Home run trio powers Nationals to 4-1 win over Mets

WASHINGTON: Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond and Denard Span all homered, powering the Washington Nationals to a 4-1 win over the New York Mets on Saturday.
Dan Haren (5-11) pitched seven innings for his first win since May 9, allowing one run and three hits.
Desmond and Span hit back-to-back homers against Dillon Gee (7-8) in the second inning and Harper followed with a two-run drive in the third.
Harper returned to the starting lineup after being limited to pinch-hitting duty in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader.
Braves 2 Cardinals 0: In Atlanta, Andrelton Simmons hit a two-run double in the eighth inning and Atlanta, boosted by Julio Teheran’s sharp outing, beat St. Louis in a matchup of NL division leaders.
Teheran allowed two hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking one.
Simmons’ bases-loaded, two-out double came on a 99 mph fastball from Trevor Rosenthal.
Randy Choate (1-1) walked Freddie Freeman to open the eighth. Evan Gattis struck out and Brian McCann singled. Rosenthal relieved and struck out Dan Uggla before walking Chris Johnson to load the bases.
Luis Avilan (3-0) pitched a perfect eighth and Craig Kimbrel recorded three outs to earn his 30th save.
Pirates 7 Marlins 4: In Miami, Michael McKenry had a career-best four hits and drove in two runs and Neil Walker and Garrett Jones each added two RBIs in Pittsburgh’s victory over Miami.
McKenry, who came into the night batting .191, raised his average 26 points with a double and three singles. Walker added three hits for the Pirates, the NL wild-card leaders who set the tone with three first-inning runs against Miami’s Tom Koehler (2-6).
Charlie Morton (3-2) allowed a season-high nine hits in five innings, finding a way to win consecutive starts for the first time since May 2011. Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his fourth save.
Koehler gave up nine hits and five runs in five innings.
Padres 12 Diamondbacks 3: In Phoenix, Andrew Cashner threw six solid innings and hit his first career home run to help lead San Diego over Arizona.
Chris Denorfia and Chase Headley added back-to-back home runs, Yonder Alonso drove in four runs and Carlos Quentin had three RBIs for the Padres, who have won two of their last three and four of six.
Cashner (7-5) allowed three runs on four hits, walked five and struck out five for his second straight win, both coming during a 10-game road trip.
Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero homered for the Diamondbacks, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.
Cubs 1 Giants 0: In San Francisco, Nate Schierholtz homered off former teammate Sergio Romo with one out in the ninth inning to lift Chicago over San Francisco.
Schierholtz worked a full count off Romo (3-6) before hitting a towering blast into the right field stands to hand Romo his second loss in as many games.