ATLANTA (AP) - Adam Wainwright pitched eight strong innings, Matt Holliday drove in three runs and Peter Bourjos homered to lead the St. Louis Cardinals past the Atlanta Braves 7-1 on Wednesday night.
Wainwright (6-2) helped himself, leading off the third with a double and coming around to score. Holliday broke it open with a two-out, two-run single in the fourth.
Wainwright bounced back from his worst start of the season, having surrendered 10 hits and six runs to the Cubs. He allowed six hits, struck out six and was lifted after throwing 103 pitches on Wednesday.
Bourjos hit his first homer of the season in the second off Mike Minor (0-2). Minor lasted just 4 1-3 innings, roughed up for 11 hits and six runs.
One night after breaking a seven-game losing streak, their longest in nearly two years, the Braves fell again.
MARLINS 1, METS 0
MIAMI (AP) - Marcell Ozuna hit a sacrifice fly with one out in the ninth inning, and the Miami Marlins completed a three-game sweep of the New York Mets.
Miami’s Tom Koehler gave up two hits in eight innings. Steve Cishek (3-1) pitched a perfect ninth.
The Marlins went 8-1 on their homestand, a franchise record for a nine-game stay. The Mets have lost six of seven.
Giancarlo Stanton singled - only the third hit for Miami - to start the ninth against Carlos Torres (2-1). Casey McGehee walked on a 3-2 pitch, and Stanton took third on a flyout.
Kyle Farnsworth relieved and Ozuna, who had struck out in his previous three at-bats, hit a fly to center fielder Juan Lagares. His throw home was slightly off-line, and the ball skipped away from catcher Anthony Recker as a sliding Stanton tagged the plate with his left hand.
PIRATES 4, GIANTS 3
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Gerrit Cole won for the first time in nearly a month, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat San Francisco.
Cole (3-2) outpitched Tim Lincecum (2-2) for the second time in his 11-month major league career, allowing three runs and seven hits in eight innings with seven strikeouts and a walk.
Fill-in closer Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his second save in three chances.
Ike Davis had three hits for the Pirates. Brandon Belt hit his ninth homer and drove in all three runs for San Francisco.
NATIONALS 3, DODGERS 2
WASHINGTON (AP) - Stephen Strasburg recovered from another rough first inning to pitch into the eighth, Wilson Ramos produced a go-ahead sacrifice fly in his first game since opening day, and the Washington Nationals edged the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After waiting through a rain delay of more than 1½ hours to throw his first pitch, Strasburg (3-2) did what he’s done all season: struggled to get the first three outs, then been fairly dominant. This time, he gave up four consecutive singles, including run-scoring hits by Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig, during a 28-pitch first as Los Angeles went ahead 2-0.
Then Strasburg got into a groove, while his teammates scored three runs off former Nationals pitcher Dan Haren (4-1).
Rafael Soriano threw a perfect ninth for his seventh save in seven chances.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, BREWERS 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer for the second straight game to back Bronson Arroyo and lead the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Goldschmidt hit his seventh homer after Martin Prado led off the third with a single. Goldschmidt went 7 for 15 in a three-game-series.
Arizona took two of three from the team that began the day an NL-best 22-12.
Arroyo (3-2) allowed an unearned run and five hits in 7 1-3 innings. Addison Reed got his 10th save in 11 chances despite giving up a run in the ninth.
Wily Peralta (4-2) allowed 11 hits, tying his career high, and two runs in six innings.
ROYALS 8, PADRES 0
SAN DIEGO (AP) - James Shields scattered seven hits over seven innings, Eric Hosmer drove in a season-high four runs and the Kansas City Royals beat the San Diego Padres.
The Royals scored three times in the first and that was plenty for Shields (4-3). He struck out four, walked two and threw 118 pitches.
Shields won his fourth straight road start of the season. Since 2013, he is 14-4 in 24 road starts with a 2.00 ERA.
Andrew Cashner (2-5) took the loss.
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