Cardinals, Cubs, White Sox Drop Losses

By ESPN

Their former backup catcher could not deny the extra buzz facing his old team for the first time since resurfacing.

Fryer had two hits and three RBIs in his first game with the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.

"I mean, I was amped up to play," Fryer said. "The familiarity of the team, the atmosphere I was in kind of made it a little easier to kind of harness it back and let the game come to me a little bit."

The Cardinals released Fryer when backup catcher Brayan Pena came off the 15-day disabled list and the Pirates, with whom he played in the minors, claimed him off waivers on Sunday. He batted .368 with St. Louis with five RBIs in 38 at-bats behind seven-time All-Star Yadier Molina but Pena has a two-year, $5 million contract.

Fryer said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told him "it's just one of those things that had to work out this way."

"It was nice for him to say it like that, but I'm on to Pittsburgh, I guess," Fryer said.

The Pittsburgh bullpen worked five scoreless innings in support of lefty Steven Brault, who allowed one earned run in four innings while throwing 82 pitches and adding a single in his debut.

Reds 9, Cubs 5

Joe Maddon could make light of his latest ejection, saying he got in a workout and snacked on some buttered raisin bread after he got tossed.

On a day when the Cubs lost again, their manager found at least a few positives.

John Lackey's winless streak stretched to five starts, Maddon was ejected and the Cincinnati Reds beat struggling Chicago 9-5 on Tuesday behind Zack Cozart's 13th home run.

Lackey (7-5) allowed six runs -- five earned -- six hits and five walks in six innings, dropping to 0-3 in his past five starts. The Cubs have lost five of their last six games and 10 of 15.

Maddon was ejected for the second time this season. David Ross was batting in the second, took a 3-0 pitch and started heading to first, only for plate umpire Jerry Meals to call a strike. Maddon got tossed by Meals as he protested from the dugout, then came out for a spirited argument that lasted a few more minutes.

"It was pretty much the culmination of other calls that were going against us recently at the plate," he said. "I think it kind of boiled over in that moment. I haven't had a day off in a while."

Joey Votto added two RBI and Jay Bruce homered as the Reds beat the Cubs for the second time in 12 games this season after nearly blowing a 5-0 lead. Cincinnati won for just the third time in 14 games overall.

Yankees 9, White Sox 0

It's buy or sell time across the majors, and Carlos Beltran knows the New York Yankees have to play better in order to stay together.

Beltran celebrated his ninth All-Star selection with three of New York's season-high 20 hits, and the Yankees cooled off the Chicago White Sox with a 9-0 win on Tuesday night.

"Everyone really getting a chance to swing the bat well today and everyone contributing, that's always nice," manager Joe Girardi said.

Chase Headley hit a two-run homer for the second straight day for New York (41-42), which improved to 2-3 on a 10-game trip that takes the club to the All-Star break. Austin Romine also connected, and Masahiro Tanaka (6-2) pitched into the eighth inning while improving to 4-1 with a 1.14 ERA in eight road starts.

Beltran, who played his first game in the outfield since he left last Tuesday's 7-1 loss to Texas with a tight right hamstring, leads New York with 19 homers and 54 RBIs. The 39-year-old switch hitter, along with relievers Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, could be moved by general manager Brian Cashman if the fourth-place Yankees continue to hover around .500.

"We need to start winning ballgames in order for us, for the organization to keep the whole team together," Beltran said, "and hopefully, that's what happens."

Monday, July 4 Scoreboard

Milwaukee 1, Washington 0

Tampa Bay 4, Los Angeles Angels 2

Boston 12, Texas 5

Chicago White Sox 8, New York Yankees 2

Oakland 3, Minnesota 1

Houston 2, Seattle 1

Pittsburgh 4, St. Louis 2

Chicago Cubs 10, Cincinnati 4

San Francisco 3, Colorado 1

Philadelphia 8, Atlanta 2

New York Mets 8, Miami 6

Cleveland 5, Detroit 3

Toronto 6, Kansas City 2

Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Baltimore 5

San Diego 8, Arizona 4

Tuesday, July 5 Scoreboard

Cincinnati 9, Chicago Cubs 5

Milwaukee 5, Washington 2

Philadelphia 5, Atlanta 1

Toronto 8, Kansas City 3

Texas 7, Boston 2

Cleveland 12, Detroit 1

Miami 5, New York Mets 2

Los Angeles Angels 13, Tampa Bay 5

Pittsburgh 5, St. Louis 2

New York Yankees 9, Chicago White Sox 0

Minnesota 11, Oakland 4

Houston 5, Seattle 2

Arizona 7, San Diego 5

Baltimore 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 1

Colorado 7, San Francisco 3

Wednesday, July 6 Schedule (All Times Central)

Detroit at Cleveland, 11:10 a.m.

Atlanta at Philadelphia, 12:05 p.m.

Oakland at Minnesota, 12:10 p.m.

Miami at New York, 12:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Chicago, 1:20 p.m.

Baltimore at Los Angeles, 2:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Washington, 3:05 p.m.

Texas at Boston, 6 p.m.

Kansas City at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Los Angeles at Tampa Bay, 6:10 p.m.

New York at Chicago, 7:10 p.m.

Seattle at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

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

San Diego at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

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