Cardinals Knock Off Phillies, Pirates Top Cubs

Cardinals Knock Off Phillies

(St. Louis, MO) -- Mark Ellis tallied two RBI to help the Cardinals knock off the Phillies 5-3 at Busch Stadium. Jhonny Peralta drove in two in the win while Jon Jay added a RBI. Carlos Martinez won his first game of the season with five innings of three-run ball and Trevor Rosenthal notched his 22nd save for the Cards, who have won two straight. Cody Asche plated all the runs for Philadelphia with a bases clearing double. Kyle Kendrick was rocked for five runs in six innings to fall to 3-7. The Phillies have dropped two in a row.

The Cardinals rotation took a hit on Sunday. Right-hander Michael Wacha and southpaw Jaime Garcia are heading to the disabled list with shoulder issues on their throwing arms. Wacha is 5-5 on the season with a 2.79 earned run average in 15 starts. Garcia hits the DL with a 3-1 record through seven starts and an ERA at 4.12. The lefty spent 134 days on the DL last season with shoulder issues.

Second baseman Kolten Wong is scheduled for an MRI today for a left shoulder injury. Wong hit the disabled list Saturday after injuring the shoulder nearly three weeks ago. The infielder will be eligible to come off the DL on July 6th and the team does not expect a serious diagnosis to come in the results. Wong is hitting .228 this season in 45 games.

Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly is nearing a rehab stint in the Minor Leagues. Kelly tossed two pain-free simulated innings at Busch Stadium on Sunday. The rehab assignment should begin this week. Kelly will also run through some defensive drills before beginning his assignment. The righty hit the disabled list back in April with a left hamstring strain and was 1-1 with a 0.59 ERA in fifteen-and-a-third innings.  

Pirates Top Cubs

(Chicago, IL) -- Travis Snider hit a solo homer to back Brandon Cumpton as the Pirates topped the Cubs 2-1 from Wrigley Field. Cumpton allowed two hits over seven scoreless frames for his third win. Mark Melancon picked up his 12th save for Pittsburgh, which has won three of four. Gregory Polanco went 0-for-3, ending his hitting streak at 11 games to start his career. Jason Hammel gave up two runs in seven innings for the loss  Nate Schierholtz had the lone RBI for Chicago, which has lost three of five.

Prior to Sunday's game, the Cubs activated catcher Welington Castillo from the 15-day disabled list. Castillo landed on the DL earlier this month with left rib cage inflammation. To make room, the Cubs designated catcher Eli Whiteside for assignment.

The Cubs welcome the Cincinnati Reds to Wrigley Field tonight for the first of three. Chicago sends Jeff Samardzija to the hill. The Redlegs counter with Alfredo Simon, who has a 10-3 record. First pitch from the Friendly Confines is set for 7:05.

 Manny Ramirez could join the Triple-A Iowa Cubs as soon as this week. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein says Ramirez is drawing closer to an appearance with the I-Cubs. Ramirez has been getting in shape at the team's spring training facility in Mesa, Arizona.

Twins Clip White Sox

(Minneapolis, MN) -- Josh Willingham and Joe Mauer each drove in two runs to lead the Twins to a 6-5 win over the White Sox at Target Field. Sam Fuld and Brian Dozier chipped in a run a piece for Minnesota, which completed the four-game sweep of Chicago. Phil Hughes pitched five frames to improve to 8-3 with Jared Burton picking up the save. John Danks got roughed up for six runs in five innings to fall to 6-6. Gordon Beckham and Jose Abreu each drove in two for the White Sox, who have lost eight of 10.

The White Sox are in Baltimore to start a three-game series with the Orioles tonight. Left-hander Chris Sale takes his 6-1 record to the hill for Chicago. The O's counter with Wei-Yin Chen, who is 7-and-2 on the year. First pitch from Camden Yards is set for 6:05.

