BASEBALL CAPSULES

05/10/2015

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bryce Harper did it again, extending his remarkable homer streak with a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning that sent the Washington Nationals over the Atlanta Braves 8-6 on Saturday.

Harper homered for the sixth time in his last three games, one off the major league record set by Shawn Green in 2002.

At 22, Harper had already become the youngest player in big league history to hit five home runs in two games. His one-out drive pushed the Nationals, a preseason favorite to win the World Series, over .500 for the first time this year.

Harper homered three times vs. Miami on Wednesday and connected twice against Atlanta on Friday night. His teammates ripped his jersey in the home-plate scrum, then Max Scherzer punctuated the party with the team's newest victory celebration — he poured chocolate sauce over Harper during a postgame interview.

The Nationals blew a five-run lead before rebounding in the ninth against Cody Martin (1-1). Drew Storen (1-0) pitched the top of the ninth for the win.

ORIOLES 6, YANKEES 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Davis hit one of Baltimore's three home runs, Wei-Yin Chen won for the first time this season and the Orioles snapped a four-game slide.

Jimmy Paredes had three hits, including a solo homer, and Alejandro De Aza added a two-run drive off Chase Whitley to give the Orioles their first win this week in New York. Baltimore lost a pair of interleague games to the Mets at Citi Field before dropping the first two in a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Delmon Young knocked in two runs to build up the cushion for Chen (1-1), who scattered five hits over seven innings. He struck out a season-high seven and walked one, yielding only John Ryan Murphy's sacrifice fly.

ASTROS 6, ANGELS 5

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Carter and Colby Rasmus hit two-run homers and Dallas Keuchel pitched into the seventh inning in Houston's victory.

Jose Altuve also hit an early homer off Matt Shoemaker (2-3) for the AL West-leading Astros, who won for just the second time in six games following their 10-game winning streak.

Mike Trout homered and had three hits for the Angels, but was intentionally walked by Chad Qualls after Kole Calhoun's two-out RBI double in the ninth.

Qualls then got Albert Pujols to ground to shortstop, completing his third save and ending Pujols' 11-game hitting streak.

Keuchel (4-0) wasn't in his unhittable April form, but the left-hander remained unbeaten while his ERA rose from 0.80 to 1.39.

PADRES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4, 12 INNINGS

PHOENIX (AP) — Justin Upton made up for an earlier gaffe with a home run in the 12th inning and San Diego beat Arizona in a game that included Padres closer Craig Kimbrel's first blown save since June.

Arizona had forced extra innings when pinch-hitter Danny Dorn doubled in two runs off Kimbrel to tie it in the ninth.

Dorn, who has spent nearly all of his 10 professional seasons in the minors, lined Kimbrel's 98 mph pitch down the right field line after Jordan Pacheco walked and Aaron Hill singled. It was Dorn's third hit, first for extra bases, and first RBIs in the majors. He ended Kimbrel's string of 35 consecutive saves, nine this season.

Upton, the ex-Diamondback whose ill-advised dive for David Peralta's hit turned into an RBI triple in the fourth inning, also singled in a run in the ninth.

METS 3, PHILLIES 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Juan Lagares homered and Jonathon Niese pitched seven strong innings to lead New York.

Niese (3-2) improved to 5-0 in his last seven starts against Philadelphia, surrendering two runs and five hits with six strikeouts and one walk. Neither of the runs was earned.

Lagares, not known for his power, lined Aaron Harang's 1-0 pitch into the seats in the left with one out in the seventh to put the Mets up 3-2. The two-run homer, Lagares' first of the season and ninth of his career, broke an 0-for-16 skid.

Harang (3-3), who was pitching on his 37th birthday, gave up three runs — two earned — and eight hits with two strikeouts and one walk in seven innings.

MARLINS 6, GIANTS 2

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Marcell Ozuna homered off Madison Bumgarner in a three-run fourth inning and Miami beat San Francisco.

Jeff Baker and Adeiny Hechavarria added RBI doubles in the fourth and Donovan Solano hit a two-run double in the eighth to help the Marlins win for the 12th time in their past 17 games in San Francisco.

David Phelps (2-0) allowed one run and six hits in six innings during another strong start in place of the injured Henderson Alvarez. Phelps has two wins and a 1.80 ERA in five starts since joining the rotation.

Bumgarner (3-2) pitched well other than the one big inning. He struck out a season-high 10 in five innings, including slugger Giancarlo Stanton three times. But the World Series MVP also allowed four extra-base hits, including three in the fourth.

BLUE JAYS 7, RED SOX 1

TORONTO (AP) — Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, Josh Donaldson had three hits and Toronto beat Boston, handing the slumping Red Sox their seventh loss in eight games.

Encarnacion had two hits and walked twice. Donaldson went 3 for 5 with an RBI and scored two runs as Toronto won its third straight.

Russell Martin put the Blue Jays in front with a sacrifice fly in the first. It was the 24th first-inning run allowed by Boston in 30 games. They're 5-15 when the opposition scores first.

Donaldson hit an RBI single in the second and Encarnacion connected for a two-out homer in the fourth, his fifth.

Blue Jays right-hander Drew Hutchison (3-0) won for the first time in three starts, allowing one run and seven hits in five innings.

ROYALS 6, TIGERS 2

DETROIT (AP) — Alcides Escobar homered on the first pitch of the game and made a sparkling catch on Miguel Cabrera's line drive two innings later, leading Kansas City.

