NATIONAL LEAGUE
Rookie Bryce Harper hit a game-winning single with two outs in the 12th inning to give the Washington Nationals a 7-6 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.
Scott Hairston hit a solo homer in the top of the 12th to give New York a 6-5 lead, but the Nationals rallied when Michael Morse led off with his second double of the game and Ian Desmond followed with another double for his third RBI.
Reliever Elvin Ramirez (0-1) walked two batters to load the bases and a fielder’s choice by Xavier Nady left the bases loaded with two outs for Harper, who lined an 0-2 pitch to left field. The ball fell just in front of a diving Vinny Rottino.
The Nationals are alone atop the NL East, a game ahead of Miami — who lost to Atlanta — and one-and-a-half games ahead of the Mets. Ross Detwiler (4-3) came on in the 11th and got the win.
DODGERS 2, PHILLIES 1
In Philadelphia, Elian Herrera hit a two-run double off winless Cliff Lee in the eighth inning for Los Angeles.
Lee (0-3) took a two-hitter into the eighth and was a strike away from getting out of trouble before Herrera hit a 2-2 pitch off the left-field wall to put the Dodgers ahead.
Chad Billingsley (3-4) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings. Josh Lindblom worked the eighth and Kenley Jansen finished for his eighth save in 11 tries.
Lee gave up two runs and six hits in 7-2/3 innings, striking out a season-high 12. His record is no indication of the way he’s pitched. The 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner has a 2.92 ERA, but has been the victim of poor run support.
CUBS 10, BREWERS 0
In Milwaukee, Ryan Dempster earned his first win since last August, throwing seven innings of three-hit ball as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers.
Coming into Tuesday’s game, Dempster (1-3) had gone 18 straight starts without a victory — a streak dating to Aug. 16 of last season. Dempster broke his winless streak in dominant fashion, not allowing a baserunner until Cody Ransom singled to lead off the sixth.
Alfonso Soriano hit a three-run home run, Jeff Baker added a two-run shot and Bryan LaHair hit a solo homer for the Cubs, who snapped an 11-game road losing streak. Chicago’s road slide matched a franchise record set in 1954.
BRAVES 11, MARLINS 0
In Miami, Dan Uggla hit two homers in his first game at Marlins Park and Tim Hudson pitched a five-hitter for his 13th career shutout to help the Atlanta Braves beat Miami.
Uggla hit a solo homer in the fourth inning and he scored a direct hit on the middle of the park’s home run feature sculpture with a two-run homer in the ninth estimated at 432 feet. That sent a thud reverberating throughout the ballpark and increased his homer total to 10 this season and 200 for his career.
Uggla also doubled and scored before hitting a two-run single to finish with four hits and five RBIs, both season highs.
Hudson (4-2) struck out three, walked three and allowed only one runner to reach third base. Anibal Sanchez (3-4) took the loss.
In other NL action, it was:
‧ Pirates 8, Reds 4
‧ Astros 9, Cardinals 8
‧ Diamondbacks 10, Rockies 0
‧ Padres 6, Giants 5
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
Russell Martin hit a grand slam to help stop the Yankees’ struggles with the bases loaded and Andy Pettitte was dominant again at home, leading New York to a 7-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.
Nick Swisher hit an RBI double after Raul Ibanez was walked intentionally and the Yankees treated Rays starter James Shields to another drubbing in the Bronx.
Pettitte (3-2) pitched two-hit ball for 7-1/3 innings, striking out 10 in New York’s ninth win in 12 games.
Shields (6-4) was sabotaged early by the Rays’ ever-shifting defense as New York scored two unearned runs in the first thanks to an error by shortstop Elliot Johnson.
The Yankees returned home from a 6-3 road trip to beat the Rays for the third time in four meetings since Tampa Bay swept a season-opening three-game series.
RANGERS 6, ATHLETICS 3
In Oakland, Ian Kinsler hit a two-run double and Josh Hamilton also doubled in a run to back Derek Holland as Texas beat Oakland.
Yorvit Torrealba hit a sacrifice fly, Adrian Beltre singled twice and Holland (5-4) pitched 5-1/3 innings — looking far stronger than in his last start.
The left-hander struck out two, walked two and allowed three runs on seven hits. That was a big improvement from the eight runs he gave up in a 21-8 loss to Seattle on Wednesday last week.
BLUE JAYS 9, WHITE SOX 5
In Chicago, Colby Rasmus went 5-for-5 with a homer to help Ricky Romero earn his seventh win as Toronto beat the White Sox.
Rasmus and David Cooper each hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Phil Humber and both finished with three RBIs in Toronto’s 13-hit attack.
Romero (7-1) pitched seven-plus innings, allowing six hits and five runs — three earned. He gave up an unearned run in the first, a two-run homer to A.J. Pierzynski in the seventh after Toronto had built a 7-1 lead, and a solo shot to Adam Dunn in the eighth before departing.
Humber (2-3) lasted only five innings, giving up seven hits, five runs and four walks.
In other AL action, it was:
‧ Angels 6, Mariners 1
‧ Orioles 8, Red Sox 6 (10)
‧ Indians 4, Tigers 2
‧ Royals 1, Twins 0
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