abreu added two doubles to his homer. The White Sox had 18 hits and a season high in runs after scoring a combined 12 runs their previous six games.

YANKEES 5, RAYS 1, 12 INNINGS

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Dean Anna drew a bases-loaded walk on a full-count pitch with two outs in the 12th inning and Carlos Beltran followed with a two-run single as the Yankees beat Tampa Bay for a split of a wild four-game series.

Yangervis Solarte was walked by Heath Bell (0-1) to open the 12th. After failing twice to bunt against C.J. Riefenhauser, Brett Gardner reached on a fielder’s choice and went to third on Brian McCann’s two-out single. Jacoby Ellsbury was intentionally walked before Anna checked his swing to complete an eight-pitch at-bat and score the go-ahead run.

Beltran had his hit off Josh Leuke before Alfonso Soriano added an RBI single that made it 5-1.

Preston Claiborne (1-0) went two scoreless innings for the Yankees.

RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 5

BOSTON — Dustin Pedroia scored from third on left fielder David Lough’s throwing error with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 6-5 comback win over Baltimore Orioles on Sunday night.

Jonny Gomes hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox, who overcame a 5-0 deficit and improved to 4-5 in Fenway Park where they went 53-28 last season.

Adam Jones had three singles and a double, and Nelson Cruz hit a solo homer to spark a three-run first inning for the Orioles.

Boston can take three of four when the series concludes with Monday’s traditional 11 a.m. Patriots’ Day start.

Edward Mujica (1-1) got one out for the win while Brian Matusz (1-1) suffered the loss.

ATHLETICS 4, ASTROS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. — Josh Donaldson homered and doubled twice to back another solid start by Jesse Chavez, and the Athletics beat the Astros to complete a series sweep.

Jed Lowrie and Eric Sogard added two hits apiece for the A’s, who have won 11 of 13.

Chavez (1-0) allowed four hits over six innings and retired seven of the final eight batters he faced after giving up a solo home run to Marwin Gonzalez in the fourth.

Gonzalez had two hits for the Astros. Houston has dropped seven straight.

Donaldson hit a two-run home run off Houston starter Brad Peacock (0-2) in the first and added an RBI double in the seventh. He also had a two-out double in the fifth.

TWINS 8, ROYALS 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Phil Hughes ended a personal losing streak that dated to last July, pitching into the seventh inning and helping the Twins top the Royals to avoid a three-game sweep.

Hughes (1-1), who signed a $24 million, three-year deal in December, allowed an RBI single to Omar Infante in the fifth and a two-run homer to Alcides Escobar in the seventh while winning for the first time in 17 appearances. He had lost eight games since that victory on July 2 for the Yankees.

Josmil Pinto homered and Trevor Plouffe and Kurt Suzuki each drove in a pair of runs for the Twins, who battered Yordano Ventura (1-1).

The loss ended Kansas City’s five-game winning streak.

TIGERS 2, ANGELS 1

DETROIT — Rick Porcello pitched seven sharp innings, and the Tigers took advantage of four errors in a victory over the Angels.

Three of those errors came on one play in the first inning, allowing Detroit’s Ian Kinsler to score from first on a walk. Then in the sixth, Angels catcher Hank Conger threw wildly to first trying to pick off Austin Jackson. It was his second error of the game, and Jackson went to second.

Nick Castellanos followed with an RBI single to put Detroit ahead 2-1.

Porcello (2-1) allowed a run and five hits, striking out four and walking one.

Hector Santiago (0-3) allowed two unearned runs and two hits in 5 2-3 innings.

INDIANS 6, BLUE JAYS 4

CLEVELAND — David Murphy hit a three-run double in the sixth inning and John Axford worked out of bases-loaded jam in the ninth, lifting the Indians to a win over the Blue Jays.

Cleveland entered the sixth trailing 4-2, but reliever Aaron Loup (1-1) walked the bases loaded before Murphy delivered a line drive past third base that kicked off the stands and caromed into shallow left field, allowing all three runners to score.

Axford, the fourth Cleveland reliever, loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth before retiring Edwin Encarnacion on a groundout for his sixth save.

Josh Outman (3-0) recorded the final out of the sixth.