Marlins Double Up Cardinals, Nationals Down Cubs

Marlins Double Up Cardinals

(St. Louis, MO) -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia belted a three-run homer to help guide the Marlins to an 8-4 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Marcell Ozuna and Jeff Baker each drove in two runs for Miami, which has won four of its last six. Henderson Alvarez threw seven innings of one-run ball to improve to 6-3. Marco Gonzales gave up one run in 4 2/3 innings to fall to 0-2. Kolten Wong went 2-for-4 with a solo shot. Matt Adams and Allen Craig each drove in a run in defeat.

The Cardinals clash with the Pirates tonight in the first of four games at Busch Stadium. Adam Wainwright toes the rubber against Charlie Morton of the Bucs. The Cards have lost two straight since a three-game win streak.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina will start for the NL at the All-Star Game in Minnesota. Joining him as a reserve is third baseman Matt Carpenter. Pitchers Adam Wainwright and Pat Neshek are also on the roster. The game will be played July 15 at Target Field.  

Nationals Down Cubs On Late Run

(Washington, DC) -- Ryan Zimmerman singled in a run in the eighth to lift the Nationals to a 2-1 win over the Cubs in DC. Denard Span went 2-for-4 and scored twice while Jayson Werth knocked in the other run for Washington, which has won seven of its last eight. Jordan Zimmermann tossed six shutout innings while Tyler Clippard got the win, and Rafael Soriano notched his 21st save. Starlin Castro had a sac-fly for Chicago in the seventh while John Baker had two hits and two walks in defeat. Jake Arrieta threw six innings of one-run ball while Pedro Strop took the loss. The Cubs have dropped two straight since a four-game win streak.

The Cubs will be represented at the All-Star Game by shortstop Starlin Castro. It's his third selection to the Midsummer Classic. NL players also elected recently-traded pitcher Jeff Samardzija to the game. First baseman Anthony Rizzo is part of the five-man "Final Vote" in the NL.

The Cubs are off to Cincinnati where they face the Reds in the first of a five-game series tonight. The teams will play a doubleheader Tuesday at Great American Ball Park. Chicago sends Edwin Jackson to the hill tonight. The Reds counter with Mike Leake. First pitch is at 6:10.

The Cubs completed a trade this weekend that sends pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland A's. Chicago receives Double-A shortstop Addison Russell and Single-A outfielder Billy McKinney in the deal. The Cubs also got pitcher Dan Straily.

White Sox Edge Mariners

(Chicago, IL) -- Hector Noesi and two relievers combined for a five-hit shutout as the White Sox picked up a 1-0 win over the Mariners at U.S. Cellular Field. Noesi struck out five in 6 2/3 innings to pick up the win and Jake Petricka notched his third save for Chicago, which picked up the win while recording just two hits. Conor Gillaspie scored the lone run off a wild pitch in the bottom of the first. Taijuan Walker took the loss after he gave up the lone run and walked five in four frames. Dustin Ackley and Brad Miller each went 2-for-4 for the Mariners, who have lost two of three.

The White Sox will have at least two players at next week's All-Star Game. First baseman Jose Abreu and shortstop Alexei Ramirez were named to the AL team.  It's the first selection for each player. Left-hander Chris Sale is part of the five-man "Final Vote" in the AL.

The White Sox are off to Boston where they meet the Red Sox in the first of a four-game series tonight at Fenway Park. Chicago sends Scott Carroll to the mound. The Sox counter with Clay Buchholz, who is 3-4. First pitch is set for 6:10.

Reds Double Up Brew Crew

(Cincinnati, OH) -- Jay Bruce cracked a two-run homer in the eighth to lift the Reds to a 4-2 win over the Brewers at Great American Ball Park. Bruce finished with three RBI while Todd Frazier and Brandon Phillips each had two hits and scored. Devin Mesoraco went 3-for-4 and drove in a run for Cincinnati, which had lost four of five. Mat Latos tossed eight frames of two-run ball to move to 2-1 and Jonathan Broxton recorded his sixth save. Scooter Gennett and Rickie Weeks each knocked in a run for Milwaukee. Yovani Gallardo threw seven innings of two-run ball in the defeat. Will Smith suffered the loss as the Brewers lost their fifth in six games.

Pirates Thump Phillies, Complete Sweep

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- Andrew McCutchen went 2-for-4 with an RBI triple as the Pirates dropped the Phillies 6-2 at PNC Park to complete a three-game sweep.  Russell Martin knocked in two while Josh Harrison went 1-for-4 and scored twice for Pittsburgh. Jeff Locke improved to 2-1 after tossing eight innings and allowing two runs, one earned. The Pirates have won six of their last seven. A.J. Burnett gave up three runs over seven innings to fall to 5-8 for Philadelphia. Marlon Byrd went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBI for the Phillies, who have dropped nine of ten.

Diamondbacks Cool Off Red-Hot Braves

(Atlanta, GA) -- Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer as the Diamondbacks notched a 3-1 win over the Braves at Turner Field. Wade Miley struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball to improve to 4-6 while Addison Reed shut the door in the ninth for his 20th save. Nick Evans added an RBI late for Arizona, which had lost five of its last six. Chris Johnson knocked in the lone run for the Braves and Alex Wood fell to 6-7 after seven innings of two-run ball. Atlanta saw its nine-game winning streak end.

Dodgers Crush Rockies

(Denver, CO) -- Matt Kemp went 4-for-5 with two RBI to help guide the Dodgers to an 8-2 win over the Rockies at Coors Field. Adrian Gonzalez drove in three runs and Yasiel Puig added an RBI and scored twice for Los Angeles, which has won three of four. Josh Beckett threw five shutout innings to improve to 6-5 with the win. Yohan Flande took the loss for Colorado after he got hammered for five runs in 4 1/3 innings. Willin Rosario drove in a run and Justin Morneau went 2-for-4 for the Rockies, who have lost six of seven and 10 of their last 12 overall.

