NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, SAN FRANCISCO
Carlos Zambrano matched his career-high with seven walks in his first start since a June 25 dugout tirade and ensuing banishment, but his Chicago Cubs lost to the San Francisco Giants 4-3 in 11 innings on Monday night long after he left the game.
Pat Burrell hit a game-ending sacrifice fly off loser Marcos Mateo (0-1), who made his major league debut after being called up earlier in the day.
Edgar Renteria led off the 11th with a single and Aubrey Huff’s single moved him to third. Mateo then intentionally walked standout rookie Buster Posey to bring up Burrell.
Chris Ray (5-0) recorded the final out of the 11th for the win.
CARDINALS 7, REDS 3
In Cincinnati, Skip Schumaker hit his first career grand slam during the St Louis Cardinals biggest inning of the season, supplying more than enough runs for right-hander Chris Carpenter to beat the Cincinnati Reds for the ninth time in a row.
The Cardinals provided a lopsided start to their showdown for first place in the NL Central, trimming Cincinnati’s lead to one game.
St Louis sent 12 batters to the plate for seven runs in the fourth, giving rookie Mike Leake (7-4) his worst moments in the majors. Schumaker’s grand slam — only his 19th career homer — made it 6-0.
Carpenter (13-3) has won his last nine starts against the Reds, a streak that started in 2006. He gave up five hits and a pair of runs in seven innings.
Ramon Hernandez had three of Cincinnati’s seven hits, including an RBI double off Carpenter and a solo homer off Kyle McClellan.
In other NL play, it was:
D’backs 7, Brewers 4, 10 innings
Astros 10, Braves 4
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
Jon Lester received help from relievers Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon in ending his career-worst four-game skid, helping the Boston Red Sox salvage a series split by beating the New York Yankees 2-1 on Monday.
Boston took the finale of the wraparound series that had four different start times because of national TV demands. The win ensured the third-place Red Sox remained six games behind AL East-leading New York, their standing when the series began.
Lester (12-7) didn’t give up a hit until Austin Kearns singled with one out in the fifth inning and was lifted for Bard with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh — and Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher due up.
Bard pumped six pitches past the Yankees Nos. 1 and 2 hitters, striking them out.
RAYS 6, TIGERS 3
In Detroit, Matt Joyce homered and the Rays ended their five-game losing streak with a win over the Tigers.
Tampa Bay got within one-and-a-half games of first-place New York and Detroit lost for the eighth time in 10 games to stay nine behind Chicago in the AL Central.
David Price (15-5) struggled with his command, walking four batters in five innings, but nine strikeouts helped him allow just two runs.
Three Rays relievers finished, with Rafael Soriano pitching the ninth for his 32nd save in 34 tries.
MARINERS 3, ATHLETICS 1
In Seattle, the last-place Mariners welcomed new interim manager Daren Brown by getting their first triple play in 15 years in a win over the Athletics.
Brown moved up from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day when Seattle fired first-time manager Don Wakamatsu after one-and-a-half seasons.
Brown became the 10th of Seattle’s 17 managers to win their first game.
Only one of the other 16 finished their Mariners tenure with a winning record: Lou Piniella. The only manager to take Seattle to the postseason left after the 2002 season with a year left on his contract.
Brown, a 10-year veteran of Seattle’s system, is the team’s sixth manager in the eight seasons since.
In other AL play, it was:
Orioles 3, White Sox 2, 10 innings
Angels 6, Royals 4
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