Cubs, Cardinals, White Sox Lose, ML Roundup

Marlins Down Cubs

(Chicago, IL) -- Donovan Solano and Christian Yelich combined for six hits and four RBI to lead the Marlins over the Cubs 6-2 at Wrigley Field.  Edwin Jackson allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings and took the loss to fall to 7-and-15.  Brian Bogusevic homered for Chicago in the loss.  The Cubs have lost six of their last nine games while the Marlins can earn their second series sweep of the season with a win Wednesday.

The Cubs are taking advantage of MLB rules by using the expanded roster.  Chicago recalled four players from Triple-A Iowa prior to yesterday's game. Left-handed pitchers Brooks Raley and Zach Rosscup joined the team. Right-hander Justin Grimm and catcher J.C. Boscan were also added to the active roster. Outfielder Dave Sappelt was also designated for assignment.

Yankees Rally Past White Sox

(Bronx, NY)  --  The Yankees rallied for five runs in the eighth to beat the White Sox 6-4 last night in New York.  Chris Sale gave up three total runs over seven-and-a-third innings but Nate Jones was charged with the loss.  Alejandro De Aza went 3-for-4 with a solo homer while Alexei Ramirez knocked in two with a triple for Chicago.  The Sox have lost five in-a-row.

The White Sox will try to avoid being swept by the Yankees tonight in New York.  Chicago sends right-hander Erik Johnson to the mound to make his major-league debut. He was one of four players called up from Triple-A Charlotte Tuesday. The Yanks send left-hander CC Sabathia to the hill. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05.

Yankees' Girardi Could Ask Rivera To Reconsider Retirement

(Bronx, NY) -- The conversation about New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera's retirement is heating up. Manager Joe Girardi told reporters following New York's win on Tuesday that he will spend part of the upcoming offseason advising Rivera to reconsider. Girardi says he wants his closer to really think again about retiring.

Girardi says the 43-year-old Rivera is still healthy enough to pitch beyond this season and that he is still performing at a high enough level to do so. Rivera announced during spring training that his 19th season with the Bronx Bombers would be his last. He missed all of 2012 with a torn ACL, an injury that he has said forced him to play the 2013 season because he didn't want his career to end like that.  Rivera collected his 40th save on Tuesday, marking the ninth straight season he has recorded at least 40. That ties the all-time record held by Trevor Hoffman.

Reds Blank Cards

(Cincinnati, OH) -- Homer Bailey and two relievers helped the Reds blank the Cardinals, 1-0, in the second of four games at Great American Ball Park. Bailey struck out eight and allowed two hits over seven innings, while Aroldis Chapman K'd the side in the ninth to pick up his 34th save. Bailey evened up his record at 10-10. A Todd Frazier RBI double scored Billy Hamilton in the seventh for Cincinnati's offense. The Reds are a 1 1/2 games back of St. Louis and 3 1/2 behind Pittsburgh in the NL Central. Matt Carpenter had the only two hits for the Cards. Michael Wacha pitched six shutout innings and reliever Seth Maness took the loss.

Prized pitching prospects Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez were two of six players brought up from the minor leagues by the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday. Martinez joined left-hander Tyler Lyons in coming up from Double-A Springfield. In addition, the Cardinals promoted first baseman Brock Peterson, infielder Ryan Jackson, catcher Audry Perez and outfielder Adron Chambers from Triple-A Memphis.  Catcher Tony Cruz was activated from the 15-day disabled liSt.

Nationals Rip Phillies

(Philadelphia, PA) -- Wilson Ramos smashed a three-run homer and Corey Brown added a solo shot as the Nationals powered past the Phillies 9-6 in the middle of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Ramos drove in four runs and Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond had two hits each. Gio Gonzalez allowed a run and struck out six in 5 2/3 innings to improve to 9-6.  Rafael Soriano earned his 37th save. Cody Asche homered and drove in three runs for the Phillies, who have lost three of their last four games. Ethan Martin took the loss after allowing five runs on four hits to fall to 2-4.

