TORONTO — Right-hander Chris Archer allowed two hits and struck out 11 over seven scoreless innings and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Thursday.
Infielder Tim Beckham hit a two-run home run as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning to support Archer (2-1) as the Rays took three of four in the series.
Right-hander Aaron Sanchez (0-2), the Blue Jays starter, allowed five hits, three walks and three runs in 5 1/3 innings in his second career major league start.
Right-hander Brad Boxberger gave up a run in the ninth but picked up his fourth save of the season.
The Rays scored a run in the third and another in the fifth before Beckham’s second homer of the season in the sixth to take a 4-0 lead.
The Blue Jays lost shortstop Jose Reyes in the first inning after he felt soreness in his left rib-cage area. He seemed to be experiencing some difficulty during his first at-bat when he led off with a groundout to second base.
Reyes was replaced by infielder Ryan Goins in the second inning. Goins was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo earlier Thursday when right-handed reliever Todd Redmond was designated for assignment. The plan was to use Goins in a utility role that would include spelling Reyes at shortstop on occasion. Goins singled in his first at-bat in the third inning.
Nationals 5, Phillies 2
WASHINGTON — Right-handed starter Doug Fister allowed just one earned run and center fielder Michael A. Taylor hit a tiebreaking homer in the fifth as the Washington Nationals beat nemesis Cole Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 on Thursday.
Hamels (0-2) is now 15-9 in his career against the Nationals, who snapped his string of 21 consecutive road starts without allowing more than three earned runs.
The lefty allowed five earned runs and five hits in six innings with four walks and seven strikeouts. Hamels struggled with his command — 40 of his 95 pitches were out of the strike zone — and even some of the outs he recorded were hit hard.
Fister (1-0) was lifted with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh after he allowed three batters to reach in a row.
Lefty Matt Thornton came on to face Chase Utley, the second baseman, and got him to line out to Taylor in center for the final out of the frame. Fister allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Washington (4-6) lost each of its first three series but the Nationals scored 23 runs in the past three games. The Phillies (3-7) have lost five in a row.
Reliever Aaron Barrett pitched a perfect eighth for the Nationals and closer Drew Storen pitched the ninth and got a double play grounder to end the game.
Twins 8, Royals 5
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins’ offense broke out for a season-high 14 hits in a win against the Kansas City Royals in the rubber match of a three-game series at Target Field.
It was the first series victory for Minnesota (3-6), which also won two in a row for the first time this season.
Kansas City (7-2) lost its second straight after opening the season 7-0.
Twins left-hander Tommy Milone (2-0) earned the win, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings. Closer Glen Perkins got the final two outs for his second save.
Five Twins had at least two hits, including first baseman Kennys Vargas, who blasted a two-run homer in the second inning to erase an early 2-0 deficit.
Right fielder Torii Hunter had three hits for his first multi-hit game of the season. He had four hits over the first eight games.
Kansas City lefty Jason Vargas struggled, allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and a walk over three-plus innings.
Cardinals 4, Brewers 0
ST. LOUIS — After the Milwaukee Brewers missed on three run-scoring opportunities Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals took advantage of theirs.
Scoring in each of the last three innings, St. Louis blanked Milwaukee in the rubber game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.
Starter John Lackey (1-0) worked seven innings for the win, scattering five hits and walking one while striking out eight. Lackey recorded a strikeout in every inning and retired the last seven hitters he faced.
Matt Carpenter, Jhonny Peralta, Reynolds and Yadier Molina each registered two hits for the Cardinals (5-3).