LOS ANGELES — Jon Jay hit a go-ahead RBI double during a three-run 12th inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals split a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, beating them 5-2 on Sunday and regaining undisputed possession of the second NL wild card spot.
LOS ANGELES — Jon Jay hit a go-ahead RBI double during a three-run 12th inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals split a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, beating them 5-2 on Sunday and regaining undisputed possession of the second NL wild card spot.
John Ely (0-2) issued a leadoff walk to Matt Carpenter, and Jay drove him home from second base with a line drive into the right field corner on an 0-2 pitch. Jay scored on an infield hit up the middle by Allen Craig, and Yadier Molina walked with the bases loaded.
Rookie Shelby Miller (1-0) pitched one inning for his first major league victory.
Jason Motte got three outs for his 35th save in 42 chances after giving up the tying and winning runs in Saturday night’s 4-3 loss.
D’backs 10, Giants 2
PHOENIX — Rookie Patrick Corbin pitched a career-long eight innings and drove in four runs with a triple and a single.
The RBIs and the extra-base hit were firsts for Corbin, who entered the game batting .071 (2-for-28).
Justin Upton had a solo homer and a two-run double as the Diamondbacks averted a three-game Giants sweep.
Corbin (6-7) tripled in three runs in Arizona’s five-run fourth inning. The young left-hander scattered eight hits, striking out five and walking one.
For the second straight start against Arizona, Ryan Vogelsong (12-9) lasted just 3 1/3 innings. He allowed seven runs, six earned, on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks, one intentional.
Cubs 13, Pirates 9
CHICAGO — Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs and drove in six.
Rizzo hit a two-run shot in a four-run fifth inning, then capped a five-run sixth with his first career grand slam to seize the lead for Chicago. The six RBIs are a career high, and it was also the 23-year-old’s first multihomer game.
Pedro Alvarez hit two homers and drove in five for the Pirates, who lost for the 12th time in 15 games. Pittsburgh came into play Sunday two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild card.
Rod Barajas went deep for Pittsburgh, and Joe Mather hit a solo shot for the Cubs.
Staked to a 6-1 lead, the Pirates were unable to hold off the feisty Cubs, who have taken five of the last six against Pittsburgh.
Reds 5, Marlins 4 (11)
MIAMI — Ryan Ludwick hit a go-ahead single in the 11th inning to lift the Cincinnati Reds over the Miami Marlins.
Ludwick, Dioner Navarro and Didi Gregorius each had three hits for the Reds, who tied a season high with 17 hits.
Jonathan Broxton came on to pitch the bottom of the 11th for his second save with the Reds.
Carlos Zambrano (7-10) was the Marlins’ ninth pitcher of the game when he came on to pitch the 11th. Zambrano issued a lead-off single to Chris Heisey and walked Joey Votto before Ludwick singled through the left side, scoring Heisey for a 5-4 lead.
Astros 7, Phillies 6
HOUSTON — Justin Maxwell hit a two-run double, and Matt Dominguez added a two-run single in Houston’s four-run seventh inning.
Philadelphia lost three of four against Houston to fall 3 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the National League wild card race.
Carlos Corporan and Scott Moore homered for the Astros, who remained one loss away from reaching 100 for the second straight season.
Brewers 3, Mets 0
MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun hit two home runs, and rookie pitcher Wily Peralta gave up two singles in eight innings.
The reigning most valuable player now has 201 home runs in his career, as Milwaukee won for the 20th time in its last 26 games to remain 2 games out of the second wild-card spot. The left fielder leads the league with a career-high 40 homers.
Peralta (2-0) struck out five and walked one in his third start, and he got his first major league hit when he doubled in the seventh.
Padres 12, Rockies 11
SAN DIEGO — Rookie Yonder Alonso singled in the winning run in the ninth to cap a wild offensive affair.
Colorado scored six times in the eighth to tie the game on rookie Josh Rutledge’s grand slam.
In the ninth, Everth Cabrera reached on a one-out infield single against Matt Belisle (3-7). With two outs, Belisle balked Cabrera to second and then intentionally walked Chase Headley to bring up Alonso.
The left-hander lined a ball right at left fielder Andrew Brown, whose throw was slightly late to the plate as Cabrera slid in with the winning run.
BRAVES 5, NATIONALS 1
ATLANTA — Mike Minor threw six strong innings, and Dan Uggla broke it open with a two-run single as Atlanta denied Gio Gonzalez his 20th win and completed a sweep of first-place Washington.
Minor (9-10) allowed five hits before turning it over to the bullpen. Cory Gearrin, Luis Avilan and Chad Durbin each worked a scoreless inning to close it out.