Alvarez, Pirates blast Cardinals
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PITTSBURGH — Francisco Liriano allowed one run over seven dominant innings, Pedro Alvarez hit his NL-leading 27th home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-2 Monday night.
Liriano (11-4) struck out eight and walked just two to win his fifth straight start. The Pirates kicked off the key series at PNC Park by sending the Cardinals to their fourth straight loss to pull within a half-game of the lead in the NL Central.
Clint Barmes doubled twice and drove in two runs for Pittsburgh. Andrew McCutchen added two hits and an RBI.
Jake Westbrook (7-5) continued to struggle against the Pirates. He fell to 1-8 against Pittsburgh in his career after surrendering four first-inning runs. Matt Carpenter and Shane Robinson hit RBI singles for St. Louis, which has scored just four runs during its longest losing streak of the season.
Mets 6, Marlins 5
MIAMI — Ike Davis had a go-ahead RBI double in a three-run seventh inning, Daniel Murphy drove in three runs, and New York snapped a five-game skid against Miami.
David Aardsma (2-0) pitched an inning in relief of Jeremy Hefner for the win. Bobby Parnell retired Giancarlo Stanton with runners on first and third to end it for his 21st save in 25 opportunities.
Jeff Mathis drove in two runs for Miami.
Miami’s Jacob Turner was in line for the win when he was pulled with a 5-3 lead after 6 1-3 innings. But Miami relievers Mike Dunn and A.J. Ramos (3-4) struggled to get out of the seventh as the Mets scored three runs.
Braves 9, Rockies 8, 10 innings
ATLANTA — Andrelton Simmons drove in Dan Uggla from first base with a triple off Edgmer Escalona in the 10th inning, and the Atlanta Braves won their fourth straight game with a victory over the Colorado Rockies.
After Uggla led off with a walk, Simmons hit the ball too deep into the gap in left-center field for Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler to keep it from reaching the wall.
Scott Downs (1-0) earned the win after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels earlier in the day and arriving at Turner Field not long before the first pitch. The left-hander allowed one hit and struck out one in 1 1-3 innings.
Escalona (1-4) allowed one hit, one run and one walk in 12 pitches.
Rays 2, Red Sox 1
BOSTON — David Price allowed just two hits over 7 1-3 innings to beat the Boston Red Sox for the second time in six days, and Tampa Bay won to retake first place in the AL East.
Price (6-5) was dominating the makeup game before it was delayed for 39 minutes because of a brief downpour that arrived as fans were singing “Sweet Caroline” and he was warming up for the bottom of the eighth. The Rays left-hander stayed in the game, but retired just one batter — after starting him out with three straight balls — before Joel Peralta relieved him.
Rangers 4, Angels 3
ARLINGTON, Texas — Geovany Soto hit a game-ending homer, the second long ball in the ninth inning for Texas off Los Angeles Angels closer Ernesto Frieri, and the Rangers snapped a four-game losing streak.
A.J. Pierzynski led off the Texas ninth with a homer to right. Nelson Cruz followed with a single off Frieri (0-3) before David Murphy grounded into a double play. Soto then pulled a full-count pitch into the left-field seats.
Jason Frasor (1-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Rangers, three days after he gave up a game-ending homer in an 11-inning loss at Cleveland.
Indians 3, White Sox 2
CLEVELAND — Pinch-hitter Jason Giambi homered over the center field wall leading off the ninth inning to give the Cleveland Indians their fifth straight win.
Giambi, batting for struggling Mark Reynolds, belted a 1-1 pitch from Ramon Troncoso (1-3) high over the wall and into the bushes in center. It was the 436th career homer and ninth career walk-off shot for the slugger, who had a bucket of water dumped over his head by teammates after the game.
Chris Perez (3-1) pitched the ninth, allowing a two-out triple to Dayan Viciedo but got out of the inning on a nice catch by left fielder Michael Brantley.
