CINCINNATI - Brandon Phillips drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double and Mike Leake got the better of left-hander Francisco Liriano for the third time this season, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-3 victory Friday night over the Pittsburgh Pirates to tighten the National League Central as teams resumed play after the All-Star break.
The third-place Reds moved to within three games of second-place Pittsburgh. The Pirates, who are two games behind NL Central leader St. Lous, lead the season series 6-5.
The Reds sent nine batters to the plate for four runs in the fifth off Liriano (9-4), who had his shortest outing of the season. Chris Heisey’s infield single drove in the first run, and Phillips’ double off Justin Wilson made it 5-0.
Heisey also had a home run off Liriano, who is 0-3 in three starts against Leake and the Reds this season.
Leake (9-4) gave up home runs to Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Russell Martin in the sixth inning. Manny Parra struck out Pedro Alvarez with runners on second and third to end the seventh.
Aroldis Chapman struck out two in the ninth while getting his 22nd save in 25 chances.
DODGERS 3, NATIONALS 2 Andre Ethier homered off Rafael Soriano to lead off the ninth inning, and Los Angeles defeated host Washington. Ethier pulled a 1-2 slider just over the wall in right-center, his sixth home run of the year and the second ninth-inning home run allowed by Soriano (1-2) in three appearances.
PHILLIES 13, METS 8 Chase Utley, Domonic Brown and visiting Philadelphia came flying out of the All-Star break, scoring 11 runs in the first three innings on the way to a rout of NewYork. Michael Young hit a three-run home run, Utley had a two-run drive and Brown a solo shot as the Phillies (49-48) won for the ninth time in12 games to move over .500 for only the second time this season.
CARDINALS 9, PADRES 6 Jake Westbrook pitched 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball and contributed three hits, All-Star Matt Carpenter continued his strong season with three hits and three RBI, and St. Louis beat visiting San Diego. A career .116 hitter, Westbrook had never had more than one hit in a game.
BREWERS 2, MARLINS 0 Juan Francisco and Carlos Gomez each hit home runs and Kyle Lohse pitched six scoreless innings as host Milwaukee defeated Miami.
CUBS 3, ROCKIES 1 Jeff Samardzija pitched effectively into the eighth inning and Anthony Rizzo doubled home the go-ahead run in the seventh, leading visiting Chicago past Colorado.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RED SOX 4, YANKEES 2 Jacoby Ellsbury and Johnny Gomes homered, and Felix Doubront out pitched Andy Pettitte to lead host Boston to a victory over depleted New York in the opener of their three-game series.
RAYS 8, BLUE JAYS 5 Ryan Roberts singled home the tie breaking run in the eighth inning and visiting Tampa Bay beat Toronto. Evan Longoria, Wil Myers, Kelly Johnson and Ben Zobrist each had home runs against Toronto starter Esmil Rogers, but it was former Blue Jay Roberts whose two-out single off Steve Delabar that was the key in lifting the Rays to their 15th victory in 17 games.
ROYALS 1, TIGERS 0 Ervin Santana allowed two singles in 7 1/3 innings and host Kansas City beat Detroit to snap a five-game losing streak.
ORIOLES 3, RANGERS 1 Matt Wieters homered, Wei-Yin Chen pitched into the seventh inning and visiting Baltimore beat Texas. Nick Markakis had an RBI double and a home run-robbing catch for the Orioles in Manager Buck Showalter’s 250th victory with the team since being hired in July 2010.
TWINS 3, INDIANS 2 Joe Mauer’s two-out RBI single in the eighth inning lifted host Minnesota to a victory over Cleveland.
INTERLEAGUE
BRAVES 6, WHITE SOX 4 Brian McCann hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to break open a tie game and Atlanta defeated host Chicago.
Friday’s games
NATIONAL LEAGUE LA Dodgers 3, Washington 2 Philadelphia 13, NY Mets 8 Cincinnati 5, Pittsburgh 3 Milwaukee 2, Miami 0 St. Louis 9, San Diego 6 Chicago Cubs 3, Colorado 1 Arizona at San Francisco, (n)
AMERICAN LEAGUE Tampa Bay 8, Toronto 5 Boston 4, NY Yankees 2 Baltimore 3, Texas 1 Minnesota 3, Cleveland 2 Kansas City 1, Detroit 0 Seattle 10, Houston 7 Oakland at LA Angels, (n)
INTERLEAGUE Atlanta 6, Chicago White Sox 4
Sports, Pages 22 on 07/20/2013