Dunn’s home runs power Reds to win
CINCINNATI (AP) – Adam Dunn led off two straight innings with home runs and the Cincinnati Reds overpowered slumping Mark Mulder before holding on for a 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. Dunn moved into a tie for the NL lead with his 19th and 20th home runs to help the Reds improve to 2-0 under interim manager Jerry Narron, who was promoted from bench coach on Tuesday to replace the fired Dave Miley.
Reds starter Ramon Ortiz (3-5) didn’t allow a hit in his first career appearance against St. Louis until Mark Grudzielanek led off the fifth with his seventh home run of the season. Ortiz gave up five hits and three runs in seven innings for his second win in his last three starts.
Astros 6, Rockies 2
HOUSTON – Roger Clemens pitched seven strong innings for his 334th win, Morgan Ensberg hit a three-run homer and Houston completed a three-game sweep of Colorado.
Clemens (6-3) allowed two runs and five hits, struck out four and walked two, lowering his major league-leading ERA to 1.51. The Rocket, ninth on the career wins list, has won three straight decisions for the first time this season.
Braves 8, Marlins 0
ATLANTA – Andruw Jones hit his NL-leading 21st homer, a two-run shot, and Braves starter Horacio Ramirez (6-4) pitched five shutout innings before leaving with a strained groin.
Jones has hit nine homers in the last 11 games, a streak that began with a two-homer game on June 11 against Oakland.
Adam LaRoche added a homer, his eighth, in the sixth and rookie Kelly Johnson had three hits as Atlanta won for the fifth time in the last six games.
Phillies 8, Mets 4
PHILADELPHIA – Chase Utley had a go-ahead RBI single in a six-run seventh inning, Jim Thome homered and Kenny Lofton had a three-run double for the Phillies, who won for just the third time in eight games.
Cliff Floyd and Mike Piazza homered for the Mets, who have lost 10 of 13.
Ryan Madson (4-2) gave up a run in one inning for the win, and Royce Ring (0-2) was the loser.
Brewers 9, Cubs 4
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Carlos Lee hit two home runs, including a three-run shot during an eight-run second inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs.
Lee added a solo shot in the seventh for his 19th homer. The NL leader with 64 RBIs has two multi-homer games this season.
Devil Rays 5, Yankees 3
NEW YORK – Nick Green hit a go-ahead, three-run homer, Scott Kazmir pitched seven solid innings and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays rebounded from an embarrassing defeat with a victory over the New York Yankees.
Less than 18 hours after allowing 13 runs in the eighth inning of a 20-11 loss, the last-place Devil Rays improved to 6-3 against the Yankees, who got another home run from Gary Sheffield but little else.
Jonny Gomes hit a two-run shot for Tampa Bay.
White Sox 5, Royals 1
CHICAGO – Mark Buehrle won his career-high eighth straight decision, and Carl Everett backed him with a three-run homer to lead Chicago to its seventh straight victory.
Buehrle (9-1) allowed five hits, his scoreless streak ending at 25 1-3 innings when the Royals scored an unearned run in the eighth. He walked one and struck out six in eight innings.
Everett had two hits, and two of Paul Konerko’s three hits were doubles.
J.P. Howell (1-2) allowed five runs and seven hits in his third major league start for the Royals, who were swept in the three-game series.
Red Sox 5, Indians 4
CLEVELAND – Edgar Renteria’s RBI double in the ninth inning off Bob Wickman helped Boston complete a three-game sweep of Cleveland.
Trailing 4-2 in the eighth, the Red Sox staged their 20th come-from-behind win of the season and completed their first sweep at Jacobs Field since May 1999.
Renteria and John Olerud hit solo homers and Keith Foulke (5-3) pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings for Boston.
Tigers 8, Twins 1
MINNEAPOLIS – Nate Robertson pitched Detroit’s second complete game in a row and Omar Infante had a home run and three RBIs to lead the Tigers over the slumping Twins.
The Tigers roughed up Twins starter Joe Mays (3-3), scoring six runs on eight hits in just four innings, snapping Mays’ eight-game winning streak against Detroit and extending the Twins’ losing streak to a season-high four games.
Blue Jays 3, Orioles 2
TORONTO – Pete Walker won as a starter for the first time since 2002, leading Toronto over Baltimore.
Baltimore’s Rafael Palmeiro hit his 561st career homer, two from tying Reggie Jackson for ninth on the all-time list. Palmeiro is also 17 hits shy of 3000.
Walker (3-0) pitched in Japan last year and was working out of the bullpen this season before being inserted into the rotation because David Bush and Chad Gaudin were struggling. Walker allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1-3 innings for his first win as a starter since Sept. 27, 2002, against Detroit. He struck out three and walked none.
Miguel Batista pitched 1 2-3 innings for his 13th save in 14th chances.
Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora missed the game with a strained right hamstring and is listed as day to day. Daniel Cabrera (5-7) lost his third straight start, allowing three runs on five hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked three.