MLB Player News

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale put together another dominant outing on Sunday, earning his second win of the season in a 5-1 victory over the Royals.

Sale (2-0) allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out six over eight shutout innings pitched. He tossed 111 pitches, 75 of which were strikes.

Sale has allowed three runs along with a 14:2 K:BB ratio over 15 1/3 innings pitched in two starts. He is scheduled to make his next start Friday at home against Cleveland.

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson endured a rough outing on Sunday, but escaped with a no-decision in a 10-7 defeat to the Twins.

Masterson was charged with six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits and three walks while striking out four over 3 2/3 innings pitched. He has allowed five earned runs over 10 2/3 innings pitched in two starts.

Masterson will look to get back on track Friday against the White Sox in Chicago.

Twins pitcher Ricky Nolasco was knocked around again in his second start of the season, Sunday against the Indians. He managed to escape with a no-decision.

The right-hander allowed a two-run home run to Yan Gomes in the second and a bases-clearing double to Jason Kipnis in the fourth inning. He was charged with five runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out one in four innings pitched.

Nolasco has allowed 10 runs over his first 10 innings logged this season. He'll look for a bounce-back start Saturday against Kansas City.

Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb was involved in quite the pitcher's duel with Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish Sunday. Both pitchers tossed seven scoreless innings, but Darvish picked up the win as Texas provided some late offense in a 3-0 win.

Cobb scattered just three hits and one walk in the no-decision. He struck out six.

The right-hander didn't run into much trouble. He opened the game with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 first inning. He also retired the side in order in the second and sixth innings, and never faced more than four batters in an inning.

Cobb bounced back after allowing four runs in five innings during a loss Tuesday against the Blue Jays. His next scheduled start is for Saturday at Cincinnati.

Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish came off the disabled list Sunday to make his first start of the season, but it was hard to tell he was even hurt with the way he pitched against the Rays. Darvish tossed seven scoreless innings during a 3-0 win.

Darvish (1-0), who missed his opening day start with a neck injury, allowed seven hits and one walk, while striking out six.

He got off to a great start Sunday, striking out the first two batters he faced. The two strikeouts set an MLB record for fastest to 500 in his career. He needed just 401 2/3 innings, passing Kerry Wood.

Darvish will go for his 31st career win when he makes his second start Saturday vs. Houston. He was 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA in five starts against the Astros last season.

Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander pitched well over eight innings Sunday against the Orioles, but opposing starter Chris Tillman was just that much better during a 3-1 win for Baltimore.

Verlander (0-1) allowed just two runs on five hits and two walks in eight innings. He struck out three. But Tillman allowed just one run in 8 1/3 innings -- winning Sunday's pitcher's duel.

Verlander held a 1-0 lead before Nelson Cruz tied the game with an two-out RBI double in the sixth inning. The Orioles took the lead for good on Adam Jones' sac fly with two outs in the eighth.

Verlander's next scheduled start is likely to come Saturday against the Padres.

Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish was activated off the 15-day disabled list prior to making his first start of the season Sunday against the Rays. Darvish missed his opening day start due to a neck injury.

Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel was not at his best on Saturday, suffering his first loss of the season in a 5-1 defeat to the Angels.

Making his first start of the season, Keuchel (0-1) allowed a run-scoring double to Howie Kendrick in the second, a run-scoring single to David Freese and a two-run home run to Josh Hamilton in the fifth inning. He allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings pitched.

Keuchel will look to get back on track Thursday at Toronto.

Indians enigmatic right-hander Carlos Carrasco lived up to that reputation Saturday against Minnesota. He struggled to throw quality strikes early in giving up three runs in the first inning, including a leadoff home run to Brian Dozier, and two more in the third.

He then settled down, displaying the stuff that has intrigued the Indians for several years. He retired nine of the next 11 batters while fanning four.

Carrasco, however, was saddled with the loss. He surrendered four earned runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts.

He is scheduled to make his next start Thursday in Chicago against the White Sox.

Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson was forced to play Houdini at times Saturday, but he escaped jams and emerged with a win in his first start of the season.

Gibson threw 97 pitches and walked four in five innings, yet surrendered just one run on three hits with three strikeouts to beat Cleveland. He put two on in the first and three in the third, but gave up just one run in those two innings combined.

His next start is slated for Friday against Kansas City.