Jeremy Guthrie (2-2) allowed two runs in 7 1-3 innings for the Royals, who moved back into first place in the AL Central. The Tigers had taken a half-game lead by beating the Royals in a sloppily played series opener Friday night.

Anibal Sanchez (2-4) allowed six runs and nine hits in six innings, his ERA rising to 5.44 on the young season. Guthrie allowed fewer than three runs for the first time this year.

TWINS 7, INDIANS 4

CLEVELAND (AP) — Torii Hunter continued his torrid stretch with three hits, including a home run, and Minnesota beat Cleveland.

Hunter, who was 4 for 4 on Friday, extended his consecutive hit streak to seven at-bats with a solo homer in the first, a single in the third and an infield hit in the fifth. The streak ended in the sixth when shortstop Jose Ramirez booted his ground ball for an error.

Phil Hughes (2-4) won his second consecutive start, allowing one run in 6 1-3 innings. The Twins have won nine of 10 and are 17-7 since April 13.

Glen Perkins allowed two hits in the ninth, but recorded his 11th save.

Bruce Chen (0-1) gave up six runs in four-plus innings.

The Indians have lost four of five and have the worst record in the American League (10-19).

REDS 10, WHITE SOX 4, 1ST GAME

WHITE SOX 8, REDS 2, 2ND GAME

CHICAGO (AP) — Carlos Rodon pitched six innings for his first major league win, and Chicago beat Cincinnati for a split of their doubleheader.

Alexei Ramirez connected in each game for Chicago, including a solo drive in the opener for career homer No. 100. Avisail Garcia and Gordon Beckham went deep in the nightcap, helping the White Sox bounce back from an ugly 10-4 loss in the opener.

Rodon (1-0), the No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft, struck out eight — all swinging — and walked four in his first major league start.

Marlon Byrd hit a three-run homer in Cincinnati's seven-run ninth in the opener, but the offense didn't carry over to the second game. Joey Votto went 3 for 4 with two RBIs after he missed the first game due to a suspension for making contact with an umpire.

In the first game, Johnny Cueto pitched into the ninth inning in his longest start of the year (3-3). He was working on a four-hitter before he was pulled with one out in Chicago's three-run ninth. J.J. Hoover finished for Cincinnati, which has won three of four.

Skip Schumaker had three hits and two RBIs as Cincinnati improved to 4-14 against Chicago with its first road win against the White Sox since a 7-5 victory on June 25, 1998.

PIRATES 7, CARDINALS 5

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jordy Mercer broke out of a deep slump with a go-ahead two-run double and Pittsburgh rallied to beat St. Louis.

Mercer, who began the day hitting .186, sent a fastball off the wall in center field with one out in the sixth to give the Pirates the lead. Mercer finished with three RBIs, nearly doubling his season total.

Neil Walker added his second homer and the Pirates ended a seven-game losing streak to the Cardinals. Rob Scahill (1-2) earned the win in relief. Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Jhonny Peralta and Jason Heyward had two hits each. Both were on base in the second inning when Yadier Molina hit into the franchise's first triple play in nearly 12 years. Carlos Martinez (3-1) picked up his first loss.

BREWERS 12, CUBS 4

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jason Rogers hit his first career home run, Gerardo Parra also homered and drove in four runs to lead Milwaukee.

Jean Segura added a solo shot and Khris Davis had three hits and three RBIs for Milwaukee, which finished with its season-high scoring total.

Davis, who came into the series hitting just .209, was 4 for 5 in Friday's loss to the Cubs.

Kyle Lohse (2-4) gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings for the Brewers.

Travis Wood (2-2) took the loss, allowing six runs — four earned — and six hits in four innings as the Cubs lost for the sixth time in eight games.

Chicago catcher David Ross pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

RAYS 7, RANGERS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay reliever Andrew Bellatti, who served jail time as a teen after a fatal car crash, was the winning pitcher in his major league debut as the Rays beat Texas.

The 23-year-old Bellatti (1-0) gave up one hit and one walk in 3 1-3 scoreless innings. He struck out two.

Bellatti was sentenced as a 19-year-old in 2010 to eight months in jail and five years' probation as the driver in an accident that killed another driver.

Bellatti served three months in California. He had written a letter to the widow of the victim, and she had asked the judge to release him early.

The former 12th-round draft pick left in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out. Brad Boxberger entered and got consecutive outs for his eighth save.

Ross Detwiler (0-4) took the loss.

MARINERS 7, OAKLAND 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Robinson Cano had three hits and an RBI, and Seattle took advantage of Oakland's season-high four errors.

J.A. Happ (3-1) pitched five innings for the victory, allowing one run and four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Nelson Cruz and Seth Smith also each had a pair of hits and an RBI for Seattle, which scored five runs on Oakland's most errors since Aug. 22, 2012, against Minnesota. The Athletics lead the majors with 32 miscues.

Jesse Hahn (1-3) gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings. He walked three and struck out four.

Mark Canha hit his fifth home run for the A's in the eighth, and Marcus Semien finished with three hits.

DODGERS-ROCKIES, PPD

DENVER (AP) — Los Angeles and Colorado were rained out. No makeup date has been announced.

The teams are scheduled to play Sunday afternoon but wet weather is forecast through the weekend.

This is the third rainout at Coors Field this week. Monday and Tuesday's games against the Arizona Diamondbacks were washed out and the teams played a doubleheader Wednesday.

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