Holliday Delivers Cards, Cubs Sweep Pirates

Matt Holliday delivered the St. Louis Cardinals' first walk-off win of the season on Wednesday night and then was mobbed by his teammates.

"That's why I work out," he said, "just in case something like that happens."

The Cardinals scored twice in the bottom of the ninth and Holliday's RBI single with two outs was the difference in a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

"It was an important game for us to win," Holliday said. "We needed it and we need to win tomorrow to win the series. All games are important but this was one we needed to win."

The Cardinals had lost five of their last six while the Phillies had won seven of eight and 10 of 12.

St. Louis rallied in the ninth against Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez, who had converted his first nine save opportunities this season.

Pinch-hitter Kolten Wong led off with a walk. With one out, pinch-hitter Matt Adams doubled off the wall in right-center, a play that was reviewed to see whether it went over the fence.

"I thought it hit that flower bed out there and bounced back," Adams said. "I saw the umpire's arms signal not a homer and I just had to get to second safely."

After an intentional walk to load the bases with one out, Stephen Piscotty delivered an RBI infield single to tie the game and pitcher Carlos Martinez, pinch running for Adams, was out after rounding third.

Holliday then smacked a single through the left side of the infield to drive home the winning run.

Cubs 6, Pirates 2

The Chicago Cubs are threatening to run away with the NL Central. Ben Zobrist hit a three-run home run, Anthony Rizzo also connected and Jon Lester worked out of a pair of jams to lead the Cubs over the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 Wednesday for a three-game sweep.

With its seventh win in eight games, Chicago improved to a major league-best 20-6. The Cubs have won seven straight road games and completed their first sweep in Pittsburgh since Sept. 7-9, 2012. They lead the division by six games.

"We pitched really well in this series. We've been doing that the whole year," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "And the offense was good again. But the part that permits the offense to get into the flow of the game is the pitching's been so good. That we are able to stay even or most of the times on top of the other side.

"Offensively we keep having good at bats over the course of the game and then have a chance to work people down by the end. That's pretty much been the roadmap to this point."

Zobrist's third-inning homer put Chicago ahead after center fielder Andrew McCutchen dropped Rizzo's two-out liner for an error.

Lester (3-1) scattered eight hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings, struck out five and walked two. The left-hander has allowed one run or none in five of six starts this season.

Pittsburgh loaded the bases in the fourth and put runners on first and second in the fifth -- both times with no outs. The Pirates have lost four straight following a six-game winning streak.

Red Sox 5, White Sox 2

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell shook his head and grinned when asked about the latest clutch hit and milestone home run by David Ortiz.

"You kind of marvel at how consistent and powerful he is," Farrell said.

Ortiz hit his 509th home run to put the Red Sox ahead to stay in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.

Ortiz's two-run shot to right field off Carlos Rodon in the fifth inning tied him with Gary Sheffield for 25th all-time. It was the sixth homer of his farewell season and his 451st with Boston, one off Carl Yastrzemski's club mark.

"Every time they mention your name next to someone who's legendary, it's humbling," Ortiz said.

Ortiz also grounded an RBI single to left against the shift in the seventh off Zach Duke, and embattled Clay Buchholz (1-3) was sharp over seven innings in Boston's fourth win in five games.

"David is in such a good spot right now offensively," Farrell said.

Jose Abreu's two-run homer in the first was the only blemish for Buchholz, who allowed three hits and struck out six after being challenged by Farrell to be more assertive on the mound.

Wednesday, May 4 Scoreboard

Cincinnati 7, San Francisco 4

Chicago Cubs 6, Pittsburgh 2

New York Mets 8, Atlanta 0

Los Angeles Angels 7, Milwaukee 3

Washington 13, Kansas City 2

Seattle 9, Oakland 8

Colorado 2, San Diego 0

Cleveland 4, Detroit 0

New York Yankees 7, Baltimore 0

Toronto 4, Texas 3

Miami 4, Arizona 3

Tampa Bay 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 5

Boston 5, Chicago White Sox 2

Houston 16, Minnesota 4

St. Louis 5, Philadelphia 4

Thursday, May 5 Schedule (All Times Central)

Philadelphia at St. Louis, 12:45 p.m.

Detroit at Cleveland, 5:10 p.m.

New York at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

Texas at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Arizona at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Washington at Chicago, 7:05 p.m.

Boston at Chicago, 7:10 p.m.

Seattle at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

New York at San Diego, 9:10 p.m.

Colorado at San Francisco, 9:15 p.m.

Friday, May 6 Schedule (All Times Central)

Washington at Chicago, 1:20 p.m.

Boston at New York, 6:05 p.m.

Oakland at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

Los Angeles at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Kansas City at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.

Texas at Detroit, 6:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Arizona at Atlanta, 6:35 p.m.

Minnesota at Chicago, 7:10 p.m.

Seattle at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Los Angeles, 9:05 p.m.

Colorado at San Francisco, 9:15 p.m.

New York at San Diego, 9:40 p.m.    

Saturday, May 7 Schedule (All Times Central)

Boston at New York, 12:05 p.m.

Los Angeles at Toronto, 12:07 p.m.

Texas at Detroit, 12:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 1:15 p.m.

Washington at Chicago, 3:05 p.m.

Colorado at San Francisco, 3:05 p.m.

Kansas City at Cleveland, 3:10 p.m.

Oakland at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Chicago, 6:10 p.m.

Arizona at Atlanta, 6:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Seattle at Houston, 6:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

New York at San Diego, 7:40 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Los Angeles, 8:05 p.m.

Sunday, May 8 Schedule (All Times Central)

Los Angeles at Toronto, 12:07 p.m.

Kansas City at Cleveland, 12:10 p.m.

Texas at Detroit, 12:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 12:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Miami, 12:10 p.m.

Oakland at Baltimore, 12:35 p.m.

Arizona at Atlanta, 12:35 p.m.

Minnesota at Chicago, 1:10 p.m.

Seattle at Houston, 1:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 1:15 p.m.

Washington at Chicago, 1:20 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Los Angeles, 2:35 p.m.

Colorado at San Francisco, 3:05 p.m.

New York at San Diego, 3:40 p.m.

Boston at New York, 7 p.m.