Reds blank Rangers 2-0 as Lowder pitches scoreless innings in first win since 2024

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rhett Lowder allowed three hits over six innings as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Saturday night, giving the right-hander his first win since 2024 after missing all of last season because of injuries.

Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagán each worked a scoreless inning to wrap up the Reds’ second shutout this season. Pagán matched the early MLB lead with his third save, his second in as many days, benefitting from a double play while walking two and giving up a two-out single.

Cincinnati got their runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart in the first off Kumar Rocker (0-1) before Lowder (1-0) had even thrown the first of his 82 pitches in his second start this season.

Lowder struck out four and gave up two leadoff walks. After allowing back-to-back singles with two outs in the first, the Rangers didn't get another runner to second base against him. He retired 12 of his last 13 batters he faced while lowering his career ERA to 1.30, the lowest for any Reds pitcher in his first eight career starts.

Texas, which has lost its first two home games and three games in a row overall, was held scoreless for the first time.

The seventh overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 2023 draft, Lowder made his big league debut in the final month of the 2024 season when he was 2-2 with a 1.17 ERA in six starts. He missed all of last season with because of a right forearm strain and then a left oblique strain.

Rocker struck out three in his five innings.

Matt McLain had a one-out single in the Reds first before a wild pitch. De La Cruz drove him home with a broken-bat single, then scored from first when Stewart lined a single into right-center on a hit-ad-run play.

Chase Burns (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who got his first big league win Monday, pitches for the Reds in the series finale Sunday. Jack Leiter (1-0, 3.00) goes for Texas.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) and center fielder Dane Myers (17) react after their team defeated the Texas Rangers 5-3 during the Rangers' home-opener baseball game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Cincinnati Reds' Elly de la Cruz breaks his bat while hitting a single, scoring teammate Matt McLain, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton stole his first base since 2000 and had a go-ahead, two-run single to help the New York Yankees beat the Miami Marlins 9-7 on Saturday night for their second 7-1 start in three seasons.

Stanton snapped a 6-6 tie in the eighth with a clean single to left field off Michael Petersen (1-1) after the reliever walked three. In the seventh, Stanton swiped second for his first steal since Aug. 3, 2020.

The Yankees won in their final at-bat for the first time this year after Javier Sanoja hit a tying two-run double off Camilo Doval in the eighth. Brett Headrick (1-0) finished the eighth, and David Bednar loaded the bases before getting his fourth save.

Cody Bellinger helped the Yankees rally from a four-run deficit through four innings by hitting a two-run homer in the fifth and lifting a sacrifice fly in the sixth for a 5-4 lead.

Trent Grisham started New York’s three-run sixth with an RBI base hit and Aaron Judge followed with a tying single off Anthony Bender.

After drawing 11 walks Friday in an 8-2 win, the Yankees had 10 more.

The Yankees won their fourth straight after a short outing from Ryan Weathers against his former team. Acquired from the Marlins on Jan. 13, Weathers allowed three runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings.

The game was delayed for about 10 minutes in the fourth when plate umpire Ron Kulpa exited after taking a foul ball off his mask. Scott Barry moved from first base to the plate and the game finished with three umpires.

Max Fried (2-0, 0.00 ERA), who has pitched 13 1/3 scoreless innings, was set to start Sunday for the Yankees against RHP Chris Paddack (0-1, 18.00).

Miami Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez connects for a single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Miami Marlins pitcher Max Meyer throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger tosses his bat after a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger (35) celebrates his two-run home run with Aaron Judge during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

New York Yankees' Trent Grisham slides home to score during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)