Cardinals pound Orioles

BALTIMORE — Using their own brand of baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals showed power-hitting Baltimore they can score a bunch of runs, too.

Rookie Kolten Wong had four hits and scored twice, Peter Bourjos homered and St. Louis beat the Orioles 8-3 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

After allowing nine home runs in losing the first two games of the series by a collective 22-5 score, the Cardinals amassed a season-high 17 hits — 14 of them singles.

St. Louis came into the game with 80 home runs compared to 147 for Baltimore, but the Cardinals’ style of little ball produced a big win.

“We walked in here today and that’s all the conversation was, we’ve got to win this, we’ve got to figure out a way to get this one,” manager Mike Matheny said. “We felt good about what our offense could do. The guys, they were taking good at-bats all day long. We got a couple big hits when we needed them; that’s usually the difference.”

Bourjos capped the barrage with a three-run drive in the ninth off Zach Britton, ending the left-hander’s run of 27 straight scoreless appearances at home.

The additional runs seemed to be unnecessary, but against the Orioles it’s hard to determine how much offense is enough.

“We saw what they can do the last couple nights and we had to keep pushing to keep pace with them and keep the lead,” third baseman Daniel Descalso said.

Wong’s four hits, all of them singles, matched a career high and lifted his batting average 11 points to .253.

St. Louis right-hander Lance Lynn (12-8) gave up three runs and nine hits over 5 2-3 innings, only the second time in his last 12 starts that he allowed more than two runs.

“They’ve got some guys that can hit the ball all the way up and down the lineup, and I knew that going in today it was going to be a grind,” Lynn said. “I was able to make enough pitches when I needed to and get out of some jams.”

Nick Markakis had four hits for the Orioles, who went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position. Caleb Joseph’s streak of consecutive games with a home run ended at five, one short of the club record.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was ejected after a replay overturned an out call on a force play in the top of the seventh. His first ejection of the season was automatic after he came out to argue the result of a replay.

Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman (6-4) allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings.

“I like that he didn’t let the game get away from him completely,” Showalter said. “A lot of borderline pitches. It wasn’t like he imploded.”

The AL East-leading Orioles next host the New York Yankees for a three-game series that begins Monday night. New York trails by six games.

“We don’t really look at it quite the way everybody else does,” Showalter said. “It’s significant because they’re one of the teams we’ve got to be better than when the smoke clears.”

St. Louis went up 4-2 in the sixth on an RBI single by Descalso, but Markakis matched that in the bottom half with a run-scoring single.

Successive doubles by Descalso and Matt Carpenter, off Andrew Miller in the eighth, made it 5-3.

Bourjos wrapped it up with his home run. He entered as a pinch runner in the seventh.

BLUE JAYS 6, TIGERS 5

(19 innings)

TORONTO — Jose Bautista’s single in the 19th inning drove home the winning run as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied from a five-run deficit to win the longest game in franchise history, beating the Detroit Tigers 6-5 on Sunday.

Munenori Kawasaki singled off starter Rick Porcello (13-7) to begin the 19th and advanced to third when second baseman Ian Kinsler couldn’t field an errant throw from Porcello on Jose Reyes’ sacrifice bunt. Melky Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases for Bautista, who ended it with a single to right over the drawn-in outfield, sending his teammates streaming out of the dugout in celebration.

At 6 hours, 37 minutes, it was the longest game by time in Blue Jays history, easily surpassing a 5:57 game against the Yankees on April 19, 2001.

It was the second 19-inning game in as many days. The Los Angeles Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Saturday night.

DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1

MILWAUKEE — Clayton Kershaw won his 14th game to tie for the National League lead, and the Dodgers beat the Brewers to avoid a three-game sweep in a matchup of divisional leaders.

Kershaw (14-2) allowed a run and six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in eight innings.

Nevertheless, the left-handed ace lowered his league-leading ERA to 1.78. Adrian Gonzalez drove in two runs, and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth off Jimmy Nelson (2-3).

Kershaw also reached base three times and had an RBI single in the eighth.

RED SOX 3, ANGELS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, Rubby De La Rosa pitched five-hit ball into the eighth and the Red Sox bounced back from a 19-inning loss with a victory over the Angels.

The teams returned just 12 hours after the longest game in the majors this season, a 6 1/2-hour epic won 5-4 by the Angels on Albert Pujols’ homer well after midnight.

Mike Trout homered in the eighth for the Angels (68-49), who still have the majors’ second-best record despite losing five of six.

Cespedes broke open a scoreless game with his first homer for the defending World Series champions, driving a pitch from Joe Smith (4-1) into the Boston bullpen in left.

De La Rosa (4-4) had eight strikeouts and blanked the Angels until Trout’s homer on his 110th pitch.

MARINERS 4

WHITE SOX 2

SEATTLE — Austin Jackson, acquired in a trade with the Detroit Tigers before the deadline, matched a career-high with four RBIs to lead the Mariners to a victory over the White Sox.

Logan Morrison began a two-out rally for the Mariners in the second inning off Chicago’s John Danks (9-8) with a hard line drive single off the wall in right field. Infield singles by Chris Taylor and Jesus Sucre loaded the bases for Jackson.

A career .400 hitter against Danks, Jackson doubled down the left field line to give the Mariners a 3-0 lead. He finished 3 for 4.

Dominic Leone (5-2) picked up the victory and Fernando Rodney earned his 33rd save.

