
Ross’ single started a two-run rally, with Jason Heyward cutting the Cubs’ deficit to 3-2 with a bases-loaded single off Tony Cingrani.
In the eighth, Cingrani (0- 1) walked Ben Zobrist with one out and hit Jorge Soler. Russell then drove Jumbo Diaz’s first pitch out to left-center, whipping the packed crowd into a frenzy and sending the Cubs to their sixth victory in seven games, matching their best start since 1998.
Jon Lester pitched six innings, allowing three runs and five hits. Adam Warren (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth for his first win as a Cub, and Hector Rondon struck out the side in the ninth for his second save in as many chances.
Astros 8, Royals 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Collin McHugh bounced back from the shortest start of his career by pitching seven scoreless innings and Colby Rasmus hit a two-run homer as Houston won its home opener over Kansas City.
Carlos Correa had three hits and two RBIs for Houston, Jose Altuve had three hits and rookie Tyler White added a pair of hits for his fourth multi-hit game this year.
McHugh (1-1) allowed eight hits and struck out four to bounce back from his last start, in which he allowed six runs and walked two in 1/3 inning of a 16-6 loss to the Yankees.
Marlins 10, Mets 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton homered to cap a seven-run second inning against Steven Matz, and Miami handed the touted rookie his first regular-season loss.
Marcell Ozuna homered and doubled to break out of an early slump, and Adeiny Hechavarria had three RBIs from the No. 8 spot in the lineup. By the sixth inning, every Marlins starting position player had a hit and scored a run.
Chris Johnson reached base four times in his first start for Miami, and J.T. Realmuto had three of the team’s 15 hits. Martin Prado had two singles and two walks in a game that dragged on for 3 hours, 45 minutes, before a sparse crowd at Citi Field.
Angels 4, Athletics 1
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout hit his first home run of the season, Nick Tropeano pitched five scoreless innings in his season debut and Los Angeles beat Oakland and ace Sonny Gray.
Trout struck out looking twice but homered on the first pitch he saw from Gray in the sixth, a towering two-run shot that ricocheted off the right side of the bleachers just below the luxury suites in left-center field.
White Sox 4, Twins 1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Austin Jackson hit a two-run, two-out single in the fourth inning, one pitch after just missing a grand slam, and Minnesota dropped to 0-7 with a loss in its home opener. It is the worst start for the franchise since the original Washington Senators lost their first 13 games in 1904, according to STATS.
Jose Quintana (1-0) completed six smooth innings with one run allowed for the White Sox, who have won five of their first seven.
Twins starter Kyle Gibson (0-2) was charged with one earned run over 5 2/3 innings.
Nationals 6, Braves 4
WASHINGTON (AP) — Falling to 0-6 for the first time in nearly 30 years, Atlanta lost to Washington, which used Wilson Ramos’ four singles and two RBIs to help cover up a shaky start by Max Scherzer.
Scherzer (1-0), pitching on a full week’s rest, won despite allowing two-run doubles to A.J. Pierzynski and Nick Markakis in the first two innings. The righty wound up going six innings and didn’t let Atlanta score again in front of a sparse crowd announced as 18,119.
Ramos drove in the go-ahead run off Bud Norris (0- 2) in the fifth, breaking a 4- all tie.
Daniel Murphy hit a two-run shot off Norris in the first.
Pirates 7, Tigers 4
DETROIT (AP) — Gregory Polanco had two of Pittsburgh’s six doubles, and the Pirates chased Justin Verlander during the fifth inning. Verlander (0-1) allowed seven runs and 10 hits — five of them doubles — in 4 1-3 innings.
Jonathan Niese (1-0) gave up four runs — three earned — and five hits in six innings. Mark Melancon pitched a one-hit ninth for his third save.
Rangers 7, Mariners 3
SEATTLE (AP) — Colby Lewis allowed one run on four hits over six innings against Seattle’s struggling offense and Rougned Odor drove in three runs to lead Texas.
Lewis (1-0) allowed a first-inning run on Nelson Cruz’s two-out RBI double, then retired 13 straight before allowing an infield single to open the sixth when he failed to cover on Leonys Martin’s bouncer to first.
The Rangers erased a 1-0 deficit with runs in the second, third and fourth off Hisashi Iwakuma (0-1), who gave up three runs on eight hits in six innings.
Padres 4, Phillies 3
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alexi Amarista’s safety squeeze in the seventh scored the go-ahead run in Philadelphia’s home opener.
Wil Myers hit a solo homer for the Padres, who benefited from a strange double play and two video reviews going their way.
Kevin Quackenbush (1-0) struck out the only batter he faced, and Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his first save for the Padres.
Cardinals 10, Brewers 1
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Michael Wacha (1-0) allowed four hits in six scoreless innings, and St. Louis had 10 extra-base hits in its home opener.
Jeremy Hazelbaker was 4 for 4 with a triple, double and sacrifice fly, lifting his average to .526, and fellow rookie Almedys Diaz had two doubles.
Yadier Molina had three hits, two RBIs and an uncontested steal off Taylor Jungmann (0-1).
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