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Baseball Capsules

CHICAGO -- Starlin Castro hit a three-run homer, and Edwin Jackson got the better of Charlie Morton, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.

Chris Coghlan added a solo shot as the Cubs opened a 10-game homestand with their fourth win in five games. Last-place Chicago is 18-13 since May 17.

Jackson (5-7) pitched five innings and earned his first win in four matchups this year against Morton (4-8). He allowed three runs on Jordy Mercer's fifth homer and five hits. It was his second win in six starts.

Pittsburgh rookie Gregory Polanco opened the game with a single, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. He is the first NL player to begin his career with such a streak since Juan Pierre's 16-game run for Colorado in 2000.

The Pirates have lost four of five since a four-game winning streak.

MARLINS 3, METS 2

MIAMI -- Left fielder Marcell Ozuna cut down the potential tying run at the plate in the eighth and ninth innings -- including Kirk Nieuwenhuis to end the game -- to help Miami beat the New York Mets.

Ozuna threw out Nieuwenhuis, who was trying to score on Chris Young's fly ball to left field. He also got David Wright to end the eighth after the Mets cut the deficit to 3-2.

Adeiny Hechavarria drove in two runs for the Marlins.

Henderson Alvarez (4-3) pitched 6 1-3 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits without a walk and struck out five. In his past six starts, he is 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA.

Steve Cishek allowed a double to Nieuwenhuis to open the ninth, but earned his 17th save in 18 chances.

Mets starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-1) allowed one run and six hits in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out four. New York had a two-game winning streak snapped.

YANKEES 5, ORIOLES 3

NEW YORK -- Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the New York Yankees over Baltimore for their fourth straight win.

Beltran connected off Zach Britton (3-1) right after Brian McCann hit an RBI single. The Yankees struggled with runners in scoring position until the ninth.

Brett Gardner led off the ninth with a single. After Derek Jeter struck out looking and Jacoby Ellsbury flied out, Mark Teixeira walked.

McCann then singled home a run, setting up Beltran's first walkoff homer since 2008, for the New York Mets. It was the Yankees' first win in their last at-bat this season.

David Huff (1-0) gave up Steve Pearce's RBI single in the ninth but got the win.

TIGERS 6, INDIANS 4

CLEVELAND -- J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer, Victor Martinez added a two-run shot, and Detroit held on to beat Cleveland.

Rick Porcello (9-4) pitched six scoreless innings for the Tigers, and Joe Nathan worked the ninth for his 15th save.

Victor Martinez homered off Corey Kluber (6-5) in the fourth inning. J.D. Martinez's home run came in the eighth off John Axford.

The Tigers took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but Asdrubal Cabrera hit a three-run homer and Carlos Santana had a solo shot off Ian Krol. Joba Chamberlain retired the final hitter of the inning and then Nathan struck out Michael Bourn with a runner on to end the game.

ASTROS 3, RAYS 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jarred Cosart pitched eight shutout innings to beat Tampa Bay again, and rookie George Springer's two-run homer helped Houston to the win.

Cosart (7-5) gave up six hits in winning his third straight start. He walked one and struck out two, retiring 12 straight at one point.

Cosart topped the Rays last Saturday in Houston, the Astros' last victory before losing four in a row.

The pitching matchup against David Price (5-7) was a rematch of Cosart's major league debut at Tampa Bay last July 12 in which he took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and finished with eight shutout innings and a win.

The Rays scored an unearned run in the ninth off reliever Chad Qualls, who got his ninth save. Yunel Escobar hit an RBI single with two outs before Ryan Hanigan struck out.

BLUE JAYS 14, REDS 9

CINCINNATI -- Edwin Encarnacion hit two three-run homers, and Toronto pulled off the second-biggest comeback in franchise history, rallying from an early eight-run deficit to beat Cincinnati.

Toronto hit four homers during its comeback, including the two by the major leagues' leader. Encarnacion started the comeback by connecting in the third inning off Mat Latos and finished it with his 23rd homer off Sam LeCure during a five-run ninth inning.

Brett Lawrie and Juan Francisco also homered for Toronto, which piled up 16 hits and nine walks. The Blue Jays overcame a 10-run deficit to beat Boston 13-11 in 12 innings in 1989.

With the score tied at 9, Aroldis Chapman (0-2) came on to pitch the ninth and walked leadoff hitter Colby Rasmus. Erik Kratz doubled off the wall in left field to break the tie, then came around on Melky Cabrera's single.

Dustin McGowan (4-2) pitched a perfect eighth, and Casey Janssen earned his 13th save in 15 chances.

It was the first time the Reds blew an eight-run lead and lost since May 20, 2010, at Atlanta. The Reds gave up a season-high nine walks and 15 hits.

BRAVES 6, NATIONALS 4, 13 innings

WASHINGTON -- The Atlanta Braves survived closer Craig Kimbrel's two-out blown save in the ninth inning by scoring twice in the 13th, topping Washington to flip-flop the standings atop the NL East.

Evan Gattis, who earlier extended his hitting streak to 19 games, singled in the go-ahead run off Jerry Blevins (2-3). Andrelton Simmons followed with an RBI groundout.

The Braves moved back into first place by one-half game. Atlanta was struggling before arriving in D.C., but the club is 20-7 vs. Washington since the start of last season, including the first two of this four-game set.

Ryan Buchter (1-0) pitched the 12th to get the win in his major league debut, and Jordan Walden worked the 13th for his second save.

Anthony Rendon tied the game with a two-run shot when the Nationals were down to their last out. It was the first homer allowed by Kimbrel this season.

PHILLIES 5, CARDINALS 1

ST. LOUIS -- A.J. Burnett scattered seven hits for his first complete game of the year and Philadelphia won its season-high fifth in a row, beating St. Louis.

The Phillies' winning streak has come on the road. They have won nine of 11 overall.

St. Louis has dropped three in a row after winning five straight.

Burnett (5-6) threw 111 pitches in his 24th complete game. He struck out three, walked one and hit two batters. He also contributed an RBI double and scored.

Jaime Garcia (3-1) pitched into the sixth inning, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks. He lost his third start in a row to the Phillies.

TWINS 5, WHITE SOX 4

MINNEAPOLIS -- Brian Dozier's RBI-single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Minnesota over the Chicago White Sox.

Kurt Suzuki had three hits and an RBI, and the Twins picked up closer Glen Perkins (3-0), who gave up two runs in the top of the ninth to blow his third save in 21 chances.

Daniel Webb (4-1) walked Eduardo Escobar and Sam Fuld with one out in the ninth and Escobar beat the throw home with a beautiful slide to win it.

Gordon Beckham and Jose Abreu homered for the White Sox.

The Twins led 4-2 in the ninth, but Paul Konerko delivered a pinch-hit, RBI-single and Adam Eaton tied the game with a double down the left field line.

MARINERS 7, ROYALS 5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Brad Miller homered off Royals closer Greg Holland to break a ninth-inning tie, and Seattle beat Kansas City despite blowing an early five-run lead.

Charlie Furbush (1-4) inherited a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth, but the Mariners reliever retired Mike Moustakas on a popup. Furbush then struck out Alcides Escobar to keep the game tied 5-5.

Miller's homer off Holland (0-2) came on the fifth pitch of his at-bat. Logan Morrison drove in another run later in the ninth.

Fernando Rodney allowed two singles, but bounced back to earn his 19th save.

Morrison hit a two-run homer for Seattle, which overcame a subpar start from Hisashi Iwakuma to end the Royals' five-game winning streak at Kauffman Stadium. Mike Zunino added a solo shot, and Robinson Cano drove in two runs, extending his hitting streak to 21 games.