NATIONAL LEAGUE
AFP AND AP, CINCINNATI, OHIO
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina’s verbal exchange with Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips sparked a first-inning fight that St Louis followed up with an 8-4 victory on Tuesday.
Molina hit a solo homer and a sacrifice fly off Johnny Cueto, who got shoved against the backstop screen and furiously kicked several Cardinals during the altercation.
Both managers were ejected, but no players.
Then, the Reds got kicked around by the Cardinals again. Matt Holliday broke the game open with a bases-loaded single in the seventh, one of his four hits in a victory that saw St Louis regain their division lead.
Rookie left-hander Jaime Garcia beat the Reds for the third time this season, giving up four runs in five-and-one-third innings.
Ryan Franklin retired Phillips, the only batter he faced, on a grounder with two runners on base, notching his 20th save in 22 tries.
The Cardinals moved a season-high 14 games over .500 and a few percentage points ahead of the Reds, who had led the division for the previous eight days.
Phillips set the stage for acrimony when he opened the series by calling the Cardinals complainers.
Reds manager Dusty Baker spoke with Phillips about the comments before the game.
When Phillips dug in in the batter’s box to lead off the bottom of the first, he and Molina were quickly exchanging heated words.
Phillips took off his helmet, Molina took off his mask and both benches emptied.
Reds third baseman Scott Rolen — a former Cardinal — went after St Louis pitcher Chris Carpenter, who ended up pinned against the backstop screen while Rolen was pulled away.
Cueto also ended up against the screen, furiously kicking players away.
The brawl lasted seven minutes before play resumed and Phillips grounded out.
MARLINS 8, NATIONALS 2
In Washington, Stephen Strasburg allowed a career-high six earned runs in a career-low four-and-a-third innings as his Nationals lost to Florida.
Dan Uggla drove in four runs with a homer and a double, and Hanley Ramirez hit two of his three doubles off Strasburg (5-3), whose ERA rose from 2.32 to 3.07. The No. 1 overall pick in last year’s amateur draft had not allowed more than three earned runs or lasted fewer than five innings in any of his previous nine major league games.
Anibal Sanchez (9-7) went six-and-two-third innings and both runs he was responsible for were unearned. He allowed five hits and had seven strikeouts.
Strasburg had not pitched since a victory at Cincinnati on July 21.
DODGERS 15, PHILLIES 9
In Philadelphia, Andre Ethier had four hits, scored four runs and reached base six times, and Casey Blake and Jay Gibbons hit home runs for Los Angeles.
The Dodgers had 18 hits, eight off starter Kyle Kendrick (7-5), who lasted only three-and-one-third innings. The top four hitters in the batting order — Scott Podsednik, Ryan Theriot, Ethier and James Loney — had 11 hits and scored 11 runs.
Vicente Padilla (6-3) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.
CUBS 8, GIANTS 6
In San Francisco, Starlin Castro drove in three runs and Kosuke Fukudome homered as Chicago battered San Francisco pitcher Tim Lincecum.
Ryan Dempster (10-8) pitched into the seventh inning for his second straight win while Aramis Ramirez added three hits for Chicago, which ended a season-high six-game losing streak on the road. It was only the Cubs’ third win in their last 15 games.
Lincecum (11-6), the two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner, lasted just four innings and gave up six runs, including Fukudome’s two-run homer in the first. Over his last five starts San Francisco’s ace is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA.
Castro had an RBI single in the first then hit a bases-loaded single in the fourth to drive in two more.
In other NL play, it was:
Mets 1, Rockies
Braves 4, Astros 2
Diamondbacks 2, Brewers 1
Padres 4, Pirates 1
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, TORONTO
Mike Lowell hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 on Tuesday.
J.D. Drew added a solo shot as the Red Sox improved to 8-2 against the Blue Jays this season.
Jose Bautista hit his major-league-leading 35th home run for the Jays, while Travis Snider hit a three-run shot and Adam Lind added a solo blast.
Toronto leads the majors with 178 homers this season, 29 more than Boston.
Felix Doubront (2-2) pitched one-and-one-third innings for the win.
TWINS 12, WHITE SOX 6
In Chicago, Jim Thome hit his 579th homer and Joe Mauer had three more hits as Minnesota took sole possession of the American League Central lead by beating Chicago.
J.J. Hardy and Mauer each went deep against Freddy Garcia (10-5) in the inning to make it 5-0 and the Twins pulled away after Chicago’s Carlos Quentin hit a three-run shot off Scott Baker (10-9).
RAYS 8, TIGERS 0
In Detroit, Jeremy Hellickson gave up three hits and struck out seven, without walking a batter, over seven innings as Tampa Bay blanked Detroit.
Hellickson (2-0) was making his second major league start after being recalled from the minor leagues for the second time this month.
Joaquin Benoit pitched the eighth and Mike Ekstrom the ninth to complete the four-hitter.
Max Scherzer (7-9), the opposing pitcher when the Rays’ Matt Garza no-hit the Tigers in Tampa Bay on July 26, was the loser.
In other AL play, it was:
Orioles 14, Indians 8
Angels 3, Royals 1
Mariners 2, Athletics 0
Rangers 4, Yankees 3, 10 innings
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