NEW YORK: Felix Doubront pitched six scoreless innings and rookies Javier Baez and Matt Szczur homered as the Chicago Cubs held on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates to snap a season-worst seven-game losing streak.
Doubront (2-1) allowed four hits in his third start since being acquired from the Boston Red Sox in a trade. He helped send the Pirates to just their second loss in their last nine games.
Pittsburgh (78-70) remained 1 1/2 games in front of the Milwaukee Brewers for the second National League wild card but fell three games adrift of the St Louis Cardinals in the NL Central race.
Szczur led off the eighth with his first major league home run to give the Cubs a 6-0 lead.
Nationals 10, Mets 3
Bryce Harper continued to thrive when the Washington Nationals’ left fielder hit a mammoth two-run homer in the second inning to jumpstart a rout of the New York Mets. The Nationals (84-63) racked up 16 hits - and had at least one in every inning - in beating the Mets for the 13th time in the last 14 games at Citi Field.
Washington’s second win in the three-game series reduced its magic number for winning the National League East to the six.
Reds 5, Brewers 1
Center fielder Billy Hamilton’s two-run triple in the seventh inning gave the Cincinnati Reds some much-needed breathing room in a victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Cincinnati was leading 2-1 through six innings, and with left-hander Zack Duke on in relief of right-hander Yovani Gallardo, the Reds put two runners on with singles by left fielder Ryan Ludwick and pinch-hitter Jason Bourgeois.
Third baseman Todd Frazier finished with three hits and scored twice for the Reds (71-78), who got six strong innings from left-hander David Holmberg.
Royals 7, Red Sox 1
Second baseman Omar Infante, who was dropped from second to seventh in the batting order, went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and right-hander Jeremy Guthrie pitched eight strong innings as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Boston Red Sox.REUTERS
