NATIONAL LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, NEW YORK
The New York Mets used a five-run burst in the seventh inning to ease clear of the Chicago Cubs on the way to a 6-1 victory on Monday.
Angel Pagan’s two-run homer broke a 1-1 tie before Jason Bay added an RBI double and Ike Davis celebrated his call-up from the minor leagues earlier in the day by capping the inning with a run-scoring single.
“It was my first time being called up and it was great,” Davis told reporters. “I thought I was going to be batting fourth [for my minor league team] and got even better news.”
Chicago starter Randy Wells struck out five and allowed just one run through six innings, but New York (5-8) took advantage of the Cubs’ bullpen, who used three pitchers in the seventh.
James Russell, who replaced Wells in the seventh and was then replaced himself after he gave up the homer to Pagan, took the loss for the Cubs (5-8), who were beaten for a third successive time.
The Mets entered the night having recorded a season-low four hits in a 5-3 loss to the St Louis Cardinals on Sunday but rebounded with revitalized offense.
Both Bay and Davis finished with two hits apiece to support starter Jonathon Niese, who battled through 5-2/3 innings while walking three batters and allowing the Cubs’ run on an infield single by Marlon Byrd in the sixth.
New York reliever Fernando Nieve was credited with the win after taking over for Niese and pitching 1-1/3 innings.
Chicago has also been mired in an offensive slump, and made a change prior to the game by moving Byrd to the leadoff spot in the lineup in place of ice-cold Ryan Theriot, who went 0-for-3 and now has just three hits in his last 22 at-bats.
PADRES 3, GIANTS 2, 10 INNINGS
At San Diego, David Eckstein homered in the bottom of the 10th inning to give San Diego its fourth straight win.
Eckstein’s leadoff shot against Jeremy Affeldt just made it inside the left-field foul pole.
San Francisco leveled the game at 2-all in the ninth when Juan Uribe hit a hanging 3-2 curveball into the left-field stands off Padres closer Heath Bell with one out.
Adrian Gonzalez and Will Venable hit sacrifice flies to give the Padres a 2-1 lead heading into the ninth before Uribe’s second home run.
CARDINALS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2
At Phoenix, Matt Holliday went 3 for 5 with his fourth home run of the season and Brad Penny had his third strong outing as St Louis opened a six-game road trip by handing Arizona its fifth loss in a row.
The go-ahead run came in the eighth inning on Colby Rasmus’ double, followed two batters later by a fielding error by Arizona first baseman Adam LaRoche. Rasmus singled in a run off struggling Chad Qualls in the ninth.
Penny threw six scoreless innings after the Diamondbacks scored twice in the first. Holliday’s two-run homer off Arizona starter Rodrigo Lopez tied it in the fifth. Ryan Franklin tossed a perfect ninth for his fifth save in five opportunities.
NATIONALS 5, ROCKIES 2
At Washington, Willie Harris hit a homer and drove in four runs, Craig Stammen recovered from his shortest start in the majors with eight strong innings, and Washington moved back over .500 by beating Colorado before the smallest announced crowd in Nationals Park history.
Only 11,623 spectators saw Stammen hold Colorado to two runs and five hits, lowering his ERA from 15.63 to 8.16. Against the Phillies on Wednesday, the right-hander lasted 1-1/3 innings, allowing seven runs.
Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his sixth save in six chances.
Harris drove the first pitch he saw from Aaron Cook into the home bullpen beyond right field for a three-run shot in the second inning.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, BOSTON
B.J. Upton capped a five-run third inning with a three-run homer as the Tampa Bay Rays completed a four-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with an 8-2 win on Monday in the annual Patriots Day game.
Jeff Niemann pitched seven sharp innings to help Tampa Bay win its seventh straight, all on the road, and match the club’s best winning streak away from Tropicana Field in one season.
It was also Tampa Bay’s first sweep of a series three games or more in Fenway Park.
John Lackey, who signed a five-year, US$82.5 million contract with Boston during the offseason, allowed eight runs and nine hits in only 3-1/3 innings.
The Red Sox have made their worst start since opening 1996.
Boston was 0 for 30 with runners in scoring position in the series, with Jeremy Hermida’s two-run homer the only runs in the series finale.
MARINERS 8, ORIOLES 2
At Seattle, Doug Fister took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Ken Griffey Jr and Casey Kotchman combined to drive in five runs in Seattle’s win.
After a two-out walk in the first, Fister retired the next 16 batters before Nick Markakis opened the seventh with a clean single to center.
Griffey had a two-run single in the Mariners’ seven-run third inning and Kotchman hit a two-run home run in the third and a RBI double in the seventh.
Jack Wilson also had three hits, including two doubles.
Orioles starter Brad Bergesen lasted only 2-2/3 innings. He was charged with six hits, seven runs, though only four were earned, and walked three without a strikeout.
Fister finished with three hits and one seven innings. He walked one and struck on three.
ANGELS 2, TIGERS 0
At Anaheim, California, Joel Pineiro pitched into the eighth inning and Fernando Rodney got the save against his former team, closing out Los Angeles’ win over Detroit.
Pineiro allowed nine hits in 7-1/3 innings, struck out four and walked none.
The right-hander started two inning-ending double plays — one on a line drive by Alexei Avila that trapped Brandon Inge off first base in the second, the other on a comebacker by Miguel Cabrera in the sixth.
Dontrelle Willis allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings and struck out two.
BLUE JAYS 8, ROYALS 1
At Toronto, Jose Bautista hit two home runs and Brandon Morrow pitched seven innings as the Blue Jays ended a three-game losing streak.
Travis Snider also homered to help the Blue Jays win for the 18th time in 22 home games against Kansas City.
Morrow allowed one run and three hits, lowering his ERA from 12.00 to 7.31. He walked two and struck out eight.
Kansas City right-hander Brian Bannister allowed six runs and seven hits in 5-1/3 innings, raising his ERA from 2.19 to 4.58.
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