NATIONAL LEAGUE
Bryce Harper homered on his first swing since coming off the disabled list and his Washington Nationals teammates quickly joined in, beating the slumping Milwaukee Brewers 10-5 on Monday night.
After missing 31 games with bursitis in his left knee — the most lingering fallout from his collision with the Dodger Stadium wall — Harper energized the Nationals and sparked their second rout in two days.
Photo: AFP
After toying with the .500 mark for the whole of last month, Washington moved two games above the break-even point for the first time since late May.
Jayson Werth had five RBIs, and even pitcher Jordan Zimmermann was an offensive juggernaut with a team-high three hits, including a double to start a five-run third inning and a single to open a two-run fourth.
Working with an 8-0 lead, Zimmermann (12-3) pitched six innings and allowed four runs to tie unbeaten Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers for the major league lead in wins.
Photo: AFP
Harper launched the second pitch he saw from Yovani Gallardo (6-8) into the visitors’ bullpen beyond left field for an opposite-field homer that drew a thumbs-up curtain call. The Nationals improved to 26-19 when Harper plays; they are 16-21 when he does not.
The 20-year-old slugger finished one for four with a walk.
The Brewers, missing injured Ryan Braun, have lost six straight games.
Photo: AFP
REDS 8, GIANTS 1, 6 INNINGS
In Cincinnati, Ohio, Todd Frazier homered and drove in four runs, leading Cincinnati out of their offensive slump to a victory over San Francisco in a game shortened to six innings because of rain. Frazier had an RBI single and a three-run homer off left-hander Mike Kickham (0-3), who has been hit hard in each of his three major league starts.
Bronson Arroyo (7-6) gave up a pair of hits in six innings, including Brandon Belt’s homer.
Rain halted the game after the sixth. The umpires waited 1 hour, 28 minutes before calling it.
MARLINS 4, PADRES 0
In Miami, Jose Fernandez struck out 10 and allowed only two hits in a career-high eight innings as Miami beat San Diego to match a season high with their third consecutive victory.
Jeff Mathis delivered the big hit for the second game in a row, raising his batting average to .154. He hit a three-run double in the sixth, when the Marlins scored four unearned runs off Jason Marquis (9-4), who issued a career-high seven walks in 6-1/3 innings.
Mathis’ ninth-inning grand slam beat the Padres on Sunday.
The Marlins began the week with the worst record in the majors, but since June 1 they are 16-10, and they have won six of their past seven games. They have allowed three runs in the past three games.
San Diego lost for the seventh time in nine games. Padres shortstop Pedro Ciriaco made an errant throw that led to the unearned runs.
Fernandez (5-4) walked one and equaled a career high in strikeouts. Steve Cishek entered with two on and got the final out for his 15th save in 17 chances, completing a three-hitter.
Fernandez improved to 3-1 with an ERA of 1.34 over his past six starts.
METS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4, 13 INNINGS
In New York, Andrew Brown hit a two-run single with two outs in the 13th inning as New York put together a pair of late rallies to beat Arizona, handing the NL West leaders their fourth straight loss.
Hot-hitting Josh Satin tied it with an RBI single in the ninth off Arizona closer J.J. Putz, his first save opportunity since the ex-Met went on the disabled list on May 8. Cody Ross led off the 13th with a homer against David Aardsma (1-0), but the Mets fought back again against the Diamondbacks bullpen.
Satin doubled with one out off Josh Collmenter (4-1) and John Buck was intentionally walked. Mets pitcher Matt Harvey pinch hit for Aardsma and sacrificed the runners over.
After Omar Quintanilla was intentionally walked, Brown lined an 0-2 pitch into left-center to end a game that lasted 5 hours, 13 minutes.
Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer for Arizona, his 20th.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, TORONTO
R.A. Dickey won again, while Jose Reyes and Mark DeRosa homered as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the slumping Detroit Tigers 8-3 on Monday for their seventh straight home win.
The Blue Jays delighted a sellout crowd of 45,766 on Canada Day with their 11th victory in 13 games at Rogers Centre.
Coming off his two-hit shutout against Tampa Bay, Dickey (8-8) was sharp and won for the third time in four starts. The knuckleballer allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out four and walking one.
Reyes hit a leadoff shot in the third against Tigers rookie Jose Alvarez (1-2). For Reyes, it was his third homer of the year and second in two days.
DeRosa added a three-run drive in the fourth off reliever Luke Putkonen.
Prince Fielder and Omar Infante hit solo homers for the Tigers. Detroit lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Infante went four for four with a two-out homer in the ninth. Tigers star Miguel Cabrera, who came in with an league-leading .373 batting average, went none for four with two strikeouts.
YANKEES 10, TWINS 4
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Robinson Cano homered twice and Andy Pettitte broke Whitey Ford’s club record for career strikeouts to help New York snap a five-game skid with a victory over Minnesota.
Zoilo Almonte had three hits and two RBIs as the slumbering Yankees offense woke up with seven runs in the last two innings to reach double digits for the first time since May 10.
Struggling reliever Jared Burton (1-6) gave up three runs and three hits while getting only one out for the Twins, who coughed up another eighth-inning lead. Ryan Doumit had two hits and two RBIs.
Cano also had a double, a walk and three RBIs for the Yankees, who totaled 13 runs during their losing streak.
Pettitte allowed four runs in five innings.
Joba Chamberlain (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
RAYS 12, ASTROS 0
In Houston, Texas, Matt Moore allowed two hits in seven innings for his 11th win and Ryan Roberts homered twice to lead Tampa Bay over Houston.
Moore (11-3) won his third straight decision and Cesar Ramos pitched two perfect innings to complete the two-hitter and help the Rays win their third in a row.
Roberts made it 3-0 with a two-run homer in the third off Dallas Keuchel (4-5) and tacked on another run with a solo shot in the eighth inning.
Sean Rodriguez had a career-high four hits — two doubles — with three RBIs, and three other Rays added three hits apiece on a night when they tied a season high for runs and finished with 17 hits.
Chris Carter and Jake Elmore got Houston’s only hits with singles as the last-placed Astros dropped their fourth in a row.
Moore struck out nine and walked three to tie his win total from last season.
Tampa Bay slugger Evan Longoria was out of the lineup for the third straight game with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, but the Rays do not plan on placing him on the disabled list.
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