Cubs Lose Fifth Straight, Cardinals Win, ML Roundup

Brewers Blank Cubs

(Milwaukee, WI) -- Sean Halton smacked a grand slam and Tyler Thornburg tossed six shutout innings, as the Brewers blanked the Cubs 7-0 in the third of four games at Miller Park.  Thornburg gave up just two hits and two walks as he improved to 3-1. Khris Davis added a solo shot for the Brewers, who have won four in-a-row and six of their last seven. Chris Rusin allowed six runs in four frames as he slipped to 2-5. The Cubs have lost five straight.

Cardinals Hold Off Rockies

(Denver, CO) -- Edward Mujica struck out Rockies first baseman Todd Helton with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to preserve a 4-3 win for the Cardinals. Mujica locked up his 37th save for St. Louis, which has won three-of-four overall. Adam Wainwright struck out eight over seven-and-two-thirds innings of three-run ball for his 17th win. Wainwright was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI to help his cause. Troy Tulowitzki was 2-for-4 with two RBI for Colorado, which has lost four of its last five games. Tyler Chatwood gave up four runs in six frames for the loss.

Twins Down White Sox

(Chicago, IL) -- Twins starter Scott Diamond pitched in the seventh as Minnesota avoided a three-game sweep by beating the White Sox 4-3 at U.S. Cellular Field. It was Diamond's first win since June as he allowed three runs on five hits. Glen Perkins pitched a perfect ninth for his 36th save. Chris Colabello, Eric Fryer and Brian Dozier all singled in runs in the second to stake Minnesota to a 4-0 lead. Oswaldo Arcia had an RBI single in the first for the Twins, who had lost five straight to the Sox. John Danks allowed four runs in seven innings to fall to 4-14 with the loss. Alejandro De Aza hit his 16th home run for the South Siders.

Braves Best Nationals

(Washington, DC) -- Justin Upton was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer to power the Braves to a 5-2 win over the Nationals in Washington, DC. Dan Uggla also went deep for Atlanta, which snapped a three-game slide.  Jordan Schafer went 2-for-4 with a run scored and driven in for the Braves, whose magic number to clinch the NL East is down to two. Kameron Loe picked up the win, and Craig Kimbrel locked up his 48th save. Ross Ohlendorf allowed three runs in six innings for the loss. Denard Span was 1-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to 29 games.  Washington had won three in-a-row.

Padres Dump Pirates

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- The Padres scored two in the top of the ninth off Mark Melancon to pull out a 3-2 win over the Pirates in the third of four games at PNC Park. Logan Forsythe and Rene Rivera each hit RBI singles, while reliever Dale Thayer grabbed the win. Huston Street earned his 31st save. Andrew McCutchen nailed his 20th homer of the season in the loss. Melancon blew his third save of the year and fell to 2-2. Charlie Morton's eight inning, one run and nine strikeout performance went to waste. Pittsburgh is now two games behind NL Central-leading St. Louis. The Bucs still hold the top wild card spot.

Mets Beat Giants With Four-Run Ninth

(Flushing, NY) -- The Mets scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning capped off with Josh Satin's two-run single, as New York rallied to beat San Francisco 5-4 in the second of three games at Citi Field. Satin drove in three, while Zach Lutz and Juan Centeno also plated a run each in the ninth for the Mets, who have won three of their last four. Vic Black picked up the win. Gregor Blanco hit a two-run homer for the Giants, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Sergio Romo fell to 4-8 with the loss.

D'backs Down Dodgers

(Phoenix, AZ) -- Adam Eaton's two-run single capped off a five-run eighth inning as the Diamondbacks downed the Dodgers 9-4 in the third of four games at Chase Field. Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer and now leads the NL with 34 home runs and 118 RBI this season. Gerardo Parra drove in a run and scored twice for the D'backs, who have won four of their last five. Brandon McCarthy allowed three runs in six innings as he improved to 5-and-9. Yasiel Puig went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and Tim Federowicz also went deep for LA, which has lost five-of-six. Stephen Fife was tagged for four runs in less than three frames as he fell to 4-4.

Angels Clip Athletics

(Oakland, CA) -- Josh Hamilton had an RBI sac-fly in the top of the 11th inning to give the Angels a 5-4 win over the Athletics in the rubber match of a three-game set at O.co Coliseum.  Hamilton's two run homer in the top of the ninth tied the game. Mike Trout connected for a two-run shot earlier in the contest as Los Angeles improved to 74-78. J.C. Gutierrez grabbed his first victory of the season and Ernesto Frieri nailed down his 35th save. Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes both hit two-run home runs for Oakland, which is 89-63. Jesse Chavez took the loss.

Yankees Rally Past Jays To Stop Skid

(Toronto, Ontario) -- The New York Yankees needed a four-run rally in the eighth inning to squeak by the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3, at Rogers Centre. David Huff picked up the win for New York, allowing one run in three-and-two thirds innings of relief. Robinson Cano and Alfonso Soriano knocked in a run each, and Vernon Wells plated two for the Yankees, who snapped a four-game slide. Steve Delabar took the loss after allowing two runs in just a third of an inning. Ryan Goins and Colby Rasmus each homered for the Blue Jays, who have dropped six-of-eight.

Mariners Blank Tigers

(Detroit, MI) -- Hisashi Iwakuma dealt eight shutout innings with six strikeouts to pace the Mariners to a 8-0 win over the Tigers in the third of four games at Comerica Park. It was Seattle's first win in the series.  Justin Smoak and Franklin Gutierrez each hit solo homers.  Smoak drove in two along with Michael Saunders. Detroit starter Justin Verlander fell to 13-and-12 despite allowing only three runs in seven innings. Detroit had only four hits and left seven men on base. The Tigers are 88-64.

Davis Lifts O's Over Red Sox In 12th

(Boston, MA) -- Chris Davis hit a go-ahead two-run single in the top of the 12th inning to lift the Orioles over the Red Sox 5-3 at Fenway Park. Matt Wieters had a pair of RBI doubles, while Brian Roberts also doubled in a run for the O's, who are now just one game behind Texas for the second AL Wild Card spot. T.J. McFarland picked up the win and Jim Johnson posted his 47th save. David Ortiz belted a two-run homer and Mike Napoli added a solo shot for the Sox, who will try to avoid the three-game sweep on Thursday. Franklin Morales suffered the loss.

Rays Walk Off Rangers

(Tampa, FL) -- The Rays picked up clutch hits in the 11th and 12th innings to grab a 4-3 win over the Rangers in the third of four games at the Trop. Desmond Jennings walked the game off with a one-run single, while David DeJesus kept the game alive one an RBI base-knock the previous inning. Reliever Brandon Gomes snagged the win helping Tampa Bay move a game ahead of Texas for the top wild card spot in the AL. Leonys Martin connected for a two-run triple and Adrian Beltre drove in the other run for the Rangers. Joe Nathan blew his third save the season and Joe Ortiz fell to 2-2.

Royals Cruise Past Indians

(Kansas City, MO) -- Salvador Perez and Alcides Escobar plated two runs apiece as the Royals cruised past the Indians 7-2 in the rubber match of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.  Jarrod Dyson also drove in a run for KC, which has alternated wins and losses over its last seven games. Bruce Chen tossed five innings of two-run ball as he improved to 8-3. Michael Bourn knocked in a run and Michael Brantley had two hits and scored for the Tribe, which remains a half-game out of a wild card spot. Danny Salazar permitted four runs in six frames as he slipped to 1-3.

Reds Nip Astros

(Houston, TX) -- Jay Bruce hit a two-run double in the top of the 13th inning as the Reds nipped the Astros 6-5 in Houston. Bruce also had an RBI double in the first for Cincinnati, which has won four-of-five. Billy Hamilton was 3-for-4 with four steals, two runs and an RBI in the win. Alfredo Simon picked up the win as Aroldis Chapman locked up his 37th save. Jorge De Leon suffered the loss in relief  Brandon Barnes belted a solo homer for Houston, which has lost five straight. Carlos Corporan had two RBI in defeat.

Phillies Fall to Marlins in 10 Innings

(Philadelphia PA) -- Ryne Sandberg keeps getting asked questions about next season, even though he remains interim manager. Just this week, he got asked what his lineup will be if everybody is healthy next season. He said he did not know, although that might change once he has "interim" removed from his job title. But following Wednesday's 4-3 loss in 10 innings to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, it seems safe to say Chase Utley will be hitting no lower than third.

Nats' Span Extends Hitting Streak To 29 Games

(Washington, DC) -- Washington Nationals outfielder Denard Span has extended his hitting streak to 29 games. Span went 1-for-5 with a run scored in Washington's 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. It's the longest hitting streak in the majors this season, surpassing Colorado Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer's 27-game streak.

Wednesday, September 18 Scoreboard

MLB NL

Atlanta Braves 5, Washington Nationals 2

San Diego Padres 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Miami Marlins 4, Philadelphia Phillies 3 (10 inn)

New York Mets 5, San Francisco Giants 4

Milwaukee Brewers 7, Chicago Cubs 0

St. Louis Cardinals 4, Colorado Rockies 3

Arizona Diamondbacks 9, Los Angeles Dodgers 4

MLB AL

Minnesota Twins 4, Chicago White Sox 3

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5, Oakland Athletics 4 (11 inn)

New York Yankees 4, Toronto Blue Jays 3

Seattle Mariners 8, Detroit Tigers 0

Baltimore Orioles 5, Boston Red Sox 3 (12 inn)

Tampa Bay Rays 4, Texas Rangers 3 (12 in)

Kansas City Royals 7, Cleveland Indians 2

MLB Interleague

Cincinnati Reds 6, Houston Astros 5 (13 inn)

Thursday, September 19 Schedule (All Times Central)

MLB NL

11:35 a.m. - San Diego Padres at Pittsburgh Pirates

12:10 p.m. - San Francisco Giants at New York Mets

1:10 p.m. - Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers

2:10 p.m. - St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies

2:40 p.m. - Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks

6:05 p.m. - Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals

MLB AL

12:08 p.m. - Seattle Mariners at Detroit Tigers

6:05 p.m. - Houston Astros at Cleveland Indians

6:07 p.m. - New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays

6:10 p.m. - Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox

6:10 p.m. - Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays

9:05 p.m. - Minnesota Twins at Oakland Athletics

MLB Interleague

No Games Scheduled