Giants Drop Padres

(San Diego, CA) -- Tim Lincecum struck out six in six-and-a-thirds innings of one-run ball to lead the Giants to a 5-3 win over the Padres at Petco Park.  Lincecum improved to 8-5 with the win and Santiago Casilla picked up his third save. Brandon Belt drove in two runs and Joe Panik went 2-for-4 with an RBI as San Francisco won just its third game in its last 10. Jesse Hahn gave up three runs in seven innings of work to fall to 4-2 for the Padres, who have lost their last two after winning five in-a-row. Yasmani Grandal and Brooks Conrad each went deep in defeat.

Indians Take Down Royals

(Cleveland, OH) -- Yan Gomes hit a two-run homer and Carlos Santana added a solo shot as the Indians dropped the Royals 4-1 at Progressive Field. Corey Kluber struck out ten over eight-and-a-third innings of one-run ball to improve to 8-6. Michael Brantley added an RBI single while Cody Allen notched his ninth save as the Indians won their fourth in five games. Danny Duffy allowed four runs over six innings, falling to 5-8 for Kansas City. Mike Moustakas hit a solo homer to account for the lone run for the Royals, who have lost three of their last five.

O's Outlast Red Sox

(Boston, MA) -- J.J. Hardy's RBI single in the 12th sent the Orioles to a 7-6 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Hardy finished with three RBI as Baltimore held on after blowing a five-run lead. Nelson Cruz was 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs while Brad Brach pitched three scoreless innings to improve to 4-0 in relief. Zach Britton notched his 14th save as Baltimore won its sixth in seven games. Edward Mujica took the loss for Boston while David Ross hit a solo homer. David Ortiz went 4-for-5 with two RBI while Dustin Pedroia was 3-for-6 in defeat. The Red Sox have dropped five of six.

Yankees Escape Twins

(Minneapolis, MN) -- Jacoby Ellsbury hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBI to help the Yankees top the Twins 9-7 at Target Field. Derek Jeter collected three hits and drove in two in the win while Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann tacked on a RBI each. Hiroki Kuroda improved to 6-6 with 5 2/3 innings of four-run ball and David Robertson grabbed his 21st save despite giving up a run. Ricky Nolasco lasted just two innings and was tagged for six runs to fall to 5-7. Trevor Plouffe went deep and drove in two in the loss while Chris Colabello added a two-run shot.

Angels Torch Astros

(Anaheim, CA) -- Garrett Richards struck out 11 and surrendered just one run in seven-and-a-third innings to lead the Angels to a 6-1 win over the Astros in Anaheim. Richards improved to 10-2 on the season en route to the Halos' fourth straight win. Kole Calhoun went 3-for-3 with a solo homer, and Albert Pujols drove in two runs. Collin McHugh gave up two earned runs in four frames to fall to 4-8 for Houston, which has lost seven in-a-row. Carlos Corporan went 2-for-3 and drove in the lone run.

Rays Roll Tigers

(Detroit, MI) -- Matt Joyce and Desmond Jennings each hit a two-run homer to power the Rays to a 7-3 win over the Tigers at Comerica Park. Sean Rodriguez and Ben Zobrist each had four hits for Tampa Bay, which has won eight of nine. David Price allowed three runs and finished an out shy of a complete game as he improved to 8-7. Jake McGee picked up the save. Rick Porcello gave up seven runs in 5 2/3 innings for the loss. Torii Hunter and J.D. Martinez each hit a homer for Detroit, which lost the final three of the four-game series.

Mets Dump Rangers After Big First

(Flushing, NY) -- Anthony Recker hit a three-run homer as part of a five-run first and the Mets cruised to an 8-4 win over the Rangers at Citi Field. Ruben Tejada went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI while Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a solo homer and scored three times. Zack Wheeler allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings to improve to 4-and-8 for the Mets, who had lost five of six. Nick Tepesch gave up six runs in six innings, falling to 3-4 for Texas. Leonys Martin hit a two-run homer while Alex Rios and Robinson Chirinos added solo shots for the Rangers, who have lost seven out of eight.

Sunday, July 6 Scoreboard

MLB National League

Cincinnati Reds 4, Milwaukee Brewers 2

Washington Nationals 2, Chicago Cubs 1

Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Philadelphia Phillies 2

Arizona Diamondbacks 3, Atlanta Braves 1

Miami Marlins 8, St. Louis Cardinals 4

Los Angeles Dodgers 8, Colorado Rockies 2

San Francisco Giants 5, San Diego Padres 3

MLB American League

Cleveland Indians 4, Kansas City Royals 1

Baltimore Orioles 7, Boston Red Sox 6 (12 inn)

New York Yankees 9, Minnesota Twins 7

Chicago White Sox 1, Seattle Mariners 0

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6, Houston Astros 1

Oakland Athletics 4, Toronto Blue Jays 2

Tampa Bay Rays 7, Detroit Tigers 3

MLB Interleague

New York Mets 8, Texas Rangers 4

Monday, July 7 Schedule (All Times Central)

MLB National League

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

6:10 p.m. - Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds

7:10 p.m. - Philadelphia Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers

7:15 p.m. - Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals

7:40 p.m. - San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies

8:40 p.m. - Miami Marlins at Arizona Diamondbacks

MLB American League

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

6:10 p.m. - Kansas City Royals at Tampa Bay Rays

6:10 p.m. - New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians

7:05 p.m. - Houston Astros at Texas Rangers

9:05 p.m. - Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

9:10 p.m. - Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners

MLB Interleague

6:05 p.m. - Baltimore Orioles at Washington Nationals

9:05 p.m. - San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics