NEW YORK (AP) - Rookie center fielder Juan Lagares robbed Andrew McCutchen of a go-ahead hit in the top of the ninth inning, then pinch-hitter Mike Baxter's single in the bottom half sent the New York Mets over the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 Thursday night.
Baxter delivered his second winning pinch-hit in three days. His 10th-inning single Tuesday beat the Chicago White Sox.
This time, Baxter batted for Lagares and won it.
Lagares was equally responsible for the victory. With a runner on first and two outs, McCutchen hit a loud shot into faraway right-center field. Lagares glided back, perfectly timed his leap and plucked the ball at the top of the fence as he rammed into the padded wall.
Marlon Byrd singled to start the Mets' ninth off Jason Grilli (0-1). Andrew Brown sacrificed and Baxter followed by grounding a single up the middle, easily scoring Byrd.
Bobby Parnell (4-0) pitched the ninth. The Pirates have lost four of five.
Pedro Alvarez hit a solo home run in the eighth off Mets reliever LaTroy Hawkins that made it 2-all.
BRAVES 6, GIANTS 3
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Brian McCann hit a two-run homer and an RBI single in his third game this season since coming off the disabled list, and Atlanta beat San Francisco to begin a four-game series between NL division leaders.
Julio Teheran (2-0) pitched seven efficient innings after his last scheduled outing was rained out Saturday. Craig Kimbrel earned his 100th career save, becoming the second-youngest pitcher to do so.
Buster Posey hit a two-run homer and an RBI single, but the Giants were done in by the fifth inning when the Braves batted around. San Francisco (20-15) fell into a first-place tie in the NL West with Arizona.
Ryan Vogelsong (1-3) gave up six runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings. He is winless in five starts.
DIAMONDBACKS 2, PHILLIES 1
PHOENIX (AP) - Patrick Corbin won his fifth consecutive decision to start the season and drove in a run to help Arizona beat Philadelphia.
Corbin (5-0) scattered four hits over 6 1-3 innings and allowed one run to lower his ERA to 1.75. The left-hander became the first pitcher to throw at least six innings and allow two or fewer runs in his first seven starts of a season since Ubaldo Jimenez had 12 straight such outings for Colorado in 2010.
Heath Bell threw seven pitches in a scoreless ninth for his third save in three nights since taking over for injured closer J.J. Putz.
Cole Hamels (1-5) gave up two runs on six hits and five walks in six innings.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel set a franchise record with his 1,332nd game as the club's skipper. The 69-year-old Manuel, the 51st manager in the team's 123-year history, passed Gene Mauch, who managed Philadelphia from 1960-68.
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INTERLEAGUE
NATIONALS 5, TIGERS 4
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ryan Mattheus, Drew Storen and Rafael Soriano combined for shutout relief after Dan Haren nearly squandered a four-run lead, and Washington beat Detroit to complete a two-game sweep of the AL champions.
Ryan Zimmerman had three hits, helping the Nationals to their first four-game winning streak of the year.
Tigers pitcher Doug Fister (4-1) had an RBI single in the second off Haren (4-3), but the Nationals made it 5-1 in the bottom half on consecutive run-scoring singles by Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche.
Haren allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings, giving up a three-run homer to pinch-hitter Matt Tuiasosopo. Soriano converted his 12th save in 13 chances, retiring Prince Fielder on a game-ending flyout to the center-field warning track with a runner on.
Fister gave up five runs - four earned - on eight hits and four walks in three innings, his first loss since Game 2 of the World Series at San Francisco last October. It was his shortest career start other than an outing at Cleveland in August 2011 when he was taken out after two innings because of a long rain delay.
YANKEES 3, ROCKIES 1
DENVER (AP) - CC Sabathia and five relievers held Colorado to four hits, Robinson Cano smacked a solo homer and New York beat Colorado in a game that was delayed more than two hours by rain.
Cano also had an infield single in the third inning for his 1,500th hit as the Yankees took two of three from the Rockies.
A steady rain delayed the first pitch by 8 minutes. In the fourth, another thunderstorm halted the game for 1:59. That break meant the end of the day for Sabathia, who allowed one run and one hit in four innings.
A stream of relievers picked up where he left off. Adam Warren (1-0) picked up his first big league win by getting five big outs after the delay. Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth to remain perfect in 13 save chances.
Jeff Francis (1-3) threw four innings and gave up two runs before rain forced the umpires to signal for the tarp.