The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH -- Albert Pujols hit two homers to boost his career total to 683, then caught the warmup tosses when catcher Yadier Molina made his first pitching appearance to close out the St. Louis Cardinals' 18-4 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Molina gave up homers to Yoshi Tsutsugo and Jack Suwinski and four runs while working the ninth inning, eventually completing the Cardinals' three-game sweep. But it was not all fun and games for St. Louis. Starter Steven Matz lasted only four pitches before being pulled with stiffness in his left shoulder.
After Matz exited, Angel Rondón (1-0) entered to strike out Ke'Bryan Hayes with his first pitch. Rondón allowed just one hit in five innings for his first win in the majors, striking out four and walking three.
Exactly a week after Pujols took the mound for the first time in his big league career, Molina got his turn with St. Louis ahead 18-0. Pujols was behind the plate to warm up his longtime teammate in-between innings.
Harrison Bader also homered for the Cardinals, who had a six-run second against Bryse Wilson (0-3).
ANGELS 4, ATHLETICS 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Shohei Ohtani hit a 443-foot leadoff home run and Mike Trout added a solo shot while getting three hits and two RBIs in Los Angeles' victory over Oakland.
Patrick Sandoval (3-1) struck out seven as he pitched four-hit ball into the eighth inning for the Angels, who won the final two games of the weekend series after a four-game skid. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 10th save.
Ohtani hit his ninth home run on Cole Irvin's second pitch, and Trout added an RBI single in the second and his 12th homer in the seventh. Trout, who also doubled in the first, struck out in the eighth to fall a triple short of the cycle for the second time in six days.
Irvin (2-2) yielded three runs on eight hits over six innings for Oakland, which has lost six of eight. The graduate of Anaheim's Servite High School struck out four with two walks.
PHILLIES 4, DODGERS 3, 10 INNINGS
PHILADELPHIA -- Max Muncy's two-run fielding error in the 10th capped a wild late-inning sequence and allowed Philadelphia to beat Los Angeles.
With two outs and men on second and third in the 10th, Alec Bohm hit a little dribbler off Evan Phillips (1-2) to Muncy at second for what appeared to be the final out of the inning. But Muncy didn't field it cleanly, allowing Garrett Stubbs to score the tying run and Roman Quinn to bring in the winning run just ahead of the throw home.
Stubbs had hit his first major league homer to get Philadelphia on the board in the sixth. The Phillies had tied it with two outs in the ninth on Jean Segura's single to left that scored Nick Castellanos, whose two-out double started the rally.
Corey Knebel (1-3) pitched an inning to get the win.
Mookie Betts and Edwin Rios hit solo home runs for the Dodgers.
RED SOX 8, MARINERS 4, 10 INNINGS
BOSTON -- Franchy Cordero hit a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, lifting surging Boston past Seattle.
Trevor Story continued his recent power surge with his fifth homer over the Green Monster in four days and Christian Arroyo added a solo shot for Boston, which posted its season-high fifth straight victory and completed a four-game sweep over Seattle.
Jake Diekman (1-0) earned the win for the Red Sox, who trailed 4-3 when pinch-hitter Christian Vázquez singled against Andrés Muñoz (1-2) in the 10th to advance automatic runner Bobby Dalbec. After Kiké Hernández hit a tying single, Vázquez was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Dylan Moore on Rafael Devers' single, a play upheld by review.
Following an intentional walk and Story's flyout, Cordero won it with his drive to right on 0-2 pitch.
Adam Frazier had a go-ahead single in the 10th inning for Seattle after Eugenio Suárez's homer tied it with two outs in the ninth. Frazier also had a two-run homer for the Mariners, who have lost six of seven and 19 of 25.
WHITE SOX 3, YANKEES 1, 1ST GAME
NEW YORK -- Johnny Cueto pitched six more scoreless innings, AJ Pollock hit a tiebreaking home run off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth and Chicago beat New York in the first game of a doubleheader.
There didn't appear to be any carryover of the anger and tension at Yankee Stadium from the previous afternoon. On Saturday, the benches cleared and Yankees slugger Josh Donaldson, who is white, acknowledged calling Chicago star Tim Anderson, who is Black, "Jackie" -- a reference to pioneering baseball icon Jackie Robinson that elicited criticism from both managers.
Anderson didn't play in the opener. Manager Tony La Russa said he wanted the star shortstop to play only one game.
METS 2, ROCKIES 0
DENVER -- Francisco Lindor broke a scoreless tie with a single in the sixth inning, Taijuan Walker and three relievers combined on a six-hitter and New York extended its streak of rebounding from losses by beating Colorado.
The Mets dropped the second game of a doubleheader Saturday, which led to them win their franchise-best 14th straight game following a loss. By taking two of three, New York also captured its 11th series win this season.
This marked the first time Colorado has been shut out at Coors Field since Aug. 31, 2020, against San Diego.
Walker (2-0) was in complete command over seven stellar innings, scattering five hits and striking out six. Adam Ottavino, Joely Rodríguez and Edwin Díaz finished it off. Díaz got Brian Serven to fly out and pick up save No. 10.
Austin Gomber (2-4) turned in his longest outing of the season, throwing seven efficient innings. He allowed two runs, seven hits and struck out two.
ORIOLES 7, RAYS 6, 11 INNINGS
BALTIMORE -- Rougned Odor had his second game-winning at-bat in three days as Baltimore edged Tampa Bay.
The Orioles won two of three and won a series against Tampa Bay for the first time since July 31--Aug. 2, 2020, when Baltimore managed a three-game sweep at home.
The Orioles trailed 6-4 in the ninth before Austin Hays managed a pinch-hit, two-out, two-run RBI single off Ryan Thompson, who earlier was charged with a balk that moved two runners into scoring position. Then, a thunderstorm delayed the game for 51 minutes.
