Fisher Pitches Astros to Win Over Cards, Cubs Edge Nationals

The Houston Astros have won nine straight with Doug Fister on the mound. The right-hander did more than his part in this one.

Fister pitched effectively into the eighth inning and gave his team breathing room with a two-run single in the seventh in a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

"We always talk about it being fun for a pitcher to hit, but I really take it seriously," Fister said. "Sure, it felt good."

Colby Rasmus hit his 150th career homer in his first game back in St. Louis since 2011.

"It was a feeling I've felt before and it was a good feeling, and now I'm on the other side of the coin, but it's all good," said Rasmus, a former St. Louis first-round draft pick. "I just wanted to come out and be myself and enjoy the moment, not get too caught up in this or that."

Fister had been 0 for 2 on the season before hitting the first pitch from reliever Seung Hwan Oh up the middle to put the Astros ahead by three in the seventh.

The Cardinals had been anticipating a pinch-hitter.

"Who knew their pitcher was going to come up and put together the kind of at-bat nobody else in the league has really been able to against Oh all season?" manager Mike Matheny said. "He doesn't put it up on a tee for anybody."

Matt Adams and Brandon Moss homered for the Cardinals, whose season-best five-game winning streak ended. They totaled just five hits off Fister and three relievers.

Cubs 4, Nationals 3

Albert Almora Jr. acknowledged his former Arizona Fall League foe when he batted against him in the ninth inning Tuesday night. Then he spoiled the pitcher's night.

Almora drove in the go-ahead run with a ninth-inning double, Dexter Fowler had two hits and the Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals 4-3.

Addison Russell led off the ninth with a walk from Sammy Solis (1-2) and was sacrificed to second before Almora, who entered the game in the eighth inning, lined a shot to left center on the first pitch.

"We played against each other in the Fall League," Almora said of Solis. "We looked at each other. I gave him a little nod with the helmet. It was time to go to work. He made a good pitch and I just tried to stay up the middle and it fell for me."

The rookie outfielder joined the Cubs on June 7.

"The guy has been up here for five minutes," manager Joe Maddon said. "Goes up there and is not passive. He went up there, jumped on the first pitch and I loved it."

Solis bemoaned the leadoff walk.

"Can't do that, especially in a game like that," he said. "This hitting team, you can't give them any kind of edge and no outs man on first, it hurts."

Jason Heyward provided a two-run single for Chicago, which evened the three-game series between division leaders.

Tigers 11, White Sox 8

Brad Ausmus was mentally drained, Justin Upton was tired and Jordan Zimmermann was just happy for all the support.

After nearly 8 1/2 hours of baseball over two days, the Detroit Tigers were finally able to hold on for a win.

Upton doubled, tripled and drove in four runs, J.D. Martinez had three of Detroit's season-high seven doubles and the Tigers this time held off the skidding Chicago White Sox 11-8 on Tuesday night.

"It's draining, I think more physically than mentally," said Upton after playing consecutive games where 37 runs were scored. "Every game you try to lock in, but the longer the game gets the tougher it gets on the body."

After blowing a 7-0 lead in a 12-inning loss that lasted 4 hours, 34 minutes a night earlier, the Tigers raced to a 10-2 edge in the fourth and overcame a second straight subpar start by Zimmermann (9-3) for their eighth win in 10 games. This game lasted 3:47. -- By ESPN

Tuesday, June 14 Scoreboard

Toronto 11, Philadelphia 3

Chicago Cubs 4, Washington 3

Baltimore 3, Boston 2

Cincinnati 3, Atlanta 1

Pittsburgh 4, New York Mets 0

Tampa Bay 8, Seattle 7

Detroit 11, Chicago White Sox 8

Kansas City 3, Cleveland 2

Houston 5, St. Louis 2

Colorado 13, New York Yankees 10

Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Arizona 4

Los Angeles Angels 5, Minnesota 4

Texas 10, Oakland 6

Miami 5, San Diego 2

San Francisco 3, Milwaukee 2

Wednesday, June 15 Schedule (All Times Central)

New York at Colorado, 2:10 p.m.

Miami at San Diego, 2:40 p.m.

Los Angeles at Arizona, 2:40 p.m.

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

Chicago at Washington, 3:05 p.m.

Baltimore at Boston, 6 p.m.

Toronto at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at Atlanta, 6:10 p.m.

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

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

Houston at St. Louis, 6:15 p.m.

Detroit at Chicago, 7:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

Minnesota at Los Angeles, 9:05 p.m.

Texas at Oakland, 9:05 p.m.