Apr 16, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) hits a game-winning walk-off three run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom of the ninth inning at Nationals Park. The Nationals won 6-4. Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper hit a three-run homer with two outs in the last of the ninth off Joaquin Benoit as the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 on Sunday, taking two of three games in the series.
The blast capped a big day in which Harper went 3-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs.
The winning pitcher was Shawn Kelley (2-0), who got the last out in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded, while Benoit fell to 0-1. The second homer of the game by Harper also scored Chris Heisey, who had walked with one out, and Adam Eaton, who had singled.
Aaron Altherr doubled to lead off the ninth and scored on a fielder’s choice to break a tie and give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.
Royals 1, Angels 0
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alcides Escobar’s ninth-inning single scored pinch runner Raul Mondesi as Kansas City blanked Los Angeles to complete a sweep of the three-game series.
Mondesi was running for Salvador Perez, who led off the inning with a single. Mondesi swiped second and moved to third on a Blake Parker wild pitch.
Pinch hitter Mike Moustakas walked and Paulo Orlando popped up before Escobar delivered the game-winning hit.
Kelvin Herrera (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth to get the victory. Parker (0-1) absorbed the loss.
Orioles 11, Blue Jays 4
TORONTO –Trey Mancini hit two home runs, Craig Gentry and Manny Machado added one homer each, Dylan Bundy pitched six scoreless innings and Baltimore defeated Toronto.
Bundy (2-1) allowed five hits and one walk while striking out six as the Orioles (8-3) took three of four from the Blue Jays (2-10).
Kevin Pillar hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Toronto against Vidal Nuno.
Toronto starter J.A. Happ (0-3) left the game with what the club said was a sore left elbow in the fifth inning after throwing ball one to Orioles center fielder Adam Jones.
Tigers 4, Indians 1
CLEVELAND — Alex Avila hit a two-run home run and Matthew Boyd pitched six strong innings as Detroit beat Cleveland.
The Tigers won two of three games from the slumping Indians, who went 2-4 on their season-opening homestand. Cleveland has lost seven of its last nine games.
Boyd (2-1) gave up one run in six innings to get the win. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth inning to pick up his fifth save. Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco (1-1), who gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings, took the loss.
Braves 9, Padres 2
ATLANTA — Bartolo Colon was masterful for seven innings, with the only hit the 43-year-old gave up a homer, and Atlanta Braves improved to 3-0 at SunTrust Park with a victory over San Diego.
Ryan Schimpf’s homer in the third inning was the only misstep by Colon, who walked one and struck out six while pitching in the 44th ballpark of his 20-year major league career.
The Braves didn’t have a hit off Padres starter Trevor Cahill until the fifth but scored two runs in that inning, two more times in the sixth and seventh and three times in the eighth.
Marlins 4, Mets 2
MIAMI — Pinch hitter J.T. Riddle hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to lead Miami over New York.
It was Riddle’s first career home run, and it came off reliever Addison Reed (0-1).
Miami had nearly won the game in the previous at-bat, a double by Miguel Rojas that went all the way to fence. Left fielder Yoenis Cespedes threw to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, whose relay home cut down Marcell Ozuna.
The Marlins came within four outs of what would’ve been the first multi-pitcher no-hitter in franchise history. But with two outs in the eighth, Neil Walker hit a 2-0 pitch from reliever Brad Ziegler for a clean single to center.
Brewers 4, Reds 2
CINCINNATI — Ryan Braun hit a two-run home run, and Travis Shaw and Eric Thames added solo shots, lifting Milwaukee past Cincinnati in the finale of a four-game series.
Thames is the first visiting player to hit five home runs in a four-game series at Great American Ball Park.
Milwaukee (7-6) has homered in eight straight games and 20 times in 13 contests. The Brewers took three of four in the series.
Wily Peralta improved to 3-0 and Neftali Perez earned his fourth save.
Astros-A’s, ppd.
OAKLAND — Sunday’s game between the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics was postponed due to rain, marking Oakland’s first home rainout in three years.
The contest was postponed approximately two hours before the scheduled start. It wasn’t immediately rescheduled.
Oakland’s most recent home postponements occurred when heavy rains hit the area in April, 2014. A contest on April 1 was rained out and another was postponed three days later due to unplayable conditions when the grounds crew neglected to put the tarp on the field.
