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Chicago, IL - Matt Murton scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Chicago Cubs over the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, and into first place in the National League Central Division.

Murton opened the ninth with a double off Brett Myers (1-3), then advanced to third on a wild pitch before Ronny Cedeno drew a free pass and Jacque Jones was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Jason Kendall struck out, but on a 1-0 count to pinch-hitter Cliff Floyd, Myers bounced the offering in front of the plate and it caromed toward the backstop, allowing Murton to trot home with the winning run.

Derrek Lee doubled twice and scored a pair of runs, while Murton finished 2- for-4 and also knocked in a run for Chicago, which has won four of five and is locked in a virtual tie with Milwaukee for first place in the Central. The Brewers lost to the New York Mets, 8-5, on Wednesday.

Ryan Dempster (2-3) earned the win after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth. Dempster combined with four other relievers, allowing just one hit over 4 1/3 innings to bail out starter Rich Hill, who gave up four runs — three earned — and eight hits over 4 2/3 frames.

Jimmy Rollins went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Aaron Rowand homered for the injury-riddled Phils, who have dropped back-to-back games in the series after taking the opener on Monday night.

Philadelphia starter Jamie Moyer labored through five innings, allowing four runs and nine hits. Moyer, who walked two and fanned six, threw 100 pitches — just 62 for strikes.

The Phils grabbed the lead in the first on a wild pitch from Hill with the bases loaded.

Chicago, however, came right back in the bottom half. Lee doubled to center with two outs, Mark DeRosa walked and Murton’s single off the glove of a diving Rollins plated Lee to make it a 1-1 game.

Hill helped his own cause with an RBI single in the second, giving the Cubs a 2-1 lead, and Chicago added two more in the third while continuing to hit Moyer hard.

Lee ripped a leadoff double to left, his second of the game, and scored on Cedeno’s two-out single. Cedeno then came around on a double by Jones to make it 4-1.

Philadelphia, however, scored three times in the fifth to tie the game. Tadahito Iguchi doubled, Rollins knocked him in with a single, and Ryan Howard followed with a run-scoring double before he was cut down trying to advance to third. Rowand came up next and launched his 16th homer of the season, and second of the series, to make it 4-4.

Game Notes

Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth (strained left wrist) was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday…Howard has struck out in nine of his last 15 plate appearances…The Phillies fell four games behind the Mets in the NL East…Attendance was 40,558…The series concludes Thursday afternoon.

Minneapolis, MN - Alex Gordon’s two-run homer in the 10th inning gave the Kansas City Royals a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on a somber night at the Metrodome.

The Twins postponed Thursday afternoon’s game against the Royals due to a tragic bridge collapse along Interstate Highway 35W over the Mississippi River. The bridge collapsed during the evening rush hour, shortly after 6 p.m. local time, dumping an estimated 50 vehicles into the water and onto the land below, according to several reports. Several deaths were attributed to the collapse.

The Twins decided to go ahead with Wednesday night’s game instead of sending a crowd of nearly 25,000 home on nearby highways that were filled with traffic.

Gordon’s two-out shot to right off Juan Rincon (3-2) followed a one-out single by Emil Brown.

Kansas City starter Brian Bannister went seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. Zack Greinke (5-5) worked two scoreless innings of relief for the win and Joakim Soria threw a hitless bottom of the 10th for his 11th save for the Royals, whose manager Buddy Bell announced earlier in the day he would resign after the season.

The announcement comes at a surprising time, considering the Royals markedly improved play of late. The club had winning records in both June and July, the first time the Royals have had consecutive winning months since 2003.

The 55-year-old Bell is in his second full season as manager. He took over on May 31, 2005 after Tony Pena resigned. Health concerns may have played a major role in Bell’s decision, however. The former manager of the Tigers and Rockies was diagnosed as having a cancerous growth behind his left tonsil, and missed the final 10 games of last season to have surgery.

David DeJesus had three hits and drove in a run for the Royals, who have won five of seven

Jason Kubel had two hits and two RBI for the Twins, who had a four-game winning streak snapped

Minnesota starter Boof Bonser yielded two runs on eight hits over seven innings.

The Royals tied it at 3-3 in the eighth. Billy Butler led off with a single. Brown ran for Butler and got around on a sacrifice bunt, a throwing error and reliever Matt Guerrier’s wild pitch.

The Twins got on the board in the third on Jason Bartlett’s two-out infield single, scoring Brian Buscher who led off with a single to center.

