Feisty Reds top Cardinals, 9-6, for 2021 season's first win

Cincinnati Reds' Nick Castellanos, center, reacts after scoring a run ahead of the tag by St. Louis Cardinals' Jake Woodford, right, during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Cincinnati, Saturday, April 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Cincinnati Reds' Nick Castellanos, center, reacts after scoring a run ahead of the tag by St. Louis Cardinals' Jake Woodford, right, during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Cincinnati, Saturday, April 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)

CINCINNATI - Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring, setting off a series of scuffles that included relievers shoving in the outfield as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cardinals 9-6 Saturday.

St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright was knocked around for six runs and chased in the third. The next inning, the teams started tagging each other.

Castellanos, who homered on opening day and hopped out of the box before tossing his bat, was plunked by Woodford with two outs and none on in the fourth. Castellanos retrieved the ball and offered to toss it back to Woodford before flipping it out of play.

A wild pitch soon sent Castellanos scampering home from third and he scored with a headfirst slide for a 7-2 lead as he bumped into Woodford, who took the throw from catcher Yadier Molina at the plate.

As Castellanos began walking away, Molina rushed up and tapped him from behind, and the benches and bullpens emptied in a wild scene.

There was more pushing and shoving before order seemed to be restored. But as relief pitchers for both teams were heading back to their bullpens, they tangled in the outfield. Castellanos was the only player ejected.

Twins 2, Brewers 0

MILWAUKEE - José Berros and three relievers combined on a one-hitter with 17 strikeouts to outduel Milwaukee's Corbin Burnes.

The Twins held Milwaukee hitless until Omar Narvez delivered a one-out single to right off Tyler Duffey in the eighth. Neither team had a hit or walk until Minnesota's Byron Buxton led off the seventh with a homer off Burnes (0-1).

Buxton's homer came on the 87th and final pitch from Burnes, who recorded 11 strikeouts. Berros (1-0) struck out 12, hit a batter and didn't walk anybody in six innings but left after throwing 84 pitches.

Yankees 5, Blue Jays 3

NEW YORK - Gary Snchez joined Elston Howard in 1963 as the only Yankees catchers to homer in each of the first two games and Jay Bruce blooped a two-run single in the seventh for his first hit with his new team in New York's win Toronto.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, limited by injuries to one inning in the previous two seasons, pitched around control problems to allow one earned run over four innings in his Yankees debut.

Left-hander Lucas Luetge also debuted for the Yankees in his first major league appearance in six years.

Orioles 4, Red Sox 2

BOSTON - Maikel Franco drove in two runs after a Boston error, Pedro Severino had his second two-hit game in a row and Matt Harvey made his Orioles debut in a win over the Red Sox.

Franco's single came after Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers made a diving stop on Austin Hays' grounder but sailed the throw to second. The Orioles also took advantage of a Boston error for a two-run inning in Friday's opener, a 3-0 win.

Harvey missed his chance at the win when he was pulled with two outs in the fifth after giving up two singles and a walk in the inning. Adam Plutko (1-0) relieved him and went 2 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Tigers 5, Indians 2

DETROIT - Julio Teheran pitched through trouble in his Detroit debut, leading the Tigers to a win over Cleveland.

For a second straight game, Detroit scored two runs in the first and led the rest of the way. Willi Castro hit an RBI triple off Zach Plesac (0-1) and came home on Miguel Cabrera's groundout. The Tigers added three runs in the seventh.

Cubs 5, Pirates 1

CHICAGO - Jake Arrieta pitched six solid innings in a triumphant return to the Cubs, Kris Bryant and Jason Heyward homered, and Chicago beat Pittsburgh.

Arrieta (1-0) got a warm reception prior to the game, then gave up just one run and six hits. The 35-year-old right-hander struck out five and walked one. Javier Bez singled twice, drove in a run and scored one. He also stole two bases.

Tyler Anderson (0-1) went five innings in his Pirates debut, allowing three runs and five hits.

Phillies 4, Braves 0

PHILADELPHIA - Zack Wheeler allowed only one hit and struck out 10 in seven innings and had two hits and two RBIs at the plate to lead Philadelphia over Atlanta.

Wheeler retired the final 17 Atlanta hitters he faced after a one-out single to Travis d'Arnaud in the second inning.

Archie Bradley and Hector Neris retired all six hitters in the final two innings. Overall, the Braves struck out 14 times out of 28 at-bats on the afternoon.

Wheeler put the Phillies ahead to stay with his run-scoring single in the fifth against Charlie Morton (0-1). Andrew McCutchen then walked and Rhys Hoskins made it 3-0 with a two-run double.

Marlins 12, Rays 7

MIAMI - Miami beat Tampa Bay for the first time in three years after rallying in the late innings.

The Marlins, who trailed 6-4 after 4 1/2 innings, tied the game in the fifth and pushed ahead with three runs in both the seventh and eighth. Starling Marte finished with four hits while Garrett Cooper had three. Rookie Jazz Chisholm had two stolen bases.

Elieser Hernandez made it through just 2 1/3 innings for the Marlins because of biceps inflammation,.

The Marlines needed six relievers to finish the game. Richard Bleier (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief in the seventh.

Chris Archer (0-1) took the loss for the Rays.

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