MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Slumping Kennys Vargas hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday, lifting the Minnesota Twins to a 2-1 victory and a two-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Joe Mauer homered for the Twins, too, tying the game in the eighth to answer Jason Heyward's solo shot for the Cardinals in the seventh.
Vargas grounded into two double plays, ruining a bases-loaded rally on one of those with one out in the seventh inning. He more than made up for that with his game-ending drive into the right-field seats off a slow curveball from Carlos Villanueva (3-2).
Vargas, who is 5 for 27 since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester, was mobbed at home plate by his teammates.
Blaine Boyer (2-2) pitched the ninth for the victory, after eight dominant innings by Mike Pelfrey in an old-fashioned duel with Jaime Garcia.
YANKEES 9, MARLINS 4
NEW YORK (AP) - Alex Rodriguez reached 2,999 hits with a pair of singles, and Carlos Beltran and Brett Gardner each had two-run homers, leading New York to a victory over Miami.
Rodriguez hit an RBI single in the first inning for the second straight night, flied out to right field in the third and hit a sharp grounder past diving third baseman Donovan Solano in the fifth to move within one hit of becoming the 29th player to reach the 3,000 plateau.
He lined out in the sixth, his first try at the milestone - swinging at specially marked balls.
Yankee Stadium played a piece of Beethoven's famed Symphony No. 5 as Rodriguez came to bat in the eighth, but Miami reliever Sam Dyson didn't give A-Rod a chance to swing, throwing four inside pitches that sent the slugger leaping back each time.
PIRATES 3, WHITE SOX 2
CHICAGO (AP) - Gerrit Cole became the majors' first 11-game winner and Pittsburgh beat struggling Chicago to extend its winning streak to a season-high eight games.
Cole (11-2) allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings, and has won each of his last six starts while giving up two runs or less in each. Mark Melancon pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.
Jung Ho Kang went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, and Josh Harrison and Gregory Polanco each drove in a run for Pittsburgh. The Pirates, who also won 3-2 Wednesday, have won seven times in their last 11 games while scoring three runs or less.
Geovany Soto hit a solo home run for Chicago, which has dropped a season-high seven games.
Jake Petricka (1-2) took the loss in relief of starter Jeff Samardzija, who went seven innings.
PADRES 3, ATHLETICS 1
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Pat Murphy got his first win as San Diego's manager, Derek Norris homered against his former team and the Padres beat Oakland.
Matt Kemp hit his second home run in three days, and San Diego stopped a four-game losing streak. The Padres fired manager Bud Black on Monday and hired Murphy the following day.
Ian Kennedy (4-5) gave up one run and four hits in six innings, allowing only one runner past second base. Kennedy, who struck out Stephen Vogt with the potential tying run at the third in the sixth, has a 2.63 ERA in his last four starts after compiling a 7.15 ERA in his first eight.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a one-hit ninth for his 17th save in 18 chances, completing a five-hitter.
Rookie Kendall Graveman (3-4) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, struck out six and walked one.
BLUE JAYS 7, METS 1
TORONTO (AP) - R.A. Dickey pitched into the eighth inning to earn the win against his former team, Chris Colabello hit a solo homer and Toronto beat New York.
Jose Bautista drove in two runs as the Blue Jays, who lost back-to-back games at Citi Field earlier this week, swept two against the visiting Mets. Toronto is 13-3 in June.
Dickey (3-6) allowed one run and three hits for his first victory since May 21. The knuckleballer, who won the NL Cy Young with the Mets in 2012, didn't give up a hit until Juan Lagares' two-out double in the fifth. He left after Lucas Duda's one-out homer in the eighth.
Dickey, 40, beat 42-year-old Bartolo Colon (9-5) in the first matchup between two starting pitchers in their 40s since Aug. 15, 2008, when Philadelphia's Jamie Moyer (45) beat San Diego's Greg Maddux (42).
TIGERS-REDS PPD
CINCINNATI (AP) - A game between the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds was postponed because of heavy rain that was expected to continue well into the night.
The final scheduled game in the team's four-game interleague series wasn't immediately rescheduled. The Reds won two of the three games so far.
The teams were coming off a 13-inning, 8-4 Reds win that ended at 1:20 a.m. and included a 1-hour, 14-minute delay. There have been eight rain delays at Great American Ball Park this season totaling 13 hours, 40 minutes.
The game never got started and was called off 37 minutes after it was scheduled to start.
RAYS 5, NATIONALS 3
WASHINGTON (AP) - Washington star Bryce Harper exited early after hurting his left leg while taking an awkward tumble making a throw, and the Nationals lost to Tampa Bay.
