Cards beat Cubbies

CHICAGO — Once again, the Cardinals relied on Matt Adams’ clutch bat.

Adams drove in four runs, A.J. Pierzynski had three hits in his St. Louis debut and the Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 on Saturday to stop a four-game skid.

Adams doubled sharply in the first inning, a one-hopper that bounced past first baseman Anthony Rizzo and into right field to score two runs. Adams’ two-run triple with two outs in the seventh made it 5-2.

“He was our guy today,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “If you look at when we started to gain some traction in our division, it’s when Matt started to go. Not to put the pressure on him, but he was the guy at the time and he’s continued to do that, to step up big for us.”

Helping out Adams was the 37-year-old Pierzynski, who signed with the Cardinals on Saturday, 10 days after he was released by Boston. St. Louis had been looking for a steady presence behind the plate since All-Star catcher Yadier Molina tore a ligament in his right thumb July 9.

Molina had surgery two days later and is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks.

“That was pretty much a cram session for A.J. there,” Matheny said. “He did a nice job coming in, obviously making an impact with the bat, but I felt like he had a nice feel for what Shelby (Miller) was doing.”

Miller returned to the Cardinals’ rotation and pitched effectively into the sixth inning.

The young right-hander began the game with three perfect innings and retired 16 of his first 18 batters. In his first start since being removed from the rotation July 10, Miller allowed two runs and three hits in 5 2-3 innings. He had given up at least three runs in his previous five starts.

Randy Choate (2-2) got the last out of the sixth. Trevor Rosenthal worked around two hits in a scoreless ninth, earning his 31st save in 35 tries.

“When you get in a groove and you’re feeling pretty good, in a rhythm, you just keep going,” Miller said. “That’s kind of what I felt like I did today.”

Nate Schierholtz hit a solo shot for the Cubs in the sixth, tying it at 2. It was Schierholtz’s fourth career pinch-hit homer.

Rizzo drove in a run with a groundout in the fourth.

Cubs starter Jake Arrieta settled in after the two-run first inning, allowing just three baserunners the rest of the way. He thwarted Cardinals threats in the fourth and fifth, and a diving catch by left fielder Chris Coughlan helped Arrieta escape the sixth.

“He did it with not his best stuff, but he was still pretty effective,” Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. “That performance was probably indicative of how much he’s grown.”

With Arrieta out of the game, the Cardinals pulled back ahead in the seventh, scoring four runs against reliever James Russell (0-2). Jon Jay hit a leadoff single, advanced on a sacrifice and stole third before scoring the tiebreaking run on Matt Carpenter’s grounder.

Russell’s four earned runs allowed marked his worst outing since July 21, 2012, when he gave up six, also against the Cardinals.

Ryan Sweeney hit a leadoff homer against Pat Neshek in the eighth, his third home run of the season and second this series.

Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong, a former University of Hawaii standout, went 2 for 5 with a run on the day.

REDS 1, NATIONALS 0

CINCINNATI — Johnny Cueto struck out nine in seven innings on Saturday, and Brayan Pena singled through a drawn-in infield for the only run, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals that ended a seven-game losing streak.

Cincinnati ended its longest skid in five years by getting several good defensive plays and another dominating performance by its All-Star starter. Cueto (11-6) gave up four hits and walked three.

Left-hander Aroldis Chapman pitched out of a two-on, two-out threat in the eighth and finished for his 22nd save in 24 chances. He extended his streak of at least one strikeout in his last 43 appearances, the longest by a reliever in the majors since 1900.

Gio Gonzalez (6-6) gave up four hits and fanned eight in seven innings.

BLUE JAYS 6, YANKS 4

NEW YORK — Dan Johnson drove in four runs with a go-ahead infield hit and a three-run homer, helping Toronto end its 17-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium.

Brian McCann’s two-run homer put New York ahead in the fourth inning, but Johnson drove in the tiebreaking run in the seventh with a 70-foot bloop that fell in front of second baseman Brian Roberts.

Johnson’s ninth-inning drive off Jeff Francis, which extended the lead to 6-2, was his first homer since hitting three for the Chicago White Sox at Cleveland on Oct. 3, 2012.

Drew Hutchison (7-9) stopped a three-start skid to win for the first time since July 1.

Chris Capuano failed to get a decision in his Yankees debut. Shawn Kelley (1-3) was the loser.

Toronto, like New York chasing Baltimore in the AL East, had not won at Yankee Stadium since Aug. 29, 2012. New York lost for just the second time in eight games since the All-Star break.

