BOSTON: Luis Severino allowed three hits in seven innings of shutout ball and Aaron Judge celebrated his 25th birthday with a two-run homer and spectacular catch, carrying the surging New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night in the longtime rivals’ first meeting this season.
It was the 11th win in 14 games for the Yankees after they opened the season 1-4.
Severino (2-1) struck out six and walked two, posting his third straight strong start. Dellin Betances worked a perfect eighth and Aroldis Chapman got three outs for his fifth save despite giving up a run.
AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello (1-3) lost his third straight start, giving up three runs — two earned — in 6 2/3 innings. He didn’t lose consecutive starts last season.
Pirates 6 Cubs 5: In Pittsburgh, Gift Ngoepe, the first player from Africa to reach the major leagues, singled in his first plate appearance and Josh Harrison hit a leadoff homer to lead Pittsburgh past Chicago.
Ngoepe was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and entered in the fourth inning as part of a double switch. He finished 1 for 2 with a walk. The 27-year-old South African, who signed with the Pirates in 2008, led off the fourth with a hit off Cubs ace Jon Lester (0-1). The left-hander was tagged for six runs — five earned — and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Josh Bell also homered off Lester.
Anthony Rizzo homered and drove in four runs for the Cubs, who lost for just the second time in eight games. The Pirates won for the third time in nine games.
Mariners 8 Tigers 0: In Detroit, James Paxton struck out nine in seven outstanding innings, and Nelson Cruz and Guillermo Heredia homered to lift Seattle over Detroit.
Paxton (3-0) allowed four hits and a walk in a dominant performance against a Tigers team that had scored 32 runs over its previous two games. It was just what the Mariners needed after losing 19-9 on Tuesday and putting right-hander Felix Hernandez on the disabled list before Wednesday’s game.
Paxton has held the opposition scoreless in four of his five starts this season. He lowered his ERA to 1.39.
Brewers 9 Reds 4: In Milwaukee, Eric Thames scored twice before leaving with an injury and Orlando Arcia homered and had three RBIs to help Milwaukee beat Cincinnati for a three-game sweep.
Ryan Braun had a two-run double and a single off Reds starter Rookie Davis (0-1). Jett Bandy had three hits and two RBIs as the Brewers improved to 6-1 against the Reds this season.
Wily Peralta (4-1) went five-plus innings for the win, allowing four runs and eight hits.
Thames, who leads the majors with 11 homers, appeared to be favoring his left hamstring as he stretched before the Reds batted in the eighth. He left the game but said afterward he was fine and will be back in the lineup Friday night against Atlanta.
Cincinnati hit four solo homers during its seventh loss in eight games. Scott Schebler went deep twice, and Joey Votto and Adam Duvall also connected.
White Sox 5 Royals 2: In Chicago, Avisail Garcia and Leury Garcia homered to back run-starved starter Jose Quintana, and Chicago defeated Kansas City to complete a three-game sweep.
Chicago won its fourth straight, while Kansas City dropped every game on a seven-game trip.
Quintana (1-4) got the offensive support he needed after receiving only four runs in his first four starts combined. The left-hander had a season-high 10 strikeouts in six innings. He allowed five hits and two runs — one earned.
Avisail Garcia’s two-run homer in the sixth gave the White Sox a 4-2 lead. Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier had consecutive two-out RBI doubles in the first.
Abreu left the game with a mild right hip flexor strain after flubbing a slow grounder in the fifth.
Indians 7 Astros 6: In Cleveland, Michael Brantley drove in three runs as Cleveland topped Houston.
Brantley, who played in only 11 games last season after having two operations on his left shoulder, had an RBI double in a three-run first inning and added a two-run single in the fifth.
Carlos Santana had a two-run double in the sixth for the Indians, who have won six of eight.
Trevor Bauer (2-2) allowed four runs in six innings and won his second straight start despite giving up two-run homers to Evan Gattis and Brian McCann.
Nationals 11 Rockies 4: In Denver, Trea Turner nearly hit for the cycle for a second straight night, finishing a triple shy, and Bryce Harper had four more hits to raise his batting average to .432 as Washington routed Colorado.
Turner lined one of three Washington homers, with Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy also going deep, to help the Nationals improve to 8-1 on their 10-game trip.
Tanner Roark (3-0) worked his way out of several jams and threw five solid innings.
Phillies 7 Marlins 4: In Philadelphia, Maikel Franco hit his second grand slam of the month, helping Philadelphia beat Miami for its fifth straight win.
Franco connected off Wei-Yen Chen (2-1) in the third inning for a 4-2 lead. Freddy Galvis hit a solo shot for the Phillies, and Michael Saunders added a two-run homer in the eighth.
Vince Velasquez (1-2) went 6 1/3 innings for his first win since last July and lowered his ERA to 6.33.
Martin Prado homered for the Marlins.
Braves 8 Mets 2: In New York, Julio Teheran stifled the Mets into the seventh inning, Robert Gsellman staggered through a five-run first and Atlanta handed New York its fifth straight loss.
The Braves ended a six-game skid behind 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball from Teheran (2-1). The right-hander allowed four hits, four walks and a pair of sacrifice flies while striking out four. He is 4-0 with a 0.91 ERA in his last seven starts against New York dating to June 21, 2015.
The ailing Mets got Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d’Arnaud back in the lineup but still dropped their ninth in 10 games.