The Royals, though, took the lead with two runs in the fourth. Mark Teahen led off with a bunt single toward third, and with one-out Jason Smith singled before John Buck grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Teahen. Joey Gathright followed with an infield single before DeJesus drove in Buck with a single to center.

Kubel’s single to center in the fourth plated Joe Mauer, who doubled to left, leading off the frame.

Kubel then put the Twins ahead in the seventh with a single to right, scoring Torii Hunter, who led off with a double to right.

Game Notes

Kansas City placed outfielder Reggie Sanders and pitcher Jorge De LaRosa on the 15-day disabled list; recalled pitcher Ryan Braun and outfielder Gathright…RHP Kyle Davies, acquired in a Tuesday trade with Atlanta, will make his Royals debut Friday against the Yankees…Attendance was 24,880.

Milwaukee, WI - Marlon Anderson homered and finished with four RBI, as the New York Mets topped the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-5, in the second of a three-game series at Miller Park.

Ramon Castro hit a three-run home run and the newly-acquired Luis Castillo scored for the Mets, who had lost four of six coming in.

Oliver Perez (10-7) allowed five runs — four earned — over six innings with 11 strikeouts and three walks to take the win.

Opponent Claudio Vargas (9-3), meanwhile, was lit up for seven runs in just 2 2/3 innings for Milwaukee, which has dropped six of eight. Prince Fielder ended his home run drought with a three-run blast, while Corey Hart and J.J. Hardy added an RBI apiece.

“Claudio went out the first inning and was sharp, but he came out the second and couldn’t get it going,” said Brewers manager Ned Yost. “From that point on, he really struggled.”

By virtue of Milwaukee’s loss and a Cubs win over the Phillies, Chicago and the Brewers are now tied atop the NL Central.

Fielder belted his three-run homer to center in the first to stake Milwaukee to an early lead. It was his first long ball since July 13, spanning 67 at- bats.

New York countered with a four-spot in the second. Anderson got his team on the board with an RBI single, and Castro followed with a three-run homer to left that gave the Mets a 4-3 edge.

The Brewers put up two runs in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead. With a man on second and two out, Hart came through with a base hit to center that scored Tony Graffanino. Hardy followed with a single of his own, and Shawn Green committed a fielding error on the play that allowed Hart to come in.

Anderson, though, ripped a three-run homer to right in the third to put the Mets back in front, 7-5. Castillo started the inning with an infield single and David Wright drew a walk before Anderson went deep for the first time this season two batters later, chasing Vargas from the mound.

“I know once I start getting consistent at-bats, that the next thing that’s coming is the power,” Anderson said.

Green added a solo homer in the sixth to extend the lead to 8-5. Billy Wagner worked the ninth for his 25th save of the season.

Game Notes

This was Milwaukee’s 21st sellout of the year, breaking a mark set in 2001 when Miller Park first opened…The Mets have hit 16 HR in their last 14 games…The Mets are 46-1 on the season when holding a lead after eight innings. The only time they failed was against the Phillies on June 7.

Cleveland, OH - Frank Catalanotto scored twice and drove in a pair, as the Texas Rangers plated three runs in the 10th inning to down the Cleveland Indians, 9-6, in the middle of a three-game set at Jacobs Field.

New acquisition Jarrod Saltalamacchia had two RBI in his debut for Texas, which has won two in a row since being swept by Kansas City. Ramon Vazquez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in a winning effort.

Casey Blake and Jason Michaels both had home runs for the Indians, who have lost four in a row.

Two runs in the fifth broke a 4-4 deadlock and put the Indians in front. Following back-to-back one-out singles by Blake and Jhonny Peralta, Ryan Garko hit a base hit to left to drive in the go-ahead run. Travis Hafner then doubled to make it a 6-4 contest.

Catalanotto’s two-run double in the seventh, however, tied it back up, and the game went to extra innings.

Texas jumped all over Cleveland in the 10th. With runners on first and second, Ian Kinsler sacrificed and reached second on Jensen Lewis’ throwing error, scoring Vazquez. Michael Young was then intentionally walked to load the bases for Jason Botts, who hit a sacrifice fly to up the lead to 8-6. Marlon Byrd capped the scoring with an RBI single, and CJ Wilson got Joaquin Benoit (5-3) out of a jam in the bottom of the inning for his second save of the season.

John Rheinecker started on the mound for Texas and allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings. The relief staff, though, combined to pitch 5 2/3 scoreless frames.

