ROYALS 4, ORIOLES 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chris Young rebounded with a big performance after three poor starts.
Young struck out 10 in six innings, Mike Moustakas homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 Friday night.
Young (1-3), who came in with a 7.90 ERA and had allowed 20 hits in 13 2/3 innings, baffled the Orioles.
"Certainly the last two games, I struggled a little bit," Young said. "After the game in Oakland, Ned (Yost, Royals manager) called me in the office and said, 'I think you are so close to clicking and getting on a roll.' For him to show that confidence shows more than I can really articulate."
Young recorded his sixth career double-figure strikeout game and his first since April 24, 2008, when he struck out 10 against San Francisco while with San Diego.
"It's a function of making good pitches," Young said. "You're not throwing the ball expecting a strikeout or swings and misses. If you make enough good pitches, they are a byproduct. To me just winning the game the night I pitch is the most important thing, whether I strike out 27 guys or no batters, I could care less what the strikeouts are."
Young gave up two runs and four hits, including a sixth inning leadoff home run to Manny Machado, who extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games.
Wade Davis pitched a spotless ninth to log his seventh save in as many chances.
Baltimore starter Yovani Gallardo left after two innings with a shoulder injury.
Moustakas hit his sixth home run on Gallardo's second pitch with Alcides Escobar aboard. Moustakas had a two-out, RBI double in the second off Gallardo.
"I'm just seeing the ball good right now, just trying to get good pitches to hit and putting good swings on good pitches," Moustakas said.
Gallardo (1-1) was pulled after complaining of a stiff shoulder, yielding four runs on five hits. It was Gallardo's shortest outing since April 27, 2012, at St. Louis, when he allowed 8 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks.
YANKEES 6, RAYS 3 Jacoby Ellsbury stole home, a daring dash that seemed to startle most everyone at Yankee Stadium and helped New York rush past the Tampa Bay Rays. Ellsbury's timing in the fifth inning was surprising: He took off with two outs on a full-count pitch to Brett Gardner, who let it go high for ball four.
WHITE SOX 5, RANGERS 0 The Chicago White Sox pulled off their first triple play in nearly 10 years to secure Jose Quintana's scoreless outing and beat the Texas Rangers. Quintana retired 11 consecutive through six innings until he loaded the bases on Prince Fielder's double, Adrian Beltre's single and a walk. Mitch Moreland drilled a ball down the right field line that Adam Eaton caught on the run as the runners took off. Eaton threw to first to get Ian Desmond, and the White Sox eventually got Fielder in a rundown between third and home to finish the play.
RED SOX 6, ASTROS 2 Steven Wright pitched into the seventh inning, and Mookie Betts finished a home run shy of the cycle as the Boston Red Sox beat the Houston Astros. Betts tripled in the first and ninth innings, scoring both times.
INDIANS 2, TIGERS 1 Carlos Santana and Marlon Byrd homered off Justin Verlander, lifting the Cleveland Indians to a victory over the Detroit Tigers. Josh Tomlin (2-0) allowed one run and four hits over 6 2-3 innings. Zach McAllister and Bryan Shaw followed with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
ATHLETICS 8, BLUE JAYS 5 Chris Coghlan hit a three-run home run, Stephen Vogt had three hits and the Oakland Athletics won their sixth consecutive, beating the Toronto Blue Jays. Sonny Gray (3-1) allowed 3 runs and 6 hits in 7 innings as Oakland improved to 7-0 on the road.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CUBS 8, REDS 1 Anthony Rizzo homered for the third consecutive game, and Jon Lester gave a fitting follow-up to Jake Arrieta's no-hitter by going seven innings and leading the Chicago Cubs to a victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Lester (2-1) limited the Reds to five hits, including Zack Cozart's solo home run, and one walk.
PHILLIES 5, BREWERS 2 Maikel Franco homered twice and Aaron Nola pitched seven strong innings as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Milwaukee Brewers. Nola (1-2) allowed four hits and retired 11 consecutive batters at one point and 16 of 17 to close out his outing.
ROCKIES 7, DODGERS 5 Brandon Barnes hit a tie-breaking two-run triple in the eighth inning, lifting the Colorado Rockies past the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nolan Arenado and Ryan Raburn homered for the Rockies, who have won their last four games against the Dodgers.
INTERLEAGUE
NATIONALS 8, TWINS 4 Jayson Werth hit a home run and robbed one in left field, Gio Gonzalez pitched six-plus innings, and the Washington Nationals defeated the Minnesota Twins. Gonzalez (1-0) enjoyed offensive support for the first time in three starts while allowing 3 runs -- 2 earned -- on 6 hits.
Sports on 04/23/2016