There was no announcement by the Nationals during the game on Harper's injury.
The All-Star right fielder slipped and fell on the wet grass while trying to throw home on Asdrubal Cabrera's single in the sixth inning. Harper held his left leg while down on the ground and then gingerly walked off the field.
Harper's throw went wildly into the dugout during a four-run inning for Tampa Bay.
Joey Butler homered for the AL East-leading Rays, who took three of four in the home-and-home interleague set.
Chris Archer (8-4) won his fifth straight decision. Brad Boxberger pitched the ninth for his 16th save.
Doug Fister (2-3) returned from the disabled list and allowed five runs in 5 1-3 innings.
Yunel Escobar got five hits for the Nationals.
ASTROS 8, ROCKIES 4
DENVER (AP) - Preston Tucker homered and drove in three runs, pinch-hitter Domingo Santana got his first major league home run and Houston beat Colorado for its fifth straight win.
Carlos Correa stole three bases, and George Springer extended his hitting streak to 11 games as the Astros swept the four-game, home-and-home series with the reeling Rockies. The Astros hit six homers in two games at Coors Field, raising their AL-leading total to 97.
Collin McHugh (7-3) treated himself to an early birthday present by getting the win despite allowing three runs four hits and a season-high five walks in six innings. McHugh, who turns 28 on Friday, settled down after surrendering a three-run homer to Carlos Gonzalez in the first.
David Hale (2-2) gave up a season-high five runs in five innings and struck out nine. Rockies pitchers struck out 17 times, a Colorado record for a nine-inning game.
ROYALS 3, BREWERS 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Alcides Escobar had three hits and scored twice and Jeremy Guthrie pitched six effective innings as the Kansas City Royals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Thursday night.
Escobar doubled to lead off the Royals' two-run first then scored on Lorenzo Cain's sacrifice fly. Escobar singled in the second, stole second base and scored on Mike Moustakas' two-out single.
Kendrys Morales' two-out single in the first drove in Eric Hosmer, who had doubled, with the other Royals' run.
Guthrie (5-4) picked up his first victory since May 20, allowing two runs and seven hits, walked none and struck out four.
Greg Holland worked the ninth to earn his 12th save in 13 opportunities.
With the victory, Ned Yost surpassed Whitey Herzog as the winningest manager in Royals' history with 411 wins.
PHILLIES 2, ORIOLES 1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Ryan Howard hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning and Philadelphia snapped a nine-game losing streak with a victory over Baltimore.
The Phillies, who have the worst record in the majors at 23-45, avoided being swept in four consecutive series. They had lost 19 of 22.
Manny Machado hit his third career leadoff homer and second in three games against the Phillies. But he struck out with runners on first and third and one out in the seventh.
Jake Diekman (1-1) pitched a 1-2-3 sixth in relief of Sean O'Sullivan to earn the win in his first game back from a brief stint at Triple-A. Jonathan Papelbon closed for his 13th save in 13 tries.
Howard hit his 12th homer, connecting off starter Bud Norris (2-5) to put Philadelphia ahead for the first time in its four-game, home-and-home series against Baltimore.
ANGELS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 1
PHOENIX (AP) - C.J. Wilson struck out a season-high nine in his second straight strong outing, Taylor Featherston hit his first major league home run and Los Angeles beat Arizona to split the four-game interleague series.
The first two games were played in Anaheim, the last two in Phoenix.
Wilson (5-5), after throwing seven scoreless innings in his previous start, gave up one run and scattered eight hits in eight innings. The left-hander didn't walk anyone.
Featherston and Johnny Giavotella each hit solo homers in the third off Allen Webster (1-1), making his second big league start.
Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt was 0 for 4 and struck out three times, failing to reach base for the first time in 28 games. It had been the longest active streak in the majors.
RED SOX 5, BRAVES 2
ATLANTA (AP) - Clay Buchholz pitched seven strong innings and Boston, after benching third baseman Pablo Sandoval, beat Atlanta for its second win in 10 games.
Manager John Farrell didn't play Sandoval after the former World Series MVP used his Instagram account Wednesday night during a loss to the Braves. Sandoval apologized to the team before the game, and Farrell said he won't be fined or suspended.
Buchholz (4-6) gave up two unearned runs and six hits. Koji Uehara worked the ninth for his 14th save.
Shelby Miller (5-3) took the loss.
The Red Sox ended a seven-game road losing streak, helped when Atlanta third baseman Juan Uribe dropped a routine popup.