Monday's MLB: Yankees off to third-best start (26-9) in franchise history

Baltimore — Luis Severino allowed one hit in six innings, and Jose Trevino became the first New York catcher with a home run this year when he hit a three-run drive in the fourth to lift the surging Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 Monday night.

Josh Donaldson and Anthony Rizzo added back-to-back solo homers in the ninth for the Yankees, who won for the 19th time in 22 games. New York (26-9) is off to one of the best 35-game starts in franchise history. Only the 1939 and 1928 teams, at 28-7, were better at this point.

Anthony Santander homered from the left side of the plate off Severino (3-0) in the fourth, then from the right side off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth. The Orioles managed only one other hit.

Kyle Bradish (1-2) allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings in his fourth career start. He walked three and struck out six.

(At) Chicago 9, Pittsburgh 0: Willson Contreras led off with a double and became a rare leadoff hitter with a first-inning grand slam as Chicago burst to an eight-run lead and beat Pittsburgh.

Contreras became the 10th leadoff hitter since 1901 with a first-inning slam, the first since Houston’s George Springer off Kansas City’s Edinson Vólquez on June 24, 2016.

Wade Miley (1-0) retired his first 14 batters before Michael Chavis lined a single to left and ended a 13-inning hitless streak for Pittsburgh batters. Miley allowed just the one runner in seven innings and struck out six, throwing 83 pitches.

Contreras led off with a double off Dylan Peters (3-2) and scored Chicago’s first run, then lined his fourth slam to left-center off Bryse Wilson on the first pitch of his second at-bat.

(At) Milwaukee 1, Atlanta 0: Freddy Peralta dominated over seven innings, Hunter Renfroe scored on a wild pitch and Milwaukee two-hit Atlanta.

Peralta (3-1) gave up two hits and a walk while striking out 10 and retiring his final 11 batters.

The Brewers broke through in the sixth against Ian Anderson (3-2). Renfroe doubled with one out and moved to third on Omar Narváez’s groundout. Renfroe then scored on Anderson’s wild pitch.

Devin Williams struck out the side in the eighth and Josh Hader did the same in the ninth for his 14th save in 14 appearances.

Chicago White Sox 5, (at) Kansas City 3 (10): Luis Robert hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning after Johnny Cueto’s impressive Chicago debut, and the White Sox beat Kansas City in the opener of a five-game series.

Yasmani Grandal also had a two-run shot for the White Sox, who squandered a 3-0 lead in the eighth.

Robert connected off Scott Barlow (2-1) with two outs, scoring the automatic runner.

The 36-year-old Cueto pitched six shutout innings in his first major league start this season. He allowed just two hits and two walks, striking out seven.

Ryan Burr (1-1) worked a scoreless ninth and Liam Hendriks earned his 10th save in 13 tries.

(At) Toronto 6, Seattle 2: Yusei Kikuchi allowed one hit over six shutout innings against his former team, Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman backed the left-hander with home runs Toronto beat Seattle.

Bichette went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and scored twice.

Kikuchi (2-1) walked three and struck out six to win for the second time in three starts. Adam Cimber got two outs with two runners on for his fourth major league save and second this season.

Bichette and Chapman homered off Chris Flexen (1-6), who lost his fourth straight decision.

(At) Texas 7, L.A. Angels 4: Eli White had the first and last of five hits during a six-run first inning off Noah Syndergaard, and Texas beat Los Angeles.

Jon Gray (1-1) won his home debut despite allowing Shohei Ohtani’s RBI double off the base of the center-field wall in a three-run first. The Rangers’ immediate response knocked out Syndergaard (3-2) after two-thirds of an inning.

Joe Barlow worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his seventh save in seven chances.

(At) Miami 8, Washington 2: Sandy Alcantara retired his last 20 batters, pitching three-hit ball over eight innings to lead Miami past Washington.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Bryan De La Cruz had three hits each, and Avisaíl García homered for the Marlins, who had 16 hits and matched their second-highest total this season.

Alcantara (3-2) needed 43 pitches to get through the first two innings and 57 for innings three through eight. He struck out five, walked one and hit a pair of batters.

Aaron Sanchez (2-3) allowed four runs, eight hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings.