Rick Porcello hit a three-run double off former teammate Max Scherzer and pitched six effective innings Marcus Foligno Jersey , leading the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.
Porcello got his first career extra-base hit came in the second inning on a 0-2 pitch after the Nationals intentionally walked Jackie Bradley Jr. Porcello drove Scherzer’s 96-mph fastball over the head of Juan Soto in left center for his first RBIs since 2009.
Scherzer and Porcello were teammates for five seasons with the Detroit Tigers.
Porcello (10-3) allowed two runs and seven hits. Craig Kimbrel got four outs for his 25th save.
Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Daniel Murphy homered for the Nationals. Scherzer (10-5) struck out nine in six innings.
BRAVES 5, YANKEES 3, 11 INNINGS
NEW YORK (AP) – Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning that nicked the glove of a leaping Aaron Judge in right field, and the Braves beat the Yankees in a matchup of two of baseball’s best teams.
Johan Camargo homered early and Jesse Biddle (2-0) pitched out of a late jam for the NL East leaders, who earned their fourth consecutive victory. A.J. Minter got three outs for his fourth save.
The 20-year-old Acuna also doubled and drove in three runs, four years to the day after the touted rookie signed with the Braves (49-34).
Judge hit his 23rd homer for the Yankees (54-28), and second in two nights. David Robertson (5-3) got the loss.
INDIANS 9, ROYALS 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Francisco Lindor homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs, powering Cleveland to the road win.
Indians ace Corey Kluber (12-4), who failed to make it out of the second inning in his previous start at St. Louis, allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings.
Lindor belted a grand slam in the fourth and a three-run shot in the sixth.
Whit Merrifield homered on Kluber’s third pitch for his fourth career leadoff home run. Kansas City has lost 23 of their last 28 games.
Royals right-hander Jakob Junis (5-10) was tagged for nine runs, eight earned, and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
CARDINALS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 3
PHOENIX (AP) – Yadier Molina homered Clay Matthews Jersey , Carlos Martinez pitched six effective innings and the Cardinals ended a four-game losing streak.
Molina hit a two-run single in the Cardinals’ four-run first inning against Robbie Ray (3-1) and hit his 12th homer off the left-hander in the sixth.
Jedd Gyorko also homered and had two RBIs to end Ray’s nine-game winning streak, dating to last season.
Martinez (5-4) allowed two runs and six hits. Bud Norris worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save.
Paul Goldschmidt had four hits and an RBI for the Diamondbacks, who have lost four straight.
ROCKIES 5, GIANTS 2
DENVER (AP) – Kyle Freeland turned in another sizzling start at Coors Field and Colorado scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on a throwing error by shortstop Brandon Crawford.
Freeland (8-6) settled in to go seven strong innings after surrendering a homer to Gorkys Hernandez on the first pitch of the game. It was Freeland’s 12th quality start of the season.
Wade Davis worked his way around a one-out double by Buster Posey in the ninth for his 24th save. He struck out Crawford to end the game.
San Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner (1-3) was charged with three runs, two earned, and seven hits in six-plus innings.
BREWERS 6, TWINS 5, 10 INNINGS
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Brad Miller drew a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning, sending Milwaukee to the win.
Nate Orf, playing in his first major league game, was hit by a pitch from Zack Littell (0-2) leading off the 10th. Manny Pina followed with a single and Keon Broxton walked.
Hernan Perez then bounced into a fielder’s choice before Miller’s walk ended the game.
Corey Knebel (2-0) pitched a scoreless 10th for the Brewers, who trailed 5-1 after Robbie Grossman hit his first career grand slam in the fifth.
MARLINS 3, RAYS 2, 10 INNINGS
MIAMI (AP) – Yadiel Rivera’s infield hit in the 10th inning scored Brian Anderson, lifting Miami to the victory.
Anderson walked against Ryne Stanek (1-2) and took third on a single by J.T. Realmuto. Rivera, who entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth Youth Lamar Jackson Jersey , then pulled a one-hopper up the line.
Third baseman Matt Duffy backhanded the ball and double-clutched in foul territory before making a wild throw home, but the play was ruled a hit.
Tampa Bay has lost 21 one-run games, most in the majors.
Drew Rucinski (3-1) pitched a perfect 10th for the win.
REDS 5, WHITE SOX 3
CINCINNATI (AP) – Alex Blandino’s double in the eighth inning completed Cincinnati’s four-run rally.
