Washington, DC – Mitch Moreland and David Murphy each homered to help the Texas Rangers snap out of their recent funk with a 9-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rangers had lost a season-high three straight games after dropping Monday's split doubleheader to the Diamondbacks in Arizona. After both clubs had a day off Tuesday, this interleague split-venue series shifted to Rangers Ballpark on Wednesday, but the contest was postponed due to unplayable field conditions caused by rain. Texas didn't display any rust as they scored in four straight innings from the second en route to building a 9-0 lead Thursday afternoon.
Final Score: Chicago Cubs 8, Chicago White Sox 3
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Travis Wood's first career grand slam and a quality start were the difference as the Chicago Cubs thumped the Chicago White Sox, 8-3, to sweep the south side Sox in the Crosstown Classic at Wrigley Field. It was the first grand slam for the Cubs this season and the first by a Cubs pitcher since Jason Marquis did it in 2008. Wood (5-3) bounced back from his worst outing of the year, going six frames and yielding two runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked two. Luis Valbuena went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a solo homer, while Nate Schierholtz also homered to help the Cubs to their season-high fourth straight victory. Paul Konerko finished 2-for-4 with two RBI for the White Sox, while Alejandro De Aza knocked in the other run.
Final Score: Seattle 7, San Diego 1
San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Felix Hernandez had hit a little rough patch, but Petco Park proved to be proper place for him to remedy his recent struggles on the mound. Hernandez tossed eight solid innings and the Seattle Mariners totaled five home runs, including the first two of Nick Franklin's career, in a 7-1 victory over the San Diego Padres. The Seattle right-hander had surrendered 10 earned runs while losing his last two starts. On Thursday afternoon, Hernandez (6-4) held the Padres to three singles, two of which came in the fourth inning when the home team scratched out its lone run.
Final Score: San Francisco 5, Oakland 2
San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Belt each had two RBI during a four-run sixth inning that lifted the San Francisco Giants to a 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics, a result that ended a six-game win streak for their Bay Area rivals. Sandoval finished 2-for-4 and delivered a go-ahead two-run single during the big inning, while Barry Zito (4-3) worked around a season-high six walks to limit the A's to one run on three hits over six frames to halt a six-start winless drought. The Giants had dropped the first three meetings of the four-game home-and-home Bay Bridge Series and dealt the resurgent Athletics only their second loss in their last 13 outings. A.J. Griffin (5-4) spun five shutout innings for Oakland, but faltered in the sixth and was charged with four runs allowed over 5 2/3 frames. Coco Crisp accounted for three of Oakland's five hits on the day, including an RBI single.
Final Score: Baltimore 2, Washington 0
Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Freddy Garcia dazzled Washington hitters over eight scoreless innings as the Baltimore Orioles blanked the Nationals, 2-0, to complete a two-game sweep at Camden Yards. Garcia (2-2) scattered three hits and struck out six without issuing a walk to pick up his second straight win. It was the first time Garcia has lasted eight innings since Sept. 20, 2009. Manny Machado and Nick Markakis both collected two hits and drove in a run and Nate McLouth went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored for the Orioles, winners in three of their last four game. Jim Johnson worked a perfect ninth inning to pick up his 17th save of the season. Dan Haren (4-6) was touched for two runs on eight hits while fanning five over 7 1/3 innings to absorb the loss.
Final Score: Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 1
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Scott Kazmir threw a season-high seven solid frames and the Cleveland Indians scored seven runs in the fourth inning as they sweep the Cincinnati Reds in a two-game set at Progressive Field with a 7-1 victory. Kazmir (3-2) gave up one run on eight hits and a walk while fanning five. He came into the game having allowed 11 runs over 13 innings in his last three starts and had not earned a win since May 9 against Oakland. Michael Bourn drove in two runs while Ryan Raburn, Asdrubal Cabrera, Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis and Yan Gomes all contributed with an RBI apiece. Cincinnati starter Homer Bailey (3-4) gave up all seven runs and was taken out after 3 2/3 innings. Jay Bruce drove in the lone run for the Reds, who swept a two-game set against Cleveland at Great American Ball Park earlier this week.