PHILLIES 7, METS 6

PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Howard had a game-ending single with two outs in the ninth inning after pinch-hitter Marlon Byrd had a tying hit and the Phillies pulled out a victory over the Mets.

Chase Utley singled, tripled, homered and drove in three runs for the Phillies, who snapped a five-game skid against the Mets.

Lucas Duda and Travis d’Arnaud homered for New York.

Jenrry Mejia (5-5) got the loss then. after the game, revealed he had a hernia problem.

Ken Giles (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth to cap four innings of scoreless relief by three Phillies relievers.

REDS 7, MARLINS 2

CINCINNATI — Devin Mesoraco hit his third grand slam of the season and drove in six runs, and the Reds salvaged the finale of a three-game series against the Marlins.

Brad Hand walked Todd Frazier with the bases loaded in the fifth to break a 2-all tie. Mesoraco followed with his second homer of the game and 20th of the season.

The fifth-inning outburst gave Johnny Cueto (14-6) some breathing room. In eight innings, he allowed five hits — two homers — with two walks and nine strikeouts.

Giancarlo Stanton, the NL’s home run and RBI leader, lined his 29th homer with two outs in the first for a 1-0 Miami lead.

INDIANS 4, YANKEES 1

NEW YORK — Carlos Carrasco rejoined the Cleveland rotation in fine fashion by pitching five dominant innings and the Indians nearly tossed another shutout at Yankee Stadium, beating New York.

Jacoby Ellsbury homered with two outs in the ninth off Indians closer Cody Allen, ending New York’s season-worst scoreless streak at 19 innings.

Jason Kipnis got three hits and scored three runs as the Indians finished 4-3 against New York — only twice in the last 22 years has Cleveland taken the season matchup.

Carrasco (4-4) allowed just two singles, walked none, struck out four and retired his last 11 batters.

Cleveland evened its record at 59-59 by taking advantage of a surprisingly shaky Hiroki Kuroda (7-8).

TWINS 6, ATHLETICS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kurt Suzuki hit a tiebreaking double and Josh Willingham added two-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Twins snapped a 12-game losing streak to Oakland by beating the Athletics.

Brian Dozier connected for his 20th homer in the first before Suzuki and Willingham each had a big hit against Luke Gregerson (2-2) in the eighth.

CUBS 3, RAYS 2

(12 INNINGS)

CHICAGO — Anthony Rizzo hit a game-ending RBI single in the 12th inning, and the Cubs beat the Rays to avoid a three-game sweep.

The last-place Cubs struck out 17 times, running their total to 44 for the weekend series, but Rizzo and touted rookie Javier Baez had two hits apiece to key a 13-hit attack. Carlos Villanueva (5-6) pitched a scoreless inning to earn the victory.

ROYALS 7, GIANTS 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez each homered and Danny Duffy pitched into the seventh inning as the Royals beat the Giants to extend their winning streak to seven games.

Gordon hit a two-run shot off Tim Lincecum (9-8) in a four-run first. The inning also included Billy Butler’s run-producing double and Perez scoring on a wild pitch.

Duffy (7-10) limited the Giants to three hits, over 6 2-3 innings but permitted four runs.

Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, was roughed up for six runs on seven hits and three walks in 3 1-3 innings.

ROCKIES 5

DIAMONDBACKS 3

(10 innings)

PHOENIX — Corey Dickerson hit a tiebreaking homer with two outs in the top of the 10th inning, and the Rockies avoided a seventh straight loss to the Diamondbacks.

Dickerson, hitless in four previous at-bats, sent an 0-1 pitch from Oliver Perez (2-2) into the pool deck in right field for his 14th home run of the season.

The Rockies snapped a three-game skid overall and won for just the second time in 10 games.

PADRES 8, PIRATES 2

PITTSBURGH — Tyson Ross recovered from a two-run first to pitch six strong innings and Seth Smith hit a bases-loaded triple, leading the Padres to a victory over the Pirates.

Ross (11-10) allowed Gregory Polanco’s two-run shot in the first then shut down the Pirates. He yielded six hits and walked two.

Charlie Morton retired the first 10 batters he faced before Yangervis Solarte walked with one out in the fourth and scored Yonder Alonso’s single.

RANGERS 6, ASTROS 2

HOUSTON — Nick Martinez got his first win since May 24 and Adrian Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo both homered to lead the Rangers to a victory over the Astros, snapping a seven-game skid against their in-state rivals.

Martinez (2-8), who was pitching on five extra days’ rest, allowed five hits and two runs over five innings to end a seven-game losing streak.

Keuchel (10-8) allowed six hits and tied a season-high with five runs in six innings.

BRAVES 3, NATIONALS 1

ATLANTA — Alex Wood set a career high with 12 strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings as Atlanta continued its recent success against Washington.

By winning two of three in the weekend series, Atlanta cut Washington’s lead to 3½ games in the NL East. The Braves are 9-4 against the Nationals this season and 22-10 over the last two years.

Justin Upton homered for the Braves, who had lost nine of their last 10.

Ian Desmond’s fourth-inning homer was the only run allowed by Wood.

With the game tied 1-1, Emilio Bonifacio led off the fifth with a bunt single and scored the go-ahead run on Jason Heyward’s infield hit off Gio Gonzalez (6-9).

Wood (8-9), who allowed five hits, set another career high by throwing 124 pitches.