Braves Edge Mets

(Atlanta, GA) -- Andrelton Simmons smacked a go-ahead two-run homer to cap a three-run seventh inning as the Braves edged the Mets 3-1 at Turner Field. Evan Gattis went 3-for-3 with a solo shot that tied the game at one for the Braves, who will go for the three-game sweep on Wednesday. Kris Medlen struck out nine over seven innings of one-run ball as he evened his record at 12-12. Craig Kimbrel closed it out for his 44th save. Daniel Murphy doubled in the lone run in the sixth for the Mets, who have lost three in-a-row. Carlos Torres allowed all three runs in seven frames as he fell to 3-3.

Pirates Secure First Non-Losing Season In 20 Years

(Milwaukee, WI) -- Pinch-hitter Travis Snider smacked a go-ahead solo homer in the top of the ninth inning as the Pirates edged the Brewers 4-3 at Miller Park to secure Pittsburgh's first non-losing season since 1992. It was the longest such streak in the history of the four professional sports in North America. Andrew McCutchen also homered and scored three runs, while Marlon Byrd had two hits and two RBI for the Bucs, who have won four-of-five. Justin Morneau finished 3-for-3 with a walk in the victory. Vin Mazzaro picked up the win and Mark Melancon posted his 11th save. Jonathan Lucroy drove in two and Jean Segura also plated a run for the Brewers, who have dropped five in-a-row. Jim Henderson fell to 3-5 with the loss.

Dodgers Dump Rockies

(Denver, CO) -- The Dodgers jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held on for a 7-4 win over the Rockies in the second of three games at Coors Field. Outfielder Yasiel Puig was held out for precautionary reasons with a banged up knee. Carl Crawford was 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Ricky Nolasco improved to 12-9. Chris Withrow grabbed his first save of the season.  LA has won six in-a-row to jump to 83-55. Colorado made things interesting cutting the lead to 4-3 behind a Josh Rutledge solo homer in the eighth, but weren't able to complete the comeback. Jhoulys Chacin was handed the loss.

Padres Edge Giants

(San Diego, CA) -- Nick Hundley went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs as the Padres held on for a 3-2 win over the Giants at Petco Park.  Chris Denorfia drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.  Starter Robbie Erlin also delivered an RBI and allowed two runs on six hits in five-and-a-third innings, but reliever Tim Stauffer got the win. Huston Street earned his 27th save. Pablo Sandoval and Joaquin Arias drove in the Giants' runs and Angel Pagan had three hits. Jake Dunning took the loss in relief of Madison Bumgarner, who pitched six innings of two-run ball. The Giants fell a game behind the Padres for last place in the NL West.

Indians Hold Off Orioles

(Cleveland, OH) -- Ubaldo Jimenez scattered four hits over six innings to lead the Indians in a 4-3 win over the Orioles at Progressive Field. Jimenez moved to 10-9. Yan Gomes doubled in two in a three-run sixth inning for Cleveland, which has won two out of three since a five-game slide. Asdrubal Cabrera added a pair of sacrifice-flies. Nate McLouth hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Chris Perez to account for Baltimore's only runs. Chris Tillman surrendered four runs in five-and-a-third innings and fell to 15-5. The O's had won back-to-back games.

Red Sox Trim Tigers

(Boston, MA) -- Jon Lester outdueled Max Scherzer as the Red Sox trimmed the Tigers 2-1 in the middle of a three-game series at Fenway Park. Lester struck out nine over seven innings of one-run ball as he improved to 13-8. Koji Uehara closed it out for his 17th save. Will Middlebrooks hit a go-ahead two-run single in the fifth inning for the Red Sox, who have won eight of their last 10. Jose Iglesias doubled in the lone run for Detroit, which has dropped two-of-three after winning three in-a-row. Scherzer fanned eight in seven frames, but allowed both runs to fall to 19-2 in his second attempt at the 20-win mark.

Twins Handle Astros In 12

(Houston, TX) -- Brian Dozier and Trevor Plouffe each hit two-run homers and the Twins scored three runs in the top of the 12th to defeat the Astros 9-6 at Minute Maid Park. Darin Mastroianni doubled in two runs in the 12th to put the game out of reach. Caleb Thielbar pitched two innings for the win and Josh Roenicke got his first save. The Twins led 6-3 with two out in the bottom of the ninth but Brandon Barnes hit a three-run homer off Twins closer Glen Perkins to force extras. Chris Carter also homered for Houston, which has dropped seven-of-eight. Kevin Chapman took the loss after allowing all three runs in the 12th.