Final Score: NY Mets 3, NY Yankees 1
Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Dillon Gee extended the New York Mets' longest winning streak of the season with easily his best start of the year, with the effort leading the way in a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees that completed a four-game sweep of the home-and-home Subway Series between the city rivals. Entering the contest with a 6.34 earned run average and a brutal 9.97 ERA on the road, Gee (3-6) dominated a struggling Yankees lineup over 7 1/3 brilliant innings in which he permitted just one run on four hits and struck out a career-best 12 without a walk. The right-hander concluded his outing by retiring 15 consecutive batters -- the last five via strikeout -- after surrendering Robinson Cano's solo homer in the bottom of the third inning. Marlon Byrd supplied the offense in the Mets' fifth straight triumph with a two-run homer off Vidal Nuno (1-2) in the top of the second, the only blemish of the young lefty's night. The win also gave the Mets their first-ever season sweep of the Yankees since interleague play was instituted in 1997. Cano had two of the Yankees' four hits in the team's latest setback, the Bronx Bombers' fifth in a row. The Yankees have mustered only 10 runs during the skid.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 1, Detroit 0 (11 innings)
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - One has been plenty for the Pittsburgh Pirates lately. Russell Martin's RBI single in the 11th inning lifted the Pirates to a 1-0 win over the Detroit Tigers in the finale of a brief two-game set. Pittsburgh downed the Tigers 1-0 in 11 innings in Detroit on Tuesday and have won four 1-0 decisions over its last 11 tilts. Neil Walker began the 11th with a single against Luke Putkonen (1-1) before Andrew McCutchen walked and Gaby Sanchez grounded a base hit through the hole on the left side to load the bases. Martin then drilled one off the low wall in left-center for his fifth career walk-off hit. Bryan Morris (3-2) picked up the win with a scoreless top of the 11th for Pittsburgh, which has prevailed in 16 of its last 20 contests and moved to a season-high 14 games over .500. Doug Fister struck out 12 and surrendered just four hits and a walk over seven dominant innings for the Tigers, who dropped three straight to the Buccos after taking the opener of the home-and-home series in Detroit. Miguel Cabrera smacked a pair of doubles in defeat.
Final Score: Boston 9, Philadelphia 2
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Jacoby Ellsbury set a team record with five stolen bases and finished the game 3-for-4 with a walk and a run scored as the Boston Red Sox pounded the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-2. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a pair of doubles, drove in three runs and scored once, while David Ortiz hit a solo home run and scored twice for the Red Sox, who took a split of this four-game series that saw each team play two at home. Franklin Morales (1-0) got the win in his first start of the season after he gave up just four hits, including a two-run homer to Delmon Young, with a pair of walks and strikeouts over five innings. He began the season on the disabled list with a lower-back strain before being activated on Tuesday. Young's homer in the first inning accounted for all the offense for the Phillies, who had won the previous two games in this set after dropping the opener in Boston on Monday. Jonathan Pettibone (3-1) suffered the first loss of his career in his eighth start after giving up four runs on six hits over five innings of work. He struck out five while walking four.
Final Score: Atlanta 11, Toronto 3
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Ramiro Pena went 3-for-4 with four RBI and Mike Minor capped a brilliant May in leading the Atlanta Braves over the Toronto Blue Jays, 11-3, at Turner Field. Minor (7-2) allowed just six hits and three runs -- two earned -- in seven quality innings of work. The left- hander struck out five, did not issue a walk and finished the month with a 4-0 record and a 1.98 ERA. Evan Gattis had three of Atlanta's 16 hits, Jordan Schafer went 2-for-5 with two RBI, and Freddie Freeman and Reed Johnson each homered for the Braves, who had lost three of four coming in. R.A. Dickey (4-7) was knocked around for 11 hits and gave up six runs for a second straight start for the Blue Jays, who split the two-game interleague series after the clubs each took one game in Toronto earlier this week.
