Cuddyer Lifts Rockies Past Giants – MLB Roundup For Sept. 11th

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals are spending another day in sole possession of first place in the National League Central.

Wily Peralta (WIH-lee peh-RAHL'-tah) was working on a no-hitter until Matt Holliday snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the sixth inning of the Redbirds' 4-2 win against Milwaukee. Matt Carpenter and Matt Adams added RBI hits for the Cardinals, who are 4-0 on their nine game homestand.

Shelby Miller helped the Cards keep their one-game lead over Pittsburgh by allowing five hits in 6 2/3 shutout innings.

The Pirates kept pace by holding off Texas 5-4 as Andrew McCutchen furnished three RBI singles. Francisco Liriano picked up his career-high 16th victory by holding the Rangers to one run and six hits in six innings.

Pirates closer Mark Melancon (meh-LAHN'-sehn) made things interesting by allowing a pair of runs in the ninth before striking out Adrian Beltre (BEHL'-tray) with the tying run on third to end it.

The Reds are three games off the NL Central lead after they lost to the last-place Cubs for the second straight night, this time 9-1 in Cincinnati. Welington Castillo drove in three runs with a pair of homers, and Donnie Murphy added a two-run blast. Edwin Jackson also went deep while allowing just one run over seven innings in his first victory in seven starts since July 31.

Oakland lost 4-3 to Minnesota to keep the Athletics' lead in the AL West at two games over Texas. Josh Willingham hit two home runs, including a two-run shot in the eighth that put the Twins in front for good.

The Boston Red Sox stretched their lead in the American League East while making the wild-card race a little more interesting.

Clay Buchholz scattered three hits in five innings of the Bosox's 2-0 shutout of Tampa Bay. Buchholz also struck out six in his first game since straining his neck during a win over the Angels on June 8.

Jonny Gomes (gohmz) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (sahl-tah-lah-MAH'-kee-uh) both drove in a run for the Red Sox, who extended their lead over second-place Tampa Bay to 8 1/2 games in the East.

The outcome keeps the Rays' lead for the second AL wild-card berth at 1 ½ games over Baltimore and Cleveland, with the Yankees just two games back.

The Yanks won for the first time in their last seven games at Camden Yards. Alfonso Soriano belted a pair of homers, including a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning of the Yankees' 7-5 triumph over the Orioles. Soriano and Mark Reynolds also hit sixth-inning solo shots for the Bombers, who trailed 4-1 in the fifth before rallying.

Chris Davis socked his major league-leading 49th homer for the Birds.

The Indians had won two straight until Alcides (al-SEE'-dehs) Escobar hit a solo homer and drove in two runs to lead Kansas City's 6-3 win at Cleveland. Jeremy Guthrie surrendered nine hits but just one run in six innings to help the Royals get within three games of Tampa Bay.

Cleveland's loss allowed Detroit to take a 5 ½-game lead in the AL Central. The Tigers blasted the Chicago White Sox as Prince Fielder and Alex Avila each supplied four hits and two RBIs. Rick Porcello went the distance on a seven-hitter to improve to 12-8 with a 4.56 ERA.

Also in the majors, the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 5-3 on Scott Van Slyke's two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th, giving Los Angeles a magic number of six for clinching the NL West. The Dodgers' bullpen threw five shutout innings of one-hit relief.

Atlanta's magic number to clinch the NL East is seven after Evan Gattis hit an RBI double and a run-scoring single in the Braves' 4-3 verdict over Miami. Julio Teheran pitched into the seventh despite yielding three runs in the opening inning.

Chase Headley, Ronny Cedeno (she-DAYN'-yoh) and Rene Rivera drove in two runs apiece in San Diego's 8-2 rout of Philadelphia. Andrew Cashner held the Phillies to a pair of runs and four hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Homers by Erick Aybar (EYE'-bahr), Mark Trumbo, Josh Hamilton and Chris Ianetta (eye-uh-NET'-uh) helped the Angels double up Toronto 12-6. Trumbo became the first players in Angels history to collect five hits and score five times in a game.

Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche hit early solo homers before Scott Hairston added a game-clinching, two-run blast in Washington's 6-3 win over the Mets in New York. Denard Span stretched his hitting streak to 21 games, and Jordan Zimmermann became the NL's first 17-game winner despite yielding three runs and eight hits in just five-plus innings.

Jose Altuve (al-TOO'-vay), Brandon Laird and L.J. Hoes drove in three runs each as Houston blasted Seattle 13-2. Jordan Lyles allowed one earned run and four hits in six innings.

Michael Cuddyer (kuh-DY'-ur) was 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBIs as Colorado beat San Francisco 9-8. The Giants lost despite Hunter Pence, who was 4-for-6 with a three-run blast and six RBIs.