MLB roundup: Cardinals' Sonny Gray baffles Giants, Rangers complete sweep
Gray (9-4) retired the first 20 batters he faced. Giants catcher Patrick Bailey ended the veteran right-hander's chance at perfection by blasting a two-out homer to right in the seventh. Gray allowed just the one hit and one run, struck out eight and walked none. Ryan Helsley converted his 26th consecutive save opportunity to extend his team-record streak.
Alec Burleson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two stolen bases and a run for the Cardinals, who have won eight of their past 11 to push two games over .500 for the first time since the 2022 season.
San Francisco starter Logan Webb (6-6) allowed four runs on nine hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
Check out the game summary here.
Rangers 4, Royals 0
Max Scherzer allowed just one hit over five innings in his season debut and Josh Smith homered for the second straight game as Texas completed a three-game series sweep with a victory over Kansas City in Arlington, Texas.
Scherzer (1-0) was making his first appearance since starting Game 3 of the World Series last year. He had surgery in December to repair a herniated disc and later experienced a nerve issue in his right thumb. Leody Taveras went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a stolen base for the Rangers.
Alec Marsh (5-5) suffered the loss for Kansas City, allowing three runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Twins 3, Athletics 0
Pablo Lopez retired the first 17 batters he faced en route to eight shutout innings, Byron Buxton drove in two runs with a home run and a double and Minnesota took a second straight game from host Oakland.
Lopez (7-6) finished with 14 strikeouts, matching his career high. He walked just one. Kyle Farmer added an RBI on a fielder's choice as part of a two-run seventh, and Griffin Jax completed Minnesota's fourth shutout of the season with a scoreless ninth.
Oakland, which completed a 3-3 homestand, was shut out for the eighth time this season. Miguel Andujar had two of the Athletics' three hits.
Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 1
Fresh off agreeing to a four-year contract extension on Saturday, left-hander Cristopher Sanchez pitched seven scoreless innings as Philadelphia beat visiting Arizona in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Sanchez (5-3) scattered three hits and struck out four without walking a batter. He retired the last 11 hitters he faced. David Dahl, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm had two hits apiece for Philadelphia, with Dahl driving in two runs with a single.
Ketel Marte had an RBI single in the ninth for Arizona, which was outhit 11-6. Diamondbacks starter Slade Cecconi (2-6) allowed one run on five hits over three innings.