Gsellman (0-2) allowed his first seven batters to reach in an exasperating first inning, including one on his own throwing error. The 23-year-old rookie gave up six runs, 10 hits and three walks over four-plus innings. His ERA climbed to 6.23.
It was the 11th win in 14 games for the Yankees after they opened the season 1-4.
Severino (2-1) struck out six and walked two, posting his third straight strong start. Dellin Betances worked a perfect eighth and Aroldis Chapman got three outs for his fifth save despite giving up a run.
AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello (1-3) lost his third straight start, giving up three runs — two earned — in 6 2/3 innings. He didn’t lose consecutive starts last season.
Pirates 6 Cubs 5: In Pittsburgh, Gift Ngoepe, the first player from Africa to reach the major leagues, singled in his first plate appearance and Josh Harrison hit a leadoff homer to lead Pittsburgh past Chicago.
Ngoepe was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and entered in the fourth inning as part of a double switch. He finished 1 for 2 with a walk. The 27-year-old South African, who signed with the Pirates in 2008, led off the fourth with a hit off Cubs ace Jon Lester (0-1). The left-hander was tagged for six runs — five earned — and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Josh Bell also homered off Lester.
Anthony Rizzo homered and drove in four runs for the Cubs, who lost for just the second time in eight games. The Pirates won for the third time in nine games.
Mariners 8 Tigers 0: In Detroit, James Paxton struck out nine in seven outstanding innings, and Nelson Cruz and Guillermo Heredia homered to lift Seattle over Detroit.
Paxton (3-0) allowed four hits and a walk in a dominant performance against a Tigers team that had scored 32 runs over its previous two games. It was just what the Mariners needed after losing 19-9 on Tuesday and putting right-hander Felix Hernandez on the disabled list before Wednesday’s game.
Paxton has held the opposition scoreless in four of his five starts this season. He lowered his ERA to 1.39.
Brewers 9 Reds 4: In Milwaukee, Eric Thames scored twice before leaving with an injury and Orlando Arcia homered and had three RBIs to help Milwaukee beat Cincinnati for a three-game sweep.
Ryan Braun had a two-run double and a single off Reds starter Rookie Davis (0-1). Jett Bandy had three hits and two RBIs as the Brewers improved to 6-1 against the Reds this season.
Wily Peralta (4-1) went five-plus innings for the win, allowing four runs and eight hits.
Thames, who leads the majors with 11 homers, appeared to be favoring his left hamstring as he stretched before the Reds batted in the eighth. He left the game but said afterward he was fine and will be back in the lineup Friday night against Atlanta.
Cincinnati hit four solo homers during its seventh loss in eight games. Scott Schebler went deep twice, and Joey Votto and Adam Duvall also connected.
White Sox 5 Royals 2: In Chicago, Avisail Garcia and Leury Garcia homered to back run-starved starter Jose Quintana, and Chicago defeated Kansas City to complete a three-game sweep.
Chicago won its fourth straight, while Kansas City dropped every game on a seven-game trip.
Quintana (1-4) got the offensive support he needed after receiving only four runs in his first four starts combined. The left-hander had a season-high 10 strikeouts in six innings. He allowed five hits and two runs — one earned.
Avisail Garcia’s two-run homer in the sixth gave the White Sox a 4-2 lead. Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier had consecutive two-out RBI doubles in the first.
Abreu left the game with a mild right hip flexor strain after flubbing a slow grounder in the fifth.
Indians 7 Astros 6: In Cleveland, Michael Brantley drove in three runs as Cleveland topped Houston.
Brantley, who played in only 11 games last season after having two operations on his left shoulder, had an RBI double in a three-run first inning and added a two-run single in the fifth.
Carlos Santana had a two-run double in the sixth for the Indians, who have won six of eight.
Trevor Bauer (2-2) allowed four runs in six innings and won his second straight start despite giving up two-run homers to Evan Gattis and Brian McCann.
Nationals 11 Rockies 4: In Denver, Trea Turner nearly hit for the cycle for a second straight night, finishing a triple shy, and Bryce Harper had four more hits to raise his batting average to .432 as Washington routed Colorado.
Turner lined one of three Washington homers, with Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy also going deep, to help the Nationals improve to 8-1 on their 10-game trip.
Tanner Roark (3-0) worked his way out of several jams and threw five solid innings.
Phillies 7 Marlins 4: In Philadelphia, Maikel Franco hit his second grand slam of the month, helping Philadelphia beat Miami for its fifth straight win.
Franco connected off Wei-Yen Chen (2-1) in the third inning for a 4-2 lead. Freddy Galvis hit a solo shot for the Phillies, and Michael Saunders added a two-run homer in the eighth.
Vince Velasquez (1-2) went 6 1/3 innings for his first win since last July and lowered his ERA to 6.33.
Martin Prado homered for the Marlins.
Braves 8 Mets 2: In New York, Julio Teheran stifled the Mets into the seventh inning, Robert Gsellman staggered through a five-run first and Atlanta handed New York its fifth straight loss.
The Braves ended a six-game skid behind 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball from Teheran (2-1). The right-hander allowed four hits, four walks and a pair of sacrifice flies while striking out four. He is 4-0 with a 0.91 ERA in his last seven starts against New York dating to June 21, 2015.
The ailing Mets got Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d’Arnaud back in the lineup but still dropped their ninth in 10 games.
Gsellman (0-2) allowed his first seven batters to reach in an exasperating first inning, including one on his own throwing error. The 23-year-old rookie gave up six runs, 10 hits and three walks over four-plus innings. His ERA climbed to 6.23.
