DETROIT — Jake Westbrook pitched his first complete game in over two years, giving up only an unearned run in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.
Westbrook (6-6) allowed 5 hits, struck out 5 and walked 1. It was his 14th career complete game, but his first since May 16, 2010, when he was pitching for Cleveland at Baltimore.
The Cardinals took the lead in the sixth inning when Yadier Molina hit into a bases-loaded double play, breaking a 1-1 tie. The Cardinals added an eighth-inning run on an error by Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta.
Rick Porcello (4-5) allowed 2runs and 10 hits in 7 innings.
Carlos Beltran had two hits and two walks for St. Louis.
The Cardinals loaded the bases in the sixth on a double by Matt Holliday, a walk by Beltran and a single by Allen Craig. Detroit played its infield back for a double play up the middle, and that’s exactly what the Tigers got when Molina hit a ground ball to shortstop.
Detroit managed only one more base-runner the rest of the game.
Westbrook hadn’t thrown more than seven innings in a game this year.
Tigers catcher Gerald Laird left the game in the fifth with left hamstring cramping after tagging up and advancing from first to second on a deep flyout.
Austin Jackson had two hits for the Tigers and gave them a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the third. That came after Laird hit a bloop single and went to second on an error by second baseman Daniel Descalso.
BRAVES 10, YANKEES 5 Jason Heyward hit two of a record nine home runs at the new Yankee Stadium and Atlanta outslugged New York. Freddie Freeman, Martin Prado, Heyward and David Rossall connected off Phil Hughes (7-6) to build a 6-1 lead on a sticky, 94-degree afternoon. Alex Rodriguez hit his 640th career home run, and Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter and Eric Chavez all hit long balls for the Yankees against Tommy Hanson (8-4).
INDIANS 8, REDS 1 Justin Masterson pitched a three-hitter for his first complete game this season and AL Central-leading Cleveland finished a three-game sweep of visiting Cincinnati.
METS 4, ORIOLES 3 Dillon Gee extended the Mets’ shutout streak to 29 innings before Baltimore broke through late, and host New York held off the Orioles.
NATIONALS 3, RAYS 2 Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 to win a duel with Chris Archer, Joel Peralta managed to pitch without having his glove inspected, and host Washington snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over Tampa Bay.
RANGERS 4, PADRES 2 Yu Darvish settled down to hold San Diego to five hits over eight innings and got his first major league hit to help visiting Texas beat San Diego.
RED SOX 15, MARLINS 5 David Ortiz hit a grand slam for one of Boston’s four home runs as it set a season high in runs, beating visiting Miami. Mike Aviles, Jarod Saltalamacchia andWill Middlebrooks also homered.
TWINS 2, PIRATES 1 Josh Willingham hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and visiting Minnesota scratched past Pittsburgh.
WHITE SOX 7, CUBS 0 Gavin Floyd pitched four-hit ball into the seventh, Gordon Beckham homered, and the struggling Chicago White Sox beat the visiting Chicago Cubs.
BREWERS 8, BLUE JAYS 5 Yovani Gallardo pitched into the seventh inning, Ryan Braun hit one of Milwaukee’s four home runs and the host Brewers beat Toronto.
DIAMONDBACKS 14, MARINERS 10 Ryan Roberts hit an inside-the-park home run, Justin Upton ended a long drought with a three-run shot and host Arizona tied a franchise record with six home runs during a wild victory over Seattle.
ROYALS 2, ASTROS 1 Bruce Chen pitched into the sixth inning on three days’ rest and visiting Kansas City beat Houston.
NATIONAL LEAGUE PHILLIES 7, ROCKIES 6 Todd Helton missed tagging first base to allow the winning run to score on Placido Polanco’s grounder in the ninth inning, and host Philadelphia rallied to beat Colorado.
Wednesday’s results INTERLEAGUE Atlanta 10, NY Yankees 5 Kansas City 2, Houston 1 Milwaukee 8, Toronto 3 Arizona 14, Seattle 10 Texas 4, San Diego 2 Cleveland 8, Cincinnati 1 Minnesota 2, Pittsburgh 1 St. Louis 3, Detroit 1 Washington 3, Tampa Bay 2 NY Mets 4, Baltimore 3 Boston 15, Miami 5 Chicago White Sox 7, Chicago Cubs 0 LA Dodgers at Oakland, (n) San Francisco at LA Angels, (n) NATIONAL LEAGUE Philadelphia 7, Colorado 2
Sports, Pages 22 on 06/21/2012