Roundup: Pirates rally to complete sweep of Giants
CBSSports.com wire reports
PITTSBURGH -- Adam LaRoche hit a go-ahead single in a three-run seventh inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied to beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Thursday for a three-game sweep.
Pittsburgh has won 13 of its last 15 games against San Francisco and swept three-game series from the Giants in three straight seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. San Francisco has lost four in a row overall.
The Pirates trailed 4-2 against Matt Cain (1-3) when pinch-hitter Nyjer Morgan reached on a bunt single starting the seventh. Sanchez, 7-for-13 after being moved to the leadoff slot for the first time this week, followed with a ground-rule double and Nate McLouth hit sacrifice fly.
Jason Bay's double tied the score, Jack Taschner relieved and, one out later, NL RBI leader Xavier Nady was intentionally walked. LaRoche then lined a single to right.
Franquelis Osoria (2-1) pitched a one-hit seventh, John Grabow and Tyler Yates combined on a one-hit eighth and Matt Capps finished for his eighth save in as many chances, striking out pinch-hitter John Bowker with a runner on second to end the game.
Sanchez had three hits and scored twice, and Bay went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
Pirates starter Paul Maholm allowed four runs and six hits in six innings, while Cain gave up five runs and nine hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Ryan Doumit hit a two-run single in the third, but San Francisco took a 4-2 lead in the fourth when Emmanuel Burriss and Steve Holm had consecutive hits that drove in their first major league RBI. Full story
Rockies 9, Cardinals 3
DENVER -- Matt Holliday had four singles, Jorge De La Rosa scattered five hits over 5 2/3 innings and the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals to salvage a split in their four-game series.
Omar Quintanilla added a career-high three hits and Garrett Atkins finished 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two RBI for the Rockies.
De La Rosa (1-1) was making his second start for Colorado since being acquired April 30 from the Triple-A Omaha Royals. He gave up two runs while striking out five.
Kyle Lohse (3-2) struggled for a second straight outing, allowing seven runs and eight hits in four innings. Lohse was coming off a sensational April in which he allowed just nine runs in 34 1/3 innings. So far in May, though, he's surrendered 15 runs and 17 hits in 10 innings.
The Rockies have now won two in a row at home at Coors Field for the first time since early April, when they took three from Atlanta.
Ryan Ludwick continued his torrid hitting this series with two solo home runs Thursday. He went 9-for-13 in the four-game series with three doubles, three home runs and six RBI. Ludwick entered Coors Field with a .308 average and departed at .363.
Marlins 7, Brewers 2
MIAMI -- Matt Treanor achieved a career high in RBI with one swing, hitting a three-run homer to help the Florida Marlins complete a three-game sweep by beating Milwaukee.
Jorge Cantu also homered for the first-place Marlins, who won their fourth game in a row and matched their best start after 34 games (20-14).
The Brewers lost their sixth game in a row, their longest losing streak this year. They finished 1-5 in the season series against Florida, scoring a total of 10 runs.
Milwaukee stranded 11 runners against four Florida pitchers. Marlins starter Mark Hendrickson needed 109 pitches to get through 4 1/3 innings but allowed only one run.
Logan Kensing (1-0) retired all eight batters he faced, striking out four. Florida's Luis Gonzalez went 3-for-3 with a walk and finished the series 7-for-11.
Carlos Villanueva (1-4) allowed seven runs in five innings to remain winless since his first start of the season April 4. His ERA rose to 6.46.
Nationals 8, Astros 3
HOUSTON -- Willie Harris and Rob Mackowiak homered to help the Washington Nationals beat Houston and end the Astros' five-game winning streak.
John Lannan (3-3) allowed seven hits in six innings and the Nationals snapped Houston's eight-game winning streak at Minute Maid Park. The Astros averaged 7.3 runs and 11.5 hits in their previous eight home games.
Austin Kearns had a two-run single off Brandon Backe (2-4) as the Nationals won for the third time in their last 15 road games. Backe had a career-high nine strikeouts, but lost for only the fifth time in his last 21 decisions at home.
Nick Johnson hit an RBI double in the first inning and Harris, making his seventh start of the season in center field, homered to right in the third to make it 2-0.
