Zack Wheeler Pitches Mets To 8th Straight Win; Yankees Even Series In Boston As Gary Sanchez Homers Twice

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 11, 2018

American League

Sanchez: 2B, 2HR, 4RBI

Heading into his third start of the season, Boston hurler David Price hadn't given up a run, blanking the Tampa Bay Rays in back-to-back seven inning stints.

In a New York minute, the Yankees put an end to that streak, scoring four runs in the first inning on their way to a 10-7 win at Fenway Park, evening their series with Boston at a game apiece.

Giancarlo Stanton tripled in the first pair of runs; Gary Sanchez brought Stanton home with a bomb over the Green Monster, a 432-foot belt that set the tone for the night. Price finished the inning and was not seen again.

Sanchez, however, was not quite finished, doubling and scoring in the third prior to homering again with a man aboard in the fourth.

Beyond the Yankee onslaught, the game also featured a grand slam by Boston's J.D. Martinez and a bench-clearing brawl in the seventh inning after Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly plunked Tyler Austin in retaliation for a hard slide by Austin earlier in the game. Keely, Austin, Yankee reliever Tommy Kahnle, and third base coach Phil Kevin were all ejected.

With the series squared and Boston's eight-game winning streak over, the Yanks and Sox will finish off the series Thursday at 7:10 pm EDT. Boston remains in first place in the division, with a 9-2 mark. The Yankees are 6-6.

Wheeler: 7IP, 2H, 1ER, 7K

National League

Starting the season off by taking two of three from the Cardinals at Citi Field, the New York Mets were just getting warmed up.

Since that opening series, the Mets haven't lost, winning their eighth straight Wednesday night with a 4-1 win over the Marlins at Miami.

Doing it with a combination of solid pitching and timely hitting, the Mets came through for starter Zack Wheeler after being held hitless for six innings by Maimi starter, Jarlin Garcia.

Wheeler surrendered a first-inning solo homer to the second hitter he faced, Miguel Rojas, but settled in, giving up just one more hit and a walk, fanning seven over seven innings. Pulled in the top of the seventh for pinch hitter, Adrian Gonzalez, Wheeler got the win when Gonzalez mashed a two-run homer and the Mets added two more in the frame.

Having missed all of the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Wheeler returned to start 17 games for the Mets in 2017, going 3-7 with a 5.21 ERA, but his first start of the new season was very encouraging, ensuring he'll see the mound more often.

With the win, the Mets maintained a 3 1/2-game lead over the Braves in the NL East. After a day off Thursday, they open a weekend series at home with the Brewers on Friday.