San Diego shortstop Xander Bogaerts delivered a dramatic grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning Thursday evening, lifting the Padres to a thrilling 7-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
The marathon game reached its climax after Fernando Tatis Jr. opened the final frame with a sacrifice bunt, advancing automatic runner Jake Cronenworth to third base. Colorado reliever Valente Bellozo (0-1) then chose to intentionally walk both Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado, loading the bases for Bogaerts. The veteran infielder made the Rockies pay, driving a 1-0 offering over the left field wall for his second long ball of the campaign.
Padres reliever David Morgan (1-0) earned the victory after tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings without surrendering a hit. Colorado threatened in the top of the 12th when they moved their go-ahead run to third base, but Willi Castro was thrown out at home plate on Brenton Doyle’s ground ball to second baseman Cronenworth.
Both clubs managed to score single runs in the 10th and 11th innings before San Diego’s explosive finish.
In other MLB action Thursday:
Twins 3, Tigers 1
Minnesota’s Brooks Lee delivered the decisive blow with a two-run single through the right side in the eighth inning, helping the Twins complete a four-game sweep of Detroit. Josh Bell contributed three hits and a solo homer for Minnesota. Garrett Acton (1-0) captured his first major league victory with two innings of one-run relief work, while Eric Orze notched his first save. Detroit’s Gleyber Torres provided their only run as the Tigers extended their losing streak to five games.
Athletics 1, Yankees 0
Oakland pitcher Jeffrey Springs dominated New York with a near no-hitter, allowing just one hit across seven brilliant innings in the Athletics’ 1-0 road victory. Springs (2-0) carried his no-hit attempt into the seventh before Ben Rice broke it up with a single. Max Muncy’s triple and Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI single provided the game’s only run, giving Oakland their first series victory over the Yankees since April 2016.
White Sox 2, Royals 0
Chicago ended their lengthy road struggles against Kansas City with a 2-0 triumph, snapping a 14-game losing streak at Kauffman Stadium. Anthony Kay (1-0) struck out six batters over 5 2/3 innings, while Colson Montgomery’s RBI double and Luisangel Acuna’s sacrifice fly provided the offense. The White Sox had won just twice in their previous 25 games in Kansas City, with their last victory coming in September 2003.
Diamondbacks 7, Mets 1
Arizona erupted for four runs in the seventh inning, capped by Jorge Barrosa’s RBI triple, to defeat New York in the series finale. Gabriel Moreno’s pinch-hit double tied the game before Alek Thomas drove in the go-ahead run. Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0) allowed one run over six innings for the Diamondbacks, who improved to 7-3 following their season-opening sweep by the Dodgers.
Marlins 8, Reds 1
Miami’s Owen Caissie and Javier Sanoja combined for six hits and five RBIs to power the Marlins past Cincinnati and earn a split of their four-game series. Max Meyer (1-0) scattered four hits over five innings for his first victory, while Cincinnati’s Rhett Lowder (1-1) saw his impressive early-season numbers take a hit, surrendering eight hits and five runs in 5 1/3 innings.
