INTERLEAGUE

Cruz gets best of Cardinals for second day in row

ST. LOUIS - Nelson Cruz had the decisive hit for the second consecutive game with a two-run home run in the third inning and Martin Perez prevailed in a matchup of rookie starters as the Texas Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Saturday night.

Shelby Miller (8-5) allowed two home runs for the second time in three starts and didn’t make it out of the sixth against the team the Cardinals beat in the 2011 World Series making its first regular-season visit to Busch Stadium.

A.J. Pierzynski also hit a two-run home run for Texas, which goes for a three-game sweep tonight with Nick Tepesch (3-6, 4.84) facing Adam Wainwright (10-4, 2.37). Thefirst two games have been sellouts, and the finale was supposed to be a match up of aces but the Rangers are saving Yu Darvish for the Yankees on Tuesday in New York.

Perez (1-1) was recalled from Class AAA Round Rock where he was 5-1 with a 1.75 ERA. The left hander allowed a run in each of the first two innings but gave up just two hits the next five innings and retired the last 10.

Though perhaps the Rangers’ top prospect, Perez entered 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA with 7 starts.

Joe Nathan wrapped up a game that had all of the scoring in the first three innings with a perfect ninth for his 24th save in 25 chances. The start of the game was delayed by rain 66 minutes. It was the second such delay this week.

Cruz snapped a 2-2 third-inning tie with a two-run home run, his19th of the season. He also singled and has four hits and five RBI the first two games of the series.

ASTROS 4, CUBS 3 Ronny Cedeno’s squeeze bunt scored Justin Maxwell with the tie breaking run in the ninth inning to lead visiting Houston over Chicago.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

DIAMONDBACKS 4, REDS 3 Jason Kubel hit a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to rally host Arizona past Aroldis Chapman (3-3) and Cincinnati.

DODGERS 6, PADRES 1 Zack Greinke allowed one run over eight sharp innings, Adrian Gonzalez ended a wild Edinson Volquez’s no-hit bid with a home run in the sixth and visiting Los Angeles beat San Diego.

BREWERS 2, BRAVES 0 Francisco Rodriguez earned his 300th save, finishing off host Milwaukee’s second consecutive 2-0 victory over slumping Atlanta.

GIANTS 2, MARLINS 1 Hector Sanchez singled home the winning run with one out in the 11th inning, and host San Francisco snapped a nine-game home losing streak to Miami.

PHILLIES 8, METS 7 Pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen homered leading off the ninth, lifting host Philadelphia to a victory over New York.

ROCKIES 7, NATIONALS 1 Jhoulys Chacin (6-3) pitched seven shutout innings and had an RBI single and visiting Colorado snapped its season-high five-game losing skid by beating Washington.

AMERICAN LEAGUE BLUE JAYS 4, ORIOLES 2 Jose Bautista hit a tie breaking home run in the eighth inning and host Toronto won its 10th consecutive game, beating Baltimore.

INDIANS 8, TWINS 7 Michael Bourn had three hits and three RBI as host Cleveland won its fourth consecutive with a victory against Minnesota.

TIGERS 10, RED SOX 3 Max Scherzer won his 11th consecutive decision to start the season and Victor Martinez hit a first-inning grand slam to lead host Detroit over Boston.

WHITE SOX 3, ROYALS 2 Alejandro De Aza drove in Jordan Danks with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, sending visiting Chicago to a victory over Kansas City.

YANKEES 7, RAYS 5 Vernon Wells had a pinch-hit, three-run double, and host New York rallied to beat Tampa Bay.

Saturday’s games

NATIONAL LEAGUE Colorado 7, Washington 1 San Francisco 2, Miami 1 (11) Philadelphia 8, NY Mets 7 Milwaukee 2, Atlanta 0 Arizona 4, Cincinnati 3 LA Dodgers 6, San Diego 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE NY Yankees 7, Tampa Bay 5 Toronto 4, Baltimore 2 Chicago White Sox 3, Kansas City 2 Detroit 10, Boston 3 Cleveland 8, Minnesota 7 Oakland at Seattle, (n)

INTERLEAGUE Houston 4, Chicago Cubs 3 Texas 4, St. Louis 2 Pittsburgh at LA Angels, (n)

Sports, Pages 30 on 06/23/2013

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