CINCINNATI (AP) — Anthony Rizzo homered for the third consecutive game on Friday night, and Jon Lester gave a fitting follow-up to Jake Arrieta's no-hitter by going seven innings and leading the Chicago Cubs to an 8-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
The Cubs improved to 13-4, the best record in the majors and one of the best starts in the last 100 years. They also opened 13-4 in 1908 — the last time they won the World Series — and in 1970. The 1907 team went 14-3 on its way to a Series title.
Arrieta threw his second career no-hitter in the series opener on Thursday night, a 16-0 win. Lester (2-1) limited the Reds to five hits, including Zack Cozart's solo homer, and one walk.
Rizzo hit a solo shot — his team-high sixth — off Jon Moscot (0-1).
WHITE SOX 5, RANGERS 0
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago pulled off its first triple play in nearly 10 years to secure Jose Quintana's scoreless outing and beat Texas.
Quintana retired 11 straight through six innings until he loaded the bases on Prince Fielder's double, Adrian Beltre's single and a walk. Mitch Moreland drilled a ball down the right field line that Adam Eaton caught on the run as the runners took off.
Eaton threw to first to get Ian Desmond, and the White Sox eventually got Fielder in a rundown between third and home to finish the play. It was the first time Texas got caught in a triple play since 1991 and the first one the White Sox turned since Sept. 18, 2006, against Detroit.
Quintana (2-1) allowed just four hits over seven innings to help snap the Rangers' four-game winning streak. Brett Lawrie had a two-run double in a three-run sixth off Rangers starter Martin Perez (0-2).
ROCKIES 7, DODGERS 5
DENVER (AP) — Brandon Barnes hit a tie-breaking two-run triple in the eighth inning, lifting Colorado past Los Angeles.
Nolan Arenado and Ryan Raburn homered for the Rockies, who have won their last four against the Dodgers.
Adrian Gonzalez homered and singled to drive in three runs and Corey Seager hit a two-run homer as part of a three-run first inning for the Dodgers.
Trailing 5-4, the Rockies evened the score on D.J. LeMahieu's sacrifice fly in the seventh. Arenado drew a one-out walk in the eighth off Chris Hatcher (2-2) and Mark Reynolds singled up the middle. One out later, Barnes, who entered in the eighth as a defensive replacement for Raburn, tripled off the wall in right-centerfield to drive in his first runs of the season.
Chad Qualls (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth and Jake McGee got three outs for his fourth save in as many opportunities.
RED SOX 6, ASTROS 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Steven Wright pitched into the seventh inning, and Mookie Betts finished a home run shy of the cycle for Boston.
Betts tripled in the first and ninth innings, scoring both times. He had an RBI double in the second and singled and scored in the fourth. He flied out in the sixth.
Wright (1-2) had his third straight good start to begin the season, allowing one run — no earned — and four hits with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He did walk five, with Carlos Gomez scoring on a passed ball in the seventh.
The knuckleballer has gone at least six innings in each of his starts and has allowed two runs or less in each of his starts this season.
Craig Kimbrel got Carlos Correa to end the game for his fifth save.
PIRATES 8, DIAMONDBACKS 7
PHOENIX (AP) — Sean Rodriguez, Gregory Polanco and Jordy Mercer homered and Pittsburgh held on to beat Arizona and snap its five-game winning streak.
All three home runs came off Patrick Corbin (1-2), who allowed five runs in six innings.
Arizona's Welington Castillo homered twice and has four in his last four games. David Peralta also hit a home run for the Diamondbacks in the opener of their 10-game homestand.
Jonathon Niese (3-0) got the win despite surrendering four runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Mark Melancon allowed three straight singles with two outs in the eighth but pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save.
NATIONALS 8, TWINS 4
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jayson Werth hit a home run and robbed one in left field and Gio Gonzalez pitched six-plus innings for Washington.
Jose Lobaton drove in three runs with a triple and a single, and National League batting leader Daniel Murphy had two more hits for first-place Washington, which has won six straight at home.
Gonzalez (1-0) enjoyed offensive support for the first time in three starts while allowing three runs - two earned - on six hits.
In the third, Byron Buxton's high fly gave Werth time to get back to the fence. He timed his jump perfectly, getting his glove just above the wall and bringing Buxton's drive down with him.
In the fifth, Werth hit a solo shot to left center, his third.
Minnesota's Kyle Gibson (0-3) lasted just three innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits.
METS 6, BRAVES 3
ATLANTA (AP) — Curtis Granderson homered twice, including a grand slam, to drive in five runs and Matt Harvey got his first win of the season for New York.
Granderson's sixth career grand slam was a line-drive shot he pulled into the right-field seats off Bud Norris (1-3) in the second inning. Granderson had three hits, including another homer off Norris in the fourth, giving him four on the season.
New York has 21 homers in its last seven games — the most in a seven-game span in franchise history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Harvey (1-3) ended a streak of four straight losing decisions, including his first three starts this year. He needed 101 pitches to make it through five innings as he allowed two runs and seven hits and one walk.
Jeurys Familia pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
ROYALS 4, ORIOLES 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris Young struck out 10 in six innings, Mike Moustakas homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs for Kansas City.
Young (1-3), who came in with a 7.90 ERA and had allowed 20 hits in 13 2/3 innings, baffled the Orioles. Young recorded his sixth career double-figure strikeout game and his first since April 24, 2008, when he struck out 10 against San Francisco while with San Diego.
Young gave up two runs and four hits, including a sixth inning leadoff home run to Manny Machado, who extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games.
