the associated press ADVERTISING the associated press ARLINGTON, Texas — Eduardo Rodriguez went to bed and dreamed about his major league debut after the Boston Red Sox arrived in Texas. The real thing Thursday night was even better for the
the associated press
ARLINGTON, Texas — Eduardo Rodriguez went to bed and dreamed about his major league debut after the Boston Red Sox arrived in Texas.
The real thing Thursday night was even better for the 22-year-old left-hander.
Rodriguez threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings to become the youngest Red Sox starter to win in his major league debut on the road since 1967, and Boston beat the Rangers 5-1 to spoil Josh Hamilton’s first home game back in Texas on Thursday night.
“I wasn’t nervous after the first couple of pitches,” Rodriguez said. “I went out and saw the lights and saw the stadium, and said, ‘This is what it’s like.’”
Already the youngest Red Sox pitcher to make his MLB debut on the road since 21-year-old Roger Clemens in 1985, Rodriguez became the youngest since Billy Rohr was 21 when winning his debut at the New York Yankees on April 14, 1967.
“He was outstanding. Very impressive, he was poised,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell, whose team snapped a three-game losing streak.
Rodriguez said he never thought about who he was pitching to while facing a Rangers lineup with sluggers like Prince Fielder, Adrian Beltre and Hamilton in his homecoming.
Hamilton was 2-for-4, lining a double into the right-field corner on the first pitch he saw from Rodriguez in the second inning. He added an RBI single in the ninth, on another sharply hit ball to right, to end Boston’s shutout bid.
Back in Texas a month and a day after being re-acquired from the Los Angeles Angels, the 2010 AL MVP had gone 1-for-11 in his first three games after reuniting with the team Monday in Cleveland.
“It’ll be a game I’ll remember forever,” said Hamilton, who got a loud ovation when he came to bat for the first time. “It just makes you feel good, I hope the fans know that I’m giving them everything I’ve got being back, just like I did when I was here before.”
Rodriguez (1-0) struck out seven and walked two, leaving the game with two runners on base in the eighth before Tommy Layne got Shin-Soo Choo on a called third strike.
Dobuleheader:
WHITE SOX 3, ORIOLES 2
ORIOLES 6, WHITE SOX 3
BALTIMORE — Chris Sale struck out 12 over 7 2-3 shutout innings to lead the Chicago White Sox over the Orioles in the opener of a doubleheader caused by rioting in Baltimore last month.
The doubleheader was scheduled after games on April 27-28 were postponed because of riots near the ballpark following the funeral of a black man who died of injuries sustained while in police custody. The third game of that series was played without fans in the stadium.
The nightcap featured a matchup of rookie right-handers. Chris Beck (0-1) gave up four earned runs, 10 hits and four walks in six innings in his major league debut for the White Sox. Mike Wright (2-0) went five innings, allowing three runs and six hits.
Zach Britton, the fourth Baltimore reliever, worked a perfect ninth for his 13th save.
Sale (4-2) dominated the Orioles in the opener, setting a season high in strikeouts, allowing four hits and no walks. Making his first major league start following two appearances as a reliever this month, Orioles rookie Tyler Wilson (1-1) took the loss.
INDIANS 5, MARINERS 3
SEATTLE — Corey Kluber struck out 13 in seven innings to win his third straight decision, Jason Kipnis continued his hot May with two hits and two RBIs, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Seattle Mariners.
Cleveland won for the eighth time in 10 games, inching closer to .500 after struggling the first six weeks of the season. Kluber, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, improved to 3-0 with 50 strikeouts and two walks in his last four starts.
Kluber (3-5) gave up a pair of home runs to Mike Zunino in the third and Dustin Ackley in the sixth, but Seattle was able to mount little otherwise. Kluber earned his first road victory of the season.
James Paxton (3-3) gave up eight hits and three earned runs before leaving with two outs and a 3-0 count against Brandon Moss in the fifth due to a finger injury.
ATHLETICS 5, YANKEES 4
OAKLAND, Calif. — Ben Zobrist drew a bases-loaded walk from David Carpenter in the seventh inning to break a tie and the Oakland Athletics rallied from a three-run deficit to beat the New York Yankees.
Billy Burns and Brett Lawrie homered off CC Sabathia (2-7) to start the comeback from a 3-0 hole and the A’s went on to beat the Yankees for the 10th time in their past 11 meetings in Oakland.
Alex Rodriguez tied Barry Bonds for second place on the all-time RBIs list and Brian McCann homered in his third straight game for the Yankees, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Evan Scribner (1-0) retired all five batters he faced for the win. Tyler Clippard allowed a two-out RBI double by Brett Gardner in the ninth before getting Chase Hedley to fly out for his fifth save in six chances.
GIANTS 7, BRAVES 0
SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Belt’s solo home run in the seventh inning broke up a scoreless pitching duel and the San Francisco Giants won their fourth straight, beating the Atlanta Braves.
Chris Heston (5-3) allowed four hits over 7 1/3 innings to win his third straight decision and give the Giants 12 wins in their past 14 games. He also doubled, his first career extra base hit.
Hunter Pence added a two-run triple and Joe Panik a two-run double in a six-run eighth inning against Brandon Cunniff to break the game open. Pence became the first right-handed hitter to hit safely against Cunniff, ending his streak of 30 straight to begin his career.
Shelby Miller (5-2), who came within one out of a no-hitter in his last road start, took the loss despite allowing one run and five hits over seven innings.
PIRATES 11, PADRES 5
SAN DIEGO — Jung Ho Kang hit a three-run homer and Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco also went deep off Ian Kennedy to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to their seventh straight victory.
A.J. Burnett (5-1), who no-hit the Padres in 2001 while with the Marlins, won his fifth straight start. Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and Francisco Cervelli each had three of the Pirates’ 15 hits.
The Pirates’ first six runs scored on homers, including no-doubters by Kang and Polanco. Marte hit a two-run shot in the third, his 10th. McCutchen was aboard on a leadoff single.
Kennedy (2-5) lost his fourth straight start, allowing seven hits and seven runs.
ANGELS 12, TIGERS 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Chris Iannetta hit his fourth career grand slam, Albert Pujols and Matt Joyce also homered and C.J. Wilson pitched two-hit ball over six innings for the Los Angeles Angels in a rout over the Detroit Tigers.
Wilson (3-3) struck out seven and walked five in the opener of a four-game series. The left-hander allowed his only run in the third, hitting two-time AL MVP Miguel Cabrera on the right foot with the bases loaded after giving up a leadoff single to James McCann and two two-out walks.
Buck Farmer (0-1) made his first start of the season and third of his big league career after getting recalled from Triple-A Toledo, and was charged with seven runs and nine hits in five-plus innings.
