Cardinals Rip Astros, Cubs Trash Angels, ML Roundup

Cardinals Rip Astros

(St. Louis, MO) -- National League All-Star Adam Wainwright limited the Astros to a run on five hits over seven innings with nine strikeouts, leading the Cardinals to a 9-5 win over the Astros at Busch Stadium.  Matt Carpenter had three hits, scored three times and drove in three runs.  Matt Holliday hit his 13th home run of the season and both Allen Craig and David Freese had three hits in the win. Wainwright improved to 12-5 and Edward Mujica earned his 24th save by recording the game's final out. The Astros rallied for four runs off Cardinals relievers in the ninth inning but the deficit was too large to overcome. Bud Norris took the loss for the Astros and fell to 6-8. St. Louis has won four straight games while Houston has nine of their last 11.

Cubs Trash Angels In Home Run Derby At Wrigley

(Chicago, IL) -- Alfonso Soriano hit two solo homers as the Cubs handled the Angels 7-2 at Wrigley Field. Darwin Barney added a three-run shot while Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo each cracked a solo blast of their own for Chicago. Travis Wood gave up two runs over 6 2/3 innings to improve to 6-6. The Cubbies have won four in-a-row. Joe Blanton was rocked for six runs over five innings of work for Los Angeles. He fell to 2-11 with the defeat. Albert Pujols connected on a two-run homer for the Halos, who had won 10 out of 12 coming in.

White Sox Slug Tigers

(Detroit, MI) -- The White Sox anemic offense exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning as they defeated the Tigers, 11-4, at Comerica Park in the opener of a three-game set. Dayan Viciedo hit two home runs and drove in four, while Alex Rios was 6-for-6 with two RBI. Chicago had 23 hits total, including 12 off of Tigers starter Justin Verlander. Verlander was charged with five runs in seven-plus innings to take the loss. The White Sox scored 10 runs in the eighth and ninth as they ended a four-game losing streak. Jose Quintana improved to 4-2, dealing eight strong innings. Miguel Cabrera hit his 29th homer of the year for Detroit, which fell to 49-40.

Phillies Double Up Nationals

(Philadelphia, PA) -- Cole Hamels fired eight strong innings as the Phillies doubled up the Nationals 4-2 at Citizens Bank Park. Hamels gave up just one run on six hits as he upped his mark to 4-11. Antonio Bastardo allowed a run in the ninth but held on for his second save.  Michael Young hit a two-run double and Domonic Brown also plated a run for the Phils, who have won three in-a-row and five of their last six.  Jayson Werth hit a solo homer and Wilson Ramos doubled in a run for the Nats, who had won four straight before losing the first two of this four-game set.  Taylor Jordan permitted four runs, three earned, in 5 2/3 frames as he slipped to 0-2.

Braves Hold Off Marlins

(Miami, FL) -- Justin Upton went 3-for-5 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored as the Braves held on to beat the Marlins 6-4 in the middle of a three-game series in Miami. Brian McCann drove in a pair of runs and B.J. Upton also had an RBI for Atlanta, which has won three-of-four.  Julio Teheran gave up four runs, just one earned, in 7 1/3 innings as he improved his mark to 7-4. Craig Kimbrel closed it out for his 24th save.  Rob Brantly hit a three-run homer for the Fish, who have dropped five in-a-row. Henderson Alvarez allowed five runs, four earned, in six frames to suffer his first loss.

Peralta Dazzles As Brewers Blank Reds

(Milwaukee, WI) -- Wily Peralta tossed a complete-game three-hitter as the Brewers shut down the Reds for a 2-0 win at Miller Park. Peralta walked four and struck out six to improve to 6-9. Logan Schafer's two-run homer in the fifth was all the offense Milwaukee needed for its third victory in four outings. Tony Cingrani struck out 10 in his seven innings of work but was tagged with his first loss of the year to fall to 3-1.  Cincinnati has lost three straight contests.

