KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Pleasant Grove graduate Michael Wacha threw seven innings of two-hit ball and MJ Melendez launched a two-run homer as the Kansas City Royals beat the slumping Chicago White Sox 3-0 on Saturday night.
Texarkana's Wacha (1-0) struck out eight, walked one and allowed just one runner past first base. Royals pitchers have eight quality starts, most in the majors.
Melendez drove Chris Flexen's first-pitch fastball to straightaway center field to snap a scoreless tie in the seventh. Maikel Garcia knocked in another run with an infield single as Kansas City batted around in the inning.
Flexen (0-2) permitted a pair of singles to start the first, then retired 12 straight. He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings, his longest outing since July 4, 2022.
Both starters worked quickly; the first five innings were played in 57 minutes.
Nick Anderson allowed one hit in the eighth and Chris Stratton completed the three-hitter for his first save since July 19 last year with St. Louis.
Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. each had a pair of singles for Kansas City (5-4), which climbed above .500 for the first time since April 9, 2022.
Chicago (1-7) was shut out for the third time already this season. The White Sox have 13 runs, their fewest through eight games since scoring only eight in 1968.
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Rangers overcome big error in 7-2 win over Astros
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Marcus Semien hit a tiebreaking single, six Texas relievers limited Houston to three hits over 5 1/3 innings, and the Rangers overcame Corey Seager's two-run error to beat the Astros 7-2 on Saturday night.
Seager was one of five consecutive Rangers with hits off Houston closer Ryan Pressly as the World Series champs broke open a close game with a four-run eighth.
The Rangers beat the Astros at home for a second night in a row after losing all three games at Globe Life Field while still winning last year's seven-game AL Championship Series between the Texas rivals.
The Astros, defending AL West champions with six division titles in the past seven years, dropped five games under .500 just nine games into the season.
Houston hasn't been that far under .500 since June 2016, the year before the club's current MLB-record run of seven consecutive ALCS appearances.
Josh Sborz, the fifth Texas reliever, was an out away from a perfect eighth inning when he paused after throwing a second called strike to José Abreu.
The right-hander, who recorded the final out of the World Series, winced as he raised his arm, and a Texas athletic trainer jogged to the mound. Sborz left the game shortly thereafter.
José Leclerc finished off the three-pitch strikeout of Abreu before allowing hits to Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez in a scoreless ninth inning, the first hits for Houston since the fourth. Leclerc got his first save.
Altuve had three hits to extend his hitting streak to nine games, the longest to start the season in the star second baseman's 14-year career.
Adolis García didn't extend his five-game homer streak against the Astros going back to the ALCS, but he was among three Rangers with run-scoring hits in the eighth. Seager and rookie Wyatt Langford were the others, while Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras drove in the first two Texas runs.
The Astros took a 2-1 lead in the third inning when Seager fumbled a routine two-out grounder by Yainer Diaz with the bases loaded and threw wide to first, allowing Alvarez and Kyle Tucker to score.
Two of Texas starter Jon Gray's three walks in the third created the bases-loaded situation for the Astros. The right-hander allowed five hits and two unearned runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Brock Burke replaced Gray and allowed Alvarez's single before retiring Tucker on a flyout. José Ureña gave up a walk in a scoreless fifth before Kirby Yates (1-0) and David Robertson each pitched a perfect inning.
Evan Carter had three hits for Texas a night after getting his first two of the season.
Houston's J.P. France (0-1) allowed eight hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
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Seven Guardians combine for 2-hitter in win over Twins
MINNEAPOLIS -- David Fry hit a three-run homer and seven Cleveland pitchers combined on a two-hitter, helping the Guardians beat the Minnesota Twins 3-1.
On a day when they lost ace Shane Bieber to season-ending elbow surgery, the Guardians showcased their pitching depth while improving to 7-2 this season. Carlos Carrasco worked three innings of one-run ball. The 37-year-old right-hander struck out six and walked three before he was pulled after 78 pitches.
Nick Sandlin, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Scott Barlow, Tyler Beede and Emmanuel Clase combined to blank Minnesota over the final six innings. Clase worked the ninth for his fourth save.
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Blackburn, Rooker lead Athletics to win over Tigers
DETROIT -- Brent Rooker homered, Paul Blackburn pitched six sparkling innings and the Oakland Athletics earned their second win of the season, beating the Detroit Tigers 4-0.
Zack Gelof walked and scored three times as Oakland ended a four-game losing streak. Detroit only got two runners to second base in the first seven innings. The Tigers are off to a 6-2 start, but their lineup has been shaky so far.
Blackburn continued his strong start to the season. The right-hander allowed three hits, struck out four and walked none. Detroit's Kenta Maeda allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
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Riley, Braves fight back from deficit to edge Arizona
ATLANTA -- Austin Riley had three hits, the last an eighth-inning single that drove in the go-ahead run, and the Atlanta Braves overcame a six-run, first-inning deficit to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-8.
The Diamondbacks failed to hold the 6-0 lead after they blew a 5-2 advantage in Atlanta's 6-5 win in 10 innings on Friday night.
Jarred Kelenic, who had three hits, led off the eighth with a double off Luis Frias before scoring on a single to right field by Ronald Acuña Jr. to tie the game. Acuña scored on Riley's single to give Atlanta the lead.
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Dodgers pitcher Yamamoto gets first MLB win
CHICAGO -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched out of two early jams in five scoreless innings for his first career major league victory, Max Muncy hit a two-run single and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 on Saturday.
Shohei Ohtani had two hits and reached base three times to help the Dodgers improve to 8-3 with their fifth victory in six games. Yamamoto (1-1) signed a record $325 million, 12-year contract with the Dodgers in the offseason.
Cody Bellinger had two of Chicago's seven hits against his former team as the Cubs had their five-game winning streak snapped.
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Steer homer helps Reds rally past NY Mets
CINCINNATI -- Spencer Steer hit a three-run homer during Cincinnati's five-run eighth inning, helping the Reds knock off the New York Mets 9-6.
Cincinnati trailed 5-4 before Elly De La Cruz singled home pinch-runner Bubba Thompson. Steer followed with a drive to left-center against Yohan Ramírez for his third homer of the season.
The Reds sent 10 batters to the plate in the eighth. Ramírez threw 53 pitches in two innings. The Mets used four relievers in Friday's win, and they were without Edwin Díaz after the closer pitched each of the previous two days.