Royals Clip M's

(Kansas City, MO) -- After the Royals blew a 3-0 lead, Salvador Perez hit a one-run single in the bottom of the eighth to lift Kansas City to a 4-3 victory over the Mariners in the second of four games at Kauffman Stadium.  Perez hit a solo shot earlier in the game. Kansas City won its third straight to move to 72-66. Reliever Luke Hochevar improved to 4-2 and Greg Holland nailed down his 38th save. Kyle Seager helped Seattle's comeback attempt with a two-run homer, his 22nd of the season. Yoervis Medina was tagged with the loss.  The M's are 62-76.

Rangers Cruise Past A's To Take AL West Lead

(Oakland, CA) -- Mitch Moreland and Alex Rios both homered as the Rangers regained sole possession of first place in the AL West with a 5-1 win over the Athletics in Oakland.  Jurickson Profar, Adrian Beltre and A.J. Pierzynski also plated a run each for Texas, which now leads Oakland by one game in the division.  Martin Perez pitched seven innings of one-run ball as he upped his mark to 9-3. Jed Lowrie drove in the lone run in the first inning for the A's, who had won their previous four including the opener of this three-game set. Bartolo Colon allowed four runs, just one earned, in five frames as he slipped to 14-6 with his third straight loss.

Rays Hammer Halos

(Anaheim, CA) -- Desmond Jennings and Yunel Escobar both homered as the Rays hammered the Angels 7-1 in the second of four games in Anaheim. Ben Zobrist hit a two-run double and walked three times for Tampa, which snapped a five-game losing streak and won for just the second time in 10 games. Matt Moore returned from 15-day disabled list and pitched 5 1/3 strong innings. He allowed one unearned run on four hits while striking out six as he improved to 15-3. Roberto Hernandez earned his first career save after pitching the final 3 2/3 innings without giving up a hit or walk. Erick Aybar scored the lone run on an error for the Halos, who had won their previous five. Jason Vargas was tagged for five runs in four frames as he fell to 8-6.

Blue Jays Pound D-backs

(Phoenix, AZ) -- At this point in the season, the Blue Jays are playing for little more than pride, and perhaps to carry some confidence into the offseason. But knowing with certainty when its season will end will not stop the team from enjoying high-powered nights like Tuesday's and hot stretches like this one. The Blue Jays pounded out 15 hits, including four home runs, as they slugged their way to their seventh win in their last nine contests with a 10-4 victory over the D-backs at Chase Field.

Tuesday, September 3 Scoreboard

MLB NL

Washington Nationals 9, Philadelphia Phillies 6

Atlanta Braves 3, New York Mets 1

Cincinnati Reds 1, St. Louis Cardinals 0

Miami Marlins 6, Chicago Cubs 2

Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Milwaukee Brewers 3

Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Colorado Rockies 4

San Diego Padres 3, San Francisco Giants 2

MLB AL

Cleveland Indians 4, Baltimore Orioles 3

New York Yankees 6, Chicago White Sox 4

Boston Red Sox 2, Detroit Tigers 1

Minnesota Twins 9, Houston Astros 6 (12 inn)

Kansas City Royals 4, Seattle Mariners 3

Texas Rangers 5, Oakland Athletics 1

Tampa Bay Rays 7, Los Angeles Angels 1

MLB Interleague

Toronto Blue Jays 10, Arizona Diamondbacks 4

Wednesday, September 4 Schedule (All Times Central)

MLB NL

11:10 a.m. - New York Mets at Atlanta Braves

1:20 p.m. - Miami Marlins at Chicago Cubs

5:40 p.m. - San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres

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

6:10 p.m. - St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds

7:10 p.m. - Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers

7:40 p.m. - Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies

MLB AL

1:10 p.m. - Minnesota Twins at Houston Astros

2:35 p.m. - Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics

6:05 p.m. - Baltimore Orioles at Cleveland Indians

6:05 p.m. - Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees

6:10 p.m. - Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox

7:10 p.m. - Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals

9:05 p.m. - Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Angels

MLB Interleague

2:40 p.m. - Toronto Blue Jays at Arizona Diamondbacks