NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Jon Garland pitched seven scoreless innings to steer the San Diego Padres to a 1-0 win over the St Louis Cardinals in the National League on Tuesday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Garland (6-2) won his sixth straight decision, escaping a one-out, bases-loaded situation in the first inning and getting two inning-ending double plays. He struck out seven as he lowered his ERA to 2.10.
Mike Adams and Heath Bell pitched one inning apiece to combine for San Diego’s major-league leading ninth shutout. Bell picked up his 13th save in 15 opportunities.
The sole run came when Jerry Hairston Jr hit a homer off Adam Wainwright (6-3) in the second inning — his first homer this season.
Wainwright took the loss despite allowing only that run in seven innings and tying his career best with 12 strikeouts.
METS 8, PHILLIES 0
In New York, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey earned his first win since April last year as New York beat Philadelphia.
Two days after Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield tossed eight shutout innings to beat the Phillies, Dickey (1-0), called up from the minors, escaped bases-loaded jams in each of the first three innings.
The 35-year-old pitched six shutout innings and struck out seven, matching his career high.
Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur drove in two runs each for the Mets, who won their third straight, while Jose Reyes had three hits and scored three times.
Phillies starter Jamie Moyer (5-4) took the loss.
MARLINS 6, BRAVES 4
In Miami, Anibal Sanchez allowed two runs pitching into the seventh inning to steer Florida past Atlanta.
Sanchez (4-2) has won three straight starts for the first time since September 2006.
Cody Ross hit a two-run double in the three-run eighth for Florida while Cameron Maybin homered in the third inning.
Brian McCann hit a two-run double and Martin Prado had three hits for the Braves, who again struggled to give starter Kenshin Kawakami (0-7) run support. The Japanese is winless in nine starts this season, and hasn’t won for 16 appearances.
Jason Heyward had a two-run single in the ninth, drawing Atlanta within two.
CUBS 3, DODGERS 0
In Chicago, Ryan Dempster threw eight scoreless innings as Chicago blanked Los Angeles.
Dempster (3-4) handed the Dodgers just their third loss in 15 games while earning his first win since April 23.
Derrek Lee homered and drove in all three runs for Chicago. Lee, who came in with a .218 average, had three hits.
He drove in Ryan Theriot with a single off Clayton Kershaw (4-3) in the sixth after Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal misfielded his grounder.
In other NL action, it was:
• Pirates 2, Reds 1
• Giants 4, Nationals 2
• Rockies 3, Diamondbacks 2
• Brewers 6, Astros
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
David Ortiz’s two-run double was enough for the Boston Red Sox to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 on Tuesday in a clash of American League East pennant contenders.
Boston starter Jon Lester (5-2) pitched six scoreless innings, striking out nine and allowing only one runner past second. He is unbeaten in his past seven starts.
The victory was the seventh in eight games for the Red Sox, who are a season-best five games over .500 (26-21).
The Rays, who have baseball’s best record at 32-14, lost a series at home for the first time since the opening week of the season.
Tampa Bay starter James Shields (5-2) limited the Red Sox to four hits over eight innings.
TWINS 0, YANKEES 0, SUSPENDED
In Minneapolis, the Minnesota-New York game was suspended in the fifth inning because of rain — the first rain delay in Target Field history and its first suspended game.
The game was scheduled to resume in the top of the sixth inning yesterday.
The Twins moved outdoors to Target Field this season after 28 years under the protective roof of the Metrodome.
Games can only be suspended if more than five innings have been completed and the score is tied.
ANGELS 8, BLUE JAYS 3
In Anaheim, California, Ervin Santana pitched a four-hitter for his second complete game against Toronto this season, steering Los Angeles to victory.
Santana (4-3) finished with 10 strikeouts, one off his career high, after getting staked to an early 5-0 lead.
Toronto’s first three hits against him came on first-pitch homers by Jose Bautista, Aaron Hill and Jeremy Reed.
Mike Napoli homered for the Angels, while Bobby Abreu and Erick Aybar each had two RBIs.
Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero (4-2) went 5 and 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs.
RANGERS 8, ROYALS 7
In Kansas City, Missouri, Vladimir Guerrero hit two two-run homers and drove in five runs for Texas in the win over Kansas City.
Guerrero is hitting .444 with five home runs and 12 RBIs against Kansas City this season. It was his 41st multihomer game and second this season, both against the Royals.
Guerrero homered in the first and fifth innings and added an RBI double in the seventh.
Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning off Royals starter Gil Meche, who gave up four home runs in the first five innings after yielding only three in his first eight starts.
Brad Thompson (0-3), the second of five Kansas City pitchers, lost after giving up two runs without retiring a batter.
In other AL games, it was:
• Mariners 5, Tigers 3
• Orioles 5, Athletics 1
• Indians 7, White Sox 3
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