Giants Blank Cardinals, Cubs Top Red Sox

Giants Blank Cardinals Behind Lincecum

(San Francisco, CA) -- Tim Lincecum followed up his no-hitter with eight shutout innings as the Giants blanked the Cardinals 5-0 in the opener of a three-game series at AT&T Park. Lincecum, who no-hit the Padres last week, struck out six while giving up four hits as he improved to 7-5. Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run homer, while Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Hector Sanchez also plated a run each for the Giants, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Matt Carpenter had one of the five hits and also walked in St. Louis' third straight setback. Marco Gonzales gave up all five runs in 4 1/3 frames to suffer his first loss in his second career start.

Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong played inspired baseball in his first rehab start with Triple-A Memphis. Wong went 2-for-3 with double and a two-run homer in his first action since hitting the disabled list on June 22 with a shoulder injury.

Cubs Top Red Sox

(Boston, MA) -- Luis Valbuena drove in the eventual winning run in the top of the ninth to give the Cubs a 2-1 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Edwin Jackson gave up one run through six innings in a no-decision. Pedro Strop got the win in relief and Hector Rondon locked up his 11th save. Chicago will go for the three-game sweep on Thursday. Clay Buchholz threw 6 1/3 innings and gave up one run but did not factor in the decision. Koji Uehara fell to 3-2 with the loss. Dustin Pedroia plated the lone run for Boston.

CThe Cubs eye a three-game sweep of the Red Sox tonight in Boston. Chicago sends Travis Wood and his 7-6 record to the mound. The Sox counter with Brandon Workman, who is 1-1. First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Angels Sweep Doubleheader With White Sox

(Chicago, IL) -- Kole Calhoun clubbed a two-run homer as the Angels edged the White Sox 7-5 to sweep the doubleheader at U.S. Cellular Field. Howie Kendrick drove in two and scored twice for the Halos. Jered Weaver allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings but still got the win and improved to 9-6. Joe Smith saved both games. Conor Gillaspie and Dayan Viciedo both hit two-run homers for the Sox, who had won three in-a-row before this series. Scott Carroll was tagged for seven runs in six-plus frames as he dipped to 2-5. In the opener, Mike Trout hit a three-run homer while Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton both added solo shots in the Angels' 8-4 win. Garrett Richards fanned nine and gave up three runs in eight innings to improve to 9-2.

The White Sox look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Angels tonight. Chicago sends John Danks and a 7-6 record to the mound. Los Angeles counters with Tyler Skaggs, who is 4-4. First pitch from U.S. Cellular Field is set for 7:10.

Strasburg Deals Nationals Past Rockies

(Washington, D.C.) -- Stephen Strasburg struck out eight and gave up just one run in seven-and-two-thirds innings to lead the Nationals to a 7-1 win over the Rockies in DC.  Strasburg improved to 7-and-6 as Washington won its fourth straight. Jayson Werth went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Anthony Rendon doubled in two runs. Christian Friedrich got rocked for five runs in just three-and-a-third innings to fall to 0-3 for the Rockies, who have lost five of their last six. D.J. LeMahieu hit a solo shot in the eighth for Colorado's lone run.

Pirates Rally Past Diamondbacks

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- After being shut down for eight innings, the Pirates exploded for three runs in the ninth to steal a 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks at PNC Park. Starling Marte doubled in two to tie the game before Ike Davis ripped the game-winning RBI single for Pittsburgh. Jeff Locke gave up two runs in eight innings in the start while Ernesto Frieri notched the win in relief. The Pirates have won four of five. Wade Miley tossed eight scoreless innings before allowing the first two men to reach in the ninth.  He gave way to Addison Reed, who blew the lead and took the loss for Arizona. Miguel Montero and Aaron Hill each drove in a run for the D'backs, who have lost three of four.

