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CLEVELAND -- Matt Carpenter hit a two-run homer off reliever Marc Rzepczynski in the eighth inning after Cleveland replaced starter Trevor Bauer, rallying the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the Indians on Thursday. Bauer blanked St. Louis on four hits over 7 1-3 innings before giving up a one-out walk. Indians manager Terry Francona brought in the left-handed Rzepczynski (1-1) to face Carpenter, a lefty, who had struck out in his three previous at-bats. Carpenter drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right-center to help the Cardinals win the series after being overpowered by Corey Kluber on Wednesday night. It's the first homer Rzepczysnki has given up to a left-handed hitter since June 12, 2012, when he was with the Cardinals. Kevin Siegrist (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings, and Trevor Rosenthal put the tying run on with one out in the ninth before striking out pinch-hitter Zach Walters and Jason Kipnis for his 12th save. Michael Brantley homered for the Indians, who haven't won consecutive games since April 8-9. Following Kluber's 18-strikeout performance, Bauer fanned 10. PADRES 8, NATIONALS 3 SAN DIEGO -- Cory Spangenberg had his first two-homer game and Derek Norris homered, tripled and drove in five runs to lead San Diego to a victory over Washington in a game delayed for nearly two hours by rain. Spangenberg homered to right-center with two outs in the second off Doug Fister and to left off Blake Treinen leading off the fourth. They were his first two of the season. Norris hit a three-run homer to left with two outs in the first and barely missed another shot in the second, settling for a two-run triple off the wall in left-center, also with two outs. Norris' chance at the first cycle in Padres history ended when he grounded out to shortstop in the fifth. The offensive outburst gave Tyson Ross (2-3) his first victory since April 12 against San Francisco. The rain delay was just the fifth since Petco Park opened in 2004. ASTROS 6, BLUE JAYS 4 HOUSTON -- Jonathan Villar's two-run double put Houston on top for good in a four-run seventh inning against Toronto. Rookie Preston Tucker's RBI double off Aaron Loup (1-2) with no outs in the seventh brought the Astros within 4-3. Villar's groundball double down the right field line scored two more to give Houston the lead. The Blue Jays intentionally walked Jose Altuve with one out before he stole second and Josh Thole's error on the play allowed Villar to add an insurance run. Loup's blown save ruined a solid start by Drew Hutchison, who allowed five hits and two runs with a season-high nine strikeouts in six innings. Josh Fields (2-0) got the last two outs of the seventh for the win and Chad Qualls struck out one in a perfect ninth for his fourth save. ROCKIES 5, DODGERS 4 LOS ANGELES -- Carlos Gonzalez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, and Colorado stopped its 11-game losing streak with a victory over Los Angeles following a rare rain delay at Dodger Stadium. Wilin Rosario also went deep for the last-place Rockies in the opener of a four-game series between the top and bottom teams in the NL West. Play was halted for 85 minutes during the sixth inning at a ballpark that hasn't had a weather postponement in 15 years. Dodgers rookie Yimi Garcia (2-1), who has been filling in as closer with Kenley Jansen on the disabled list following foot surgery in February, gave up a leadoff single to Nick Hundley in the ninth and a one-out single by Drew Stubbs. Charlie Blackmon was called out on strikes before Gonzalez drove a 2-1 pitch halfway up the right-field pavilion for his third homer of the season. CUBS 6, METS 5 CHICAGO -- Dexter Fowler scored the tiebreaking run on a passed ball in the seventh inning and also homered, and Chicago Cubs overcame a four-run deficit to complete a four-game sweep. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Matt Szczur each had RBI hits to help the Cubs record their first four-game sweep of New York since August 1992. Anthony Recker had a pair of solo home runs to pace the Mets, but the backup catcher's failure to hold onto a slider from reliever Hansel Robles in the seventh allowed the go-ahead run to score. With runners at the corners and two outs, Robles' pitch just off the plate deflected off Recker's glove and rolled toward the first base dugout as Fowler scored easily from third. Pedro Strop (1-2) pitched 1 1-3 hitless innings for the win. Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his eighth save. Mets starter Jonathon Niese (3-3) was the loser. RAYS 6, YANKEES 1 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Rene Rivera homered and drove in four runs, Erasmo Ramirez allowed one hit over five innings and Tampa Bay beat New York. After losing the series opener 11-5, the Rays rebounded to win the final three games. Yankees starter Chase Whitley (1-2) left with two on and two outs in the second due to a right elbow injury. He was replaced by Esmil Rogers, who gave up a three-run homer on his first pitch to the light-hitting Rivera that put Tampa Bay up 4-0. Ramirez (1-1) didn't allow a hit after Jacoby Ellsbury opened the first with a single. The right-hander struck out four and walked two. Alex Rodriguez homered in the ninth off Matt Andriese, who went four innings and completed the five-hitter for his second save. A-Rod got his 1,000th RBI with the Yankees on his 663rd career homer. REDS 4, GIANTS 3 CINCINNATI -- Marlon Byrd hit a bases-loaded single and a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning leading Cincinnati to a victory over San Francisco. The Reds have won 12 of their last 15 regular-season games against the Giants at Great American Ball Park. Byrd's two-run single off struggling Tim Lincecum put Reds starter Johnny Cueto in position for a win. He turned a 3-2 lead over to the NL's worst bullpen in the eighth, and it got away. Joe Panik tripled with one out and scored on Angel Pagan's single off Tony Cingrani to tie it at 3. Jumbo Diaz (2-0) retired the last two batters to end the inning. Byrd connected off Sergio Romo (0-2) with one out in the eighth. Aroldis Chapman fanned two of the three batters in the ninth for his seventh save in as many chances. RED SOX 2, MARINERS 1 SEATTLE -- Brock Holt doubled and scored the go ahead run on Rickie Weeks' error with one out in the ninth inning, Shane Victorino hit his first home run of the season and Boston beat Seattle for its fourth win in five games. Holt lined the second pitch of the ninth from Seattle closer Fernando Rodney (1-2) into left-center and was easily safe at second when Weeks' throw sailed over Robinson Cano's head. Holt was sacrificed to third by Xander Bogaerts and pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval was hit by a pitch. Mookie Betts followed with a flyball that was likely deep enough for Holt to score anyway. But Weeks closed his glove too soon and everyone was safe. Matt Barnes (2-0) allowed two hits in the eighth, but escaped without giving up the lead. Koji Uehara pitched the ninth for his eighth save. TIGERS 13, TWINS 1 DETROIT -- Miguel Cabrera homered twice and drove in five runs, and Anibal Sanchez pitched eight sharp innings in Detroit's victory over Minnesota. Nick Castellanos and Bryan Holaday also went deep for the Tigers, and Anthony Gose added a career-high four hits. It was Cabrera's third multihomer game of the season and 33rd of his career. He has a team-high eight home runs in 2015. Sanchez (3-4) allowed a run and five hits after entering the day with a 5.44 ERA. He struck out nine and walked one. Mike Pelfrey (3-1) allowed four earned runs and 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings. The Tigers already led 5-1 when Cabrera hit a two-run homer to left in the sixth. He added another two-run shot an inning later. Detroit's 13 runs and 20 hits were both season highs. ROYALS 6, RANGERS 3 ARLINGTON, Texas -- Alcides Escobar had three hits and accounted for five runs, Eric Hosmer homered and Kansas City beat Texas to split the four-game series. Escobar led off the game with a single and scored on Alex Gordon's fielder's choice on a shattered-bat grounder. Escobar added a two-run single in the fourth, then had an RBI single before scoring on Hosmer's drive in the sixth. Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie (3-2) gave up two runs over five innings to win his second consecutive start. He struck out one and didn't walk a batter, but twice hit Prince Fielder with pitches. Greg Holland worked the ninth for his seventh save in eight chances, even after consecutive two-out walks. Ross Detwiler (0-5) is winless in his first seven starts for Texas. PHILLIES 4, PIRATES 2 PHILADELPHIA -- Aaron Harang scattered five hits over eight scoreless innings and Ryan Howard hit his team-high seventh home run, leading Philadelphia past Pittsburgh. Howard had three hits to snap an 0-for-9 skid and help the Phillies win their second straight. The Pirates avoided a shutout when Starling Marte doubled to deep center field off Ken Giles with one out in the ninth, scoring Josh Harrison. Jonathan Papelbon, who became the Phillies' franchise saves leader Wednesday night, recorded the final two outs for his eighth save in eight chances this season. Harang (4-3) settled into a groove after escaping trouble in the first inning, when he needed 27 pitches and left two runners in scoring position. Vance Worley (2-3) was the loser.
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