WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper hit his first big league home run, and Chad Tracy and Xavier Nady each connected in the eighth inning, leading the Washington Nationals to an 8-5 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper hit his first big league home run, and Chad Tracy and Xavier Nady each connected in the eighth inning, leading the Washington Nationals to an 8-5 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
Harper became the youngest major leaguer to homer since 1998, going deep on a solo shot to straightaway center field in the third inning off right-hander Tim Stauffer. The home run came in the outfielder’s 15th game and 54th at-bat with the Nationals.
Craig Stammen (3-0) got the win in relief, while Sean Burnett picked up his first save. Miles Mikolas (0-1) took the loss.
PHILLIES 5, ASTROS 1
PHILADELPHIA — Joe Blanton pitched seven-plus strong innings, and Placido Polanco homered for his 2,000th career hit to lead Philadelphia over Houston.
Blanton (4-3) allowed six hits and one run, struck out seven and walked one while pitching in a steady light rain throughout. The right-hander continued his solid recent stretch, improving to 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his last four starts.
Marwin Gonzalez, pinch-hitting to lead off the eighth, hit his first major league homer for the Astros’ lone run. Lucas Harrell (2-3) took the loss.
REDS 3, BRAVES 1
ATLANTA — Brandon Phillips drove in the go-ahead run with a double off the centerfield wall, and Cincinnati scored two runs off Jonny Venters in the eighth inning to beat Atlanta.
The game was tied 1-1 when Drew Stubbs led off the eighth with an infield hit between the pitcher’s mound and third base. Stubbs moved to second base on a wild pitch by Venters (2-2). With one out, Phillips drove in Stubbs with the double. Chris Heisey added another double, his third hit of the game, to drive in Phillips.
Logan Ondrusek (3-0) gave up one hit and one walk while recording two outs for the win, while Sean Marshall pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
METS 3, BREWERS 1
NEW YORK — Miguel Batista pitched seven shutout innings of four-hit ball, and Daniel Murphy supplied the offense, sending the surprising New York Mets past Milwaukee.
Given a vote of confidence by manager Terry Collins before the game, struggling closer Frank Francisco bounced back from a pair of rough outings to earn his ninth save.
Murphy extended his recent tear at the plate by hitting an RBI single and scoring on a suicide squeeze — a play the Brewers failed to execute earlier.
The 41-year-old Batista (1-1), replacing injured Mike Pelfrey in the rotation, outpitched Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo (2-4), who matched his career high with six walks in six shaky innings.
PIRATES 3, MARLINS 2
MIAMI — Brad Lincoln pitched six innings to earn a victory in his first start of the season, and Pittsburgh ended a streak of eight consecutive losses against Florida.
Lincoln (3-0), who had come out of the bullpen in his seven previous appearances this season, departed for a pinch-hitter with a 3-2 lead and an ERA of 1.33. He allowed four hits and walked one.
The Pirates hadn’t beaten the Marlins since 2010 and went 0-6 against them last year. Miami’s Anibal Sanchez (2-1) took the loss.
CUBS 6, CARDINALS 4
ST. LOUIS — Alfonso Soriano singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs sent St. Louis to its fourth-straight loss at home.
Bryan LaHair had three hits for the Cubs, including a two-run homer to break a 1-for-14 slump. Chicago’s late rally wasn’t enough to make a winner of starter Ryan Dempster, whose winless streak reached 15 starts dating to last August.
Shawn Camp (2-1) allowed one hit in two innings of work and Rafael Dolis worked the ninth for his fourth save. Mitchell Boggs (0-1) took the loss.
DODGERS 3, D-BACKS 1
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw outpitched Ian Kennedy after exchanging brushback pitches with his fellow ace, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers over Arizona without injured star Matt Kemp.
The Dodgers center fielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list following the game because of a strained left hamstring. Kemp had played 399 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors.
Andre Ethier homered in Kemp’s absence as the Dodgers won their fifth straight.
Kemp missed his first game since Aug. 18, 2009.
Kershaw (3-1) scattered four hits over seven innings and Kenley Jansen earned his fourth save, helping the Dodgers improve the best record in the majors to 24-11.
Ian Kennedy (3-3) allowed three runs — two earned — and six hits in six innings.
GIANTS 3, ROCKIES 1
SAN FRANCISCO — Buster Posey hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning, and San Francisco beat Colorado to match its best winning streak of the season at three games.
Gregor Blanco hit a tying home run leading off the sixth for San Francisco and also added a pair of singles, including one to start the rally in the eighth against loser Rex Brothers (1-2).
Joaquin Arias then beat out an infield single when Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario tried to let the bunt up the first base line roll foul, and it stayed fair.
He rushed his throw to first, and the ball got past Todd Helton for an error that moved Blanco to third.
Sergio Romo (2-0) struck out Michael Cuddyer with runners on second and third to end the eighth for the win.