The Blue Jays thrash the Phillies with an eight-run ninth…..

Will Robertson ripped a grand slam as part of an eight-run ninth that the visiting Toronto Blue Jays used to pummel the Philadelphia Phillies 13-5 on Saturday in Clearwater, Fla. Eduardo Escobar had a two-run double and Payton Henry added a two-run homer as part of the Blue Jays’ big ninth, which turned a tie game into a blowout. The Phillies had trailed 5-1 before Edmundo Sosa clubbed a grand slam of his own to knot things in the sixth. However, the Phillies mustered just three singles the rest of the way.

Byron Buxton homered, tripled twice, drove in four runs and scored three as host Minnesota outslugged New York in Fort Myers, Fla. Buxton did his damage against Yankees starter Nestor Cortes (0-1), who gave up six runs on nine hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out six. Christian Vazquez and Willi Castro had three hits apiece for the Twins, who collected 19 overall, and Carlos Correa drove in two runs. Austin Wells opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first for New York. The Yankees didn’t score again until the seventh, when Josh VanMeter had a two-run shot of his own.

Jose Altuve led off the bottom of the first with a home run, Kyle Tucker smacked a three-run blast later in the frame and Houston never looked back in a victory over visiting Washington in West Palm Beach, Fla. Yordan Alvarez added a solo shot for the Astros, who got four innings of one-run ball out of Jose Urquidy (2-0). Nationals starter Trevor Williams (0-1) was roughed up for five runs on eight hits in three innings. Riley Adams drove in Travis Blankenhorn with a home run in the sixth for Washington.

Host Detroit used a four-run fourth to rally for a win against Pittsburgh in Lakeland, Fla.

Solo shots from Canaan Smith-Njigba and Henry Davis lifted the Pirates to a 4-2 edge in the third, but the Tigers stole momentum an inning later thanks in large part to Keston Hiura’s three-run homer. Detroit’s outburst made a winner of Joey Wentz (2-1), who allowed one hit in two scoreless innings. He walked one and fanned one while watching his ERA dip to 1.29 in spring training.

Left-hander Sean Manaea turned in four shutout innings as visiting New York cruised past St. Louis in Jupiter, Fla.

Manaea (1-1) permitted two hits and three walks while striking out five. Francisco Lindor and William Lugo homered for the Mets, who hung nine unanswered runs on the Cardinals. Lindor also had a sacrifice fly. St. Louis scored all of its runs in the ninth on a solo shot from Thomas Saggese and a two-run blast from Pedro Pages.

Coby Mayo hit a two-run homer, doubled and finished with four RBIs as Baltimore defeated host Atlanta in North Port, Fla.

Dean Kremer (2-1) worked four innings for the Orioles, surrendering two runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale (0-1) gave up three runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings, with a walk and two strikeouts.

Jake Marisnick recorded three RBIs and visiting Los Angeles held off a feverish comeback attempt from Cleveland in Goodyear, Ariz.

Marisnick had an RBI single and a two-run homer to help the Angels build a 5-0 cushion. That lead nearly evaporated, though, as the Guardians struck for all four of their runs in the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Manzardo and Alexfri Planez had run-scoring doubles during Cleveland’s surge. Los Angeles southpaw Tyler Anderson (1-1) allowed four hits over 3 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.