NEW YORK — Mark Teixeira sliced a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning and Starlin Castro connected again, sending the New York Yankees past the Houston Astros 8-5 on Thursday.

The Yankees took 2 of 3 in the season-opening series against the team that beat them in a wild-card game in October. The game began 12 minutes late because of rain and Yankee Stadium was far less than half-filled.

Castro kept up his torrid start with a solo home run and a single off the wall, making him 7 for 12. The former Cubs infielder has eight RBI.

Brian McCann also homered for the Yankees and Jacoby Ellsbury doubled twice.

ORIOLES 4, TWINS 2: Ubaldo Jimenez pitched seven sharp innings and host Baltimore rallied past Minnesota for a three-game sweep.

Manny Machado and rookie Joey Rickard homered for the Orioles, who trailed 2-0 in the sixth before coming back against Phil Hughes.

WHITE SOX 6, ATHLETICS 1: Mat Latos gave up one hit over six innings for his first win since last July, Jose Abreu hit a two-run homer and Chicago won at Oakland, California, to give Manager Robin Ventura his 300th career win.

Latos was stellar in his White Sox debut, retiring 13 of the first 14 batters.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

GIANTS 12, DODGERS 6: Hunter Pence hit a grand slam in the eighth, Joe Panik drove in three runs and keyed San Francisco’s comeback, and the Giants beat Los Angeles in their home opener.

The Dodgers pitchers’ 31-inning scoreless streak to start the season ended in the fifth.

REDS 10, PHILLIES 6: Jay Bruce homered twice and matched a career high with five RBI, and host Cincinnati made a winner of top pitching prospect Robert Stephenson in his major league debut by beating Philadelphia to complete a season-opening sweep.

Eugenio Suarez hit his first career grand slam and Bruce connected for a three-run shot as the Reds scored eight times in the fourth inning.

MARLINS 6, NATIONALS 4: Miami reliever David Phelps entered after a rain delay and shut out Washington for four innings while delivering his first career RBI, and the Marlins spoiled the Nationals’ sloppy home opener in front of a dwindling crowd.

NOTES

ASTROS: Houston sent right-hander Michael Feliz to the minors, a day after he threw 107 pitches in relief in the team’s 16-6 loss to the Yankees.