NEW YORK: Helped by a great first-inning catch that forced center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury from the game with a concussion and sprained neck, Luis Severino won for the first time in a month and led the New York Yankees to a 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.
On the first pitch of the game, Ellsbury sprinted 107 feet and raised his glove above his head to catch Alcides Escobar’s fly. Ellsbury’s head jarred into the wall as the ball landed in his glove and he crumpled to the field. After being checked by manager Joe Girardi and head athletic trainer Steve Donohue, he remained in the game but was replaced by Aaron Hicks starting the second.
Didi Gregorius homered against Jason Hammel (1-6) leading off the third inning.
Cardinals 6 Dodgers 1: In Los Angeles, Mike Leake allowed four hits over eight innings as St. Louis beat Los Angeles.
Jedd Gyorko had three hits and drew a walk in the two-run second inning that gave the Cardinals the lead for good.
Yadier Molina hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Molina’s streak ties Kolten Wong for the Cardinals’ longest this season.
Leake (5-2) struck out five and walked none. He maintained a National League-leading 1.91 ERA.
Diamondbacks 8 White Sox 6: In Phoenix, Jake Lamb homered off a left-hander for only the second time this season while five Diamondbacks drove in at least one run as Arizona completed a three-game sweep and won for the eighth time in nine games.
The Diamondbacks scored six runs in the fifth inning, chasing starter Jose Quintana (2-6) and building a six-run lead, but they had to hold off a White Sox rally.
Jose Abreu and Leury Garcia homered for the White Sox, who were swept for the second time on a 3-7 road trip.
Twins 4 Orioles 3: In Baltimore, Jose Berrios took a two-hitter into the seventh inning while Kennys Vargas drove in two runs as Minnesota completed its first three-game sweep in Baltimore since 1996.
Eduardo Escobar had two hits and an RBI for the first-place Twins, who have won six of seven and are a major league best 14-5 on the road.
Berrios (3-0) allowed three runs and four hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven. He was pulled in the seventh after solo homers by Chris Davis and
Blue Jays 8 Brewers 4: In Milwaukee, Ryan Goins hit his first career grand slam, one of four homers for Toronto as it swept two-game interleague series and won three straight to finish a seven-game trip.
Kevin Pillar, Devon Travis and Jose Bautista hit solo shots for the Blue Jays, who have homered in four straight games. Bautista’s towering shot caromed off the Miller Lite sign high above the center-field wall 400 feet from the plate.
Athletics 4 Marlins 1: In Oakland, Sonny Gray struck out a season-high 11 over seven innings in his best start in two years and Khris Davis homered to lead Oakland.
Jed Lowrie matched his career high with four hits including a pair of doubles while Matt Joyce reached base three times and scored to help the A’s earn a split of the two-game interleague series.
Gray (2-1) was dominant while earning his second straight win. He walked one and allowed three hits.
Santiago Casilla got the last three outs for his seventh save.
On the first pitch of the game, Ellsbury sprinted 107 feet and raised his glove above his head to catch Alcides Escobar’s fly. Ellsbury’s head jarred into the wall as the ball landed in his glove and he crumpled to the field. After being checked by manager Joe Girardi and head athletic trainer Steve Donohue, he remained in the game but was replaced by Aaron Hicks starting the second.
Didi Gregorius homered against Jason Hammel (1-6) leading off the third inning.
Cardinals 6 Dodgers 1: In Los Angeles, Mike Leake allowed four hits over eight innings as St. Louis beat Los Angeles.
Jedd Gyorko had three hits and drew a walk in the two-run second inning that gave the Cardinals the lead for good.
Yadier Molina hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Molina’s streak ties Kolten Wong for the Cardinals’ longest this season.
Leake (5-2) struck out five and walked none. He maintained a National League-leading 1.91 ERA.
Diamondbacks 8 White Sox 6: In Phoenix, Jake Lamb homered off a left-hander for only the second time this season while five Diamondbacks drove in at least one run as Arizona completed a three-game sweep and won for the eighth time in nine games.
The Diamondbacks scored six runs in the fifth inning, chasing starter Jose Quintana (2-6) and building a six-run lead, but they had to hold off a White Sox rally.
Jose Abreu and Leury Garcia homered for the White Sox, who were swept for the second time on a 3-7 road trip.
Twins 4 Orioles 3: In Baltimore, Jose Berrios took a two-hitter into the seventh inning while Kennys Vargas drove in two runs as Minnesota completed its first three-game sweep in Baltimore since 1996.
Eduardo Escobar had two hits and an RBI for the first-place Twins, who have won six of seven and are a major league best 14-5 on the road.
Berrios (3-0) allowed three runs and four hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven. He was pulled in the seventh after solo homers by Chris Davis and
Blue Jays 8 Brewers 4: In Milwaukee, Ryan Goins hit his first career grand slam, one of four homers for Toronto as it swept two-game interleague series and won three straight to finish a seven-game trip.
Kevin Pillar, Devon Travis and Jose Bautista hit solo shots for the Blue Jays, who have homered in four straight games. Bautista’s towering shot caromed off the Miller Lite sign high above the center-field wall 400 feet from the plate.
Athletics 4 Marlins 1: In Oakland, Sonny Gray struck out a season-high 11 over seven innings in his best start in two years and Khris Davis homered to lead Oakland.
Jed Lowrie matched his career high with four hits including a pair of doubles while Matt Joyce reached base three times and scored to help the A’s earn a split of the two-game interleague series.
Gray (2-1) was dominant while earning his second straight win. He walked one and allowed three hits.
Santiago Casilla got the last three outs for his seventh save.