Baltimore's Chris Owings had a successful bunt to move the automatic runner to third in the 11th off Dusten Knight (0-1). Odor followed with a chopper that first baseman Ji-Man Choi mishandled and got past him to plate the winning run.
Cionel Pérez (2-0) earned the win by throwing two scoreless innings.
Orioles top prospect Adley Rutschman was in the lineup for a second straight game and went 1 for 4 with a hit by pitch. Ryan Mountcastle managed his fifth homer before leaving in the ninth with body cramps for Baltimore, which has lost eight of 10.
PADRES 10, GIANTS 1
SAN FRANCISCO -- Manny Machado set a career high and matched a franchise record with four extra-base hits, and surging San Diego completed a three-game sweep of San Francisco.
On a day when every San Diego starter had at least one hit and San Francisco used outfielder Luis González to pitch, Machado's big afternoon included three doubles, a triple and two RBIs. The five-time All-Star was also intentionally walked. He's the eighth player in Padres history to have four extra-base hits in one game.
MacKenzie Gore (3-1), who pitched in relief Tuesday, worked six innings of three-hit ball and allowed one run. The left-hander had six strikeouts and walked two. González pitched two scoreless innings and allowed one hit.
Alex Wood (3-3) allowed five runs and eight hits in three innings.
MARLINS 4, BRAVES 3
MIAMI -- Sandy Alcantara pitched a six-hitter and Miami beat Atlanta.
The 26-year-old-Alcantara (4-2) limited the Braves to three unearned runs and six hits. He walked two and struck out seven for his fourth career complete game.
Atlanta star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. had two of the hits against Alcantara, extending his on-base streak to 29 games.
Travis d'Arnaud's at-bat to lead off the ninth was extended after Miami first baseman Jesús Aguilar dropped a popup. D'Arnaud doubled and scored on Ozzie Albies' double to make it 4-2. Albies advanced to third on a fly out to right and scored on Austin Riley's RBI groundout. Alcantara got Dansby Swanson on a pop-up to catcher Jacob Stallings to complete his 115-pitch outing.
Ian Anderson (3-3) allowed four runs, seven hits, walked two and struck out six in six plus innings.
Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was removed in the third because of left hamstring tightness.
REDS 3, BLUE JAYS 2
TORONTO -- Joey Votto hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and Cincinnati avoided a three-game sweep.
The one-run win was the second of the season for the Reds. Cincinnati has won nine of 15 following a 3-22 start.
Toronto failed to complete a sweep after winning the first two games of a series for the fourth time this season and the second time this homestand. The Blue Jays dropped last Wednesday's series finale to Seattle after victories Monday and Tuesday.
Votto, who is from suburban Toronto, homered off Yimi Garcia (0-3) for his first home run of the season, and his third extra-base hit in three games since being activated off the injured list following a bout with COVID-19.
CUBS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4
CHICAGO -- Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel hit consecutive homers against Ian Kennedy in the eighth inning, and Chicago edged Arizona to avoid a four-game series sweep.
Wisdom had a bouncer go just foul right before he connected for his ninth homer, sending a leadoff drive deep to center field. Schwindel then drove a 1-0 pitch from Kennedy (3-3) into the bleachers in left for his fourth homer. Schwindel and Wisdom also hit back-to-back homers during Chicago's 7-6 loss on Saturday.
P.J. Higgins drove in three runs with his first career triple for Chicago. Keegan Thompson (4-0) worked three innings of one-run ball for the win for the Cubs, who had dropped four in a row, including blowing a 4-0 lead Saturday.
TIGERS 4, GUARDIANS 2
CLEVELAND -- Rookie Alex Faedo allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings for his first major league win and Miguel Cabrera had an RBI double as Detroit topped Cleveland.
Faedo (1-1) struck out two in his fourth appearance since being called up from Triple-A Toledo on May 4. The right-hander missed all of 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and began this season at Class A Lakeland.
Cabrera's double in the first inning scored Robbie Grossman and was the 603rd of his career, tying Cal Ripken Jr. for 16th all-time. It was his 3,022nd career hit, one short of Lou Brock in the 28th spot.
Javier Báez added a solo homer in the eighth for the Tigers, who snapped a three-game skid and are 5-4 since falling a season-low 14 games below .500 on May 12. Gregory Soto pitched the ninth for his seventh save.
Guardians righty Shane Bieber (1-3) struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings, giving up six hits and three runs, two earned.
NATIONALS 8, BREWERS 2
MILWAUKEE -- Lane Thomas hit two RBI doubles and Washington broke out of its hitting slump in a victory over Milwaukee, which lost Freddy Peralta to shoulder tightness in the fourth inning.
Peralta (3-2) left after allowing a run-scoring double to Thomas during the Nationals' six-run outburst in the fourth inning. That marked the Nationals' highest-scoring inning of the season and matched the biggest run total the Brewers had allowed in a single inning this year.
The Nationals entered the day having dropped seven of their past nine, and they had scored a total of six runs in the seven losses. But they had an early 8-0 lead Sunday and cruised to the win.
Milwaukee got a solo homer from Tyrone Taylor and an RBI single by Andrew McCutchen in the fifth.
TWINS 7, ROYALS 6
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Gio Urshela hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning to complete Minnesota's comeback from a six-run deficit against Kansas City.
Down 6-0, the Twins scored five times in the eighth, capped by Kyle Garlick's two-run homer. Jorge Polanco drew a leadoff walk from Josh Staumont (1-1) in the ninth, Max Kepler doubled and Gary Sanchez tied it with his second sacrifice fly in two innings. With two outs, Urshela singled for the lead.
Reliever Tyler Duffey (2-2) got the win and Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save.
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Yadier Molina delivers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)