Mets Blow Out Marlins

(Miami, FL) -- Daniel Murphy went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer as the Mets pounded the Marlins 11-5 in Miami. Curtis Granderson finished 3-for-5 and scored twice while Lucas Duda went 3-for-4 in the win. Jon Niese pitched six innings of three-run ball to improve to 4-4 as New York took three out of four in the series and has won four of five overall. Anthony DeSclafani was tagged for seven runs over 3 2/3 innings, falling to 1-2 for Miami. Marcell Ozuna went 2-for-4 with an RBI as the Marlins lost their fifth in seven games.

Nationals Down Braves

(Washington, DC) -- Denard Span and Adam LaRoche each went 2-for-4 with an RBI as the Nationals dropped the Braves 4-1 in DC. Anthony Rendon reached base twice and scored a pair of runs for Washington, which has won four out of six. Tanner Roark allowed a run over five-and-a-third innings to improve to 7-4 while Rafael Soriano notched his 17th save.  Ervin Santana gave up three runs while striking out nine over six frames but fell to 5-5 for Atlanta. Justin Upton drove in the lone run for the Braves before being ejected in the ninth for arguing balls and strikes. Chris Johnson was ejected in the sixth inning for the same reason as the Braves lost their fifth in seven games.

Dodgers Edge Padres

(San Diego, CA) -- Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed six innings of one-run ball as the Dodgers clipped the Padres 2-1 at Petco Park. Ryu improved to 9-3 while Kenley Jansen notched his 22nd save. Hanley Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a run while Dee Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez each knocked in a run. Los Angeles has won five out of six. Eric Stults fell to 2-10 after pitching seven innings of two-run ball for San Diego. Carlos Quentin knocked in a run for the Padres, who have lost five of their last eight.

Giants Drop Diamondbacks

(Phoenix, AZ) -- Madison Bumgarner fanned seven batters in eight frames of one-run ball to lead the Giants to a 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Bumgarner improved to 9-4 with the win and Sergio Romo picked up his 22nd save for San Francisco, which has won its last two after losing six in-a-row.  Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik all drove in a run in the top of the ninth. Mike Bolsinger took the tough loss after giving up one run in 7 2/3 innings. Martin Prado drove in the lone run in the bottom of the ninth for the D'backs, who have lost five of seven.

Brewers Hold Off Rockies

(Denver, CO) -- The Brewers and Rockies combined for 25 hits as Milwaukee walked out of Coors Field with a 6-5 victory. Lyle Overbay hit a pinch-hit home run in the ninth to give the Brewers a two-run lead, and Aramis Ramirez added a two-run shot in the second. The Brewers have won four straight. Kyle Lohse improved to 9-2 with five innings of three-run ball, and Francisco Rodriguez grabbed his 25th save. Wilin Rosario collected four hits, three RBI and a home run in the loss while Drew Stubbs and Charlie Culberson plated a run each. Tyler Matzek fell to 1-2 after giving up five runs in 5 1/3 innings. Colorado has lost six straight.

Tigers Blow Out Indians

(Cleveland, OH) -- Max Scherzer tossed six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts as the Tigers rolled the Indians 10-4 at Progressive Field. Scherzer improved to 9-3 while Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and three RBI. J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos each drove in two while Ian Kinsler was 3-for-5 with an RBI as Detroit won its fourth straight. Josh Tomlin pitched four-plus innings, allowing eight runs and five earned to fall to 4-5 for Cleveland. Michael Brantley went 3-for-5 with three RBI for the Tribe, which has lost three straight.

Rays Get Past Astros

(St. Petersburg, FL) -- Evan Longoria went 3-for-4 with an RBI as the Rays dropped the Astros 5-2 at Tropicana Field. Yunel Escobar and Sean Rodriguez each knocked in two for Tampa Bay, which has won three out of four. Erik Bedard pitched 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball while Juan Carlos Oviedo earned the win in relief. Dallas Keuchel pitched all eight innings for Houston, allowing five runs and four earned while falling to 8-5. Dexter Fowler hit a solo homer while Jose Altuve knocked in a run as the Astros lost their sixth in seven games.

