Addison Russell hit a tying single and scored during a three-run rally in the seventh inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the St Louis Cardinals 5-3 on Tuesday to complete a day-night doubleheader sweep.
The Cubs won the opener 7-4 behind a strong start by Jake Arrieta, then came back late in the nightcap to beat the NL Central leaders for just the fourth time in 12 games.
Chicago scored three in the seventh to grab a 4-2 lead, with Cardinals reliever Seth Maness (3-1) getting ejected after giving up the tying single and his replacement Kevin Siegrist allowing two more runs.
Photo: AFP
Travis Wood (5-3) pitched a scoreless seventh. Hector Rondon retired the side in the eighth.
Jason Motte gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Tony Cruz in the ninth. However, he escaped with his fifth save in as many chances after Matt Carpenter fouled out and Jhonny Peralta grounded into a force to end the game.
GIANTS 3, METS 0
Photo: USA Today
In San Francisco, Matt Cain pitched six innings of two-hit ball in a triumphant return to AT&T Park for his first win in nearly a year as San Francisco beat New York to end their seven-game losing streak.
Hunter Pence drove in two runs after being activated from the disabled list earlier in the day and made a sparkling defensive play in the sixth inning, while All-Star reserve Joe Panik had two hits and scored twice.
Cain (1-1) had not pitched at the Giants’ waterfront ballpark since July 9 last year, when he earned his last win before missing the final half of the season following elbow surgery.
New York’s Bartolo Colon (9-7), winless since June 12, allowed three runs and 10 hits in six innings.
Kevin Plawecki had two of the Mets’ four hits.
PIRATES 3, PADRES 2
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Gregory Polanco helped free a grounds crew member trapped underneath a billowing tarp, then hit a go-ahead triple in the eighth inning that sent Pittsburgh past San Diego.
Polanco and fellow Pirates outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Sean Rodriguez made the play of the game at the start of a 1 hour, 42 minute rain delay in the top of the third.
Strong winds and rain caused the tarp to start swelling as the grounds crew at PNC Park struggled to cover the infield, and a worker was swallowed up and caught below.
McCutchen, Polanco and Rodriguez came from the Pirates’ dugout and helped pull the tarp off him.
Rodriguez was hit by pitch from Joaquin Benoit (5-4) leading off the eighth. Polanco tripled with two outs, giving the Pirates their fourth straight win.
McCutchen set a career high by extending his hitting streak to 14 games.
Tony Watson (2-1) won and Mark Melancon got his NL-leading 28th save.
ROYALS 9, RAYS 5, 1ST GAME
ROYALS 7, RAYS 1, 2ND GAME
In Kansas City, Missouri, Alcides Escobar hit a bases-loaded double and Alex Gordon matched a career high with four RBIs as Kansas City cruised to a victory over Tampa Bay and a sweep of their day-night doubleheader.
Escobar had fallen behind 0-2 against Rays reliever Brandon Gomes (1-4) in the sixth inning before battling back to a full count. On the 11th pitch of the at-bat, Escobar yanked a fair ball just down the third-base line, emptying the bases and breaking a 1-all deadlock.
Brandon Finnegan (2-0), Luke Hochevar and Ryan Madson made the lead stand in relief of Royals starter Edinson Volquez, who allowed only John Jaso’s solo homer in five innings.
The victory in Game 2 came after Paulo Orlando hit a ninth-inning grand slam to give Kansas City a win in the opener. It also stuck Tampa Bay with their ninth loss in 10 games.
The doubleheader was caused by a massive storm that caused numerous tornado warnings in the Kansas City area on Monday night.
In the opener, the Rays had rallied to knot the game 5-all before Orlando came to the plate in the ninth. All-Star closer Brad Boxberger (4-5) threw him a changeup and the Brazilian pounded it into the bullpen in left for his first career slam.
BLUE JAYS 2, WHITE SOX 1
In Chicago, Felix Doubront pitched into the seventh inning in his first start of the season and Josh Donaldson homered to lead Toronto to a victory over Chicago.
Doubront (1-0) allowed just one run and six hits in 6-2/3 innings. It was his first start in the majors since Sept. 20 last year, when he pitched for the Chicago Cubs against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Roberto Osuna got the last three outs for his fourth save.
Donaldson, who has 21 home runs on the season, hit one for the second straight game. He has six homers in five games against the White Sox this season.
Jose Quintana (4-8) lost despite allowing just two runs and four hits in eight innings. He struck out eight — including five straight during the fourth and fifth innings — and retired 10 straight batters in one stretch.
MARINERS 7, TIGERS 6, 11 INNINGS
In Seattle, Robinson Cano lined an RBI single into the right-field corner with one out in the 11th inning to give Seattle the win over Detroit.
Cano lined a 2-1 pitch from Detroit left-hander Ian Krol (1-2) that one-hopped off the wall. It was the first walk-off hit for Cano since Aug. 28, 2009, with the New York Yankees.
Austin Jackson reached on a fielder’s choice when Brad Miller was forced out at second base. Franklin Gutierrez then chopped a single through the left side and, for the third straight inning, Seattle had the winning run at second base with one out.
This time Cano came through.
Charlie Furbush (1-1) pitched the top of the 11th for the victory. Furbush and Carson Smith combined for three solid innings and kept Detroit off the scoreboard, despite the Tigers having runners in scoring position in the 10th and 11th.
PHILLIES 7, DODGERS 2
In Los Angeles, Chad Billingsley won for the first time in over two years, against his old team, and Jeff Francoeur homered and drove in three runs as last-placed Philadelphia beat NL West-leading Los Angeles.
Billingsley (1-2) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings in just his third start in 25 months to earn his first victory since April 10, 2013. The right-hander struck out three and walked one on the same mound where he pitched eight seasons and won 81 games for the Dodgers before undergoing a pair of right-elbow surgeries.
They declined to pick up his option in October last year, and he signed a one-year deal with the Phillies in January. Billingsley lost his first start 9-0 on May 5 and went back on the disabled list two weeks later because of a strained right shoulder.
He struggled in his return last week against Milwaukee, giving up seven runs and 10 hits in five innings, but avoided the loss.
In other results, it was:
‧ Reds 5, Nationals 0
‧ Athletics 4, Yankees 3
‧ Angels 10, Rockies 2
‧ Indians 2, Astros 0
‧ Diamondbacks 4, Rangers 2
‧ Braves 4, Brewers 3
‧ Twins 8, Orioles 3
‧ Red Sox 4, Marlins 3
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