Braves Hold Off Mets

(Atlanta, GA) -- Andrelton Simmons was 2-for-4 with two RBI helping the Braves pick up a 5-4 win against the Mets at Turner Field. Starting pitcher Mike Minor had an RBI but gave up four runs and did not make it out of the fifth inning. Reliever Shae Simmons picked up his first win and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side on his way to his 26th save.  Atlanta has won six in-a-row.  Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy each hit two-run homers in the loss. Daisuke Matsuzaka dropped to 3-3 after getting tagged for five runs in five innings. The Mets have lost three straight and six of seven.

Marlins Walk-Off Phillies In 11th

(Miami, FL) -- Ed Lucas hit a walk-off single off Justin De Fratus in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Marlins to a 5-4 win over the Phillies at Marlins Park. Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in two runs and Giancarlo Stanton went 2-for-3 with an RBI as Miami snapped a four-game losing streak. Henderson Alvarez threw seven innings of two-run ball and Bryan Morris improved to 6-and-0 in relief. De Fratus took the loss for allowing the game-winning run after A.J. Burnett struck out 10 in six innings of work. Marlon Byrd and Cody Asche hit back-to-back solo shots in the eighth to tie the game up after Chase Utley and Domonic Brown each batted in a run.

Padres Pound Reds

(San Diego, CA) -- Carlos Quentin belted a two-run homer and knocked in three as the Padres pounded the Reds 8-2 in the middle of a three-game series at Petco Park. Seth Smith went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and three runs scored, while Ian Kennedy drove in a run to help his own cause as the Friars won their third straight. On the mound, Kennedy tossed six innings of one-run ball to improve to 6-9 with the victory. Devin Mesoraco homered in the ninth and Todd Frazier plated the other run for Cincinnati, which had won five in-a-row before this series. Mike Leake fell to 6-7 after allowing three runs in less than six frames.

Orioles Cruise Past Rangers

(Baltimore, MD) -- Steve Pearce and Nelson Cruz hit solo homers in the first as the Orioles cruised to an 8-3 win over the Rangers at Camden Yards. Pearce drove in two while Caleb Joseph connected on a two-run homer and knocked in three. Nick Markakis had a two-run double for Baltimore, which has won two straight since dropping three out of four. T.J. McFarland pitched five innings of two-run ball for the victory. Nick Martinez took the loss after going five frames and allowing eight runs, six earned. Adam Rosales had a two-run double for Texas, which has lost three straight and 11 of its last 13.

Rays Dump Yankees

(Bronx, NY) -- Grant Balfour stranded runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth to close out the Rays' 2-1 victory over the Yankees in the Bronx. James Loney's solo homer in the sixth inning turned out to be the winning run. Logan Forsythe had the other RBI while David Price improved to 7-7, allowing one run and striking out nine across seven innings. Balfour locked up his 11th save as Tampa Bay took the first two of the three-game set. New York only had four hits with two off the bat of Derek Jeter, who scored the Yanks' only run. Jeter tied Lou Gehrig for the franchise record in doubles with 534. Hiroki Kuroda took the tough-luck loss giving up two runs and striking out seven over eight innings. The Yankees are back at .500 with a 41-41 record.

Porcello, Tigers Shut Down A's

(Detroit, MI) -- Rick Porcello tossed a complete-game four-hitter as the Tigers blanked the Athletics 4-0 at Comerica Park. Porcello improved to 11-4, allowing just one extra base hit along the way. J.D. Martinez went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, while Torii Hunter also knocked in a run as Detroit won its third in four games. Jed Lowrie finished 2-for-3 with a double for Oakland. Brad Mills fell to 1-1 allowing three runs in six-plus innings as the A's lost their second straight since a four-game win streak.

Twins Top Royals

(Minneapolis, MN) -- Eduardo Nunez went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored as the Twins topped the Royals 10-2 in the middle of a three-game series at Target Field.  Joe Mauer and Sam Fuld also drove in two runs apiece for the Twins, who have won two of three since a five-game skid. Ricky Nolasco tossed six innings of one-run ball for the win as he improved to 5-6. Mike Moustakas and Danny Valencia plated a run each for KC, which had won three of four. James Shields allowed five runs, four earned, in five frames as he dipped to 8-and-4 with the loss.

