Cards Beat D'backs, Cubs, White Sox Win

Carlos Martinez came out of spring training as the St. Louis Cardinals' No. 5 starter. Through 20 games, no pitcher on the team has been better.

Martinez gave up three hits in eight scoreless innings, Brandon Moss and Stephen Piscotty homered and the Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Tuesday night to square the four-game series at one win apiece.

Martinez (4-0) won for the fourth time in four starts. The 24-year-old right-hander held the Diamondbacks without a hit until David Peralta's one-out single in the fourth.

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny liked the ease with which Martinez worked through the game.

"We've just seen different styles (from him)," Matheny said. "This one was making off-speed pitches whenever he wanted to and then all of a sudden he waits until almost pitch 100 to show 98 (mph). He has that ability."

Through an interpreter, Martinez said he was saving his hard pitches for the late innings.

"I realized that they look for the fastball on the first pitch," he said, "so I threw a lot of breaking balls and they swung and missed."

Moss had four hits, including a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Piscotty added a two-run shot in the seventh.

Cubs 4, Brewers 3

Addison Russell knew he was coming up in a key situation. His approach exemplified the overflowing confidence engulfing the Chicago Cubs.

Russell's two-out, two-run triple in the sixth inning snapped a tie and the Cubs held off the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Tuesday night to secure their best 20-game start since 1907.

"It's fun," Russell said of the pressure at-bat. "The worst thing you can do is strike out."

Anthony Rizzo added an RBI single in the seventh and Adam Warren (2-0) struck out three in two scoreless innings as the Cubs improved to 15-5, surpassing the 1969 club's 14-6 start. The 1907 World Series-winning team began 16-4.

"I think we're the front-runners right now," Russell said. "We're embracing it. We love it."

Ryan Braun's pinch-hit, two-run double off Pedro Strop in the eighth got the Brewers within a run. But Hector Rondon pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save, getting Aaron Hill to fly deep to left with a runner on to end it.

"He's been a good guy in these spots lately and almost came up with that one at the end there," Brewers center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis said. "I think that ball is gone for sure if the wind is not blowing."

With a 16 mph wind blowing in and the wind chill 34 degrees at first pitch, runs were at a premium. Hill's fielding error at third to begin the sixth led to two unearned runs off Jimmy Nelson (3-2) in the Brewers' fourth loss in five games.

White Sox 10, Blue Jays 1

Off to the second 5-0 start of his career, Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale has no plans to change anything after Tuesday night's 10-1 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays.

"Any time you find a groove you just try to stay in it," Sale said after leading his club to a fifth straight win. "It helps when you get 10 or 11 or however many we got tonight. It's a tough team over there."

Sale pitched eight commanding innings and now leads the majors in victories with a 1.66 ERA and has pitched seven-plus innings in all five starts.

The White Sox ace carried a one-hitter into the seventh inning, retiring 13 straight batters before Edwin Encarnacion homered. Sale gave up four hits in eight innings, striking out six and walking two.

Tuesday, April 26 Scoreboard

Philadelphia 4, Washington 3

Chicago White Sox 10, Toronto 1

Oakland 5, Detroit 1

Bostdon 11, Atlanta 4

New York Mets 4, Cincinnati 3

Tampa Bay 3, Baltimore 1

Texas 10, New York Yankees 1

Chicago Cubs 4, Milwaukee 3

Minnesota 6, Cleveland 5

Pittsburgh 9, Colorado 4

St. Louis 8, Arizona 2

Los Angeles Angels 9, Kansas City 4

Seattle 11, Houston 1

Miami 6, Los Angeles Dodgers 3

San Francisco 1, San Diego 0

Wednesday, April 27 Schedule (All Times Central)

San Diego at San Francisco, 2:45 p.m.

Philadelphia at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Chicago at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Atlanta at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

Oakland at Detroit, 6:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at New York, 6:10 p.m.

Baltimore at Tampa Bay, 6:10 p.m.

New York at Texas, 7 p.m.

Milwaukee at Chicago, 7:05 p.m.

Cleveland at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Colorado, 7:40 p.m.

St. Louis at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Kansas City at Los Angeles, 9:05 p.m.

Houston at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

Miami at Los Angeles, 9:10 p.m.