PITTSBURGH: Addison Russell set a career high with four hits while Jason Heyward homered for the third time in four games and drove in four runs as the Chicago Cubs jumped on the Pittsburgh Pirates early in a 14-3 victory on Monday night.
Ben Zobrist added three RBIs for Chicago as the defending World Series champions won for the fifth time in six games. Anthony Rizzo had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.
Chicago scored four runs with two outs in the first inning off Chad Kuhl (1-2) and added five more in the second to give Brett Anderson (2-0) all the breathing room he would need.
Brewers 11 Reds 7: In Milwaukee, Eric Thames homered twice to raise his major league-leading total to 10 while Hernan Perez added a three-run shot and Matt Garza pitched for the first time this season as the Brewers beat the Reds.
The left-handed batting Thames got just enough muscle on an 0-2 pitch from Amir Garrett (2-2) to slice an opposite-field, two-run homer in the second. He extended his home-run streak against the Reds this season to five consecutive games with a solo shot to right in the first. Perez’s three-run homer capped that inning.
Garza allowed one earned run on four hits. Five relievers followed and Carlos Torres (1-2) picked up the win.
Orioles 6 Rays 3: In Baltimore, Adam Jones hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning while Hyun Soo Kim and Jonathan Schoop also went deep as the Orioles beat the Rays on a cold, damp night at Camden Yards.
All three home runs were off Chris Archer (2-1), who gave up five runs, six hits and five walks in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander didn’t allow a long ball in his previous four starts this season.
Baltimore trailed 3-1 before Kim and Schoop connected on successive pitches in the sixth inning. In the seventh, Archer hit Seth Smith with a pitch and Jones followed with a drive deep into the left-field seats.
TWINS 3, RANGERS 2 Twins 3 Rangers 2: In Arlington, Texas, Brian Dozier hit a bases-clearing double as the Twins beat Texas, ending the Rangers’ AL-best four-game winning streak.
Dozier’s two-out double in the fifth came after Martin Perez (1-3) walked the bases loaded, giving free passes to three of the bottom four batters in the Twins lineup. Dozier had only three RBIs his first 17 games this season.
White Sox 12 Royals 1: In Chicago, Matt Davidson had two hits and three RBIs in an eight-run sixth, Chicago’s highest-scoring inning in five years, as the White Sox routed the struggling Royals.
Miguel Gonzalez (3-0) lowered his ERA to 2.00, allowing an unearned run and two hits in eight innings.
Davidson set a career-high with three hits and tied his best with four RBIs. Melky Cabrera, Todd Frazier and Tyler Saladino drove in two runs each for the White Sox, who out-hit the Royals 15-2.
Chicago put together its high-scoring inning since a nine-run fifth against Texas on July 3, 2012. The Royals have lost five straight and scored a major league-low 47 runs.
Rockies 8 Nationals 4: In Denver, Charlie Blackmon hit a two-run homer in the seventh and Colorado’s bullpen threw three-plus scoreless innings as the Rockies beat Washington, ending the Nationals’ seven-game winning streak.
Trailing 4-3, Blackmon lined a hanging slider from lefty Enny Romero (1-1) into the right-field stands. It was Blackmon’s sixth homer of the season and followed a pinch-hit double from Pat Valaika — his first hit of the season.
The Rockies’ relievers came through once again after starter Tyler Anderson wore down. Carlos Estevez (2-0) got four outs and Adam Ottavino threw an effective eighth. Greg Holland pitched the ninth in a non-save situation after the Rockies added three insurance runs in the eighth. He got pinch-hitter Bryce Harper to ground out to end the game.
Giants 2 Dodgers 1: In San Francisco, Matt Cain pitched six scoreless innings to beat the Dodgers for the first time in nearly four years as the Giants snapped a four-game losing streak with a win against Los Angeles.
Joe Panik hit a second-inning sacrifice fly off Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-4) in just the Giants’ second victory in their last eight games. Hunter Pence added a key RBI single for insurance in the seventh.
