Baseball-Highlights of Friday's MLB games

(Adds late games) April 18 (The Sports Xchange) - Highlights of Fridays' Major League Baseball games: - - Nationals 3, Cardinals 1 Gio Gonzalez pitched seven strong innings and his team mates scored two runs on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh as the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1. St. Louis starter Michael Wacha (2-1) uncorked the wild pitch that allowed Ian Desmond, the Washington shortstop, to score from third. When Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina threw wildly to Wacha in an attempt to get Desmond, the ball rolled into the St. Louis dugout as Washington second baseman Danny Espinosa, who had been on second, came in to score to make it 3-1. - - Marlins 8, Mariners 4 Right fielder Giancarlo Stanton hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the Miami Marlins to an 8-4 win over the Seattle Mariners. It was the fifth walk-off grand slam in Marlins history. The Marlins had three runners caught on the base paths, made a three-base error that cost them two runs, blew a late lead and still managed to beat the Mariners. - - Rays 11, Yankees 5 The Tampa Bay Rays rallied for eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings to bounce back from a 4-0 deficit for an 11-5 win over the New York Yankees. New York saw three relievers give up four hits in the seventh, with first baseman James Loney getting the key hit with a two-out, two-run single to right field off reliever Adam Warren to take the lead. Shortstop Yunel Escobar singled to open the inning and scored on pinch-hitter Desmond Jennings' two-out single to cut the Yankees' lead to 5-4. The bullpen collapse ended a five-game win streak for the Yankees. - - Orioles 8, Red Sox 4 Light-hitting third baseman Jonathan Schoop went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and winning pitcher Chris Tillman labored through five innings to lift the Baltimore Orioles to an 8-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Right fielder Nick Markakis had two doubles and drove in a run while designated hitter Nelson Cruz had a two-run single for the Orioles. Schoop, batting ninth in the order, came in hitting just .244 with one homer and six RBIs. Tillman gave up three runs and seven hits, walking four and striking out five while throwing 122 pitches. Red Sox starter John Lackey took the loss, giving up six runs and 10 hits in 5-1/3 innings. - - Reds 4, Cubs 1 Right-hander Alfredo Simon picked up his second win in three starts by holding the Chicago Cubs to a single run on four hits in the Cincinnati Reds' 4-1 victory. Simon pitched six innings, while Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija pitched a strong seven innings but still lost. The Reds opened a 1-0 lead in the fifth when leadoff batter Billy Hamilton looped a ball past left fielder Junior Lake to score catcher Devin Mesoraco from third. The Reds had the bases loaded in the sixth with one out second baseman Emilio Bonifacio's throw to first went wide allowing right fielder Jay Bruce and left fielder Ryan Ludwick coming home on the error to make it 3-0. - - Braves 6, Mets 0 Right-hander Aaron Harang threw seven no-hit innings but the Atlanta Braves' pursuit of the franchise's first no-hitter in 20 years ended when Luis Avilan gave up a single to New York Mets third baseman David Wright with two outs in the eighth inning of the Braves' 6-0 win. A two-run homer by first baseman Freddie Freeman in the top of the eighth fueled a four-run outburst by the Braves that blew open a 1-0 game and ensured the only remaining suspense would be whether or not Braves relievers could finish what Harang had started. - - Brewers 5, Pirates 3 Catcher Martin Maldonado went 3-for-3 and literally knocked the cover off the ball as Kyle Lohse pitched 6-1/3 solid innings to lift the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Maldonado provided a memorable moment in the top of the sixth inning with the Brewers leading 4-2 as the baseball's cover came loose when he connected on a pitch from right-hander Charlie Morton. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez fielded the ball and made a throw to first base though the ball fluttered and fell short of its intended target. - - Blue Jays 3, Indians 2 First baseman Edwin Encarnacion's RBI single capped a two-run seventh inning to lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Toronto right-hander Drew Hutchison held Cleveland scoreless on five hits through the first five innings. The Indians scored twice in the sixth inning to take a 2-1 lead when second baseman Jason Kipnis led off the inning with an infield single before third baseman Carlos Santana then belted his first home run of the season. - - Angels 11, Tigers 6 Albert Pujols hit the 497th home run of his career and Jered Weaver stymied Detroit for six innings to lead the Los Angeles Angels to an 11-6 victory over the Tigers. The right-handed Weaver threw a majority of curveballs with a sprinkling of changeups and sliders to offset a fastball that barely cracks 90mph and allowed Detroit just three hits, walking three and striking out three. Pujols, on the verge of becoming the 26th player to reach 500 home runs, cranked a fastball from right-hander Luke Putkonen into the Tigers' bullpen with two on in the sixth. Howie Kendrick also belted two, two-run homers. - - Rangers 12, White Sox 0 Rangers starter Martin Perez completed his first career complete-game shutout as Texas thumped the Chicago White Sox 12-0. Perez struck out eight and allowed just three hits. Rangers center fielder Leonys Martin led the offensive charge, going 3-for-5 with a triple and a home run. Catcher Robinson Chirinos went 3-for-4 with his second homer of the season. - - Royals 5, Twins 0 Jason Vargas pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals improved to 8-0 when scoring at least four runs with a 5-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Third-baseman Mike Moustakas connected on his second home run in three games in the bottom of the sixth to give Vargas a comfortable cushion. His 389-foot blast to right field drove home designated hitter Billy Butler to give the Royals the 5-0 lead. Vargas (2-0) scattered seven hits, with one walk and four strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 1.24. - - Rockies 12, Phillies 1 Colorado cleanup hitter Troy Tulowitzki used his patience first and then his power to help the Colorado Rockies wallop the Philadelphia Phillies 12-1. He went 3-for-3 with a double, home run and a crucial walk and had five RBIs, all with two out. Tulowitzki singled home a run in the sixth. He hit a three-run homer in the second, doubled home a run in the fourth and drew a 14-pitch walk that loaded the bases with one out in the first, setting the stage for a four-run inning. Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood held the Phillies hitless for 4 2/3 innings and limited them to two singles, their only hits, and one unearned run in seven innings. He got 14 outs on ground balls and recorded one walk and six strikeouts. - - - Padres 2, Giants 1 San Diego Padres right-hander Tyson Ross shut out the Giants on four hits over eight innings and Yasmani Grandal hit the Padres' fourth pinch-hit homer of the season in a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Ross (2-2, 2.13 ERA) allowed four hits and a walk with nine strikeouts over eight innings. Padres closer Huston Street picked up his sixth save despite giving up a one-out homer in the ninth to Giants first baseman Brandon Belt. Street struck out Giants catcher Hector Sanchez with the tying run on second, giving the Padres 12 strikeouts for the game. - - - A's 11, Astros 3 The Oakland A's scored seven first-inning runs and cruised to an 11-3 victory over the Houston Astros. The A's collected 10 hits but got plenty of gifts from the Houston pitchers, who issued 10 walks. Both teams had 10 hits, and left fielder Yoenis Cespedes and right fielder Josh Reddick each had three for the A's, who hit four home runs. - - - Diamondbacks 4, Dodgers 2 (12) Second baseman Aaron Hill hit a two-run single in the top of the 12th inning to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Diamondbacks not only broke a six-game losing streak but earned their first victory against the Dodgers after five losses this season. Center fielder A.J. Pollock began the 12th by hitting a double off right-handed reliever Chris Perez (0-1), who then hit pinch-hitter Cliff Pennington. Right fielder Gerardo Parra followed with a sacrifice bunt to put both runners into scoring position and Hill then brought Pollock and Pennington home with a looping fly ball that fell in for a single. (Compiled by Ben Everill)