Donaldson, Yankees beat Red Sox in 11-inning opener

NEW YORK (AP) – Josh Donaldson capped his Yankees debut with an RBI single in the 11th inning, lifting New York over the Boston Red Sox 6-5 Friday for its first walk-off win on opening day since Yogi Berra scored in 1957. Trailing 3-0 before ace Gerrit Cole got a single out, the Yankees rallied against their longtime rival. Xander Bogaerts put the Red Sox ahead 5-4 in the 10th with an RBI single against winner Michael King (1-0) – Bogaerts’ third hit of the game. Pinch-hitter Gleyber Torres tied it in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly off Ryan Brasier. Donaldson, acquired from Minnesota last month, grounded a single up the middle against rookie Kutter Crawford (0-1) leading off the 11th. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who started the inning as the automatic runner at second base, scored in his Yankees debut. It was the Yankees’ sixth overall walk-off win on opening day. The last time came when the defending World Series champions began the 1957 season by beating the Washington Senators 2-1 as Berra scored on a single by Andy Carey. TIGERS 5, WHITE SOX 4 DETROIT (AP) – Javier Báez wound up with a winning RBI single on a game-ending replay reversal in his Detroit debut. With two out and a runner on third in the ninth inning, Báez hit a drive to right off Liam Hendriks that sent AJ Pollock back to the wall. Pollock appeared to make a juggling catch, but the ball struck the wall before going off the outfielder’s glove. The new-look Tigers started celebrating as they realized what happened, and the opening-day crowd joined in after umpire Marvin Hudson announced the reversal of the call. Eric Haase hit a solo homer off Hendriks (0-1) earlier in the ninth. Chicago’s Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking solo homer off Gregory Soto (1-0) in the top of the ninth. RAYS 2, ORIOLES 1 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Budding star Wander Franco had three hits, Francisco Mejía snapped an eighth-inning tie with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly and AL East champion Tampa Bay beat Baltimore. Franco started the winning rally with a single to right off reliever Dillon Tate. It was the 21-year-old’s first game since signing a $182 million, 11-year contract in the offseason. He batted .288 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 70 games as a rookie. Pinch hitter Ji-Man Choi drew a walk and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Randy Arozarena beat out an infield single to load the bases against right-hander Jorge Perez (0-1). After Brandon Lowe hit into a force play at the plate that took Franco off the bases, Mejía lifted his sacrifice fly to left field. Andrew Kittredge (1-0), the fifth of seven Tampa Bay pitchers, worked one inning. Lowe drove in the Rays’ other run with a third-inning sacrifice fly, and offseason addition Brooks Raley got the final out in the ninth for the save. PHILLIES 9, ATHLETICS 5 PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Kyle Schwarber homered in his first at-bat with Philadelphia, reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper knocked in a run and Aaron Nola struck out seven against Oakland. Schwarber’s first opening day in Philadelphia was one to remember for the 29-year-old slugger. Fresh off the $79 million, four-year contract he signed last month, Schwarber crushed a 427-foot homer to right off A’s starter Frankie Montas (0-1). Schwarber’s one-out walk in the third inning ignited a four-run burst. Harper stretched a single into a double when a replay review showed he slid under the tag of second baseman Tony Kemp, then scored on Rhys Hoskins’two-run single. Didi Gregorius’ single up the middle made it 5-0.

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