MLB ROUNDUP | Tuesday’s other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Rangers 12, Rays 6

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One-time Tampa Bay prospect Josh Hamilton hit a grand slam and matched his career high with five RBIs, helping Vicente Padilla and the Texas Rangers cool off the AL East-leading Rays. Padilla (7-2) allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings to win his fifth straight decision and stop Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak. The right-hander walked four and struck out a season-high 10. Hamilton, the former No. 1 overall pick in the draft whose career with the Rays was derailed by drug addiction and injuries, had a RBI double off Andy Sonnanstine (6-3) in the first and added his second grand slam of the season in the eighth off J.P. Howell.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Mets 5, Marlins 3

NEW YORK — Johan Santana snapped the New York Mets out of their recent doldrums, pitching seven effective innings to beat the feisty Florida Marlins. Fernando Tatis and Ramon Castro each hit a pair of two-out RBI singles for the Mets, who won for only the second time in nine games. One day after embattled manager Willie Randolph kept his job — for now — following a much-publicized meeting with ownership, New York improved to 24-26 with its fifth victory in 15 tries. Santana (6-3) struck out seven and worked around eight hits and two walks, allowing three runs. Duaner Sanchez pitched a scoreless eighth after yielding a leadoff double. Billy Wagner fanned two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save in 12 chances. Florida starter Andrew Miller (4-4) lasted only 42‚Ñ3 innings. Cody Ross homered and drove in two runs for the NL East-leading Marlins (30-21), who lost for the fourth time in 11 games.

Brewers 3, Braves 2

MILWAUKEE — After grousing earlier in the day about being placed in a platoon situation at third base, Bill Hall scored the winning run in the Brewers’ victory. Hall, who entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth, led off the bottom of the inning with a broken-bat bloop single off Braves reliever Jeff Bennett (0-3). Rickie Weeks sacrificed Hall to second, and Hall stole third on a 3-0 pitch to Mike Cameron. Cameron then lofted a fly ball to center, and Hall’s slide narrowly beat the throw home.

Astros 8, Cardinals 2

ST. LOUIS — Shawn Chacon won his second straight start after nine no-decisions to open the year and Hunter Pence had a career-best five hits in the Houston Astros’ victory. Chacon (2-0) worked seven strong innings, helping the Astros win for the fifth time in seven games in the opener of a nine-game trip.

Cubs 3, Dodgers 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Sean Gallagher had his best start, and Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome capped a three-run seventh with run-scoring hits to lead the Cubs. Gallagher (2-1) allowed one run and four hits in a career-high seven innings while striking out three and walking two. The Dodgers got an RBI single from Blake DeWitt in the fourth, but the third baseman’s error in the seventh allowed the tying run to score and helped turn what looked like a win for Hiroki Kuroda (2-4) into a loss. Kerry Wood pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save in 16 chances, the crowd chanting “Kerry! Kerry!” before Russell Martin grounded out to end the game.

Associated Press