NATIONAL LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, CHICAGO
All-Star selection Ted Lilly struck out nine as the Chicago Cubs pounded the Milwaukee Brewers 8-2 on Sunday.
PHOTO: AP
The loss dropped the Brewers into second place in the National League Central Division, a game behind St Louis. The third-placed Cubs moved within 2.5 games of the Cardinals.
Lilly (8-6), who was named on the National League pitching staff on Sunday for next Tuesday’s All-Star game, allowed two runs and nine hits in six-plus innings. He is now 5-1 at home this season.
“This is such a great place to play,” he told reporters after being cheered as he left the field.
The left-hander did not walk a batter for the seventh time this season.
“One of the things that enabled me to do that was that we had a little bit of a cushion,” Lilly said. “I’m going to be a little more aggressive in those situations knowing that the last thing you want to do when you have a lead like that is give guys free passes.”
Derrek Lee drove in three runs for the Cubs, belting a two-run homer in the first inning and an RBI single in the fifth-inning.
“Any time you play in your division, it’s an important game,” Lee said. “We just want to finish the first half strong and take some momentum into the break.”
Jake Fox also hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, connecting in the fifth.
Milwaukee’s Mike Burns (1-2) was shelled for seven runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings.
The Brewers have now lost four of their last five games, dropping three out of four to the Cubs.
“It’s disappointing,” said Prince Fielder, who homered for the Brewers in the fourth.
Outfielder Ryan Braun was more blunt.
“Their starting pitching is a lot better than ours,” said Braun, who was chosen on Sunday as an All-Star starter. “They threw the ball a lot better than our starters did, and they swung the bats better than we did as well. Clearly, they were the better team.”
PHILLIES 2, METS 0
At Philadelphia, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley homered off Johan Santana to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to victory over the New York Mets on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of their NL East rival.
The Phillies had lost 12 of 15 and returned home after being swept by the Atlanta Braves, but took advantage of the injury-ravaged Mets to earn their first sweep at home since taking three straight from the Nationals in late May.
Also on Sunday, it was:
• Dodgers 7, Padres 6, 13 innings
• Astros 7, Giants 1
• Diamondbacks 4, Rockies 3
• Nationals 5, Braves 3
• Cardinals 10, Reds 1
• Marlins 5, Pirates 0
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
Derek Jeter had four hits including the a go-ahead two-run homer and Hideki Matsui homered and drove in four runs as the New York Yankees rallied from a four-run hole to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-8.
It was New York’s fifth straight win over the Blue Jays, whose five-run fourth inning gave them an 8-4 lead that never appeared safe on a day in which balls were again flying out of Yankee Stadium. There were four homers hit — all of them to right field — to raise the total to 139 at the new ballpark midway through the season.
Jonathan Albaladejo (3-1), recalled after Wang Chien-ming (王建民) went on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, got the win in relief — even though Alfredo Aceves deserves most of the credit.
In other AL games, it was:
• Red Sox 8, Mariners 4
• Royals 6, White Sox 3
• Twins 6, Tigers 2
• Athletics 5, Indians 2
• Angels 9, Orioles 6
• Rangers, 5, Rays 2
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