Baltimore starter Spenser Watkins looks over a new ball in the third inning Monday night at St. Petersburg, Fla. Steve Nesius/Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rookie right-hander Spenser Watkins gave up one run in six innings as the Baltimore Orioles tied a season high with their third consecutive win, 6-1 over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
The 28-year old Watkins, making his third start and fourth career appearance, scattered four hits, walked two and struck out seven. His ERA dropped from 1.74 to 1.65 (three earned runs over 16 1/3 innings).
Watkins (2-0) was signed as a minor league free agent in February after not pitching in 2020 and spending 2014-19 in the Detroit organization. He had considered taking a high school freshman team coaching job in Arizona before signing with Baltimore.
It’s the fifth three-game winning streak for the Orioles, who have an AL-worst record of 31-62.
Cole Sulser, Paul Fry and Tyler Wells completed the five-hitter. Baltimore entered 0-6 against the Rays this season, getting outscored 48-21.
Tampa Bay All-Star catcher Mike Zunino exited after three innings with left hip flexor tightness. Designated hitter Yandy Díaz departed after five innings due to neck spasms.
TIGERS 14, RANGERS 0: Miguel Cabrera drove in five runs, including a bases-loaded double in a four-run fifth inning, and Detroit routed visiting Texas.
The Rangers have lost six straight, the last three by a combined score of 29-0. The last major league team to allow that many runs while being shut out in three straight games was the 1906 Brooklyn Superbas, who were outscored 31-0 between July 6-9.
TWINS-WHITE SOX SPLIT: Rookie Gavin Sheets hit a game-ending three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, giving Chicago a 5-3 win over visiting Minnesota in the second game of a doubleheader.
Minnesota won the opener 3-2 in eight innings, but the White Sox avoided a sweep when Sheets turned on a 3-1 fastball from Twins ace Jose Berrios and drove it deep to right for his fifth home run. Berrios (7-4) entered the seventh having allowed only two hits – solo shots by Jose Abreu and Yoan Moncada – before Brian Goodwin led off with a single and Berrios hit Andrew Vaughn with a pitch.
A wild pitch moved the runners up, then Sheets connected to win the game for Chicago.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NATIONALS 18, MARLINS 1: Jon Lester pitched seven scoreless innings and homered, Juan Soto hit a pair of home runs and Washington routed visiting Miami.
Lester (3-4) turned in his longest outing of the season, allowing six hits and striking out seven without a walk. Lester hit his fourth career homer and added a single for his fourth career multihit game.
Soto continued his torrid post-All Star game pace,, going 3 for 4 with five RBI and three runs scored. He’s 10 for 17 (.588) with five homers, 11 RBI and eight runs scored in four games since the break.
Trea Turner drove in four runs with a homer and a triple as Washington began a stretch of six games against the last-place Marlins and the Baltimore Orioles.
NOTES
ORIOLES: Ace John Means will return from a left shoulder strain to start Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The left-hander, 4-2 with a 2.28 ERA in 12 starts this season, last pitched on June 5 against Cleveland. He made three minor league rehab outings, including a three-inning stint with Triple-A Norfolk last Thursday.
Means threw a no-hitter, falling short of a perfect game because of a wild pitch on a third strike, against Seattle on May 5.
METS: Manager Luis Rojas was suspended for two games and fined for excessive arguing with umpires, an outburst that followed a bizarre play a day earlier at Pittsburgh.
Rojas was to begin serving his suspension Monday night at Cincinnati. He said he was not offered the chance to appeal. The amount of the fine was not revealed.
Bench coach Dave Jauss will take over managerial duties.
“I’m a little upset that I’m going to be missing the next two games,” Rojas said before going out to pitch batting practice. “I missed the team for 8 2/3 (innings) yesterday, not getting to watch from the dugout. But the league’s got to do what they gotta do. We know how sometimes things get heated up.”
MARLINS: The Miami Marlins placed infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and infielder/outfielder Garrett Cooper on the 10-day injured list after the pair got hurt a day earlier at Philadelphia.
Chisholm left in the first inning with a left shoulder contusion following a diving attempt on Bryce Harper’s single in short right field.
Cooper departed in the eighth inning after a collision at first base with Travis Jankowski. He has a left elbow sprain.
GIANTS: The Giants placed All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford on the 10-day injured list due to an oblique strain. The move came as they opened a pivotal four-game series against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Manager Gabe Kapler said Crawford’s MRI revealed a mild strain, and he was hopeful it would be a short stint on the IL.
Crawford is ninth in the NL in batting average (.286) and RBI (58). He was also on a tear with five games of three hits or more in his last 10, along with going 20 for 39 over the last 11 games.
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