Mariners Crush Astros

(Houston, TX) -- The Mariners used a seven-run sixth inning to help them roll the Astros, 13-2, at Minute Maid Park. Kyle Seager went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and three RBI and Robinson Cano also drove in three runs. James Jones drove in a pair of runs off three hits to help Seattle win its third in-a-row. Hisashi Iwakuma picked up the win striking out seven in six innings of one-run ball. Jarred Cosart got hammered for six runs in 5 2/3 as he fell to 8-6 for the Astros, who have lost three of four. Matt Dominguez and Enrique Hernandez each chipped in an RBI in defeat.

Bautista Homers In Return As Jays Beat Brewers

(Toronto, Ontario) -- Jose Bautista homered in his return to the starting lineup as the Blue Jays beat the Brewers 4-1 at Rogers Centre. Bautista connected for his 16th of the season in the first inning after not starting in a game since June 22 due to a strained left hamstring. Colby Rasmus also went deep and Melky Cabrera and Edwin Encarnacion each had run-scoring hits for Toronto. Drew Hutchison struck out 10 while allowing just three hits and one run in seven innings to even his record at 6-6. Casey Janssen notched his 13th save. Marco Estrada took the loss. Ryan Braun doubled home Milwaukee's lone run.

Indians Torch Dodgers

(Los Angeles, CA) -- Lonnie Chisenhall hit a two-run homer to help guide the Indians to a 10-3 trashing of the Dodgers in LA. Nick Swisher and David Murphy each drove in a pair of runs for Cleveland, which had lost three of four entering the game. Justin Masterson struck out seven in three innings of work and Kyle Crockett notched the win in relief. Josh Beckett gave up five runs in as many innings to fall to 5-5 as the Dodgers saw a three-game winning streak end. Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run shot and Yasiel Puig totaled two hits and an RBI in defeat.

Tuesday, July 1 Scoreboard

MLB National League

Washington Nationals 7, Colorado Rockies 1

Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Arizona Diamondbacks 2

Atlanta Braves 5, New York Mets 4

Miami Marlins 5, Philadelphia Phillies 4 (11 inn)

San Diego Padres 8, Cincinnati Reds 2

San Francisco Giants 5, St. Louis Cardinals 0

MLB American League

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 8, Chicago White Sox 4

Baltimore Orioles 8, Texas Rangers 3

Tampa Bay Rays 2, New York Yankees 1

Detroit Tigers 3, Oakland Athletics 0

Minnesota Twins 10, Kansas City Royals 2

Seattle Mariners 13, Houston Astros 2

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 7, Chicago White Sox 5

MLB Interleague

Toronto Blue Jays 4, Milwaukee Brewers 1

Chicago Cubs 2, Boston Red Sox 1

Cleveland Indians 10, Los Angeles Dodgers 3

 

Wednesday, July 2 Schedule (All Times Central)

MLB National League

2:40 p.m. - Cincinnati Reds at San Diego Padres

5:05 p.m. - Colorado Rockies at Washington Nationals

6:05 p.m. - Arizona Diamondbacks at Pittsburgh Pirates

6:10 p.m. - New York Mets at Atlanta Braves

6:10 p.m. - Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins

9:15 p.m. - St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants

MLB American League

12:05 p.m. - Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees

12:08 p.m. - Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers

12:10 p.m. - Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins

1:10 p.m. - Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros

6:05 p.m. - Texas Rangers at Baltimore Orioles

7:10 p.m. - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Chicago White Sox

MLB Interleague

11:37 a.m. - Milwaukee Brewers at Toronto Blue Jays

2:10 p.m. - Cleveland Indians at Los Angeles Dodgers

6:10 p.m. - Chicago Cubs at Boston Red Sox