MILWAUKEE (AP) - Cody Ransom hit his first career grand slam with two outs in the eighth inning to lift the Milwaukee Brewers to a 10-7 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
Ryan Braun hit two home runs as Milwaukee improved to 40-6 against Pittsburgh at Miller Park since 2007. Martin Maldonado finished with a career-high four hits, all singles, to hand Pittsburgh only its third loss in the last 13 games.
Pittsburgh reliever Tony Watson (4-1) entered in the eighth and gave up consecutive singles to Braun and Aramis Ramirez. He struck out Corey Hart, but each runner stole a base on the pitch. The Pirates intentionally walked Rickie Weeks to load the bases.
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Pittsburgh’s Drew Sutton reacts after his RBI double against Milwaukee during the fourth inning Friday night.
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Ransom, who was 0 for 4, hit a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left-center for his eighth homer of the season and the team's fourth grand slam this year.
REDS 5, CARDINALS 3
CINCINNATI (AP) - St. Louis first baseman Allen Craig's throwing error in the seventh inning helped the Reds rally for their fourth straight victory.
Craig fielded Ryan Hanigan's slow grounder with the bases loaded and threw wildly to first base, allowing two runs to score for a 3-2 lead off Adam Wainwright (7-9). Zack Cozart's sacrifice fly completed a three-run rally.
Todd Frazier had a solo homer off Wainwright, who allowed only two hits over the first six innings before letting it slip away. Brandon Phillips had three hits and scored twice.
Alfredo Simon (1-1) escaped a bases-loaded threat in the seventh by striking out Matt Holliday. Aroldis Chapman fanned three in the ninth for his 12th save in 16 chances, repeatedly hitting 101 mph on the radar gun.
NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 1
MIAMI (AP) - Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-run homer, Jesus Flores drove in two runs, and the Nationals beat the Marlins in the first game after the All-Star break for both clubs.
Jordan Zimmermann (6-6) pitched six scoreless innings allowing four hits and striking out six for the Nationals, who have won six of eight.
Josh Johnson (5-6) lost to Washington for the first time in his career as he allowed five runs and 11 hits in 5 1-3 innings. Johnson was 8-0 in 15 starts against the Nationals.
CUBS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 1
CHICAGO (AP) - Alfonso Soriano homered twice, doubled twice and had five RBIs in a game that was delayed at the start nearly four hours by rain.
Soriano hit a solo homer in the fourth inning and a three-run shot in the fifth off Ian Kennedy and added a run-scoring double in the seventh off Brad Ziegler.
Kennedy (6-8) gave up seven hits and six runs in five-plus innings, hitting a batter, walking two and throwing two wild pitches.
Paul Maholm (7-6) allowed six hits and a run in seven innings to win his third straight start. He drove in a run with a bunt in the sixth inning.
ROCKIES 6, PHILLIES 2
DENVER (AP) - Christian Friedrich pitched six strong innings, Josh Rutledge had two hits and two RBIs in his major league debut and the Rockies beat the Phillies.
Friedrich (5-6) got the best of Cliff Lee (1-6) in his first career appearance against the Phillies, who have lost five straight and 11 of their past 12 games.
In winning for the first time in more than a month, Friedrich allowed one run and five hits, struck out seven and walked one.
Lee, who got his only win of the season in his previous start July 4 against the New York Mets, allowed three runs - two earned - and nine hits in six innings.
Philadelphia fell to 4-11 in Lee's starts this season after going 22-10 in his 32 starts a year ago.
BRAVES 7, METS 5
ATLANTA (AP) - David Ross homered and drove in four runs, Chipper Jones also connected and the Braves survived a crisis at shortstop to beat the Mets.
The Braves started the day thin at shortstop. They chose to wait to replace rookie Andrelton Simmons, who broke his right little finger on Sunday and will be out at least one month. Atlanta then lost shortstop Jack Wilson with another pinkie injury.
Wilson dislocated the middle joint of his right little finger sliding while chasing a grounder in the fourth inning. Wilson's exit forced Martin Prado, the starter in left field, to play shortstop for the first time in four years.
Ross filled in with catcher Brian McCann was on paternity leave. McCann's wife, Ashley, delivered the couple's first child, a son, on Friday.
