Curtis Mead homers, Andrew Alvarez shines in relief as Nationals blank Giants 3-0 to avoid sweep

WASHINGTON (AP) — Curtis Mead hit a two-run homer, Andrew Alvarez worked 4 1/3 sharp innings in relief and the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 3-0 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Alvarez (1-0), recalled earlier Sunday from Triple-A Rochester, allowed three hits, struck out five and walked none.

Keibert Ruiz had a run-scoring double and a single for Washington, which earned its first shutout since Sept. 1, 2025 against Miami. San Francisco was blanked for the fourth time this season.

Miles Mikolas replaced opener PJ Poulin with two on and two outs in the first inning and worked four innings. He allowed four hits, struck out four, walked one and lowered his ERA from 11.49 to 9.15.

Rafael Devers and Drew Gilbert had two hits each for the Giants, who were seeking their first four-game win streak of the season under first-year manager Tony Vitello.

The Giants went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.

PIRATES 6, RAYS 3

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Reynolds drove in three runs, Mitch Keller pitched seven strong innings, and Pittsburgh defeated Tampa Bay.

Reynolds’ two-run single to left field capped a three-run fifth and put the Pirates ahead 4-2. The hit came after Nick Gonzales’ tying single drove in Joey Bart, who hit a leadoff double.

Keller (2-1) allowed two runs — on Hunter Feduccia’s single in the fifth — and five hits while striking out five.

Reynolds also drove in the game’s first run on a fielder’s choice in the first that scored Jake Mangum, who led off the inning with a double.

Home runs by pinch-hitter Spencer Horwitz in the sixth and Nick Yorke in the eighth extended the Pirates’ lead to 6-2.

Shane McClanahan (1-2) gave up four runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. He had five strikeouts and no walks.

Junior Caminero homered leading off the ninth for the Rays, connecting off Wilber Dotel, who was making his major league debut. Dotel retired the next three batters to end the game.

YANKEES 7, ROYALS 0

NEW YORK (A0P) — Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the first inning, Ben Rice went deep for the fourth straight game in the second and New York beat reeling Kansas City to complete a three-game sweep on Sunday following a long rain delay.

Ryan Weathers (1-2) bounced back from allowing four homers to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday and permitted five hits in 7 1/3 innings for his first win with the Yankees. The left-hander struck out eight and walked one.

Trent Grisham added a three-run homer in the fifth for the Yankees, who went deep nine times in the series and won the final two games by a combined 20-4 margin after their previous five victories were decided in the final at-bat.

GUARDIANS 8, ORIOLES 4

CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez homered twice, Brayan Rocchio had three hits and three RBIs, and Cleveland beat the Orioles to take three of four from Baltimore.

Ramírez went deep in the fourth and fifth innings off Trevor Rogers (2-2), increasing his franchise record for multi-homer games to 28. He also moved past Earl Averill into second place in Cleveland history with 138 home runs at home.

Juan Brito hit a two-run double and Rocchio had an RBI single in the fourth as the Guardians scored four times to make it 5-0. Rocchio singled home Rhys Hoskins and David Fry in the eighth against Cameron Foster.

Taylor Ward hit his first homer as an Oriole, a three-run shot in the fifth, and Dylan Beavers drove in a run with a grounder for Baltimore, which has lost five of six. Ward, who hit 36 homers for the Los Angeles Angels last season, reached base for the 20th time in his last 21 games and has 11 RBIs during the span.

Matt Festa (1-0) retired the final batter in the fifth with the bases loaded. Rule 5 Draft selection Peyton Pallette followed with two perfect innings.

MARLINS 5, BREWERS 3

MIAMI (AP) — Eury Pérez allowed three hits in six strong innings after Miami dinged Jacob Misiorowski for three runs in the first, and the Marlins beat Milwaukee.

Pérez (2-1) yielded an unearned run and a walk, striking out seven to help the Marlins snap a four-game skid, avoid a series sweep and win for the second time in nine games.

Gary Sánchez had a two-out, two-run single off Miami reliever Andrew Nardi in the eighth, but Calvin Faucher retired pinch-hitter William Contreras on a flyball to keep it 5-3. Pete Fairbanks struck out two in the ninth for his third save in four opportunities.

Misiorowski (1-2) permitted three runs — one earned — on four hits and three walks in five innings. He fanned nine and leads the majors with 42 strikeouts. He left after 97 pitches, with 24 topping 100 mph.

Misiorowski threw five of his first six pitches 101-plus but walked Jakob Marsee. Xavier Edwards singled and Otto Lopez reached on an error by shortstop David Hamilton to load the bases. Marsee scored on a wild pitch, Edwards scored on a double play and Liam Hicks had a two-out RBI single for a 3-0 lead.

