AROUND THE HORN Thursday's games

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Athletics 5, Mariners 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Barry Zito pitched into the eighth inning for his second victory in nine starts and the Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners. Five players drove in a run as Oakland salvaged a four-game split of the AL West series with the division leaders. The A's lost the opener on Monday and were beaten 13-0 Wednesday. After a lengthy stretch of bad innings and bad luck, Zito (8-5) finally got back on track with one of his better starts in two months. The AL Cy Young winner, who blew a six-run lead in his last start, allowed 10 hits.
Devil Rays 6, Red Sox 5, 10 innings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Marlon Anderson singled with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the Tampa Bay Devil Rays a victory over the Boston Red Sox. Anderson delivered the game-winning hit off Mike Timlin (3-3) after Aubrey Huff and Travis Lee singled and Al Martin, whose two-run homer off Brandon Lyon tied the game at 5 in the eighth, drew an intentional walk with one out. Travis Harper (1-4) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pirates 8, Reds 7
PITTSBURGH -- Matt Stairs hit two-run homers off Ryan Dempster in consecutive at-bats and the Pittsburgh Pirates held off Cincinnati's third comeback attempt in three nights, avoiding another near-collapse by closer Mike Williams to win. Stairs put the Pirates in front 4-2 with a two-run drive in the third inning, then added a second two-run shot in the fifth -- his fifth homer in 16 at-bats over five games -- as the Pirates made it 8-2. A night after the Reds rallied to win 4-3 against Williams despite being down to their last strike with no one on base, they almost did it again. Williams was brought in to protect an 8-5 lead in the ninth, but the Reds quickly scored twice on Jose Guillen's single, Ken Griffey Jr.'s double, a walk and Aaron Boone's two-run single. Boone drove in four runs. But Williams recovered to strike out Russell Branyan, then got Kelly Stinnett to hit into a game-ending double play for his 21st save in 25 opportunities. Stinnett also struck out with the bases loaded to end the seventh inning.
Phillies 12, Cubs 2
PHILADELPHIA -- Placido Polanco had three hits and three RBIs and Brett Myers pitched into the seventh inning, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to victory over the Chicago Cubs. The Phillies have won 13 of 16, including eight of nine, to cut Atlanta's lead in the NL East in half. The Braves were five games ahead, pending their game against Montreal. Damian Miller hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, who have lost seven of nine. Jim Thome was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Marlon Byrd went 3-for-3 with two walks as the Phillies racked up 14 hits.
Cardinals 9, Giants 5
ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols and Edgar Renteria hit three-run homers in an eight-run second inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants to avoid a four-game sweep. The Giants were trying to complete the franchise's first four-game sweep at St. Louis since the great Christy Mathewson finished off the Cardinals on May 9, 1912. Instead, the Cardinals roughed up Kirk Rueter, with Pujols and Scott Rolen hitting consecutive homers in the second and Renteria connecting later in the inning.
Astros 7, Brewers 3
HOUSTON -- Jeriome Robertson won his sixth consecutive decision, and Jeff Bagwell and Geoff Blum each hit a three-run homer to lift the Houston Astros over the Milwaukee Brewers. Robertson (7-3) hasn't lost in 12 starts since April 25 against the New York Mets and leads the team in wins. The left-hander allowed three runs and seven hits in 71/3 innings, the longest outing of his career.
-- Associated Press