Baseball Capsules

DETROIT (AP) - Justin Verlander slowed down the rampaging Mets, pitching seven solid innings Thursday to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 5-2 victory over New York.

The Mets had scored a team-record 52 runs in their previous four games, including 30 in the first two of this series. Verlander (11-3) prevented a sweep, holding New York to one run and seven hits.

Verlander finished June with a 6-0 record and a 0.92 ERA, and tied CC Sabathia for the major league lead in wins this season. Verlander has won his last seven starts, allowing two or fewer runs in each.

Jose Valverde finished for his 19th save.

Daniel Murphy and Carlos Beltran homered for New York’s only runs. Andy Dirks hit a solo shot for the Tigers.

Mike Pelfrey (4-7) took the loss. The Mets start a three-game home series against the Yankees on Friday night.

Cardinals 9, Orioles 6

BALTIMORE (AP) _ Lance Berkman homered twice and Jon Jay hit a three-run shot as St. Louis completed a three-game sweep.

The Cardinals never trailed in the series and outscored Baltimore 20-9. In the finale, St. Louis built an 8-0 lead in the fourth inning and coasted to its fourth win in nine games since Albert Pujols went on the disabled list with a fractured wrist.

Berkman hit a two-run drive in the second inning and led off the seventh with a homer for his 29th career multihomer game and fourth this season.

Nolan Reimold homered and had four RBIs and Mark Reynolds hit a two-run drive for the Orioles, who fell a season-worst eight games under .500 (35-43).

Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia (7-3) gave up five runs, 10 hits and a walk in 5 1-3 innings.

Orioles starter Brian Matusz (1-4) yielded a career-high eight runs and nine hits in 3 1-3 innings and lost his fourth straight start.

Pirates 6, Blue Jays 2

TORONTO (AP) _ Jeff Karstens capped a brilliant June with another strong start and Brandon Wood hit a two-run homer as Pittsburgh won its first interleague road series since 2003.

The Pirates, who have won six of eight, had lost 17 straight interleague series away from home since taking two of three at Tampa Bay in June 2003.

Karstens (6-4) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, improving to 3-0 with a 1.52 ERA in six June starts. He walked one and struck out two.

Solo home runs by J.P. Arencibia and Yunel Escobar were the only blemishes for Karstens, who has allowed five home runs in his past two starts, all solo.

Blue Jays left-hander Brett Cecil (1-3) took the loss in his first major league start since April 20, allowing a season-high six runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings. He walked three, one intentional, and struck out six.

Astros 7, Rangers 0

HOUSTON (AP) _ Jason Michaels homered and drove in three runs and Wandy Rodriguez and three relievers combined on a four-hitter as Houston snapped an eight-game home losing streak.

Carlos Lee homered for the second straight day in the fourth inning and Chris Johnson drove in two runs in Houston’s four-run fifth as the Astros won at Minute Maid Park for the first time since June 13.

Michaels drove in a run in the fifth before pushing the lead to 7-0 with his two-run shot to left in the seventh.

Rodriguez (6-4) allowed four hits and struck out four in seven innings. David Carpenter pitched a perfect eighth in his major league debut and Fernando Abad and Mark Melancon combined on a scoreless ninth.

Elvis Andrus had two hits for the Rangers in his return after missing the last four games with a sprained left wrist.

Texas starter Matt Harrison (6-7) yielded seven hits and five runs in six innings.

Yankees 5, Brewers 0

NEW YORK (AP) _ CC Sabathia tied his career high with 13 strikeouts and Mark Teixeira hit his 300th homer to help the New York Yankees finish off June with a season-best five-game winning streak by beating the Milwaukee Brewers.

Sabathia (11-4) won for the eighth time in nine starts. He is tied with Detroit’s Justin Verlander for the major league lead in victories.

In 7 2-3 innings, Sabathia gave up six hits and two walks. Every batter he fanned came on a swinging third strike.

When Sabathia left after throwing 118 pitches, he got a roar from the fans who saw yet another daytime win. The Yankees are 23-4 in the afternoon.

Sabathia faced the Brewers for the first time since helping them reach the 2008 playoffs.

Randy Wolf (6-5) lost for the first time in eight starts since May 17.

Ryan Braun extended his hitting streak to 20 games, bringing him more than halfway to topping Paul Molitor’s team record of 39.

Red Sox 5, Phillies 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ Jon Lester tossed two-hit ball over seven shutout innings, Jason Varitek homered twice and the Boston Red Sox avoided a three-game sweep by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies got a scare when lefty Cole Hamels was forced to leave soon after being struck on the glove hand by Adrian Gonzalez’s line drive in the fourth. The Phillies said X-rays were negative and Hamels will make his next start.

The three-game series was hyped as a potential World Series preview. If it is, don’t look for much offense in October: Philadelphia outscored the Red Sox 9-6.

Lester (10-4) struck out Raul Ibanez with two runners aboard with his 120th pitch to end a game-tying threat in the seventh. Dustin Pedroia and Varitek hit back-to-back homers in the eighth to make it 5-0.

Ryan Howard hit his 17th homer in the ninth, a two-run shot off Bobby Jenks. Jonathan Papelbon got two outs for his 15th save.

With Hamels out, the Red Sox wasted no time scoring against David Herndon (0-2) in the fifth.

Marlins 5, Athletics 4

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ Chris Volstad allowed one unearned run in seven innings and John Buck hit a two-run double to help the Florida Marlins cap a miserable June by beating the Oakland Athletics for their first back-to-back wins in more than a month.

The Marlins had won just three of their first 26 games in June before the strong starts by Ricky Nolasco and Volstad (4-7) gave them their first consecutive victories and first series win since sweeping the Giants across the bay in San Francisco on May 24-26.

Oakland also traded its longest tenured player before the game, dealing second baseman Mark Ellis to Colorado for two minor leaguers.

Leo Nunez held on for his 22nd save in 25 chances. Trevor Cahill (8-6) took the loss.

White Sox 6, Rockies 4, 10 innings

DENVER (AP) _ Light-hitting Juan Pierre laced a tiebreaking, two-run single off the wall in the 10th inning, helping the Chicago White Sox rally past the Colorado Rockies.

With the bases loaded, Pierre, who’s known for his speed more than his power, turned on a pitch from Clayton Mortensen (2-4) that hit off the top of the wall in right.

The ball was hit so hard and on such a line that the runners held up on the bases, limiting Pierre to just a single. A.J. Pierzynski and Gordon Beckham scored on the play as the White Sox took two of three from the Rockies in the series. It’s also the nine straight interleague series Chicago has won on the road.

Sergio Santos pitched a perfect 10th for his 17th save in 19 chances. Jesse Crain (4-2) picked up the win by getting the last two outs in the ninth.

National League

Cubs 5, Giants 2, 13 innings

CHICAGO (AP) _ Pinch-hitter Geovany Soto’s three-run homer capped a four-run rally with two outs in the 13th inning and sent the Chicago Cubs over the San Francisco Giants.

Soto’s drive finished off an eventful day for the Cubs. Starter Carlos Zambrano left in the second inning because of soreness in his lower back, then Aramis Ramirez hit a tying home run in the ninth off San Francisco closer Brian Wilson.

The Giants were leading 2-1 after a solo shot by Pablo Sandoval in the top of the 13th off John Grabow (1-0), but the Cubs struck back against Ramon Ramirez (2-1).

Jeff Baker doubled with two outs and scored the tying run on a single by Darwin Barney. Ramirez then intentionally walked Starlin Castro and Soto, batting for Grabow, launched a 3-2 pitch over the left-field wall to give the Cubs the win and the series split.