WASHINGTON (AP) - Wilson Ramos hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning Thursday in his Fourth of July return to the Washington Nationals, leading an 8-5 matinee win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Back after missing 44 games with a strained left hamstring, Ramos had three hits and a career-high five RBIs as the Nationals earned a split of the four-game series and moved back above .500 in their seesaw season.
Ian Desmond, moved to the No. 2 spot in a lineup "epiphany" from manager Davey Johnson, had three hits, stole two bases and scored two runs. Taylor Jordan allowed two runs over 5 2-3 innings in his second major league start, and Drew Storen (3-2) got the win despite blowing a 5-2 lead in the seventh.
Ramos and the Nationals quickly bailed out Storen with a two-out rally. Jayson Werth singled off Tom Gorzelanny (1-1). Reliever Brandon Kintzler walked Anthony Rendon and Ramos homered.
Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.
On a star-spangled day in the nation's capital, the game began at 11:06 a.m. and featured a national anthem sang by Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a new "Freedom Song" performed by Neil Diamond.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, METS 4, 15 INNINGS
NEW YORK (AP) - Cliff Pennington hit an RBI single with two outs in the 15th inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks, boosted early by Gerardo Parra's bunt double, outlasted the Mets to split an exhausting series at Citi Field.
Arizona scored in the final three innings but couldn't close out the feisty Mets until Brad Ziegler retired Kirk Nieuwenhuis on a grounder with runners at second and third to end a game that lasted 5 hours, 46 minutes.
Anthony Recker and Nieuwenhuis hit tying homers in consecutive extra innings for New York, which dropped its final home appearance before hosting the All-Star game July 16.
In a span of four days, the teams played a 13-inning game, a 15-inning marathon and two others delayed by rain for a total of 3 1/2 hours.
Chaz Roe (1-0) got the win. Scott Rice (3-5) took the loss.
PHILLIES 6, PIRATES 4
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Major league loss leader Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings, Carlos Ruiz hit a tiebreaking single and the Philadelphia Phillies beat Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Hamels (3-11) gave up one earned run and five hits, striking out eight without a walk. The former World Series MVP won for the first time since June 5.
Cole (4-1) lost for the first time in the majors after becoming the first Pirates' pitcher to win his first four career starts since Nick Maddox in 1907. Cole allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Jonathan Papelbon worked a perfect ninth inning for his 17th save in 21 opportunities.
MARLINS 4, BRAVES 3
ATLANTA (AP) - Donovan Solano had a pinch-hit, go-ahead single off Braves closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning to lift Miami.
The Marlins won two of three in the series and have won eight of their last 10 overall.
Marcell Ozuna had three hits, including a homer, and drove in two runs for Miami.
A.J. Ramos (3-2) allowed one hit with four strikeouts in two scoreless innings. Steve Cishek pitched the ninth for his 17th save.
Kimbrel (2-2) issued walks to Ed Lucas and Logan Morrison, and struck out Stanton and Ozuna before Solano batted for Derek Dietrich.
ROCKIES 9, DODGERS 5
DENVER (AP) - Michael Cuddyer hit a solo homer and drove in three runs to help Colorado avoid getting swept by Los Angeles in their three-game series.
Cuddyer, who recently had his team-record, 27-game hitting streak snapped, also added a two-run double.
Carlos Gonzalez contributed an RBI double before leaving late in the game with an apparent injury.
The Dodgers struggled to drive in runners against Jhoulys Chacin (8-3), a night after setting season highs in runs (10) and hits (17). The hard-throwing righty pitched out of trouble time and again, giving up four runs in 5 2-3 innings.
Yasiel Puig was in the lineup a day after leaving the contest early with a bruised hip after crashing into the wall. He finished 1 for 5 with an RBI as the Dodgers had their four-game winning streak halted.
INTERLEAGUE
ANGELS 6, CARDINALS 5
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Josh Hamilton hit a tying two-run homer in Los Angeles' three-run ninth inning, leading the Angels to the win.
Mark Trumbo belted his 19th homer and Mike Trout had two RBIs for Los Angeles, which took two of three in the series. Scott Downs (2-2) got three outs for the victory.
St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright, the NL pitcher of the month for June, took a 5-3 lead into the ninth before giving up a leadoff single by Albert Pujols, who was 1 for 11 in his first series against his former team.
Manager Mike Matheny then brought in Edward Mujica, and Hamilton drove the right-hander's second pitch into the center field trees for his 11th homer. Howie Kendrick and Mark Trumbo followed with singles, and Mujica (0-1) retired his next two batters before Erick Aybar drove in the winning run with an opposite-field single to left.
Aybar had three hits and scored a run for Los Angeles.
RED SOX 8, PADRES 2
BOSTON (AP) - Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run double, David Ortiz had a two-run single and the Red Sox handed the Padres their season-high sixth straight loss.
Brandon Snyder and Jacoby Ellsbury each hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who won eight of nine to match its best homestand since June 2010. Allen Webster (1-2) pitched six innings for his first major league win, allowing two runs and five hits.
The Padres have scored just seven runs in their losing streak. They also lost for the 10th time in 12 games.
Eric Stults (6-7) gave up four runs and nine hits over 4 1-3 innings for San Diego.
ATHLETICS 1, CUBS 0
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Derek Norris scored on a passed ball with two outs in the seventh inning and that was enough for Oakland to get the victory.
Dan Straily (5-2) pitched seven innings of one-hit ball after being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento earlier in the day. He made the start to allow a sore Jarrod Parker to get two extra days of rest.
Norris walked with two outs and went to third on Seth Smith's single.
Oakland then sent Eric Sogard to the plate to hit for Adam Rosales, and Matt Guerrier threw an 0-1 pitch to the outside part of the plate. Sogard swung and missed, and it went off the glove of Welington Castillo, allowing Norris to score the unearned run.
It was the first appearance for Guerrier (2-4) since he was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ryan Cook pitched the eighth for Oakland and Grant Balfour finished for his 21st save in 21 chances, completing the two-hitter.