Gleyber Torres hits two home runs in MLB sluggers' duel

(AFP) Venezuela's Gleyber Torres emerged victorious in a spectacular duel with Dominican Elly de la Cruz in the Detroit Tigers' 11-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.

Torres connected two home runs and drove in three runs in his four at-bats during a rainy night at Detroit's Comerica Park.

For the fourth time in his career, and first with the Tigers, Torres homered in the opening inning of a game.

The former New York Yankees outfielder knocked it out of the park again in the eighth inning to give the Tigers a definitive 8-2 lead, which also included four RBIs by American Riley Green.

For the Reds, who suffered their second loss after five straight wins, Elly de la Cruz shined with three hits, a home run and two RBIs.

It was the second game with a home run in a row for the young Dominican star, bringing him to 15 on the year.

The Boston Red Sox won 2-1 in the series opener against the Yankees. The home run by star Aaron Judge, the league leader with 26, was not enough for the "Bronx Bombers," who were coming off a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, tormentors of the Yankees in the last World Series, also stumbled against the San Francisco Giants 6-2 despite a home run by Dominican Teóscar Hernández for the second night in a row.

His compatriot, Willy Adames, opened the scoring for the Giants at Dodger Stadium with a first-inning homer. A grand slam by Casey Schmitt in the third inning sealed the win for San Francisco in this Californian rivalry.

Another of the top teams who lost Friday were the New York Mets, who lost 7-5 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mexican Jonathan Aranda had a home run for Tampa Bay in the fourth inning. Dominican Juan Soto, the Mets' star, had a hit and an RBI, while his compatriot Starling Marte had three hits and three RBIs.