Paul Byrd got the start for Cleveland and yielded four runs — three earned — over 5 1/3 innings. Jensen Lewis (0-1) took the loss.

The Rangers put up three runs in their first at-bat to take the lead. They quickly put runners on first and third to start the game, and Young brought in the first run of the game with a base hit to center. Saltalamacchia came up with the bases loaded later in the frame, and singled to drive in both Kinsler and Young for his first RBIs as a Ranger. Saltalamacchia came over from Atlanta in the deal that sent Mark Teixeira to the Braves at the trade deadline.

Cleveland responded with four runs in the second. Michaels got the Indians on the board with a solo homer, and Grady Sizemore added an RBI double moments later to slice the deficit to one. Blake stepped in next and cracked a homer to left to put his club in front.

Texas knotted it at 4-4 in the third when Vazquez’s grounder eluded first baseman Garko, allowing Marlon Byrd to score from second.

Game Notes

The Indians had won seven of the last nine meetings coming in, including five of seven matchups this year. Cleveland swept a two-game set from the Rangers at Jacobs Field back in April…The four straight losses by the Indians is a season high, as they dropped their fourth straight home series in the process.

08/01 23:53:54 ET

Bronx, NY - The Yankees continued to crank out the homers, but Alex Rodriguez lingered in his slump.

Jorge Posada hit two of five New York home runs in an 8-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox, a night after the Yankees tied a franchise record with eight round-trippers. Shelley Duncan ripped a two-run homer, while Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter added solo drives.

The Yankees, who have outscored the White Sox 24-4 over the last two nights, equaled a club record with the 13 combined homers in back-to-back contests.

However, the focus again was on Rodriguez, who remains stuck on 499 career homers. The All-Star third baseman went hitless in four at-bats, stretching his slump to 0-for-21 since his last homer, July 25 at Kansas City. Rodriguez flied out in the first, and third, grounded out in the fifth and seventh innings.

Yankees manager Joe Torre acknowledged the pressure Rodriguez is facing is different since it doesn’t have to do with winning a ball game.

“That’s the pressure of winning a ball game,” Torre said. “Anytime you do something for yourself, that’s pressure that really has nothing to do with hitting in the clutch. This has nothing to do with handling pressure. This is pressure you put on yourself, but it has nothing to do with the outcome of the game.”

Andy Pettitte (7-7) limited the White Sox to six hits and a run over seven innings, while walking two and fanning six.

“What a gutty performance tonight,” Torre said of Pettitte. “He was really battling himself the first six innings.”

The Yankees won for the third straight time and will go for the three-game sweep Thursday afternoon.

“It’d be a lot more pressure if we weren’t winning games,” Rodriguez said. “That’s just the way it goes. You can’t really sweat it too much and think about 500.”

John Danks (6-8) was throttled for six hits, including three homers, and six runs — five earned — over four innings.

Scott Podsednik tripled in Jermaine Dye in the second inning, but the Yankees struck quickly in the bottom half for a 3-1 lead. Hideki Matsui singled and Posada followed with a two-run drive over the wall in left. Melky Cabrera singled to right-center field to score Cano later in the inning.

Cano started the fourth with a homer to right-center, and one out later it was Duncan’s turn as he got hold of a Danks offering and took it over the wall in left-center.

Pettitte escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth before the Yankees widened their lead to 7-1 in the seventh on Jeter’s eighth long ball of the year, as he took a Ryan Bukvich offering beyond the short wall in right field.

Posada led off the eighth with his third homer in two days, taking a Charles Haeger pitch beyond the wall in right-center field. Haeger then plunked Cano with a knuckleball and was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Tom Hallion, causing White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to argue, but he was spared his second ejection in as many nights.

“The only thing I wish is Major League Baseball looks at this kind of stuff and really see what’s going on out there,” Guillen said. “The umpires calls what he sees and I respect that, but you have to have a little common sense of baseball to make decisions that way.”

Game Notes

The White Sox have decided to skip right-hander Jose Contreras in the rotation and instead will start Gavin Floyd on Sunday versus Detroit. Contreras has given up 30 hits and 26 earned runs over his last three starts, a span of 14 2/3 innings…The Yankees activated right-hander Jeff Karstens from the 60-day disabled list before the game…The Yankees hit 13 homers in a doubleheader, June 28, 1939 against Philadelphia…The Yankees have won nine of their last 12 games…Pettitte is 8-1 lifetime versus the White Sox at Yankee Stadium…Chicago has lost five straight to the Yankees…White Sox reliever Bobby Jenks has retired 24 consecutive batters.