MARINERS 4, ORIOLES 3

SEATTLE — Chris Young allowed two hits in seven shutout innings, and Seattle snapped a four-game losing streak by holding off Baltimore.

Dustin Ackley doubled twice and scored two runs for the Mariners. Robinson Cano had an RBI double.

After the Orioles took advantage of an error by All-Star third baseman Kyle Seager to score three times in the eighth, Fernando Rodney closed it out for his 200th career save.

Young (9-6), who did not pitch in the majors last season, walked three and matched his season high with eight strikeouts. He has won nine games for the first time since 2007 with San Diego.

A’S 5, RANGERS 1

ARLINGTON, Texas — Sonny Gray won his sixth straight decision, helped when Oakland hit four home runs in a six-batter span to beat Texas.

The Athletics trailed 1-0 when John Jaso hit a two-run drive with two outs in the sixth inning. Yoenis Cespedes followed with his 17th home run.

Josh Donaldson led off the seventh with another home run and Josh Reddick connected two batters later.

Gray (12-3) allowed seven hits over 6 2-3 innings. He didn’t give up more than one earned run in any of his five July starts.

Jaso and Cespedes homered off Nick Tepesch (3-7), who left with soreness in his left knee.

BREWERS 5, METS 2

MILWAUKEE — Wily Peralta earned his team-leading 12th win, and Mark Reynolds homered in Milwaukee’s victory over New York.

Jonathan Lucroy, Ryan Braun and Khris Davis added run-scoring hits for the NL Central leaders.

Peralta (12-6) labored through 5 2-3 innings, giving up six hits and two runs.

Four relievers held the Mets scoreless over the final 3 1-3 innings. Francisco Rodriguez, who blew a save and took the loss Friday night, recorded his 30th save in 34 chances.

Curtis Granderson homered and doubled for the Mets. Jonathon Niese (5-6) gave up five hits and three runs in five innings.

ROCKIES 8, PIRATES 1

DENVER — Nolan Arenado bounced back from a benching with three hits, including a home run, and Colorado routed Pittsburgh.

Tyler Matzek (2-4) pitched three-hit ball over seven scoreless innings for his first win since his major league debut June 11 against Atlanta. Drew Stubbs and Corey Dickerson also homered for the Rockies, who have won three straight.

MARLINS 7, ASTROS 3

HOUSTON — Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run double, and Jordany Valdespin added a two-run homer to power Miami past Houston.

Stanton’s double in the second inning broke a 2-all tie. Christian Yelich had two hits, including an RBI single as part of the four-run outburst. Valdespin hit his first homer of the season in the ninth off Chad Qualls.

Tom Koehler (7-7) gave up three runs and nine hits in five innings.

WHITE SOX 7, TWINS 0

MINNEAPOLIS — Chris Sale tied a season high with 12 strikeouts in eight dominant innings, Alexei Ramirez hit his 10th homer and Chicago defeated Minnesota for its third straight win over the Twins.

Sale (10-1) scattered five hits — all singles — and became the first White Sox starter to win 10 of his first 11 decisions in a season since Mark Buehrle in 2005. It was also Sale’s 15th career game with 10 or more strikeouts, moving him into a tie for second on the franchise list with Juan Pizarro.

BRAVES 5, PADRES 3

ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman had three hits and an RBI, Julio Teheran earned his team-high 10th win and Atlanta took advantage of Odrisamer Despaigne’s control problems to beat San Diego.

Tommy La Stella also had three hits and Chris Johnson drove in two runs as the Braves moved within 1 1/2 games of NL East-leading Washington.

ROYALS 7, INDIANS 5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Billy Butler homered for the second consecutive game and Kansas City overcame a five-run deficit to beat Cleveland for its fifth straight win.

A day after his pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth inning beat the Indians, Butler connected for a tiebreaking shot in the fifth off Nick Hagadone.

D-backs 10, Phillies 6 (10)

PHILADELPHIA — Martin Prado homered, doubled and drove in five runs, including a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to lift Arizona over Philadelphia.

Pinch-hitter Nick Evans’ three-run homer capped the Diamondbacks’ four-run 10th. Evan Marshall (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the win.

Marlon Byrd and Cody Asche homered for the Phillies, who blew a four-run lead and have lost eight of 11. Chase Utley had three hits and an RBI.

Antonio Bastardo (4-4) took the loss.