Top prospect Christian Arroyo was promoted by the Giants to be the new regular third baseman and he went 0 for 4 with three groundouts to second and a strikeout.
Ben Zobrist added three RBIs for Chicago as the defending World Series champions won for the fifth time in six games. Anthony Rizzo had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.
Chicago scored four runs with two outs in the first inning off Chad Kuhl (1-2) and added five more in the second to give Brett Anderson (2-0) all the breathing room he would need.
Brewers 11 Reds 7: In Milwaukee, Eric Thames homered twice to raise his major league-leading total to 10 while Hernan Perez added a three-run shot and Matt Garza pitched for the first time this season as the Brewers beat the Reds.
The left-handed batting Thames got just enough muscle on an 0-2 pitch from Amir Garrett (2-2) to slice an opposite-field, two-run homer in the second. He extended his home-run streak against the Reds this season to five consecutive games with a solo shot to right in the first. Perez’s three-run homer capped that inning.
Garza allowed one earned run on four hits. Five relievers followed and Carlos Torres (1-2) picked up the win.
Orioles 6 Rays 3: In Baltimore, Adam Jones hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning while Hyun Soo Kim and Jonathan Schoop also went deep as the Orioles beat the Rays on a cold, damp night at Camden Yards.
All three home runs were off Chris Archer (2-1), who gave up five runs, six hits and five walks in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander didn’t allow a long ball in his previous four starts this season.
Baltimore trailed 3-1 before Kim and Schoop connected on successive pitches in the sixth inning. In the seventh, Archer hit Seth Smith with a pitch and Jones followed with a drive deep into the left-field seats.
TWINS 3, RANGERS 2 Twins 3 Rangers 2: In Arlington, Texas, Brian Dozier hit a bases-clearing double as the Twins beat Texas, ending the Rangers’ AL-best four-game winning streak.
Dozier’s two-out double in the fifth came after Martin Perez (1-3) walked the bases loaded, giving free passes to three of the bottom four batters in the Twins lineup. Dozier had only three RBIs his first 17 games this season.
White Sox 12 Royals 1: In Chicago, Matt Davidson had two hits and three RBIs in an eight-run sixth, Chicago’s highest-scoring inning in five years, as the White Sox routed the struggling Royals.
Miguel Gonzalez (3-0) lowered his ERA to 2.00, allowing an unearned run and two hits in eight innings.
Davidson set a career-high with three hits and tied his best with four RBIs. Melky Cabrera, Todd Frazier and Tyler Saladino drove in two runs each for the White Sox, who out-hit the Royals 15-2.
Chicago put together its high-scoring inning since a nine-run fifth against Texas on July 3, 2012. The Royals have lost five straight and scored a major league-low 47 runs.
Rockies 8 Nationals 4: In Denver, Charlie Blackmon hit a two-run homer in the seventh and Colorado’s bullpen threw three-plus scoreless innings as the Rockies beat Washington, ending the Nationals’ seven-game winning streak.
Trailing 4-3, Blackmon lined a hanging slider from lefty Enny Romero (1-1) into the right-field stands. It was Blackmon’s sixth homer of the season and followed a pinch-hit double from Pat Valaika — his first hit of the season.
The Rockies’ relievers came through once again after starter Tyler Anderson wore down. Carlos Estevez (2-0) got four outs and Adam Ottavino threw an effective eighth. Greg Holland pitched the ninth in a non-save situation after the Rockies added three insurance runs in the eighth. He got pinch-hitter Bryce Harper to ground out to end the game.
Giants 2 Dodgers 1: In San Francisco, Matt Cain pitched six scoreless innings to beat the Dodgers for the first time in nearly four years as the Giants snapped a four-game losing streak with a win against Los Angeles.
Joe Panik hit a second-inning sacrifice fly off Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-4) in just the Giants’ second victory in their last eight games. Hunter Pence added a key RBI single for insurance in the seventh.
Top prospect Christian Arroyo was promoted by the Giants to be the new regular third baseman and he went 0 for 4 with three groundouts to second and a strikeout.