Final Score: Tampa Bay 5, Miami 2
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Matt Joyce and James Loney each homered in consecutive innings as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Miami Marlins, 5-2, to complete the Citrus Series sweep for the first time in club history. Alex Colome (1-0) had an impressive big-league debut against the lowly Marlins. He scattered five hits while allowing an unearned run over 5 2/3 frames. Colome fanned seven batters and walked just two. The Marlins' struggles continued, as they scored their only runs on a walk and a passed- ball strikeout to lose a season-high ninth straight game. Ben Zobrist contributed with for the Rays, who have won 13 of their last 14 against Miami dating back to May 22, 2011. Fernando Rodney secured his 11th save of the year with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Final Score: Minnesota 8, Milwaukee 6
Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins used the long ball to surge ahead and then sweated it out at the end. Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit homered in a four-run fourth inning as the Twins edged the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 to sweep the four-game, home-and-home set. Chris Parmelee smacked a solo shot and added an RBI groundout for the Twins, who have won five of their last six tilts. P.J. Walters (2-0) surrendered four runs on 10 hits and a walk over six frames to pick up the win. Jared Burton fired a 1-2-3 ninth to tally his second save of the season. Logan Schafer had a three-run triple and Kyle Lohse (1-6) gave up six runs on eight hits and a walk over 4 2/3 innings for Milwaukee, which has dropped five contests in a row.
Final Score: Houston 7, Colorado 5
Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Chris Carter smacked a three-run home run in a big sixth inning to lead Houston in a 7-5 win over Colorado on Thursday. Matt Dominguez hit a solo home run while J.D. Martinez went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored for the Astros, who won three of four over Colorado in a home-and-home four-game series. Lucas Harrell (4-6) snapped a string of four losing decisions as he gave up four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. Yorvit Torrealba went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Carlos Gonzalez scored twice for the Rockies, who have dropped five of six overall. Juan Nicasio (4-2) gave up five runs on seven hits over five-plus innings to take the loss.
Final Score: LA Angels 3, LA Dodgers 2
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Chris Nelson's infield single sixth inning drove in the go-ahead run to lift the LA Angels of Anaheim to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Nelson finished the game 2-for-4 and Howie Kendrick went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple and also scored all three runs for the Angels, who won the final two games of a home-and-home Freeway Series set. Jason Vargas (5-3) allowed two runs on five hits and struck out six over seven innings to win his fourth straight start. The win caps a tremendous month for Vargas, who went 5-0 with a 2.30 earned run average over six starts in May. Ernesto Frieri stranded a runner in the ninth to pick up his 12th save of the season. Ramon Hernandez hit a solo homer and Adrian Gonzalez added an RBI for the Dodgers, losers in three of their last five games. Ted Lilly (0-2) was tagged for three runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings to absorb the loss.
Final Score: Kansas City 4, St. Louis 2
St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Michael Wacha made a stellar major league debut for St. Louis, and the Kansas City Royals ruined it with a three-run rally in the ninth inning to defeat the Cardinals, 4-2, and snap an eight-game losing streak. Cardinals reliever Mitchell Boggs (0-3) entered in the ninth trying to hold a 2-1 lead, and it took two pitches for Jeff Francoeur to smack a tying home run. After a walk to Alex Gordon, Victor Marte replaced Boggs and hit Alcides Escobar before giving up a two-RBI double by Eric Hosmer. Marte then intentionally walked Chris Getz to load the bases. A heavy downpour then moved over Busch Stadium, forcing the game into a 4 1/2 hour delay with the bases loaded and no outs. Following the delay, St. Louis called on reliever Joe Kelly, who got out of the jam without surrendering a run. Pinch-hitter Miguel Tejada grounded into a 6-2-3 double play. After Kelly intentionally walked Elliot Johnson, Adam Moore flew out to right field to end the frame. Greg Holland retired the side in order in the home half to pick up his eighth save of the season. Johnson drove in other run in the victory. Starter Jeremy Guthrie gave up two runs on eight hits and a walk in six frames. Wacha, who was called up from Triple-A Memphis prior to the game, allowed just two hits and one run and had six strikeouts over seven innings. The 21-year-old righty retired the first 13 batters he faced. David Freese and Allen Craig had an RBI apiece in the setback.
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