MILWAUKEE (AP) - The Milwaukee Brewers won their ninth in a row, with Kyle Lohse coming within one out of a complete game Sunday in a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
At 10-2, the Brewers are off to their best start since going 13-0 to start the 1987 season. This is Milwaukee’s longest winning streak since a nine-game string last April.
Lohse (2-1) gave up four hits and struck out nine in 8 2-3 innings. He fanned five straight in the seventh and eighth innings.
Lohse was pulled with two outs in the ninth after giving up a single to Andrew McCutchen. Will Smith struck out Pedro Alvarez on three pitches to record his first career save.
Charlie Morton (0-1) pitched seven innings as the Pirates lost for the fourth time in five games.
GIANTS 5, ROCKIES 4
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Brandon Crawford led off the 10th inning with a splash homer to lift the San Francisco Giants over the Colorado Rockies.
Pablo Sandoval homered and Angel Pagan drove in two runs for the Giants.
Wilin Rosario and Justin Morneau homered for the Rockies, who have lost 15 of their last 18 games in San Francisco.
Crawford turned on the second pitch thrown by Rex Brothers (1-1) and drove it into McCovey Cove for his first career walkoff homer and first splash homer.
Sergio Romo (1-0) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win.
DODGERS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 6
PHOENIX (AP) - Adrian Gonzalez homered for the fourth consecutive game and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game sweep.
Gonzalez’s three-run shot off Trevor Cahill (0-4) in the third inning gave him 10 RBIs in the series. Matt Kemp and Juan Uribe also homered for the Dodgers.
Dan Haren (2-0) allowed three runs in 5 2-3 innings. Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save.
Mark Trumbo hit a three-run homer and Eric Chavez had a solo shot for the Diamondbacks.
Dee Gordon stole a career-best four bases for the Dodgers.
BRAVES 10, NATIONALS 2
ATLANTA (AP) - Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman each hit two-run homers off Gio Gonzalez and the Atlanta Braves completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals.
The Braves have won five of six against the Nationals this year.
Washington began the day by placing third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right thumb.
Aaron Harang (2-1) allowed one run in six innings. Gonzalez gave up six runs, nine hits and four walks in six innings.
CARDINALS 6, CUBS 4
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Matt Carpenter drove in three runs, leading Michael Wacha and the St. Louis Cardinals over the Chicago Cubs.
Carpenter hit a two-run single in the second inning and added a sacrifice fly in the fourth that put St. Louis ahead to stay at 4-3.
Wacha (2-0) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1-3 innings. Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer in the first.
Trevor Rosenthal gave up a run in the ninth, but retired Luis Valbuena and Emilio Bonifacio with the tying runs on base to pick up his fourth save in as many opportunities.
Edwin Jackson (0-1) allowed four runs in six innings.
PHILLIES 4, CUBS 3
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Chase Utley extended his fast start with the tiebreaking homer among three hits, and the Philadelphia Phillies finished off a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins.
The Marlins lost their seventh in a row.
Utley raised his average to .500 through 10 games, with six doubles, three home runs and 10 RBIs. The five-time All-Star, who missed two games with the flu, has a hit in each of his games this season.
Utley broke a 3-all tie with two outs in the eighth by homering off Mike Dunn (0-1).
A.J. Bastardo (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Jonathan Papelbon got his third save.
PADRES 5, TIGERS 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Tyson Ross outdueled AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, and Jedd Gyorko and Xavier Nady homered as the San Diego Padres beat the Detroit Tigers to take two of three.
After two shaky opening starts, Ross (1-2) struck out seven and held the Tigers to one run and six hits in seven innings. He also hit an RBI single.
Scherzer (0-1) allowed four runs and four hits in five innings, struck out 10 and walked three. The Tigers have scored three runs for Scherzer in his three starts.
The Tigers have lost four of six under rookie manager Brad Ausmus, who was working in the Padres’ front office when Detroit hired him in November.
REDS 12, RAYS 4
CINCINNATI (AP) - Chris Heisey hit his first grand slam and Devin Mesoraco homered and drove in career high-tying four runs as the Cincinnati Reds took advantage of Tampa Bay’s depleted pitching staff.
The Reds’ best offensive showing of the season featured Mesoraco’s three-run homer, Joey Votto’s two-run shot and Heisey’s pinch-hit slam in the eighth. Jay Bruce doubled, walked four times and scored four runs.
Zack Cozart got it going with a bases-loaded double off Cesar Ramos (0-1), making his first start of the season because of injuries.
Tony Cingrani (1-1) got the win. Ben Zobrist homered from both sides of the plate, hitting two-run shots off Cingrani and right-hander Nick Christiani.
The Rays are 3-3 on a trip that has been tough on their rotation. Matt Moore went on the disabled list with a sore elbow on Tuesday, and Alex Cobb joined him Sunday with a strained oblique. Also, reliever Joel Peralta was sick, leaving him unavailable.
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