NATIONAL LEAGUE

Arrieta tosses 6 perfect innings as Cubs top Reds

Toronto Blue Jays' Melky Cabrera, center, celebrates with teammates after knocking in the winning run in the Blue Jays 7-6 walk-off win over the New York Yankees during MLB baseball action in Toronto on Tuesday, June 24, 2014.
Toronto Blue Jays' Melky Cabrera, center, celebrates with teammates after knocking in the winning run in the Blue Jays 7-6 walk-off win over the New York Yankees during MLB baseball action in Toronto on Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

CUBS 7, REDS 3

CHICAGO -- Jake Arrieta retired his first 18 batters and struck out nine in seven impressive innings, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 7-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

Arrieta (4-1) was working on a perfect game before rookie Billy Hamilton started the seventh with a single up the middle. The right-hander allowed two runs and three hits while improving to 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA in five June starts.

Anthony Rizzo belted a solo home run for the second consecutive night for the Cubs, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Welington Castillo drove in two runs, including a sacrifice fly in Chicago's three-run eighth.

Devin Mesoraco homered for the fifth consecutive game for Cincinnati, matching a franchise record. Mesoraco's 14th home run came with one out in the ninth against Neil Ramirez.

Arrieta received a warm ovation from the crowd of 28,226 after Hamilton's hit in the seventh. He retired the next two batters before Mesoraco singled to drive in Hamilton and Jay Bruce added an RBI double that cut Chicago's lead to two.

Arrieta struck out Ryan Ludwick to end the inning, completing his masterful night against one of the majors' hottest lineups. Cincinnati had won three consecutive games and nine of 12, averaging 6.7 runs and 10.2 hits per game in that stretch.

The Cubs used four relievers to get through the eighth, and Ramirez finished Chicago's 12th victory in 42 games against Cincinnati over the last three seasons.

The Reds had runners at first and second in the eighth when third baseman Mike Olt made a nice diving stop on Todd Frazier's grounder for the final out of the inning.

The start of the game was delayed 53 minutes by rain, but the pitchers adjusted quite nicely to the delay.

ROCKIES 10, CARDINALS 5 Justin Morneau hit a three-run home run and drove in six runs as host Colorado beat St. Louis to snap a seven-game losing streak. The Rockies finished with 17 hits one night after managing just three when they were shut out at home for the first time in nearly a year.

PHILLIES 7, MARLINS 4 David Buchanan (4-3) allowed 2 runs on 6 hits in 5 effective innings, Marlon Byrd hit a two-run home run and host Philadelphia snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over Miami.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

BLUE JAYS 7, YANKEES 6 Jose Reyes atoned for a pair of misplays by hitting a leadoff double in the ninth inning and scoring when Yankees third baseman Yangervis Solarte threw away a bunt, lifting Toronto over visiting New York.

WHITE SOX 4, ORIOLES 2 Jose Quintana allowed one run in seven innings, Gordon Beckham homered and Chicago beat host Baltimore to end a five-game losing streak. Alexei Ramirez had two hits and scored twice for the last-place White Sox.

TIGERS 8, RANGERS 2 Ian Kinsler homered in the first at-bat of his return to Texas as an opponent and J.D. Martinez had a tiebreaking two-run shot as visiting Detroit beat Texas.

INTERLEAGUE

PIRATES 6, RAYS 5 Andrew McCutchen drove in two runs, Jeff Locke pitched into the eighth inning, and Pittsburgh beat host Tampa Bay. Locke (1-1) allowed three runs and eight hits over 7 1/3 innings.

METS 10, ATHLETICS 1 Slumping outfielder Chris Young homered twice, Travis d'Arnaud hit a three-run shot in his return from a demotion and New York roughed up Scott Kazmir and visiting Oakland.

BRAVES 3, ASTROS 2 Brothers B.J. and Justin Upton both homered Tuesday night to lead Atlanta to a victory over host Houston. It was the fourth time the brothers have homered in the same game as teammates, tying a major league record.

DODGERS 2, ROYALS 0 Clayton Kershaw followed his first career no-hitter with eight marvelous innings, Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier drove in a run apiece and visiting Los Angeles beat Kansas City.

Sports on 06/25/2014

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