MLB roundup: Shohei Ohtani blasts 1st pitch, Dodgers down Guardians

Shohei Ohtani homered on the first pitch of the game and scored three runs, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto went six strong innings as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-2 on Monday night.
Ohtani took over the MLB lead with 19 home runs — one more than Yankees superstar Aaron Judge and Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber — by sending Gavin Williams’ fastball into the stands in right field. He also leads baseball with 57 runs.
Yamamoto (6-3) struck out seven, giving up two runs on three hits and remaining second-best in the NL with a 1.97 ERA.
All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games for the Guardians, doubling and scoring on Kyle Manzardo’s single in the sixth. Williams (4-3) walked a season-high six and allowed four runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Brewers 3, Red Sox 2
Jackson Chourio homered on the first pitch from Garrett Crochet and Trevor Megill stranded the bases loaded in the ninth inning as host Milwaukee held off Boston in the opener of a three-game series.
The Red Sox trailed 3-1 after eight innings before rallying against Megill. Trevor Story and Rob Refsnyder walked, and Jarren Duran punched a two-out single to right to score Story from second. Rafael Devers was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Megill got Connor Wong on a flyout to right for his 10th save in 11 opportunities.
Milwaukee starter Chad Patrick allowed three hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out six and walking two. DL Hall (1-0), activated earlier Monday off the 60-day injured list, followed and yielded two hits and one run with 2 1/3 innings. Abner Uribe finished the eighth inning before giving way to Megill. Crochet (4-4) allowed two runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out 11 and walking two in a 108-pitch outing.
Mets 2, White Sox 1
Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted New York over visiting Chicago.
Tyrone Taylor started the winning rally off right-hander Steven Wilson (1-1) with a double off the glove of center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on the warning track. After Jeff McNeil was given an intentional walk, Luis Torrens singled to left to fill the bases, setting the stage for Lindor. It was the Mets’ fifth walk-off win of the season.
Juan Soto also had an RBI sacrifice fly to tie the game for the Mets. Andrew Benintendi plated the only White Sox run on a sac fly.
Cubs 3, Rockies 1
Jameson Taillon threw 6 1/3 quality innings and Kyle Tucker drove in a pair of runs to help Chicago post a victory over visiting Colorado.
Taillon (4-3) allowed one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking none for the Cubs, who won for the eighth time in 10 games. Chicago’s bullpen combined for 2 2/3 one-hit innings — including Daniel Palencia, who earned his third save with a perfect ninth.
Carson Palmquist (0-3) threw five innings of two-run, three-hit ball in his third career start, also striking out four and walking three. Mickey Moniak’s solo home run in the fifth inning accounted for all of the Rockies’ scoring as the club dropped its eighth game in nine tries.
Tigers 3, Giants 1
Riley Greene hit a two-run single and host Detroit opened a three-game series against San Francisco with a victory.
Colt Keith had two hits and scored a run for the Tigers. Starter Keider Montero (2-1) held the Giants to one hit in five innings. He was followed by a parade of five relievers with Will Vest picking up his sixth save.
Detroit’s Javier Baez was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes. Baez was called out on strikes by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi on a pitch that replays showed was low and outside. Wilmer Flores drove in the lone San Francisco run.
Orioles 5, Cardinals 2
Dylan Carlson drilled a three-run home run against his former team and Baltimore defeated visiting St. Louis to secure its first three-game winning streak of the year.
Charlie Morton (1-7) put together his best start as an Oriole by limiting the Cardinals to two runs on four hits in six innings. Ryan O’Hearn provided three hits and Jackson Holliday joined Carlson with two hits.
Pedro Pages homered for St. Louis, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Nolan Gorman had two of the team’s four hits and starter Erick Fedde (3-4) took the loss.
Blue Jays 2, Rangers 1
Kevin Gausman (5-4) surrendered one run on five hits while striking out six batters over eight innings as Toronto opened a three-game series with a win over Texas.
Daulton Varsho opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning and fell a triple short of the cycle. Alejandro Kirk added the eventual game-winning RBI on a sacrifice fly in the fourth frame, and Jeff Hoffman earned his 11th save of the season with a perfect ninth inning. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger each collected a pair of hits in the victory.
Jacob DeGrom (4-2) allowed two runs, five hits and two walks with no strikeouts for the Rangers. In 228 career starts, it was the first time DeGrom has failed to register a strikeout. Wyatt Langford hit a solo shot in the fourth for Texas’ lone run.
Reds 7, Royals 4
Tyler Stephenson clubbed a two-run homer for one of his three hits, Nick Martinez pitched seven quality innings and Cincinnati beat host Kansas City.
Stephenson came in batting .177 but matched the personal hit total from his previous six games. He had three RBIs for the Reds. Martinez (3-5) yielded six hits without a walk, and all three runs he allowed came in the seventh, including Salvador Perez’s two-run homer.
Cincinnati had its way with Royals starter Michael Lorenzen (3-6), who allowed six runs, 11 hits and three walks over five innings. It marked the first time this season a Kansas City starter allowed more than five runs in a contest.
Rays 7, Twins 2
Jonathan Aranda’s three-run homer in the sixth inning pushed Tampa Bay to its sixth straight victory — the longest active streak in the majors — as it handed visiting Minnesota only its fourth loss in its last 20 games.
Starting pitcher Zack Littell (4-5) was outstanding over 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander allowed one run on three hits, fanned four and did not issue a walk. He won for the fourth time in the past six starts and is 3-0 in May. Aranda finished 2-for-4 with the homer, three RBIs and two runs, and Danny Jansen stroked a two-run homer.
The Twins’ Carlos Correa popped a two-run homer, but they produced just four singles after Correa’s deep shot and were only 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position. Starter Chris Paddack (2-5) allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five without a walk.