UNDATED (AP) — Shane Bieber is now the first pitcher in major league history to start a season with double-digit strikeouts in his first four starts.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner fanned 13 while allowing three runs over eight innings of the Indians’ 6-3 win over the Reds. Bieber has 48 strikeouts this year, matching Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan for the most through the first four starts of a season.
Roberto Pérez hit a three-run homer for Cleveland, which also got homers from Jordan Luplow and José Ramírez to avoid a three-game sweep.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— The last-place Yankees lost their fifth straight game as Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a tiebreaking double off Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning to give the Rays a 4-2 victory and a three-game sweep in the Bronx. Four pitchers combined on the Rays’ second three-hitter of a series in which New York managed 11 hits in all.
— Tim Anderson homered on the game’s first pitch and Dallas Keuchel pitched five solid innings as the White Sox beat the Red Sox, 3-2 in the opener of a twinbill. Yasmani Grandal had an RBI double and Yoán Moncada drove in a run with a single in Chicago’s first win in four games.
— In the nightcap, Yermín Mercedes opened Chicago’s three-run fourth inning with a long homer before the White Sox completed a 5-1 victory and a doubleheader sweep in Boston. Nick Madrigal had two hits and drove in two runs for the Pale Hose, who climbed back to .500 at 8-8.
— Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer off Toronto reliever T.J. Zeuch in the seventh inning to propel the Royals to a 2-0 victory over the Blue Jays. Brady Singer kept Toronto off the board through six innings.
— Matt Olson scored from second on a fielding error by third baseman Jeimer Candelario with two out in the ninth, giving the Athletics their eighth straight win, 3-2 over the Tigers. Sean Murphy hit a tying home run in the eighth as the A’s swept the four-game series.
— Ty France launched a two-run homer and six Mariners combined on a one-hitter in a 7-2 verdict over the Astros. France followed Mitch Haniger’s two-run triple with a two-run home run to left field in the decisive four-run fifth.
— The Rangers ended a five-game home losing streak by downing the Orioles, 1-0 on Nate Lowe’s RBI single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th. Baltimore appeared to take the lead on a single by Trey Mancini in the top of the 10th, but designated runner Maikel Franco was thrown out even though he started the play on third base.
— The Dodgers’ eight-game winning streak is over after Eric Hosmer delivered the tying and go-ahead RBIs in the seventh and eighth innings, helping the Padres earn a 5-2 win over Los Angeles. Dodgers starter Trevor Bauer handed off a 2-1 lead after six innings in a tight duel with another Cy Young Award winner, Blake Snell.
— Freddie Freeman crushed one of Atlanta’s four homers in the first inning against Kyle Hendricks, leading the Braves to a potentially costly 13-4 victory over the Cubs. Travis d’Arnaud, Ehire Adrianza and Guillermo Heredia also connected during Atlanta’s fast start, and Heredia added his first career grand slam in the sixth for his first multihomer game. But the Braves’ offensive performance was overshadowed by the status of Ronald Acuña Jr. after he departed in the fourth due to pain in his lower abdominal muscles.
— Phillies ace Aaron Nola fired his first nine-inning shutout in the majors as he fanned ten while allowing two hits in a 2-0 shutout of the Cardinals. Bryce Harper homered and had three hits for Philadelphia, one day after being held out of the lineup due to tightness in his lower back.
— The Mets won for the fifth time in six games as Marcus Stroman pitched eight innings of one-run ball in their 2-1 victory at Colorado. Stroman also made a dazzling defensive play and catcher James McCann threw out Trevor Story attempting to steal second for the final out.
— Madison Bumgarner had his best outing of the season, allowing a run over five innings as the Diamondbacks beat the Nationals, 5-2. Bumgarner gave up just two hits and dropped his ERA from 11.20 to 8.68 through four starts.
— Alex Wood pitched five innings in his season debut and four relievers completed a three-hitter as the Giants used an unearned run to beat the Marlins, 1-0 and avert a series sweep. Tyler Rogers pitched a perfect ninth for his first save to complete the Giants’ third shutout in their past seven games.
— Colin Moran smacked a three-run homer and supplied a tiebreaking double that gave the Pirates a 6-5, 10-inning win over the Brewers. The Pirates withstood a two-homer performance from Milwaukee’s Daniel Vogelbach to win the deciding game of this series.
