CINCINNATI — Brandon Phillips drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double on Friday night, and Mike Leake got the better of left-hander Francisco Liriano for the third time this season, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates that tightened the NL Central.
CINCINNATI — Brandon Phillips drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double on Friday night, and Mike Leake got the better of left-hander Francisco Liriano for the third time this season, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates that tightened the NL Central.
The third-place Reds moved to within three games of second-place Pittsburgh. The Pirates lead their season series 6-5.
The Reds sent nine batters to the plate for four runs in the fifth off Liriano (9-4), who had his shortest outing of the season. Chris Heisey’s infield single drove in the first run, and Phillips’ double off Justin Wilson made it 5-0.
Heisey also had a solo homer off Liriano.
Leake (9-4) gave up solo homers to Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Russell Martin in the sixth inning. Manny Parra fanned Pedro Alvarez with runners on second and third to end the seventh.
Aroldis Chapman struck out two in the ninth while getting his 22nd save in 25 chances.
DODGERS 3, NATIONALS 2
WASHINGTON — Andre Ethier homered off Rafael Soriano to lead off the ninth inning, and the Dodgers resumed play after the All-Star break with a 3-2 win over the Nationals.
Ethier pulled a 1-2 slider just over the wall in right-center, his sixth homer of the year and the second ninth-inning homer allowed by Soriano (1-2) in three appearances.
Hanley Ramirez also homered for the Dodgers, who picked up where they left off before the break, winning for the seventh time in nine games and moving back above .500. They were 12 games below the break-even mark on June 21.
PHILLIES 13, METS 8
NEW YORK — Chase Utley, Domonic Brown and the Phillies came flying out of the All-Star break, scoring 11 runs in the first three innings on way to a rout of the Mets.
Michael Young hit a three-run homer, Utley had a two-run drive and Brown had a solo shot as the Phillies (49-48) won for the ninth time in 12 games to move over .500 for only the second time this season. Philadelphia roughed up familiar foil Jeremy Hefner in its seventh consecutive victory at Citi Field dating to last season, including a three-game sweep in April.
GIANTS 2, D’BACKS 0
SAN FRANCISCO — Chad Gaudin struck out eight in seven scoreless innings to build on his impressive monthlong stretch, All-Star Buster Posey hit an RBI double, and the Giants beat the first-place Diamondbacks.
Hunter Pence added a run-scoring single as defending World Series champion San Francisco started a key series to open the second half by pulling within 5 1/2 games of the D-backs in the NL West race.
CUBS 3, ROCKIES 1
DENVER — Jeff Samardzija pitched effectively into the eighth inning, and Anthony Rizzo doubled home the go-ahead run in the seventh, leading the Cubs past the Rockies.
Alfonso Soriano added a home run, his 17th, and Junior Lake, recalled by Chicago from Triple-A Iowa before the game, had three hits in his major league debut, including a double in his first career at-bat. Darwin Barney drove in an insurance run with a ninth-inning double.
BREWERS 2, MARLINS 0
MILWAUKEE — Juan Francisco and Carlos Gomez each hit home runs, and Kyle Lohse blanked Miami for six innings as the Brewers started the second half of the season with a victory over the Marlin.
CARDINALS 9, PADRES 6
ST. LOUIS — Jake Westbrook pitched 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball and contributed three hits, All-Star Matt Carpenter continued his strong season with three hits and three RBIs, and the Cardinals beat the Padres.