CARDINALS 7, ASTROS 5, 10 INNINGS

HOUSTON (AP) — Masyn Winn cleared the bases with a double down the third base line, and St. Louis won its fifth straight game, beating Houston.

Winn was 3 for 5, and he finished the series with seven RBIs.

Houston had the tying run on base in the bottom of the 10th, but Christian Walker grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

Riley O’Brien (3-0) earned the win in relief. Gordon Graceffo got the final out for his first save of the season.

It’s the Cardinals’ first sweep of the Astros in a three-game series in Houston since April 20-22, 2004. They are 5-0 in games decided in extra innings.

Houston rallied from 4-1 down with two outs in the eighth inning. Yordan Alvarez hit his league-leading 10th home run, and after Jose Altuve singled and Walker worked a 10-pitch walk, Isaac Paredes tied the game with a two-run single.

Cardinals starter Michael Liberatore allowed one run and three hits in six innings. The only blemish on his line came in the third inning when Carlos Correa followed Taylor Trammell’s triple with a sacrifice fly.

REDS 7, TWINS 4, 10 INNINGS

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — TJ Friedl hit a go-ahead, three-run double in the ninth inning, Rece Hinds added a two-run double in the 10th, and Cincinnati rallied past Minnesota for a three-game sweep.

Cincinnati scored six runs over the final two innings to win its third extra-inning game this season, matching its total from 2025. The NL Central-leading Reds are 11-0 in games decided by three or fewer runs, including 6-0 in one-run games.

Cincinnati trailed 3-1 entering the ninth when Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson led off with singles against Andrew Morris. Dane Myers walked to load the bases for Friedl, who hit a liner to right-center that made it 4-3.

Austin Martin tied it in the bottom half with an RBI double against Emilio Pagán (2-0), who blew a save for the second time this season.

In the 10th, Eugenio Suárez hit a grounder against Garrett Acton (1-1) that deflected off the glove of third baseman Tristan Gray for an error, and left fielder Martin couldn’t field the slowly rolling ball for another error that allowed automatic runner Elly De La Cruz to score.

Hinds followed with a two-out double that gave the Reds a three-run cushion. Graham Ashcraft worked the bottom half for his first save.

Minnesota’s Victor Caratini had a sacrifice fly in the first and an RBI single in the third.

CUBS 2, METS 1, 10 INNINGS

CHICAGO (AP) — Nico Hoerner hit a sacrifice fly off Craig Kimbrel in the 10th inning, and Chicago sent New York to its 11th consecutive loss by rallying for a victory.

Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto tied it for Chicago in the ninth with an RBI double off closer Devin Williams.

Pete Crow-Armstrong opened the 10th on second as the Cubs’ automatic runner. Dansby Swanson fouled off two bunt attempts before Kimbrel (0-1) threw a wild pitch, moving Crow-Armstrong to third.

After Swanson struck out swinging, Hoerner lofted a flyball to right and Crow-Armstrong scored easily.

Caleb Thielbar (1-1) worked a scoreless 10th for Chicago, which posted its season-high fifth straight win.

MJ Melendez homered for New York, which finished with six hits. David Peterson pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings of bulk relief after manager Carlos Mendoza decided to go with Tobias Myers as an opener.

It’s the longest losing streak for the Mets since they also dropped 11 in a row from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in 2004. They have been outscored 62-19 during the slide, and they are averaging just 2.9 runs over 17 games in April.

ROCKIES 9, DODGERS 6

DENVER (AP) — Mickey Moniak hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh, and Colorado held on to beat Los Angeles to give the Dodgers’ their first losing streak of the season.

Los Angeles won 11 of 13 before dropping the last two in Denver.

Shohei Ohtani doubled twice to extend his on-base streak to 51 games and Ryan Ward had two hits and an RBI in his major league debut.

Ohtani’s RBI double in the third moved him alone in third on the franchise list behind Shawn Green, who reached in 53 straight games in 2000, and Duke Snider, who had a 58-game streak in 1954.

The 28-year-old Ward, who was recalled when Freddie Freeman went on the paternity list, logged 696 games in the minors before getting called up. He had a chance to tie the game against Victor Vodnik with two on and two out in the ninth but Troy Johnston made a diving catch of his blooper in right field to end the game.

WHITE SOX 7, ATHLETICS 4

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Rookie Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas hit two of Chicago’s four home runs off Jeffrey Springs, and rookie Noah Schultz allowed one hit over five innings for his first major league win as Chicago beat the Athletics.