The Reds loaded the bases with one out against Chris Volstad (1-5). Adam Duvall grounded to first baseman Matt Davidson, who was indecisive. He took several steps toward first before throwing home too late to get Scooter Gennett scoring from third base.
Billy Hamilton followed with a sacrifice fly that tied it at 3, and Blandino’s pinch-hit double put the Reds in position for another comeback win. They’ve trailed in seven of their last 10 victories.
Dylan Floro (3-2) retired two in the eighth. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances.
TIGERS 3, BLUE JAYS 2
TORONTO (AP) – Jose Iglesias hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Tigers earned their second straight victory following a season-long 11-game losing streak.
Niko Goodrum tripled off Seunghwan Oh (4-3) with one out and scored the winning run when Iglesias followed Kareem Hunt has been running through challenges all season.
First, there was the challenge of taking over the starting job in Kansas City when veteran running back Spencer Ware, who was supposed to form a two-headed monster with him, went down with a season-ending injury during a preseason game against Seattle.
Then there was the challenge of living up to expectations, which soared after Hunt ran roughshod over New England in the season opener and kept climbing after a string of incredible performances.
There was the inevitable challenge of breaking through the rookie wall, too. Hunt struggled along with the rest of the Chiefs during a midseason swoon that saw them lose six out of seven, putting their once-iron grip on the AFC West in jeopardy with a few games left in the regular season.
The next challenge: The Titans’ bruising rush defense, now that Hunt has led the Chiefs to their second straight division title and into a wild-card game on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.
”I always believe in myself. I always think I’m going to make something happen,” said Hunt www.officialflyersproshop.com/authentic-adidas-nolan-patrick-jersey , a third-round pick out of Toledo. ”When Ware went down, I had an opportunity to step in and fill a role.”
He filled that role in record-setting fashion, too.
Hunt successfully persuaded coach Andy Reid to let him play last week against the Broncos, even though the division had been decided and playoff position set, so that he could take aim at the league rushing title.
Hunt only needed one carry to scamper 35 yards for an early touchdown, enough yardage to send him past the Rams’ Todd Gurley with 1,327 yards in just over 15 games.
Hunt is the second straight rookie to win the rushing title, following the Cowboys’ Zeke Elliott, and the sixth to accomplish the feat in the Super Bowl era.
The only other Chiefs to lead the league in rushing are Priest Holmes and Christian Okoye.
All of that seemed possible when Hunt eclipsed 100 yards rushing in four of his first five games, including a 172-yard performance against the Chargers.
And none of it seemed possible six weeks later, when Hunt was held to 17 yards on 11 carries by Buffalo in another miserable outing.
At that point, the rookie wall seemed very real – even if Reid mostly laughed it off.
”We look at it right around Game 12, you kind of see where they’re at and if they have a bad play you say, `Whoop! There’s the rookie wall,”’ Reid said, dripping with sarcasm.
”Sometimes I think that gets a little overrated Authentic Lamar Jackson Jersey , but we haven’t seen that with him. He’s done well and I think we’re probably a little hypersensitive to that when you get around the middle of the season, that 12th game.”
If there was any such wall, the modest-to-a-fault Hunt eventually broke it down. He ran for at least 90 yards and a touchdown in three consecutive games to clinch the division title, putting Hunt in a position to nab the NFL rushing crown in the final game of the regular season.
”Talk about explosive player,” said Titans coach Mike Mularkey, marveling at Hunt’s ability to ”go the distance every time” the young running back touches the ball.
Hunt averaged 4.88 yards per carry this season, second only to the Saints’ Mark Ingram, and his 35 carries of at least 10 yards trailed only Gurley for most in the league.
”I just go out there and play football every game,” he said, ”and really don’t look at the big picture. Just go out there and control what I can control and make plays and good things happen.”
Hunt faces a big test this weekend in Tennessee, which rolls into Arrowhead Stadium allowing 88.8 yards rushing per game – the best in the AFC and fourth-best in the league.
They’ve only allowed one 100-yard rusher all season. That was Gurley in Week 16.
”We have our chance in the playoffs,” Hunt said, ”and we just have to keep it rolling.”
NOTES: CB Phillip Gaines (dislocated elbow) went on injured reserve Wednesday and DT Stefan Charles was signed to provide depth. DLs Jarvis Jenkins and Rakeem Nunez-Roches have been hobbled by injuries, so Charles gives the Chiefs insurance if those guys are unavailable. Neither of those defensive linemen practiced Wednesday.
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