NEW YORK — Clay Buchholz breezed through seven innings as the Boston Red Sox won their opening two games of a season the first time since 1999 with a 7-4 victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Wednesday. Buchholz worked efficiently, needing just 94 pitches over seven innings to get through a Yankees line-up missing injured hitters Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson. Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda lasted just 1 1/3 innings after suffering a contusion in his right middle finger trying to knock down a line drive by Shane Victorino. Kuroda threw 41 pitches and his finger required further testing. Boston's line-up produced 13 hits and has 26 while outscoring the Yankees by a 15-3 margin in the first two games. Twins 3, Tigers 2: Eduardo Escobar's two-run, ninth-inning double lifted the Minnesota Twins to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers, whose closer-by-committee approach failed. Trevor Plouffe drew a leadoff walk against Tigers right-hander Joaquin Benoit, who was then replaced by left-hander Phil Coke (0-1). After a flyout, Brian Dozier singled and Escobar then doubled to left-center, scoring both runners. Detroit led 2-0 before the Twins scored a run in the seventh. Rangers 4, Astros 0: Following the lead of team mate Yu Darvish, Texas right-hander Alexi Ogando delivered a sensational outing, leading the Rangers to a 4-0 win over the Houston Astros. Ogando recorded a career-best 10 strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings after Darvish flirted with a perfect game Tuesday. Texas pitchers set a major league record by recording 43 strikeouts in the season-opening series, eclipsing the mark set by the 1966 Cleveland Indians. White Sox 5, Royals 2: The Chicago White Sox got another good start on the mound against the Kansas City Royals, this time from Jake Peavy, and launched four home runs to win 5-2. Peavy went six strong innings, allowing two runs. Indians 3, Blue Jays 2 (11 innings): Mark Reynolds led off the 11th inning with his first home run of the season, giving the Cleveland Indians a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Rays 8, Orioles 7: Matt Joyce's lead-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Tampa Bay Rays an 8-7 comeback win over the Baltimore Orioles. The Rays survived another big night from Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis, who tied a career-high with four hits, including his second home run of the season and two doubles. A's 6, Mariners 2: The Oakland A's finally discovered their offense in a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. National League Nationals 3, Marlins 0: Gio Gonzalez, who threw 91 pitches, allowed no runs and two hits in six innings along with a solo home run in the fifth to break a scoreless tie as the Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 3-0. Gonzalez hit his homer into the left field seats in his first start of the season after winning 21 games last year. Washington pitchers have not allowed a run in the first 18 innings of the season. The Nationals (2-0) made it 2-0 in the seventh as Danny Espinosa reached on an error and later scored on a fielder's choice. Pirates 3, Cubs 0: On an evening when the game temperature was 35 degrees Celsius and the wind was blowing out to center field at 17 mph, the Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Wandy Rodriguez cooled the Chicago Cubs' bats as he combined with two relievers on a two-hit shutout in a 3-0 victory. Rodriguez (1-0) allowed both hits, struck out six and walked one. The Pirates opened the scoring with a two-run fourth inning off Edwin Jackson, who was making his Cubs' debut after signing a four-year, $52-million contract as a free agent in the offseason. Jackson pitched five innings and allowed two runs. Other results: Braves 9, Phillies 2; Mets 8, Padres 4;Diamondbacks 10, Cardinals 9 (16 innings); Giants 5, Dodgers 3; Rockies 7, Brewers 3. Inter-League Reds 5, Angels 4: First baseman Joey Votto's single in the bottom of the ninth inning drove home Shin-Soo Choo with the winning run lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory over the Angels. — Agencies
