Friday's National League Capsules

Games played July 12, 2013

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Jordy Mercer's single up the middle off Gonzalez Germen drove home Andrew McCutchen with two outs in the 11th inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates past the New York Mets 3-2 on Friday night.

McCutchen led off with a walk, stole second and then easily beat the throw home from center fielder Juan Lagares to end the Mets' four-game winning streak.

Vin Mazzaro (5-2) retired all three batters he faced to earn the victory. Starling Marte had two of Pittsburgh's six hits, and Pedro Alvarez added his 24th home run.

Mets All-Star David Wright had two hits and extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He had an RBI-single but also flied out with two runners on to end the New York 10th. Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit his third homer of the season.

Germen (0-1) got only two outs in his first inning in the majors and took the loss.

MARLINS 8, NATIONALS 3

MIAMI (AP) - Marcell Ozuna drove in three runs, and Giancarlo Stanton homered for Miami, which dealt Stephen Strasburg the worst loss of his career in a win over Washington.

Strasburg (5-7) allowed a career-high seven earned runs and tied a career-high with four walks in two innings after the Nationals spotted him a 3-0 lead.

Miami responded with five runs in the first.

It was Strasburg's shortest outing since he pitched two innings on May 31 at Atlanta when he left because of a lat strain.

Nathan Eovaldi (2-0) settled down after a rough first inning and held the Nationals without a run over the next five innings.

Washington has lost four of five.

REDS 4, BRAVES 2

ATLANTA (AP) - Bronson Arroyo pitched seven sparkling innings, Brandon Phillips hit a two-run single in Cincinnati's three-run first, and the Reds beat depleted Atlanta.

Arroyo (8-7) allowed three hits, including Brian McCann's two-out solo homer in the seventh, and walked one. Sam LeCure pitched a perfect eighth, and Aroldis Chapman gave up a run in the ninth before earning his 21st save.

Braves outfielders B.J. Upton and Justin Upton left the game with injuries. Jason Heyward was held out one day after he strained his right hamstring.

B.J. Upton strained his right adductor muscle in the first inning. Justin Upton strained his left calf while running to first base in the seventh.

The Reds jumped on Kris Medlen (6-9) right at the start. Medlen was charged with four runs and nine hits. Medlen, who was 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA in five June starts, has allowed a combined 10 runs in two straight losses.

CARDINALS 3, CUBS 2

CHICAGO (AP) - Carlos Beltran had three hits and drove in a run, and reliever-turned-starter Joe Kelly earned his first win of the season in St. Louis' victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Beltran was a homer short of hitting for the cycle, with a run-scoring triple, double and single as the Cardinals bounced back from Thursday night's loss to the Cubs that snapped a five-game winning streak.

Kelly (1-3) allowed three hits and a run in 5 1-3 innings, striking out four and walking two. Edward Mujica pitched the ninth for his 26th save in 27 opportunities.

St. Louis jumped on Cubs starter Carlos Villaneuva (2-5) for two runs in the first inning. Matt Carpenter singled and scored on Beltran's triple, followed by Allen Craig's RBI single.

DIAMONDBACKS 2, BREWERS 1

PHOENIX (AP) - Patrick Corbin matched a career high with 10 strikeouts for the second straight start, and Arizona beat Milwaukee.

Corbin (11-1) allowed a run and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. The All-Star left-hander threw three wild pitches - tying a franchise record - hit a batter and walked two, but managed to win consecutive starts for the first time since he won seven in a row from April 28 to June 2.

The Diamondbacks' beleaguered bullpen held on for Arizona's seventh victory in 10 games. Heath Bell escaped a jam in the eighth, and David Hernandez finished for his second save in seven chances.

Bell had blown a save opportunity in each of his last two outings, leaving the closer spot unsettled.

Milwaukee starter Tom Gorzelanny (1-3) pitched six effective innings on his 31st birthday. He allowed two unearned runs and three hits and took the loss.

ROCKIES 3, DODGERS 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Juan Nicasio scattered three hits over seven innings to outduel Clayton Kershaw, and DJ LeMahieu went 3 for 4 with an RBI to help Colorado break the Los Angeles Dodgers' five-game winning streak.

The Rockies were 3-8 in their previous 11 games, including a 6-1 loss in the series opener Thursday.

Nicasio (5-4) struck out three and walked one after being recalled from the minors. Rafael Betancourt pitched the ninth to earn his 14th save in 15 chances.

Kershaw (8-6) struck out 10 and walked one and allowed three runs and six hits.

Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez struck out all four times up, and Troy Tulowitzki went 0 for 3 with a walk. But the Rockies pieced together enough offense to stop the surging Dodgers, who were 16-3 in their previous 19 games.

GIANTS 10, PADRES 1

SAN DIEGO (AP) - All-Star Buster Posey drove in a season-high five runs, and Chad Gaudin and three relievers combined on a five-hitter to lead San Francisco over San Diego.

Posey's two-run double highlighted the five-run seventh inning, when Padres manager Bud Black was ejected for arguing an obstruction call during a rundown.

Marco Scutaro and Brandon Crawford had three hits apiece, and Gregor Blanco scored four runs for the Giants, who won consecutive games for the first time since they beat San Diego June 18-19 at San Francisco. Coming in, the defending World Series champions had lost 16 of 20.

The Padres lost for the 17th time in 20 games and dropped a season-high 12 games under .500

Gaudin (3-1) improved to 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in six starts since joining the rotation on June 2. Sean O'Sullivan (0-1) lost his debut with his hometown Padres.

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