MLB roundup: Ramirez drives in three to lead Cubs past Pirates

PITTSBURGH -- Aramis Ramirez homered and drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs retained the majors' best record, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-3 Monday night.

Two Cubs hitters who were slumping, Jim Edmonds and Kosuke Fukudome, also had big games as the Cubs improved to 81-50 -- the first time they've been 31 games above .500 since they ended the 1984 season with a 96-65 record.

Fukudome, hitting .161 in August when the game began, drove in four runs with a sacrifice fly, a two-run single during a five-run fifth inning that made it 10-1 and an RBI double. He has six RBI in five at-bats during his last two games. Edmonds had three extra-base hits, a triple and two doubles, after being 0-for-17 over his previous seven games.

Edmonds hit his second triple of the season and scored on Fukudome's sacrifice fly in the second against Jeff Karstens (2-3), who was pulled after allowing five runs and six hits over three innings. In his first start after being traded by the Yankees to the Pirates last month, Karstens shut out the Cubs over six innings in Wrigley Field on Aug. 1.

Ramirez's three-run homer in the third was his 23rd and put the Cubs ahead 5-0. Fukudome's two-run single came during a five-run fifth against reliever Jason Davis.

The Cubs, winners of 23 of 31, didn't need nearly that much offense to back Ted Lilly's seven effective innings. The left-hander gave up homers to Brandon Moss and Adam LaRoche but still dealt the Pirates their fifth consecutive loss and ninth in 11 games. Full story

Rangers 9, Royals 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Nelson Cruz had three hits, including a three-run homer in his season debut, and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals.

Cruz, promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma earlier in the day, homered in the third with Josh Hamilton and Marlon Byrd aboard. Cruz hit .342 with 37 home runs at Oklahoma and led the minors with a .693 slugging percentage,

Last July 28, Cruz was recalled from the minors and went had two homers and five RBI at Kansas City in his first game of the season for Texas.

Scott Feldman (5-5), winless in five starts since a July 21 victory over the Chicago White Sox, gave up three runs -- two earned -- and eight hits in seven innings.

Athletics 2, Angels 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Dallas Braden pitched seven masterful innings, Daric Barton homered and the Oakland Athletics beat the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels.

Braden (4-3) allowed a run and seven hits without recording a strikeout or walk. The 25-year-old left-hander, who made his first nine appearances this season in relief before going to Triple-A Sacramento, is 3-3 in seven outings since being inserted back into the rotation on July 22.

Last year, he was 0-8 with a 7.91 ERA over his final 13 starts after beating Baltimore in his big league debut.

Brad Ziegler followed Joey Devine out of the bullpen and pitched a hitless ninth inning for his fifth save in five chances. The rookie right-hander has allowed only two runs in 45 innings.

Rockies 4, Giants 2

SAN FRANCISCO -- Jeff Francis got his first victory in more than two months, Yorvit Torrealba homered and the Colorado Rockies won for the eighth time in 10 games, beating the San Francisco Giants.

Francis was winless in his last five starts but maintained his recent domination of the Giants by allowing seven hits over seven innings and repeatedly pitching his way out of trouble after giving up two runs in the first inning.

The Rockies' left-hander, who has won his last four starts against San Francisco, worked out of bases-loaded jam with no outs in the third and benefited from a pair of double plays.

Troy Tulowitzki had two hits and an RBI, and Ian Stewart and Garrett Atkins had two hits each for Colorado, which won its third straight. The Rockies also pulled within seven games of Arizona in the NL West.