Orioles Blank Yankees Behind Tillman

(Bronx, NY) -- Chris Tillman tossed seven shutout innings to lead the Orioles in an 8-0 win over the Yankees in the Bronx. Tillman allowed four hits and four walks while improving to 6-4. Jonathan Schoop and Caleb Joseph each hit a solo homer and drove in two while J.J. Hardy cleared the bases with a three-run double in the eighth.  Baltimore has won four of its last five. Masahiro Tanaka allowed three runs over seven innings, falling to 11-2 for New York. Ichiro Suzuki went 2-for-3 for the Yanks, who have dropped two straight since a four-game win streak.

Mariners Push Past Royals

(Kansas City, MO) -- Mike Zunino hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh to break a 1-1 tie and lift the Mariners to a 2-1 win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Willie Bloomquist also drove in a run for Seattle, which has won three straight to complete the sweep of Kansas City. Roenis Elias struck out five in 6 2/3 innings to pick up the win, and Fernando Rodney notched his 21st save. Yordano Ventura fanned six in seven frames of work in the tough loss, which dropped him to 5-6. Justin Maxwell drove in the lone run for the Royals, who have lost four in-a-row.

Ortiz's Blast Sends Red Sox Past A's

(Oakland, CA) -- David Ortiz hit a solo homer in the tenth as the Red Sox clipped the Athletics 7-6 at The Coliseum. Stephen Vogt and John Jaso hit homers off Koji Uehara in the ninth to tie the score, but the Boston closer ended up with the win. Jonny Gomes was 3-for-5 with two RBI while Mike Napoli and David Ross hit solo homers for the Sox, who stopped a three-game slide. Fernando Abad took the loss for Oakland, which trailed 6-1 in the eighth before it rallied to tie. The A's had won five straight.

Angels Sweep Rangers

(Anaheim, CA) -- Kole Calhoun hit a two-run homer and scored twice to power the Angels to a 5-2 win over the Rangers at Angel Stadium. C.J. Cron went deep for the third straight game as Los Angeles swept the three-game series. Matt Shoemaker struck out six in 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball to improve to 5-1 with the win. Leonys Martin was 3-for-4 with a run while Brad Snyder hit a solo homer for Texas, which has lost five straight. Yu Darvish allowed five runs in six innings for the loss.

Sunday, June 22 Scoreboard

MLB National League

New York Mets 11, Miami Marlins 5

Washington Nationals 4, Atlanta Braves 1

St. Louis Cardinals 5, Philadelphia Phillies 3

Pittsburgh Pirates 2, Chicago Cubs 1

Los Angeles Dodgers 2, San Diego Padres 1

San Francisco Giants 4, Arizona Diamondbacks 1

Milwaukee Brewers 6, Colorado Rockies 5

MLB American League

Detroit Tigers 10, Cleveland Indians 4

Tampa Bay Rays 5, Houston Astros 2

Baltimore Orioles 8, New York Yankees 0

Minnesota Twins 6, Chicago White Sox 5

Seattle Mariners 2, Kansas City Royals 1

Boston Red Sox 7, Oakland Athletics 6 (10 inn)

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5, Texas Rangers 2

MLB Interleague

Cincinnati Reds 4, Toronto Blue Jays 3

Monday, June 23 Schedule (All Times Central)

MLB National League

6:05 p.m. - Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies

7:05 p.m. - Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs

7:10 p.m. - Washington Nationals at Milwaukee Brewers

7:40 p.m. - St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies

9:15 p.m. - San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants

MLB American League

6:05 p.m. - Chicago White Sox at Baltimore Orioles

6:07 p.m. - New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays

9:10 p.m. - Boston Red Sox at Seattle Mariners

MLB Interleague

6:10 p.m. - Pittsburgh Pirates at Tampa Bay Rays

7:10 p.m. - Los Angeles Dodgers at Kansas City Royals