Friday's MLB Capsules

Games played on Aug. 15, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bryce Harper and Adam LaRoche each drove in two runs, leading the Washington Nationals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 Friday night for their fourth straight win.

Denard Span added three hits as the NL East leaders opened a 10-game homestand.

Tanner Roark (12-7) gave up three runs over 5 2-3 innings. Rafael Soriano allowed three hits in the ninth, including Pedro Alvarez's RBI single, but held on for his 29th save.

Starling Marte hit a two-run homer for the Pirates, who have lost three straight.

Charlie Morton (5-12) lasted three innings in his shortest start of the season, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks. The first five Nationals hitters reached base.

MARINERS 7, TIGERS 2

DETROIT (AP) - Robinson Cano homered, James Paxton won his sixth consecutive decision to start his career and the surging Seattle Mariners beat Detroit in a matchup of American League playoff contenders.

Paxton (3-0) allowed one run and five hits over six innings to help Seattle win its fifth straight and ninth in 11 games. Cano and Logan Morrison each scored twice for the Mariners, who jumped a half-game ahead of Detroit in the race for the second AL wild card.

The Tigers fell 1 1/2 games behind first-place Kansas City in the AL Central.

Rick Porcello (13-8) struggled badly in his first appearance since pitching the final three innings of Detroit's 19-inning loss in Toronto on Sunday. Porcello gave up six runs - five earned - and 10 hits in six innings.

BREWERS 6, DODGERS 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay drove in three runs with a two-out double in the eighth inning, rallying Milwaukee past Los Angeles in a game between division leaders.

The NL Central-leading Brewers scored all their runs in the eighth off Jamey Wright (4-3).

Milwaukee tied the score 2-all on Scooter Gennett's RBI single and Khris Davis' run-scoring double after Wright allowed four consecutive hits, Milwaukee's first since getting two hits in the first inning.

Brandon League struck out pinch-hitter Rickie Weeks before Overbay doubled to left for a 5-2 lead.

Brandon Kintzler (2-3) got the victory. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 37th save.

Yasiel Puig went 3 for 4 with a pair of RBI singles for the NL West leaders.

BRAVES 7, ATHLETICS 2

ATLANTA (AP) - Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer, one of four long balls by Atlanta in the opener of an interleague series against Oakland.

Justin Upton and Evan Gattis homered off Jason Hammel (1-5) in the second inning. Rookie Phil Gosselin hit a two-run shot, the first homer of his career, off Jesse Chavez in the sixth.

It was a rare power surge for the Braves, who had not scored more than four runs in any of their past six games. Atlanta had lost 12 of 15.

Alex Wood (9-9) allowed two runs in six innings - a two-run homer by Nate Freiman in the fourth.

The AL West-leading A's have lost three straight and five of six.

RAYS 5, YANKEES 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Alex Cobb pitched neatly into the eighth inning and Tampa Bay beat New York to become the fourth team in major league history to reach .500 after falling 18 games under in the same season.

The Rays won their third in a row and sent the Yankees to their fifth straight loss.

Tampa Bay also accomplished the comeback feat in 2004. The 1899 Louisville Colonels and 2006 Florida Marlins also got back to the break-even point after dropping 18 under.

The Rays, now 61-61, were 24-42 on June 10. They are trying to become the first club to finish with a winning record after being so far under.

Cobb (8-6) gave up six hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out eight and walking one. He improved to 4-0 in six home starts against the Yankees. Brad Boxberger struck Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira with the bases loaded to end the eighth.

Tampa Bay has held its opponents to three runs or fewer in a club-record 11 consecutive games.

Brandon McCarthy (4-2) gave up four runs over 6 1-3 innings. New York has totaled seven runs during its current skid, which includes a pair of shutouts.

DIAMONDBACKS 3, MARLINS 2

MIAMI (AP) - Aaron Hill and Cliff Pennington homered in the first inning and Arizona held on to beat Miami.

Trevor Cahill (3-8) pitched 6 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits for the Diamondbacks. Addison Reed worked the ninth for his 29th save in 34 chances.

Marlins starter Brad Hand (2-5) yielded three runs in seven innings.

Miami threatened in the eighth, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia bounced into an inning-ending double play, one of four turned by the Diamondbacks.

Pennington hit his first homer since May 1, 2013, against San Francisco. Hill added a two-run shot, his 10th of the season.

METS 3, CUBS 2

NEW YORK (AP) - Zack Wheeler struck out 10 in a gritty performance, Eric Campbell hit a three-run homer and New York beat the free-swinging Chicago Cubs.

Wheeler (8-8) threw a career-high 120 pitches over 6 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits. He walked four and hit a batter but overpowered the Cubs in improving to 5-0 in his last nine starts.

Chicago struck out 14 times and has whiffed 91 times in its last eight games, including 16 on Thursday in a loss to Milwaukee.

Jenrry Mejia threw a perfect ninth for his 18th save.

Travis Wood (7-10) gave up three runs in 5 1-3 innings, dropping to 0-5 in his last 11 starts.

INDIANS 2, ORIOLES 1, 11 INNINGS

CLEVELAND (AP) - Mike Aviles homered leading off the 11th inning to give Cleveland a win over Baltimore.

Aviles connected on a 1-2 pitch from Brian Matusz (2-3), driving it onto the home run porch in left field for Cleveland's second run in the past 22-plus innings. The Indians, who have won four of five, were shut out 1-0 by Arizona in 12 innings Wednesday night.

Scott Atchison (6-0) retired all six batters he faced. Indians starter Corey Kluber struck out 10 in 7 2-3 innings. He is unbeaten in eight starts since June.

Zach Walters also homered for Cleveland. The Orioles tied it in the eighth on J.J. Hardy's two-out single.

