Shohei Ohtani triples as Angels rout Royals

Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani smacked a bases-loaded triple to drive in three runs as the Los Angeles Angels thumped the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Thursday.The two-way star’s batting heroics came four days after he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his last pitching start against the Oakland Athletics.Ohtani belted a 1-2 pitch from Brandon Mauer to centre field which scored teammates Kole Calhoun, Andrelton Simmons, and Luis Valbuena in a five-run seventh. Ohtani, who was the Angels designated hitter, was also intentionally walked in the sixth inning.Ohtani homered in the first three games he started as the designated hitter for the Angels who have now won five straight.He did not hit a home run as the Angels’ designated hitter on Wednesday, but he went one-for-three with a walk and recorded his eighth RBI of the season. He is tied with Mike Trout for the Angels’ lead with 11 RBIs in 26 at-bats.Ohtani is 2-0 in his first two major league starts as a pitcher as has led the Angels to one of their best starts in franchise history.Elsewhere, Rick Porcello took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Mookie Betts had two RBIs as the host Boston Red Sox posted a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night at Fenway Park. Porcello (3-0) ended up allowing two hits before departing after the seventh. The right-hander struck out six and didn’t issue a walk as Boston improved its record to 10-2. Andrew Benintendi, Mitch Moreland and Eduardo Nunez had two hits apiece for the Red Sox, who prevailed on a night that featured heavy rain through the first five innings. Moreland entered after Boston first baseman Hanley Ramirez departed in the first inning when he suffered a bruised right wrist after being hit by a pitch from Yankees starter Sonny Gray. The Red Sox said X-rays were negative. Gray (1-1) allowed six runs and seven hits in three-plus innings. He struck out three, walked two and tossed three wild pitches in addition to hitting Ramirez. Porcello tossed six no-hit innings before Aaron Judge slammed a double that one-hopped the wall in center to open the seventh. Giancarlo Stanton followed with an infield single before Porcello worked out of the jam. Porcello induced Didi Gregorius to fly to right and finished his outing by striking out Gary Sanchez and Aaron Hicks. Sanchez ripped a three-run double to right-center in the ninth for New York’s runs. Boston closer Craig Kimbrel entered to get the final three outs for his fourth save. The game was delayed by rain for 45 minutes after the fifth inning. Porcello threw 60 pitches and retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced prior to the rain delay. The only baserunner occurred in the fourth inning when Porcello hit Stanton with a pitch on the left elbow. The Red Sox scored four runs in the second inning off Gray, with Sandy Leon driving home the first run with a single to right. Betts plated the second on a sacrifice fly, Benintendi’s fielder’s choice made it 3-0 and Moreland capped the uprising with an RBI single to left. Nunez led off the third with a double high off the Green Monster in left, and he scored when Stanton misplayed a high pop hit to left by Jackie Bradley Jr. Stanton headed past the foul line and overran the ball and it landed in fair territory and bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double. Bradley scored later in the inning on Betts’ fielder’s choice to make it a six-run margin. There was no repeat of Wednesday’s melee that led to Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly being suspended six games by Major League Baseball and Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin drawing a five-game ban. Both players are appealing the punishment. Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Joe Kelly was suspended for six games while New York Yankees designated hitter Tyler ASustin was banned for five games because of Wednesday night’s bench-clearing brawl between the longtime AL East rivals, Major League Baseball announced Thursday.Both players were also fined undetermined amounts and both plan to appeal their punishments.Four other players currently on the disabled list were fined for their on-field actions Wednesday night at Fenway Park: Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and Red Sox infielders Xander Bogaerts, Marco Hernandez and Dustin Pedroia. Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin also were fined.The game, won 10-7 by the Yankees, included two bench-clearing incidents. The second, in the seventh inning, turned into an on-field brawl after Kelly hit the Austin with a pitch in the back.That pitch appeared to be in retaliation for Austin’s hard slide in the third inning when his lead foot clipped the foot of Red Sox shortstop Brock Holt during a forceout.