Wade Davis pitched a spotless ninth to log his seventh save in as many chances.
Moustakas hit his sixth home run on Yovani Gallardo's second pitch with Alcides Escobar aboard. Moustakas had a two-out, RBI double in the second off Gallardo (1-1).
PHILLIES 5, BREWERS 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Maikel Franco homered twice and Aaron Nola pitched seven strong innings as Philadelphia defeated Milwaukee.
The Phillies snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Brewers.
Franco hit a two-run homer in the fifth to give Philadelphia a 4-1 lead. He blasted a solo shot over the Brewers bullpen in left in the seventh to stake the Phillies to a four-run lead.
Nola (1-2) allowed four hits and retired 11 consecutive batters at one point and 16 of 17 to close out his outing.
Milwaukee starter Zach Davies (0-2) surrendered four runs and nine hits over six innings.
YANKEES 6, RAYS 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Jacoby Ellsbury stole home, a daring dash that seemed to startle most everyone at Yankee Stadium and helped New York rush past Tampa Bay.
Ellsbury became the first Yankees player to pull off a straight steal of home since Derek Jeter in 2001. And Ellsbury's timing in the fifth inning was really surprising: He took off with two outs on a full-count pitch to Brett Gardner, who let it go high for ball four.
Ellsbury added a two-run double in eighth. Brian McCann hit an early two-run homer, then sliced a tiebreaking single in the sixth as the Yankees ended a three-game losing skid.
Ivan Nova (1-0) won in relief of CC Sabathia. Dellin Betances struck all three batters in the eighth and Andrew Miller closed for his fourth save as a light sprinkle fell.
ATHLETICS 8, BLUE JAYS 5
TORONTO (AP) — Chris Coghlan hit a three-run home run, Stephen Vogt had three hits and Oakland won its sixth straight.
The Athletics snapped a six-game skid at Rogers Centre and set season-highs in runs and hits (14).
Sonny Gray (3-1) allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings as Oakland improved to 7-0 on the road, its best start since opening 8-0 away from home in 1990.
Kevin Pillar's two-run single off Sean Doolittle pulled Toronto to 6-5 in the eighth. Khris Davis replied with an RBI single in the ninth and a second run scored as the ball skipped past left fielder Ezequiel Carrera for an error and rolled to the wall.
Ryan Madson finished for his AL-leading seventh save.
Aaron Sanchez (1-1) allowed a career-worst six runs in 4 1/3 innings as the Blue Jays lost their third straight.
INDIANS 2, TIGERS 1
DETROIT (AP) — Carlos Santana and Marlon Byrd homered off Justin Verlander, lifting Cleveland to a victory.
Josh Tomlin (2-0) allowed one run and four hits over 6 2/3 innings. Zach McAllister and Bryan Shaw followed with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Cody Allen pitched the ninth, getting Miguel Cabrera to pop up in foul territory for the first out, and earned his fifth save in as many chances.
Verlander (1-2) gave up four hits, but two were costly because they went over the fence in right field. He walked two and struck out 10.
Cleveland had lost three of four. Detroit has dropped four of its last five games.
MARINERS 5, ANGELS 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Franklin Gutierrez came through with a tiebreaking RBI single in the ninth inning and Nelson Cruz added a two-run homer for Seattle.
No. 9 hitter Ketel Marte greeted Jose Alvarez (0-1) with a leadoff single, advanced on a sacrifice by Norichika Aoki and scored when Gutierrez lined a 1-0 pitch to center field. Cruz then lined his third homer of the season just over the short fence in the left field corner on a full count.
Joel Peralta (1-0) got the victory with a perfect inning of relief.
Steve Cishek pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in four chances. The seven-year veteran right-hander is back to being a full-time closer, two seasons after posting a career-high 36 saves for the Miami Marlins.
GIANTS 8, MARLINS 1
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jeff Samardzija struck out five over 7 2-3 innings and drove in a career-high three runs with a double to win in a memorable home debut as San Francisco snapped a five-game losing streak.
Miami hitting coach Barry Bonds made his return to AT&T Park.
Samardzija (2-1), who signed a $90 million, five-year contract, left to a standing ovation when he walked off in the eighth. He allowed one run and six hits and didn't walk a batter in the 117-pitch gem.
Brandon Belt, Angel Pagan and Denard Span had RBI singles, while Matt Duffy had a sacrifice fly and Brandon Crawford drove in a run on a groundout for the Giants, who had gone 3 for 35 with runners in scoring position during their skid.
Samardzija hit a two-run double in the sixth and RBI single in the fifth.
Marlins starter Jarred Cosart (0-1) walked six batters over 4 1-3 innings for his second straight start allowing six free passes. He has 15 walks over 14 2-3 innings in his initial three starts. Cosart allowed six runs and eight hits.
PADRES 4, CARDINALS 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Wil Myers had a solo homer among his three hits and drove in three runs, and Andrew Cashner threw six strong innings for San Diego.
The Padres have won four of six games.
Myers' homer to right-center off Adam Wainwright with one out in the first was estimated at 418 feet. It was his fourth.
Myers hit a sacrifice fly in the third to score Cashner, who beat out a leadoff bunt single and advanced to third on Jon Jay's single to right. Myers' third hit was an RBI double in the seventh.
Adam Rosales hit an RBI double for the Padres in the fourth.
Cashner (1-1) allowed Randal Grichuk's homer to left-center with two outs in the fourth, his third. He gave up one run and three hits while striking out four and walking one.