Chicago: Aaron Hicks tied a career-high with four hits and Starlin Castro homered and drove in three runs against his former team as the New York Yankees pounded Brett Anderson and the Chicago Cubs 11-6 in Major League Baseball on Saturday.
Hicks connected for a three-run homer in the eighth inning as the AL East leaders earned their fourth straight win, extending their surprising start. Jordan Montgomery (2-1) pitched into the seventh for his first road win in his fifth major league start.
Castro, a three-time All-Star with the Cubs before he was traded to the Yankees in December 2015, hit an RBI double in New York’s five-run first. He drove a 3-1 pitch from reliever Felix Pena deep into the bleachers in left for a two-run shot in the fourth, giving the Yankees an 8-0 lead.
Anderson (2-2) allowed hits to six of his first seven batters before he was pulled with one out in the first with lower back tightness. He also committed a throwing error that brought in a run.
Ryan Zimmerman homered, drove in three runs and led Washington to 6-2 win over Philadelphia. A.J. Cole (1-0) allowed a run over six innings in his first start of the season and helped the Nationals win their fourth straight game.
The Nationals lead the majors with a 21-9 record and won the last two games without 2015 National League Most Valuable Player Bryce Harper. Harper strained his left groin on Thursday and could return to the lineup Sunday.
Carlos Santana and Francisco Lindor hit back-to-back home runs with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Cleveland to 3-1 win over Kansas City.
Kelvin Herrera (1-1) gave up the home runs in a span of three pitches. Santana took a 2-0 pitch out to right-centre. Lindor hit his eighth, which landed in the Indians’ bullpen.