Miami, FL - Miguel Cabrera homered in the fifth inning, becoming second on the all-time Florida home-run list, and the Marlins held on to edge the Colorado Rockies, 4-3, in game two of a three-game series at Dolphin Stadium.

Josh Willingham ended 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored once for the Marlins, who had lost seven of their last eight. Korean veteran Byung-Hyun Kim (6-5), facing one of his former teams, allowed two runs on five hits with a career-high 10 strikeouts and six walks over 5 1/3 innings for his 100th career win.

Kaz Matsui finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and scored twice for the Rockies, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Willy Taveras went 2-for-3 and scored a run in the loss.

Right-hander Josh Fogg (5-7), who had won two straight and four of his last five decisions, allowed four runs - three earned - on eight hits with two walks and a strikeout over five-plus frames for Colorado. The 30-year-old Massachusetts native was unbeaten since a June 24 loss at Toronto.

Holding a 3-2 edge, Florida notched the eventual game-winning run in the fifth on Cabrera’s homer to right-center field on a full count.

Colorado started to rally in the ninth off reliever Kevin Gregg, who gave up a double to Matsui and a single to Matt Holliday before Garrett Atkins singled home a run. Troy Tulowitzki walked to load the bases for Yorvit Torrealba, who struck out swinging to end the game, as Gregg escaped with his 22nd save of the season.

Colorado put up two runs in the first, as Taveras bunted his way to first to lead off, stole second, and scored on a ground-rule double by Matsui, who wasn’t far behind after Todd Helton doubled him home. Brad Hawpe got hit by a pitch and Tulowitzki walked to load the bases, but Torrealba grounded out to leave them stranded, as the first two Rockies to bat scored their only runs until the ninth.

Florida also had a two-spot in the first sparked by a Hanley Ramirez’s lead- off walk. He stole second, got to third on a Cabrera single, and Mike Jacobs’ walk loaded the bases for Willingham, who singled in two runs courtesy of a fielding error by Taveras.

The Marlins scored a run in the fourth. Willingham grounded a lead-off single, stole second, and reached third on a Jeremy Hermida groundout before making it home on Matt Treanor’s single.

Game Notes

Taveras stole a career-high three bases…Colorado stranded 14 runners on base and struck out a season-high 16 times… With 130 homers, Cabrera passed Derrek Lee for sole possession of second place on the all-time Marlins home run list, trailing only Mike Lowell (143)…Treanor has hit in 14 of his last 17 games…Kim, a 28-year-old right-hander, pitched for the Rockies in 2005, 2006 and into this season before coming to the Marlins…Last season, these clubs both swept a three-game series on the road against each other.

Atlanta, GA - Newly-acquired coveted first baseman Mark Teixeira belted a three-run home run in the sixth inning, as the Atlanta Braves pounded the Houston Astros, 12-3, in the second of a three-game series at Turner Field.

The last Brave to homer in his Atlanta debut was Jeff Francoeur, who did it in his major league debut on July 7, 2005.

Atlanta bolstered its lineup Tuesday by acquiring Teixeira from the Texas Rangers as part of a seven-player deal. Teixeira and lefty reliever Ron Mahay joined the Braves in exchange for heralded rookie catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, minor league infielder Elvis Andrus and minor league pitchers Matt Harrison, Beau Jones and Neftali Feliz.

Edgar Renteria also homered for the Braves, who have won three in a row after a four-game skid. Yunel Escobar finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and scored a run in the rout.

Atlanta starter Buddy Carlyle (6-3), who had won his previous four decisions before losing to San Francisco on Thursday, left after the fifth with a hyperextended right elbow. He allowed two runs on five hits with two strikeouts.

Busy before Tuesday’s deadline to make trades without waivers, the Braves also picked up right-handed reliever Octavio Dotel from the Kansas City Royals for righty Kyle Davies. Mahay and Dotel both made their Braves debuts with a scoreless inning in relief.

Lance Berkman homered for Houston, which has dropped four of its last five games. Jason Lane ended 2-for-4 and scored a run in the loss. Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (7-10), who has split his past six outings, allowed eight runs on six hits with five walks and four strikeouts over four frames.

Holding an 8-3 margin, Atlanta padded its lead with three runs in the sixth when Renteria and Chipper Jones both walked before Teixeira’s three-run homer to left field on a 2-1 pitch off Matt Albers.