ASTROS 5, RED SOX 3, 10 INNINGS

BOSTON (AP) - Jake Marisnick hit a two-run double with two outs in the 10th inning and Houston rallied past Boston for its first win in nine games at Fenway Park.

With their 51st win of the season, the Astros matched last year's total.

Gregorio Petit entered as a pinch runner in the eighth inning and scored twice, including the tying run in the eighth on a wild sequence that withstood two challenges by Boston. The Red Sox lost both - and the game, ending their winning streak at four.

The Astros came back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to tie it, then took their first lead in the 10th after loading the bases with none out against reliever Craig Breslow (2-4).

Tony Sipp (3-2) shut down the Red Sox in order to end it.

Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run homer for Boston, his third in the last five games.

Rob Grossman homered for the Astros.

ANGELS 5, RANGERS 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Kole Calhoun had a three-run homer among his three hits and Garrett Richards worked into the eighth inning for his 13th victory as Los Angeles held on to beat Texas.

Richards (13-4), who struck out seven without a walk in 7 1-3 innings, has won all four of his starts this season against the Rangers. The right-hander allowed two runs while scattering seven hits.

Los Angeles has won eight consecutive games against the Rangers, including a four-game sweep in Texas going into the All-Star break last month.

Calhoun, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, was also hit by a pitch. The leadoff batter had multiple hits for the fifth time in his last six games.

The Angels led for good after Calhoun's homer off Nick Martinez (2-9) made it 4-1 in the fifth.

Huston Street worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save in as many chances since the Angels acquired him from San Diego.

Adrian Beltre went 4 for 4 with two RBIs for Texas.

ROYALS 6, TWINS 5

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Josh Willingham returned to Target Field and hit a bases-clearing double in Kansas City's five-run fourth inning, and the surging Royals hung on to beat Minnesota.

Danny Duffy (8-10) allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings to win his third straight start. Kansas City, which has won 11 of 12 and 19 of 23, leads the AL Central by 1 1/2 games over Detroit.

Oswaldo Arcia hit an RBI double in the ninth and pinch-hitter Chris Parmelee drove him in with a groundout to cut the Royals' lead to 6-5. Greg Holland struck out Danny Santana for his 37th save in 39 chances.

After Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the third, the first six Royals hitters reached base to start the fourth against Ricky Nolasco (5-8), making his first start since going on the disabled list July 8 with an elbow strain.Willingham, traded by the Twins to the Royals four days ago, drilled a bases-loaded double to make it 3-2.

Two batters later, Alcides Escobar tripled to score Willingham and Mike Moustakas. Escobar also blooped an RBI single in the eighth to make it 6-3.

WHITE SOX 11, BLUE JAYS 5

CHICAGO (AP) - Jose Abreu had three singles and three RBIs to increase his major league-leading total to 89, and Chicago had 17 hits in a victory over Toronto.

Adam Dunn, who also had three hits, and Dayan Viciedo each drove in two runs. Seven White Sox starters had at least two hits and only one, Tyler Flowers, went hitless as Chicago had 14 singles and three doubles.

Melky Cabrera hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays, who have lost four straight and 10 of 13 to drop four games behind Seattle in the AL wild-card race.

Hector Noesi (7-8) settled down after allowing four runs in the first two innings and pitched five-plus innings for his fourth win in five decisions.

Marcus Stroman (7-4) gave up five runs and five hits while getting only two outs in his shortest outing since joining the Blue Jays' rotation on May 31.

Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion was hitless as the DH after being activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game.

CARDINALS 4, PADRES 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Lance Lynn pitched six strong innings and St. Louis defeated San Diego for its third straight win.

Matt Adams, Kolten Wong and Oscar Taveras hit RBI singles for the Cardinals. San Diego has lost two in a row after a five-game winning streak.

Lynn (13-8) gave up one run and six hits, striking out six and walking one. Pat Neshek earned his fourth save. Regular closer Trevor Rosenthal was given the night off after two successive appearances.

Pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal homered with two outs in the Padres ninth. After Chris Nelson doubled, Neshek struck out Will Venable.

Tyson Ross (11-11) gave up three runs and five hits over six innings.

REDS 3, ROCKIES 2

DENVER (AP) - Johnny Cueto threw eight stellar innings to become the first 15-game winner in the majors and Kris Negron had a career-high four hits, including a tiebreaking single in the ninth, as Cincinnati beat Colorado.

Cueto (15-6) allowed two runs and six hits to help the Reds snap a three-game skid. He is 7-0 since a loss at San Diego on July 2.

Negron lined a two-out single up the middle off Adam Ottavino (0-4) to bring in Ramon Santiago with the go-ahead run.

Aroldis Chapman closed for his 26th save in 28 chances, with the aid of a fine defensive play by first baseman Brayan Pena.

Nolan Arenado homered for the Rockies, who have dropped seven of nine.

PHILLIES 5, GIANTS 3, 10 INNINGS

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Chase Utley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th inning to help Philadelphia beat San Francisco.

Ryan Howard followed with a sacrifice fly against Javier Lopez, and the Phillies snapped a three-game losing streak.

Cody Asche, who doubled off Santiago Casilla (1-3) to open the 10th, hit a two-run homer in the eighth to tie it. It was the first home run allowed by Jeremy Affeldt this season.

Ken Giles (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings, and Jonathan Papelbon earned his 28th save in 31 chances. Marlon Byrd hit his 23rd homer for the Phillies.

Madison Bumgarner threw seven strong innings for the Giants. Cole Hamels also delivered a quality start for Philadelphia, though he gave up a three-run homer to Michael Morse.

Pablo Sandoval had three hits, but the Giants lost their sixth in seven games.