Rays win 12th straight to start season

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida: The Tampa Bay Rays won their 12th straight game to start the season, one short of the major league record, as Randy Arozarena hit a three-run homer in a 9-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

The 1987 Milwaukee Brewers and 1982 Atlanta Braves both opened 13-0, tying for the best mark in big league history. Tampa Bay's 12-game winning streak matches the team record set in June 2004.

Taj Bradley (1-0) won his major league debut for the Rays. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed three runs and struck out eight over five innings.

Arozarena made it 3-0 with an opposite-field homer off Chris Sale (1-1) in the first. Tampa Bay leads the majors with 30 home runs and has outscored opponents 92-27.

Rafael Devers pulled Boston to 8-7 with a three-run homer off Colin Poche in the seventh. Arozarena's sacrifice fly made it 9-7 in the eighth. Pete Fairbanks, the fifth Rays reliever, worked the ninth for his second save.

Braves 5, Reds 4 In Atlanta, Eddie Rosario led off the eighth inning with a tie-breaking home run and Atlanta beat Cincinnati to sweep the three-game series.

Buck Farmer (0-3) gave up the homer as the Reds fell to 0-5 in one-run games, including each of the three losses in Atlanta.

Cincinnati's Hunter Greene allowed three runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in six innings. Greene left the game with a 4-3 lead. Ronald Acuña Jr. tied the game with his third hit, a single off Ian Gibaut in the seventh to drive in Sam Hilliard, who walked and stole second.

After Kirby Yates (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth, A.J. Minter recorded the final three outs for his second save in three chances.

Diamondbacks 7, Brewers 3 In Phoenix, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer for his first long ball with the Diamondbacks, rookie Drey Jameson pitched four scoreless innings and Arizona took two of three in the series.

Arizona took a 5-0 lead through four innings thanks to Gurriel's third-inning drive and shoddy Brewers defense that committed three errors. Milwaukee starter Janson Junk (0-1) gave up five runs, including four earned, over 4 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old — making his first start of the season — surrendered eight hits, struck out two and walked two.

Jameson — wearing his usual “Scooby Doo” themed shoes — gave up just three hits and struck out four in his first start this season. Gurriel and Josh Rojas both had three hits. Kyle Nelson (2-0) got the win on the mound.

Twins 3, White Sox 1 In Minneapolis, Sonny Gray threw five scoreless innings in a third straight strong start to open the season for Minnesota, outdueling Lucas Giolito to beat Chicago.

Gray (2-0) gave up three hits and two walks with five strikeouts. He was pulled after only 78 pitches after lowering his ERA to 0.53. Jhoan Duran finished the ninth for his third save after allowing a two-out homer to Lenyn Sosa.

The only setback for the Twins was yet another injury. Shortstop Kyle Farmer left the game in the fourth after being hit in the face with a fastball from Giolito.

Giolito (0-1) struck out seven Twins in six innings.

Yankees 4, Guardians 3 In Cleveland, Oswaldo Cabrera hit a tiebreaking, two-out double in the ninth inning off Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase and the New York Yankees survived a nerve-racking finish.

Cabrera's shot to right off Clase (1-1) scored Giancarlo Stanton, who reached on an infield single with one out and went to second on shortstop Amed Rosario's throwing error.

Yankees closer Clay Holmes loaded the bases in the ninth on a hit batter and two walks before striking out Rosario for the final out and his fourth save.