The Braves added another run in the seventh when pinch-hitter Willie Harris drew a lead-off walk, advanced to third on Escobar’s single, and scored on a Kelly Johnson base hit.

Atlanta exploded for seven runs in the first. Escobar led off with a double before Renteria, Chipper Jones and Teixeira each walked for the first run. Andruw Jones singled home a run, Francoeur walked in another, and Matt Diaz doubled home two runs before Escobar laced a two-run single in his second at- bat of the frame, which then ended as Renteria struck out swinging.

Houston plated a run in the third on a sacrifice fly by Chris Burke.

The Astros scored another run in the fourth on Berkman’s homer to center field on the inning’s first pitch, but Atlanta got it right back in the bottom half on Renteria’s solo shot to center on a 1-0 pitch.

Carlyle had injured himself while swinging at a pitch in the fifth before getting called out on strikes to end the inning. He attempted several warmup pitches between innings before the exit.

With the Braves holding an 8-2 lead after five, Oscar Villarreal took over on the mound to start the sixth, but scattered singles to Berkman and Mike Lamb before Ty Wigginton’s sac fly got Berkman home.

Game Notes

Prior to the game, Atlanta designated first baseman Julio Franco for assignment and optioned righthander Jose Ascanio to Double-A Mississippi…Atlanta and Houston are meeting for the first time since the Astros went 4-3 in the 2006 season series.

Pittsburgh, PA - Ronny Paulino belted a grand slam as the Pittsburgh Pirates routed the St. Louis Cardinals, 15-1, in the second of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Adam LaRoche and Jack Wilson also homered and Freddy Sanchez had four hits for the Pirates, who behind a 20-hit attack snapped a four-game losing streak and won for just the third time in 17 games since the All-Star break.

“I think it was just an all-around good effort by everybody, said Sanchez. “Let’s not kid ourselves we’ve all been struggling since the all-star break. It just feels good that everybody was able to contribute tonight.”

Pittsburgh starter Tony Armas (1-3) went 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits, while striking out five and walking one.

Aaron Miles homered for the Cardinals, who had a four-game winning streak squashed.

St. Louis starter Braden Looper (8-9) was tagged for seven runs on eight hits with one walk and no strikeouts.

With two outs in the first, Freddy Sanchez, LaRoche and Jason Bay hit consecutive singles to score a run. Ryan Doumit then walked loading the bases for Paulino, who smashed a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” said Looper. “I didn’t even give us a chance today. We were down 5-0 before you knew it. You can’t throw the ball up in the zone. My mechanics were terrible.”

The Pirates added two more runs in the third on LaRoche’s one-out solo homer to right, his 15th of the year, and Wilson’s two-out RBI single.

Miles put the Cardinals in the board in the top of sixth with his first homer of the season, a drive to right. However, Wilson got the run back for the Pirates in the home half when he smacked a homer to left, his fifth of the year.

Pittsburgh poured it on with seven more runs in the eighth off Mike Maroth. Pinch-hitter Jose Castillo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Nate McLouth hit an RBI single, Jose Bautista a two-RBI single and Sanchez an RBI ground-rule double. LaRoche then scored one with a groundout and Bay capped the rally with an RBI double.

Game Notes

Armas, who was making his first start since he lost his spot in the rotation due to ineffectiveness in late May, hadn’t won since beating the Mets while with Washington on Sept. 24, 2006…Paulino’s grand slam was the first of his career and Pittsburgh’s first this season. He was booed loudly when first introduced because of his two key fielding mistakes that helped St. Louis to a 6-4 victory Tuesday…Pittsburgh had season highs in runs (15) and hits (20)…Attendance was 17,041.

Boston, MA - Kevin Youkilis’ two-run double highlighted a four-run seventh inning, as the Boston Red Sox rallied to beat the Baltimore Orioles, 5-4, in the second of three games at Fenway Park.

Dustin Pedroia went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Jason Varitek went 2-for-4 and also knocked in a run for Boston, which snapped a two-game skid.

With the win, the Red Sox also stayed seven games ahead of New York in the American League East. The Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox, 8-1, on Wednesday night.

Nick Markakis and Miguel Tejeda homered for Baltimore, which has dropped two of three.

Trailing 3-1, the Red Sox scored four times in the seventh. Julio Lugo walked, Pedroia singled and David Ortiz hammered an RBI double to left off John Parrish. Manny Ramirez was intentionally walked, loading the bases with no outs, before Baltimore called on reliever Chad Bradford.

