Yankees pitcher Clay Holmes, left, and catcher Austin Wells celebrate after closing out a win over the Marlins to improve to 10-2 to open the season.
Mary Altaffer | AP photo
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NEW YORK — Carlos Rodón allowed two unearned run in six-plus innings, Alex Verdugo homered and the New York Yankees beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 Tuesday night to match their best 12-game start.
New York won its fourth straight and improved to a major league-best 10-2, equaling the starts of the Yankees in 1922, 1949 and 2003.
Miami dropped to 1-11 for the first time since losing 11 in a row after an opening victory in 1998. The Marlins are the first team to lose 11 of its first 12 since Baltimore in 2010.
Rodón (1-0) allowed four hits in six-plus innings for his fourth win in 12 decisions since signing a $162 million, six-year contract. He is 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in three starts.
Verdugo admired his first Yankee Stadium homer in pinstripes, dropping to one knee after swinging at A.J. Puk’s 1-0 sweeper. He watched the ball land a few rows back of the short porch in right and raised his arm midway through the home run trot.
After reaching the dugout, Verdugo was met by teammates jumping up and down and barking — a reference to his calling teammates “dawgs” following the opening four-game sweep at Houston.
Verdugo hit his second homer with the Yankees, a night after getting three hits and reaching four times.
Giancarlo Stanton added an RBI double in the fifth after being robbed of a potential extra-base hit in the third by Bryan De La Cruz’s leaping catch at the left field warning track. Juan Soto, batting .348, reached three times and had an RBI single in the sixth.
After Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s grounder went under Anthony Rizzo’s glove and Tim Anderson reached on an infield single to load the bases in the seventh, pinch-hitters Jesús Sánchez (run-scoring grounder) and Nick Gordon (sacrifice fly) drove in runs against Ian Hamilton, ending Miami’s 16-inning scoreless streak.
Hamilton also pitched a scoreless eighth and Clay Holmes pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save in six chances.
Defending NL batting champion Luis Arráez struck out twice for his second multiple-strikeout game this season. He had two multi-strikeout games last season when he batted .354 in 147 games.
Puk (0-3) allowed two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.
TIGERS 5, PIRATES 3
PITTSBURGH — Gio Urshela, Kerry Carpenter and Jake Rogers delivered RBI singles in the ninth inning as Detroit rallied past Pittsburgh.
Detroit won for just the second time in six games by getting to Pirates closer David Bednar (1-1), who blew his third save opportunity in four tries.
Pittsburgh led 3-1 heading to the ninth before the Tigers broke loose against Bednar, a two-time All-Star.
Bednar walked Greene leading off the inning, then hit Spencer Torkelson. Urshela singled and both runners scored when Michael A. Taylor’s wayward throw from center to third base skipped into the netting near the Pittsburgh dugout. Carpenter and Rogers followed with run-scoring singles to give Detroit a split of the short two-game interleague set.
Urshela and Matt Vierling had two hits apiece for Detroit. Shelby Miller (3-0) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Jason Foley worked the ninth for his third save.
Edward Olivares homered twice for the Pirates. Ke’Bryan Hayes had two hits and drove in a run for Pittsburgh.
BREWERS 9, REDS 5
CINCINNATI — Christian Yelich and Blake Perkins each drove in three runs, helping Joe Ross and Milwaukee beat Cincinnati.
Perkins and Sal Frelick each had three of Milwaukee’s 13 hits. Jake Bauers had two RBIs.
Ross (1-0) earned his first big league win since June 29, 2021, for Washington against Tampa Bay. The 30-year-old right-hander allowed three runs, two earned, and five hits in 6 1/3 innings in his second start of the season.
WHITE SOX 7, GUARDIANS 5
CLEVELAND — Dominic Fletcher hit a two-run double in the eighth inning as Chicago snapped a five-game losing streak with its first road win, topping Cleveland.
Fletcher’s shot to right-center off Scott Barlow (0-2) broke a 5-5 tie as the White Sox finally broke out of an early season offensive funk.
ORIOLES 7, RED SOX 1
BOSTON — Colton Cowser drove in four runs, Corbin Burnes allowed two hits over seven innings and Baltimore prevailed in Boston’s home opener.
Cowser had a pair of RBI doubles, the second driving in two runs in the fourth to break a 1-1 tie. He added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to help the Orioles stop a two-game skid.