Spring training roundup: Mets tie Yankees on Brandon Nimmo’s HR
Brandon Nimmo launched a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth for the New York Mets to tie the visiting New York Yankees 6-6 in their spring training finale Monday in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
The Yankees had taken a 6-3 lead thanks to a three-run seventh followed by Spencer Jones’ home run in the eighth. Yankees reliever Jordany Ventura hit a batter and allowed a walk before Nimmo hit his first homer of the spring. Ventura recovered by striking out the next three batters to preserve the tie.
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Brett Baty and Pete Alonso also homered for the Mets, who open the season Thursday at the Houston Astros.
Pablo Reyes went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs for the Yankees, who will play an exhibition game against the Marlins in Miami on Tuesday before their regular-season opener Thursday against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.
Phillies 8, Rays 6
Host Philadelphia racked up 13 hits in a victory over Tampa Bay in Clearwater, Fla.
The Phillies took the lead for good in a four-run sixth featuring run-scoring doubles by Rafael Marchan, Johan Rojas (two RBI) and Edmundo Sosa. Kyle Schwarber, Max Kepler and Marcus Lee Sang also hit RBI doubles.
Josh Lowe had a two-run double to give the Rays a 4-3 lead earlier in the game. Taylor Walls added an RBI double.
Twins 5, Pirates 1
Edouard Julien hit a three-run homer, Ty France went 3-for-3 with a run and Minnesota turned back visiting Pittsburgh in Fort Myers, Fla.
Byron Buxton added a solo shot for the Twins, whose starting pitcher Bailey Ober finished the spring 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA after going 3 1/3 innings with one run, two hits and two strikeouts Monday.
Bryan Reynolds drove in the Pirates’ lone run off Buxton in the third. Pittsburgh batters struck out 14 times.
White Sox 8, Athletics 5
Austin Slater, Luis Robert Jr. and Brooks Baldwin went yard for host Chicago in a win over the A’s in Phoenix.
Robert’s home run scored three runs and Baldwin drove in two as the White Sox built an 8-1 margin. Starter Davis Martin (1-0) struck out three and gave up one run over five innings.
Junior Perez and Euribiel Angeles homered in the ninth for the A’s. JP Sears (1-2) scattered two runs and four hits over three innings.
Brewers 4, Rockies 2
Sal Frelick had a pair of RBI singles and Jose Anderson broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run single in the seventh as Milwaukee beat host Colorado in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Brewers racked up 11 hits, with only Frelick contributing more than one. Nestor Cortes struck out five in five scoreless innings.
Owen Miller and Aaron Schunk drove in runs for the Rockies, who had just five hits. Ryan Feltner gave up two runs on six hits in a five-inning start. He fanned four.
Mariners 7, Padres 7
Seattle came back from a 6-2 deficit to take a one-run lead, only for Jack Costello to drive in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth for host San Diego in Peoria, Ariz.
Costello’s RBI groundout came two innings after Axel Sanchez put the Mariners in front with a two-run homer. Sanchez also had an RBI triple, Colin Davis hit an RBI double and Mitch Garver poked two doubles.
Xander Bogaerts and Gavin Sheets hit back-to-back RBI doubles to start the Padres’ five-run second inning, which also featured a two-run shot by Trenton Brooks.
Braves 13, Cubs 4
Cal Conley went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs as Atlanta piled on host Chicago in Mesa, Ariz.
The Braves broke the game open with a six-run fifth that featured home runs by Matt Olson (two-RBI), Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies. Ozuna, Albies and Drake Baldwin all had two hits in Atlanta’s 16-hit barrage.
Gage Workman hit a two-run homer and Carson Kelly was 2-for-3 with a two-RBI double for the Cubs.