Albert Pujols homers as Cardinals beat Royals 6-5

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Albert Pujols homered for the first time since returning to St. Louis and Andrew Knizner hit a three-run shot, helping the Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Tuesday night. Nolan Arenado also went deep for St. Louis, which has won 20 of 27 interleague games against the in-state Royals since 2017. Salvador Perez homered twice and Michael A. Taylor also connected for Kansas City, which has allowed 33 runs in losing its last three games. Daniel Lynch (0-1) allowed six runs in five innings. The 42-year-old Pujols, who also singled twice in a 3-for-4 performance, signed with St. Louis on March 28 for his final season. The star slugger played for the Cardinals from 2001-11, helping them win two World Series. Jordan Hicks (1-0) picked up the win with two innings of hitless relief. GIANTS 13, PADRES 2 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Alyssa Nakken made major league history as the first female coach on the field in a regular-season game, and San Francisco pounded San Diego. The 31-year-old Nakken entered in the third inning after first base coach Antoan Richardson got ejected. When she was announced as Richardson’s replacement, Nakken was greeted with a warm ovation from the crowd. She also received a congratulatory handshake from Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer. Nakken is an assistant coach who works heavily with baserunning and outfield defense. She normally watches games from an indoor batting cage near the steps to the dugout. Brandon Belt hit a two-run homer to highlight a six-run first inning off Yu Darvish (0-1), and it was 10-1 in the second. That was plenty for Alex Cobb (1-0), who struck out 10 to win his San Francisco debut. Joc Pederson homered for the first time since joining the Giants. He and Wilmer Flores went deep in the eighth after Padres outfielder Wil Myers moved to the mound to pitch. YANKEES 4, BLUE JAYS 0 NEW YORK (AP) – Aaron Hicks hit a two-run homer and made jumping catch in his first left-field start in four years, leading the Yankees to the victory. New York scored first for the first time in five games this season when Hicks drove a 2-0 slider from Yusei Kikuchi (0-1) into the right-center field seats in the second inning. Nestor Cortes and four relievers combined on a five-hitter, quieting a Blue Jays offense that produced 23 runs and 38 hits in the first four games. Clay Holmes (1-0) got the win. Kikuchi, making his Blue Jays debut after signing a $36 million, three-year deal contract, gave up three runs – two earned ‘” and five hits in 3 1/3 innings. RAYS 9, ATHLETICS 8, 10 INNINGS ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Manuel Margot hit a game-ending single during Tampa Bay’s two-run 10th inning. Wander Franco started the Tampa Bay 10th with an RBI double off Lou Trivino (0-1). Josh Lowe was walked intentionally with two out, and Margot then lined his clutch hit down the left-field line. Billy McKinney’s leadoff single off Ryan Thompson (1-0) in the 10th put Oakland ahead 8-7. Ji-Man Choi, Brandon Lowe and Brett Phillips homered for the Rays, who improved to 4-1. The A’s got a homer from Jed Lowrie. Oakland had won two in a row. BRAVES 16, NATIONALS 4 ATLANTA (AP) – Marcell Ozuna homered twice for Atlanta, and Ozzie Albies drove in three runs. Coming off an 11-2 loss, the Braves began the game with a .201 team batting average before banging out 19 hits and going 9 for 19 with runners in scoring position. Ozuna, Austin Riley, Adam Duvall, Dansby Swanson and Orlando Arcia each had two RBIs. Bryce Elder (1-0), a fifth-round draft pick out of the University of Texas in 2020, won his major league debut. Washington’s Patrick Corbin (0-2) gave up six runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.