Making his second career start, Schultz (1-1) gave up Darell Hernaiz’s solo home run in the second inning. The left-hander struck out six and walked one in the rubber game of the series.

Vargas led off with a single in the fifth and Murakami followed with his third homer of the series and eighth of the season — a 425-foot shot to right field. Colson Montgomery homered with two outs — his fifth — for a 7-1 lead.

Murakami has more home runs than any Japanese-born player through his first 22 games. He hit his first grand slam in a 9-2 victory on Friday.

PADRES 2, ANGELS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mason Miller closed out a combined two-hitter for San Diego to extend his scoreless streak, and the Padres got RBI singles Sunday from Xander Bogaerts and Bryce Johnson in a victory over Los Angeles.

Bogaerts broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning and Johnson made it 2-0 in the seventh. Both hits came with two outs to help the Padres take two of three games in the series.

Johnson finished with two of San Diego’s five hits for his multihit game this season.

Michael King (3-1) allowed one hit over five shutout innings, striking out six and walking four while working through traffic. Ron Marinaccio, Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez and Miller held down the Angels the rest of the way.

Miller struck out two in a perfect ninth for his eighth save. He is one inning shy of the longest scoreless streak in Padres history, set by Cla Meredith with 33 2/3 innings in 2006.

MARINERS 5, RANGERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Bryan Woo pitched seven strong innings, Rob Refsnyder homered on the first pitch of the bottom of the first and Seattle topped Texas.

J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena each hit two-run homers for the Mariners, who won for the second consecutive day to take two of three in the series after losing their previous four games.

Woo (1-2) allowed a single to Brandon Nimmo to start the game, but retired the next 15 hitters before Josh Smith singled in the sixth. Woo gave up two runs and four hits while striking out six, walking one and hitting a batter. He has pitched seven innings in three of his five outings this season.

Gabe Speier pitched a scoreless eighth and Andres Muñoz struck out the side in the ninth for his third save of the season.

BLUE JAYS 10, DIAMONDBACKS 4

PHOENIX (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto hit a solo homer and had three RBIs, Nathan Lukes added a three-run double and Toronto used an eight-run first inning to cruise past Arizona for a victory that prevented a three-game sweep.

Toronto snapped a four-game losing streak and ended Arizona’s four-game winning streak.

Ryne Nelson (1-2) was rocked for eight runs and got just one out. His season ERA jumped from 3.54 to 6.97.

The first eight Blue Jays batters reached base on five singles, two doubles and a walk. Nelson finally struck out Brandon Valenzuela, but Lukes following with a bases-clearing double for an 8-0 lead, ending Nelson’s day after only 30 pitches.

Toronto starter Kevin Gausman (1-1) gave up two runs over six solid innings. He permitted seven hits and a walk while striking out four. Lukes — who entered the game batting .162 — finished with three hits.

Okamoto hit his third homer in the third, smacking Andrew Hoffmann’s slider 406 feet over the left-center wall.

Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas has hit safety in his first 15 games this season, which extends a franchise record. He has an 18-game hitting streak dating to last season, which is the longest active run in the big leagues.

TIGERS 6, RED SOX 2

BOSTON (AP) — Dillon Dingler hit a three-run homer during Detroit’s four-run fifth inning against Boston’s struggling ace Garrett Crochet, leading the Tigers to a victory over the Red Sox at chilly and rainy Fenway Park.

Dingler also had an RBI double off Crochet in the first inning and had four hits overall, helping the Tigers to their eighth win in nine games a day after they halted their longest road losing streak in 16 years.

The start was moved three hours later to account for heavier rain that was forecasted. It started in chilly conditions with light rain falling some of the time.

Willson Contreras hit a solo homer for the struggling Red Sox, who have scored just four runs in the first three of a four-game series.

Framber Valdez (2-1) earned the victory, giving up a run, three hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks.

BRAVES 4, PHILLIES 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Harris II homered and had three hits as streaking Atlanta defeated slumping Philadelphia to complete a three-game sweep of their NL East rivals.

Ozzie Albies hit an RBI double and Austin Riley also drove in a run for the Braves, who have won five in a row and nine of 11. It was Atlanta’s first series sweep of at least three games at Philadelphia in 10 years.

Kyle Schwarber went deep for the Phillies, who have lost five straight and 10 of 13. They were outscored 56-33 on a 2-7 homestand against the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Braves, leaving Philadelphia 6 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the division standings.

Raisel Iglesias escaped trouble in the ninth inning for his fifth save. Philadelphia put runners on first and second with one out, but Trea Turner struck out and Schwarber lined out to right field on an excellent running catch by Ronald Acuña Jr.

Tyler Kinley (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win.