Dodgers Whip D'Backs

(Phoenix, AZ) -- Ricky Nolasco rolled in his first start with the Dodgers as Los Angeles swiftly defeated the Diamondbacks, 6-1, at Chase Field.  Nolasco improved to 6-8, dealing seven innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. LA has cut Arizona's lead to two-and-half games in the National League West by taking the first two of the three-game set.  Adrian Gonzalez had three RBI. Seeing his first action for the D'backs this season, center fielder Adam Eaton went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.  Martin Prado drove in the only Arizona run. Ian Kennedy was handed the loss, allowing six runs in less than six innings.

Stults, Padres Clip Rockies To Snap 10-Game Skid

(San Diego, CA) -- Eric Stults fired a complete game gem as the Padres clipped the Rockies 2-1 in the middle of a three-game series at Petco Park.  Stults gave up just one run on four hits and three walks as he evened his record at 7-7. Alexi Amarista tripled in a run and singled in a run for the Friars, who snapped a 10-game losing streak. Nolan Arenado drove in the lone run with a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning for Colorado, which has dropped seven-of-nine. Jhoulys Chacin allowed one run over six innings, but fell to 8-4 with the tough-luck loss.

Mets Outslug Giants

(San Francisco, CA) -- Marlon Byrd's grand slam capped a five-run eighth inning as the Mets rolled to a 10-6 win over the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco.  Anthony Recker hit a two-run homer and Andrew Brown knocked in a pair for New York, which has won three in-a-row. Scot Rice earned the win in relief for the visitors. Pablo Sandoval had a pair of RBI for the sliding Giants, who have lost three straight and 13 out of their last 15 games. The defending champs are now in last place in the NL West. Jose Mijares took the loss out of the bullpen for San Francisco.

Royals Slow Down Yanks

(Bronx, NY) -- David Lough and Billy Butler each hit a solo homer as the Royals clipped the Yankees, 3-1, in the Bronx. James Shields allowed a run in the first inning then blanked New York for the next six frames to pick up his fourth win of the season. Kansas City has held the Yanks to two runs in the first two games of the four-game set. The Royals are within one-game of .500 at 43-44. Robinson Cano knocked in the only run with a single.  CC Sabathia went the distance, allowing three runs and striking out six, but took the loss. New York has fallen to 48-42.

Beltre Powers Rangers Past O's

(Baltimore, MD) -- Adrian Beltre went 4-for-4 with a pair of homers and five RBI to lead the Rangers in an 8-4 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards. Beltre hit a solo shot in the second inning before blasting a three-run round-tripper in the fifth. Nelson Cruz and A.J. Pierzynski each went 2-for-5 with an RBI for Texas, which has won three straight and five out of six. Martin Perez went six innings and allowed four runs, two of which were unearned. He moved to 3-1 with the victory. Zach Britton was handed the loss after allowing five runs in as many innings to fall to 2-3 for Baltimore. Manny Machado hit a solo homer and J.J. Hardy ripped a two-run single for the O's, who have lost five out of six.

Rays Earn Win Over Twins

(St. Petersburg, FL) -- Chris Archer allowed an unearned run over six innings to help the Rays in a 4-1 win over the Twins at The Trop. Matt Joyce ripped a two-run single before Kelly Johnson added a two-run double in the fourth inning for Tampa Bay. Fernando Rodney struck out the side in the ninth for his 21st save as the Rays won their sixth straight and tenth in 11 games. Ryan Doumit's sacrifice-fly in the sixth accounted for Minnesota's lone run. Kyle Gibson allowed four runs over six innings to take the loss for the Twins, who have dropped nine out of ten.