Youkilis greeted the right-hander with a two-run double to center, giving Boston its first lead of the night, and after Mike Lowell grounded out, Varitek’s single scored Ramirez to make it 5-3.

Tejada crushed a solo shot over the high wall in left in the eighth to pull Baltimore within a run, but the O’s were shut down by Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth, as he fanned a pair and earned his 24th save in 26 chances.

Parrish (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on one hit without recording an out. Starter Steve Trachsel yielded just one run and five hits over six innings.

Boston’s Javier Lopez (2-1) got the win, recording the final out in the seventh. Lopez combined with three other relievers to pick up veteran right- hander Julian Tavarez, who allowed three runs and seven hits over five innings in the start.

Tavarez replaced young lefty Kason Gabbard, who was sent to Texas with two minor-leaguers in a move that brought reliever Eric Gagne to the Red Sox. Tavarez began the season by making 18 starts, but was sent to the bullpen in late July and had gone 1-0 in three appearances while allowing two hits and four unearned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Baltimore grabbed the lead in the first on Markakis’ solo homer to left, his 11th long ball of the season.

A Jay Gibbons single then ignited a two-out rally in the second. Chris Gomez followed with a double to left, which allowed Gibbons to come all the way around, and Brian Roberts followed with a two-bagger that plated Gomez to give the O’s a 3-0 lead.

Boston got one back in the third. Coco Crisp drew a leadoff walk, went to second on Lugo’s base hit, and to third on a throwing error by Tejada. Pedroia followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

Game Notes

Boston Celtics’ newly-acquired forward Kevin Garnett threw out the ceremonial first pitch, then watched the game from a box behind home plate…Boston has won five of seven from the Orioles this season and is 30-13 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign…The Orioles have also struggled in Beantown, where they have posted just three wins in their last 14 visits…Tavarez is 0-4 with a 7.31 ERA in his last six starts…Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew missed his second straight game to be with his son, who is in the hospital after undergoing surgery…Boston passed two million in home attendance in their 55th home game, the fastest in team history.

Washington, DC - Austin Kearns homered and drove in three runs to lead the Washington Nationals over the Cincinnati Reds, 7-2, at RFK Stadium.

Kearns went 2-for-4 and Ryan Church had two hits and two RBI for the Nationals, who have won five of seven, including the first two of this three- game set. Dmitri Young added two hits and drove in a run and Felipe Lopez scored a pair runs for Washington, which has won nine of its last 14 contests.

Washington starter John Lannan (1-0) picked up his first major league win in just his second career start. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits, striking out one and walking two, in 5 2/3 innings.

“It was definitely better than those boos in Philadelphia,” said Lannan, who was ejected from his first start on Thursday after hitting a pair of Phillies. “It was a great feeling to come home and get my first win.”

Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn each drove in a run for the Reds, who have dropped four straight.

Cincinnati starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo (4-12) suffered through his worst start of the season. The right-hander lasted a season-low 1 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out one. He has lost two straight and three of four decisions.

“He didn’t have it,” said Reds manager Pete Mackanin of Arroyo. “He left everything out over the plate. He wasn’t very sharp.”

The Nationals put this game away early, scoring seven runs in the first two innings.

In the first, Young singled home the first run, Kearns doubled home another and both scored on Church’s base hit for a 4-0 lead.

A three-run second made it a 7-0 game. Ronnie Belliard doubled home Lopez with the first run. He later scored on Kearns’ two-run home run that also forced Arroyo from the game.

The Reds finally got on the board in the sixth inning when Griffey and Dunn each came through with RBI singles.

Cincinnati, though, wasted a golden opportunity in the eighth inning to draw even closer. With no outs and runners on second a third, Brandon Phillips struck out, Dunn flew out to shallow center and Jeff Conine flew out to right to end the inning.

One noteworthy play happened in the second inning for the Reds. With Dunn at the plate and the Nationals infield shifted to the right side, Phillips stole second without a throw and continued on his way to third as the ball was thrown back to Lannan. The pitcher threw to Zimmerman, the third baseman, but Phillips won the race to the bag.

Game Notes

Kearns has eight HRs this season…This was the sixth start this year that Arroyo has allowed at least six earned runs…Washington has won five of the six meetings against the Reds this season…Griffey ended 2-for-4…The Reds’ Jeff Keppinger went 2-for-4 to improve to 16-for-42 (.381) over his last 11 games.