NATIONAL LEAGUE
The Chicago Cubs edged the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Thursday to extend their lead in the National League Central division.
St. Louis had two men on base and Albert Pujols at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but the star slugger popped up for the final out of the game.
The result put the Cubs five-and-a-half games clear of Milwaukee in the Central division, while the Cardinals remained four-and-a-half games behind the Brewers, who hold the wildcard with 17 games to play.
Pujols drove in his 100th run of the season with a sixth-inning double, becoming only the third player to reach the milestone in his first eight major-league seasons. Al Simmons did it his first 11 seasons, and Ted Williams also did it his first eight.
Rich Harden pitched six solid innings, allowing only two runs in his first appearance since skipping a turn due to arm soreness.
Harden limited the Cardinals to three singles before the sixth inning, when Pujols’ RBI double and a run-scoring single cut the deficit to a run.
BRAVES 8, ROCKIES 4
In Atlanta, the home side dealt another blow to Colorado’s collapsing playoff hopes.
Yunel Escobar’s three-run homer capped a five-run sixth inning for Atlanta, which completed a three-game sweep.
The Rockies have lost five straight games, falling eight-and-a-half games behind Los Angeles in the NL West.
Escobar had three hits, including his 10th homer, and a walk.
In other NL action, it was:
• Phillies 6, Brewers 3
• Astros 6, Pirates 0
• Padres 11, Giants 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
The Toronto Blue Jays piled on six runs in the eighth inning to overrun Chicago 6-3 and prevent the White Sox boosting their narrow lead in the American League Central division.
Toronto starter Shaun Marcum took a shutout into the eighth inning, guiding Toronto to its 11th win in 12 games.
ANGELS 7, MARINERS 4
In Anaheim, California, Francisco Rodriguez notched his 57th save of the season to tie Bobby Thigpen’s major league record and secure Los Angeles’ win over Seattle.
Thigpen set the record in 1990 with the Chicago White Sox.
Rodriguez came to the mound in the ninth with runners on first and second and no outs. He got his first batter to ground into a double play, gave up an RBI single and then another single before ending the game on a broken-bat ground-out at first.
The save was the 203rd of the 26-year-old Rodriguez’s career.
ORIOLES 6, INDIANS 3
In Baltimore, Nick Markakis broke out of his batting slump with two key hits as Baltimore downed Cleveland.
Baltimore went ahead 5-3 with a two-run fifth. Markakis, who earlier snapped an 0-for-13 skid, singled and took third on a double. He then crossed for the go-ahead run.
Melvin Mora, returning from a hamstring strain, got a two-run double that moved him to 99 RBIs for the season.
In other games, it was:
• Royals 3, Twins 2, 10 innings
• Rangers 6, Athletics 1
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