PITTSBURGH (AP) - Addison Russell set a career high with four hits, Jason Heyward homered for the third time in four games and drove in four runs as the Chicago Cubs jumped on the Pittsburgh Pirates early in a 14-3 victory on Monday night.
Ben Zobrist added three RBIs for Chicago as the defending World Series champions won for the fifth time in six games. Anthony Rizzo had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Miguel Montero all had two hits apiece for the Cubs.
Chicago scored four runs with two outs in the first inning off Chad Kuhl (1-2) and added five more in the second to give Brett Anderson (2-0) all the breathing room he would need.
Anderson struggled at times with his command, walking six in six innings while striking out three and allowed three runs, one earned.
ROCKIES 8, NATIONALS 4
DENVER (AP) - Charlie Blackmon hit a two-run homer in the seventh, Colorado’s lights-out bullpen threw three-plus scoreless innings and the Rockies beat Washington, ending the Nationals’ seven-game winning streak.
Trailing 4-3, Blackmon lined a hanging slider from lefty Enny Romero (1-1) into the right-field stands. It was Blackmon’s sixth homer of the season and followed a pinch-hit double from Pat Valaika - his first hit of the season.
The Rockies’ relievers came through once again after starter Tyler Anderson wore down. Carlos Estevez (2-0) got four outs and Adam Ottavino threw an effective eighth. Greg Holland pitched the ninth in a non-save situation after the Rockies added three insurance runs in the eighth. He got pinch-hitter Bryce Harper to ground out to end the game.
The Rockies’ bullpen is now 6-0 with a 2.62 ERA, which is tops in the NL.
BREWERS 11, REDS 7
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Eric Thames homered twice to raise his major league-leading total to 10, Hernan Perez added a three-run shot, Matt Garza pitched for the first time this season and the Brewers beat the Reds.
The left-handed batting Thames got just enough muscle on an 0-2 pitch from Amir Garrett (2-2) to slice an opposite-field, two-run homer in the second. He extended his home-run streak against the Reds this season to five consecutive games with a solo shot to right in the first. Perez’s three-run homer capped that inning.
Seven of Thames’ 10 major-league leading home runs have come off the Reds’ hurlers, including five in the four-game series in mid-April at Cincinnati.
Garza, who suffered a right groin strain at the end of spring training, was reinstated from the disabled list before the game. He allowed one earned run on four hits. Five relievers followed and Carlos Torres (1-2) picked up the win.
ORIOLES 6, RAYS 3
BALTIMORE (AP) - Adam Jones hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning, Hyun Soo Kim and Jonathan Schoop also went deep, and the Orioles beat the Rays on a cold, damp night at Camden Yards.
All three home runs were off Chris Archer (2-1), who gave up five runs, six hits and five walks in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander didn’t allow a long ball in his previous four starts this season.
Baltimore trailed 3-1 before Kim and Schoop connected on successive pitches in the sixth inning. In the seventh, Archer hit Seth Smith with a pitch, and Jones followed with a drive deep into the left-field seats.
It was the fifth win in seven games for the Orioles, whose 13-5 record is best in the American League.
TWINS 3, RANGERS 2
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Brian Dozier hit a bases-clearing double and the Twins beat Texas, ending the Rangers’ AL-best four-game winning streak.
Dozier’s two-out double in the fifth came after Martin Perez (1-3) walked the bases loaded, giving free passes to the three of the bottom four batters in the Twins lineup. Dozier had only three RBIs his first 17 games this season.
Those were the only walks and runs allowed by Perez in his six innings.
Phil Hughes (3-1) allowed two runs on six hits over six innings. The right-hander, who has won all three of his road starts this season, struck out two and walked one.
Brandon Kintzler worked the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances. The right-hander hasn’t allowed a run in his 9 1-3 innings over nine appearances.
The Rangers (9-11), the AL West champion the past two seasons, missed a chance to reach .500 for the first time this year. They were coming off a four-game series sweep against Kansas City.
WHITE SOX 12, ROYALS 1
CHICAGO (AP) - Matt Davidson had two hits and three RBIs in an eight-run sixth, Chicago’s highest-scoring inning in five years, and the White Sox routed the struggling Royals.
Miguel Gonzalez (3-0) lowered his ERA to 2.00, allowing an unearned run and two hits in eight innings.
Davidson set a career-high with three hits and tied his best with four RBIs. Melky Cabrera, Todd Frazier and Tyler Saladino drove in two runs each for the White Sox, who out-hit the Royals 15-2.
Chicago put together its high-scoring inning since a nine-run fifth against Texas on July 3, 2012. The Royals have lost five straight and scored a major league-low 47 runs.
Jason Vargas (3-1) gave up four runs - three earned - and seven hits in five innings. His ERA rose from a big league-best 0.44 to 1.40.
GIANTS 2, DODGERS 1
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Matt Cain pitched six scoreless innings to beat the Dodgers for the first time in nearly four years, and the Giants snapped a four-game losing streak with a win against Los Angeles.
Joe Panik hit a second-inning sacrifice fly off Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-4) in just the Giants’ second victory in their last eight games. Hunter Pence added a key RBI single for insurance in the seventh.
Top prospect Christian Arroyo was promoted by the Giants to be the new regular third baseman and he went 0 for 4 with three groundouts to second and a strikeout.
Cain (2-0) allowed two hits, struck out three and walked one and has been a steady presence in San Francisco’s rotation so far. He beat the Dodgers for the first time since May 5, 2013, also at AT&T Park.
Mark Melancon finished for his fourth save.
DIAMONDBACKS 7, PADRES 6
PHOENIX (AP) - Zack Greinke struck out 11 in six innings, Chris Owings hit his first career grand slam and the Diamondbacks held on to beat the Padres.
David Peralta homered and singled twice for the Diamondbacks, whose 9-2 start at home ties the best in club history.
Greinke (2-2) gave up a run on six hits, including three singles by Yangervis Solarte, with no walks and left with a 6-1 lead.
Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save in six tries.
Jhoulys Chacin (1-0), the winner in a 1-0 Padres victory over Greinke and Arizona last Thursday, gave up seven runs and eight hits over six innings.
Wil Myers and Austin Hedges homered for San Diego to make it a one-run game.
ANGELS 2, BLUE JAYS 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - With the infield playing in, Cameron Maybin broke from third on contact and scored on a close play at the plate in the fifth inning to give the Angels a victory over the Blue Jays.
Right-hander Jesse Chavez, who took the loss in Friday’s 13-inning loss to Toronto, went six innings for the Angels, holding the Blue Jays to one run on four hits. Chavez (2-3) walked four but struck out seven.
Bud Norris pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second save.
Catcher Russell Martin’s solo home run in the fourth accounted for Toronto’s only run. It was Martin’s second of the season.
The Angels tied the score in the bottom of the fourth when a Mike Trout double turned into a triple after right-fielder Jose Bautista slipped. Albert Pujols singled to score Trout.
The Angels’ winning rally in the fifth came against Francisco Liriano (1-2).
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