Narron wins debut with Cincinnati
CINCINNATI — Backup catcher Javier Valentin had a three-run homer and four RBIs to help Cincinnati to an 11-4 victory Tuesday night over the St. Louis Cardinals in Jerry Narron's debut as interim manager of the Reds.
Narron, Dave Miley's bench coach since the start of the 2004 season, was promoted earlier Tuesday when Miley was fired, along with pitching coach Don Gullett, after the Reds' 27-43 start.
Braves 5, Marlins 0
ATLANTA — John Smoltz pitched his first shutout in six years and Andruw Jones hit his 20th homer — a two-run shot — for the Braves.
Smoltz (7-5) fanned Matt Treanor in the seventh inning to pass Jack Morris for 28th place on the career strikeout list with 2,479. The 38-year-old Smoltz, who earned 154 saves as Atlanta's closer before returning to the rotation this year, allowed just five hits in his 15th career shutout.
Mets 8, Phillies 5
PHILADELPHIA — Doug Mientkiewicz and Brian Daubach homered for New York.
Jose Reyes had three hits and Carlos Beltran two RBIs for the last-place Mets, who had lost three straight and nine of 11.
Pirates 11, Nationals 4
PITTSBURGH — Matt Lawton homered and had five RBIs as Pittsburgh won for only the second time in nine games.
Lawton's two-run shot in the seventh inning followed David Ross' double off Luis Ayala and gave the Pirates a 7-4 lead. Lawton and Daryle Ward had two-run doubles in the eighth.
Cubs 4, Brewers 2
MILWAUKEE — Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez homered, and Jerome Williams won his Chicago Cubs debut.
Astros 6, Rockies 5
HOUSTON — Lance Berkman hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning, helping the Astros overcome a costly defensive mistake.
Padres 2, Dodgers 1
SAN DIEGO — Woody Williams pitched 6 2-3 solid innings for his first victory in nearly two months, and the Padres handed Los Angeles its season-high eighth straight loss.
Diamondbacks 6, Giants 4
SAN FRANCISCO — Chad Tracy hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth and the Arizona Diamondbacks avoided their longest losing streak of the season.
American League
CLEVELAND — David Ortiz homered twice and drove in four runs, and Bronson Arroyo scattered four hits to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Cleveland Indians 9-2 Tuesday night.
Ortiz's fourth multihomer game this season helped Boston to its third straight win and eighth in nine games. He leads the AL with 62 RBIs for Boston, 40-30 and a season-high 10 games over .500.
Orioles 9, Blue Jays 5
TORONTO — Geronimo Gil homered twice, and Eli Marrero homered and drove in three runs as Baltimore won for the sixth time in eight games.
The first-place Orioles scored five unearned runs off Gustavo Chacin (6-5) in the first inning after shortstop Russ Adams allowed Brian Roberts to reach on an error.
White Sox 5, Royals 1
CHICAGO — Jon Garland allowed four hits in 8 1-3 innings and became the major leagues' first 12-game winner.
Scott Podsednik went 3-for-4 with one RBI for the White Sox, who have won six straight.
Tigers 7, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS — Jeremy Bonderman allowed five hits in his first complete game of the season as Detroit handed Minnesota its eighth loss in 11 games.
Yankees 20, Devil Rays 11
NEW YORK — The Yankees scored 13 runs in the eighth inning, overcoming an early eight-run deficit.
Bernie Williams put the Yankees ahead with a bases-loaded triple in the eighth, and Gary Sheffield had his second three-run homer of the game. Derek Jeter tied a career high with five hits and scored a career-best five runs.
Athletics 4, Mariners 2
SEATTLE — Dan Johnson hit his first major league home run and Rich Harden pitched five strong innings to lead surging Oakland over the Mariners.
The Athletics won their fourth straight — matching a season high — and eighth in their last 11.
Angels 8, Rangers 6
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Dallas McPherson drove in three runs, Darin Erstad had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 21 games, and Los Angeles roughed up Chan Ho Park.
Bartolo Colon (9-4) improved his career record against Texas to 14-5, allowing three runs and six hits in six innings to help the Angels open a 3 1/2-game lead over the Rangers in the AL West.
The right-hander struck out seven, walked two and escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams en route to his fourth victory in five decisions.
Park (7-2) lost for the first time in 11 starts since Oakland beat him on April 18. He faced 13 batters — retiring only three — while allowing eight runs and 10 hits in the shortest of his 238 career starts.