MIAMI (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled, walked twice and scored three times in his return and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 8-4 on Tuesday.
It was Acuña’s first game since being sidelined May 2 because of a left hamstring strain. He batted leadoff as the designated hitter.
Mauricio DubĂłn had three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning. Matt Olson walked twice, had two hits and drove in three runs, while Michael Harris II homered and singled for the NL East-leading Braves.
Dubón reached on a two-out infield single to put Atlanta ahead 5-4 after Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher (4-3) walked Mike Yastrzemski, Ha-Seong Kim and Acuña to load the bases. Olson followed with a two-run single to make it 7-4.
Kim added an RBI single in the ninth.
Dylan Lee (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief for the win.
Braves starter MartĂn Perez allowed four runs and five hits and struck out a career-high 10 in five innings.
GUARDIANS 4, TIGERS 3
DETROIT (AP) — Travis Bazzana hit a two-run homer, Cade Smith pitched out of a jam in the ninth inning, and Cleveland held off Detroit for their fourth straight victory.
Brayan Rocchio drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning with a groundout that allowed Steven Kwan to score.
Smith got into trouble in the ninth when Matt Vierling and Kevin McGonigle hit one-out singles to put runners on first and second. But Smith struck out Jahmal Jones looking and Dillon Dingler swinging for his 15th save in 17 opportunities, handing the Tigers a fourth straight loss.
Messick pitched five innings and gave up three runs — two earned — on four hits with three walks. Colin Holderman (1-0) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win.
RAYS 4, ORIOLES 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy DĂaz went 2 for 3 with a home run and an RBI double, Griffin Jax allowed one run and had six strikeouts in five innings, and Tampa Bay beat Baltimore for the Rays’ third consecutive win.
Tampa Bay has won 20 of 24, has the best record in MLB at 32-15 and is a season-high 17 games above .500.
Jax gave up three hits and walked one before Kevin Kelly (3-1) earned the win with a scoreless sixth. Bryan Baker pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 13th save.
DĂaz homered to leadoff the sixth and give the Rays a 2-1 lead.
Taylor Ward hit a home run to leadoff the game for the Orioles’ only run.
Kyle Bradish (2-6) allowed two runs and four hits, walked three and stuck out six.
REDS 4, PHILLIES 1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Chase Burns struck out nine over six innings and lowered his ERA to 1.83 in another terrific start for Cincinnati in a win over Philadelphia.
Burns (6-1) allowed only Trea Turner’s solo shot in the third as he helped the Reds end a three-game losing streak and move back above .500 (25-24).
Bryce Haper scorched a line drive off Burns with two outs in the sixth. Burns collected the ball and thew out Harper at first base to end the inning.
Burns ran off the field on his own and headed straight down the dugout tunnel to the clubhouse. He did not return for the seventh, though there was little reason to pitch another inning with the Reds up 4-1.
Tony Santillan worked the ninth for his second save and helped snap the Phillies’ five-game win streak.
NATIONALS 9, METS 6
WASHINGTON (AP) — James Wood hit the majors’ first inside-the-park grand slam since 2022, and Washington rallied from an early five-run deficit to defeat New York.
José Tena also homered for Washington, which avoided its first three-game skid since April 22-24.
Bo Bichette homered twice and drove in four runs and Juan Soto also went deep for New York, which had won six of seven.
Down 5-0, the Nationals loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning. Mets starter Nolan McLean (2-3) threw a first-pitch sweeper to Wood, who lofted it to deep left.
It glanced off the arm of the leaping Nick Morabito and caromed into center. Wood scampered around the bases in 15.15 seconds and dove into the plate well ahead of the throw for his first career grand slam.
It was the Nationals’ second inside-the-park grand slam since the franchise moved to Washington in 2005. Michael A. Taylor hit one on Sept. 8, 2017, at home against Philadelphia. It was the ninth inside-the-park grand slam since 1994 and the first since Toronto’s Raimel Tapia did it on July 22, 2022.
Griffin allowed five runs in five innings and struck out five.
Richard Lovelady pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save.
ASTROS 2, TWINS 1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Isaac Paredes hit a two-run homer in the first inning, Jason Alexander scattered four hits over six scoreless innings and Houston beat Minnesota.
Jeremy Peña singled off Zebby Matthews (1-1) to open the game and Paredes followed with his fifth home run — on a 3-2 pitch — for a 2-0 lead.
Alexander (1-0) walked one and struck out four after allowing 10 runs in 6 1/3 innings in his first two outings this season.
Astros reliever Bryan King struck out Brooks Lee on his 13th pitch to begin the ninth and Victor Caratini grounded out on the next pitch.
Orlando Arcia had a two-out single that chased King. Bryan Abreu entered and hit pinch-hitter Luke Keaschall with his second pitch.
Arcia and Keaschall runners advanced on a wild pitch before Abreu retired Byron Buxton on a pop-out in foul territory at third for his third save in three opportunities.
Matthews worked six innings and never gave up a run after the first in his second start this season. He allowed six hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out six.