Red Sox Outslug Mariners

(Seattle, WA) -- Dustin Pedroia was one of five Boston players to go deep and finished with three RBI, as the Red Sox outslugged the Mariners 11-8 in the second of four games at Safeco Field. David Ortiz went 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and three runs scored for Boston, which snapped a three-game skid. Mike Napoli, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Shane Victorino also homered in the victory. Craig Breslow picked up the win in relief, while Koji Uehara closed it out for his sixth save. Kendrys Morales homered twice and drove in three and Brad Miller went 3-for-5 with four RBI for the M's, who had won their previous two. Blake Beavan fell to 0-2 with the loss.

A's Tip Pirates

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- Brandon Moss connected for a two-run homer as the Athletics edged the Pirates 2-1 at PNC Park. Dan Straily allowed one run on two hits over 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven. He got the win to improve to 6-2. Grant Balfour earned his 42nd consecutive save for the A's, who have taken the first two in the three-game set and have won three in-a-row overall. Pedro Alvarez hit his 23rd home run of the season in the loss, Pittsburgh's fourth straight. Gerrit Cole allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings but fell to 4-2 with the setback.

Indians Down Johnson, Blue Jays

(Cleveland OH) -- Even when Josh Johnson is at the top of his game, the veteran right-hander can't seem to catch a break. Johnson has suffered through an injury-plagued and inconsistent 2013. There have been plenty of lows, fewer highs, and even when the performance is there, the win has been elusive. That was the story again Tuesday night, as Johnson had one of his best starts in a Blue Jays uniform, but a lack of run support led to a 3-0 loss against the Indians at Progressive Field.

Biogenesis Suspensions To Come After All-Star Break

(New York, NY) -- Major League Baseball is getting set to hand out suspensions related to the Biogenesis scandal. ESPN.com reports as many as 20 players are expected to be penalized sometime after next week's All-Star break for their alleged connection to the Miami clinic. Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun are two of the biggest names that have been linked to the clinic.

Cespedes To Participate In Home Run Derby

(New York, NY) -- Yoenis Cespedes is the final participant for the American League in Monday's Home Run Derby at Citi Field.  The Oakland A's outfielder has been selected to join captain Robinson Cano, Chris Davis and Prince Fielder. Cespedes is just the fourth non All-Star to participate in the Derby and first since Ryan Howard in 2007. The NL squad is made up of captain David Wright, Bryce Harper, Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer.

Tuesday, July 9 Scoreboard

MLB NL

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Washington Nationals 2

Atlanta Braves 6, Miami Marlins 4

Milwaukee Brewers 2, Cincinnati Reds 0

Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Arizona Diamondbacks 1

San Diego Padres 2, Colorado Rockies 1

New York Mets 10, San Francisco Giants 6

MLB AL

Kansas City Royals 3, New York Yankees 1

Texas Rangers 8, Baltimore Orioles 4

Cleveland Indians 3, Toronto Blue Jays 0

Chicago White Sox 11, Detroit Tigers 4

Tampa Bay Rays 4, Minnesota Twins 1

Boston Red Sox 11, Seattle Mariners 8

MLB Interleague

Oakland Athletics 2, Pittsburgh Pirates 1

Chicago Cubs 7, Los Angeles Angels 2

St. Louis Cardinals 9, Houston Astros 5

Wednesday, July 10 Schedule (All Times Central)

MLB NL

11:40 a.m. - Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins

2:45 p.m. - New York Mets at San Francisco Giants

6:05 p.m. - Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies

8:40 p.m. - Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks

9:10 p.m. - Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres

MLB AL

6:05 p.m. - Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees

6:05 p.m. - Texas Rangers at Baltimore Orioles

6:05 p.m. - Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians

6:08 p.m. - Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers

6:10 p.m. - Minnesota Twins at Tampa Bay Rays

9:10 p.m. - Boston Red Sox at Seattle Mariners

MLB Interleague

6:05 p.m. - Oakland Athletics at Pittsburgh Pirates

7:05 p.m. - Los Angeles Angels at Chicago Cubs

7:15 p.m. - Houston Astros at St. Louis Cardinals