Walters’ 10th-inning homer lifts Tribe

Associated Press

CHICAGO

Zach Walters hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning, lifting the Cleveland Indians to an 8-6 victory over the sliding Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Pinch-hitter Lonnie Chisenhall doubled to lead off the 10th against Jake Petricka (0-4), and after failing to sacrifice Chisenhall to third, Walters hit a 3-2 pitch well into the right-field bleachers to give the Indians the lead.

Bryan Shaw (5-3) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief for the win, keeping Cleveland 5 1/2 games behind Kansas City in the AL Central.

Chicago lost its seventh straight and saw Petricka give up a go-ahead home run in his second consecutive appearance after allowing Brian McCann’s 10th inning walk-off Sunday against the New York Yankees.

Pirates 5, Cardinals 2

PITTSBURGH

Ike Davis didn’t complain when the Pittsburgh Pirates told him they were going to eat into his playing time by experimenting with Pedro Alvarez at first base. Call it the byproduct of spending four-plus seasons with the New York Mets.

“You kind of get immune to stuff after a while,” Davis said. “Kind of my career has been starting, not starting, so I’m used to it.”

Davis is simply happy to be in a pennant race at the moment. He provided a needed jolt in a pinch-hit appearance Tuesday night, connecting for a tiebreaking three-run homer off St. Louis reliever Seth Maness in the eighth inning of a potentially costly 5-2 victory.

Pirates star Andrew McCutchen left in the fifth inning because of discomfort in his left ribs. Recently on the disabled list because of a rib problem, the center fielder ran into the wall earlier in the game.

“Today caught up to him in a couple of different ways,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of the reigning NL MVP. “Tonight got to be a point where we didn’t think we needed to push any farther than he did.”

It’s uncertain if McCutchen will be available today, but Pittsburgh survived for a few innings without the four-time All-Star thanks in large part to Davis. The Pirates squandered six brilliant innings by Gerrit Cole when Tony Watson (9-1) couldn’t get out of a two-on, no-out jam in the seventh that allowed the Cardinals to tie the game.

No matter. Watson recovered to get out of the jam and retired the side in the eighth, and the Pirates wasted little time getting to Maness in the bottom of the inning.