March 28, 2024

MLB Capsules

CUBS 7, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Matt Garza struck out 10 in seven solid innings and Dioner Navarro hit a three-run homer, sending Chicago to a victory over Milwaukee.

Garza (3-1) had his third consecutive strong outing. The right-hander allowed one run on eight hits and a walk while throwing 101 pitches.

The Cubs broke the game open with four runs in the third, capped by Navarro’s seventh homer. Milwaukee made a pair of errors and all the runs in the inning off Wily Peralta (5-9) were unearned.

Peralta gave up seven runs, three earned, on eight hits and a walk while striking out two in five innings. He allowed the leadoff batter to score in three of the first four innings.

RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 4

BOSTON (AP) — Jon Lester pitched into the eighth inning before leaving with an jammed hip, and Dustin Pedroia homered in a seven-run second to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night.

Toronto, which reeled off 11 straight wins this month, had won 12 of its past 14 games and 15 of 19 to close within 6½ games of the AL East-leading Red Sox.

Then the Blue Jays ran into Lester (8-4), who was charged with four runs on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks in winning for just the second time in his last eight starts.

Red Sox manager John Farrell came darting out of the dugout as the infielders crowded around Lester. Moments later, Lester walked off the field and Junichi Tazawa came on in relief. Lester said afterward that he doesn’t think he’ll miss his next start.

Koji Uehara pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.

TWINS 3, ROYALS 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Samuel Deduno pitched seven sharp innings and one of Justin Morneau’s two doubles drove in Minnesota’s first run in a victory over Kansas City.

Deduno (4-2) gave up only five hits and, more importantly, one walk. He struck out three and let only eight fair balls leave the infield. Jared Burton pitched a scoreless eighth and Glen Perkins notched his 20th save in 22 tries with a scoreless ninth despite allowing a walk and a double.

The Twins even managed to beat Jeremy Guthrie (7-6). The right-hander topped them twice earlier this season and brought a 6-2 record over nine previous career matchups into the game.

Salvador Perez hit a long homer for the Royals.