AROUND THE HORN | Thursday’s other MLB games

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Reds 4, Pirates 2

CINCINNATI

Joey Votto doubled twice, drove in two runs and scored twice, leading Tim Adleman and the Cincinnati Reds over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Adam Duvall drove in Votto both times as the Reds won for the fourth time in five games. Cincinnati is 6-1 against the Pirates this year. Gift Ngoepe and Francisco Cervelli each had RBI doubles for Pittsburgh, which has dropped four of five. Adleman (1-1), who set career highs while allowing eight hits and five earned runs in his last start at St. Louis, regrouped to allow six hits and two runs in six innings. Michael Lorenzen pitched two perfect innings of relief. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his fifth save. Ivan Nova, the NL’s Pitcher of the Month for April, continued to struggle against the Reds. After allowing a season-high eight hits in six innings of a 9-2 loss to Cincinnati on April 12, Nova (3-3) gave up 10 hits and four runs in six innings this time.

Nationals 4, Diamondbacks 2

WASHINGTON

Max Scherzer struck out a season-high 11 to bounce back from his worst outing this season, and the Washington Nationals defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks. Scherzer (4-2) allowed one run and two hits in seven innings. He also was 2 for 3 at the plate, driving in Washington’s first run with a second-inning infield single that pitcher Braden Shipley could not pick up with his bare hand. The NL Cy Young Award winner struck out the side in the fourth and the seventh, the only two innings he allowed a hit. He gave up Jake Lamb’s homer in the seventh. In his previous outing, Scherzer gave up five runs on Travis d’Arnaud’s two homers in a 7-5 loss to the Mets last Friday.

Cubs 5, Phillies 4, 13 innings

CHICAGO

Albert Almora Jr. doubled leading off the 13th inning and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Freddy Galvis, giving the Chicago Cubs a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Kris Bryant had four hits, Miguel Montero homered and drove in two runs, and Matt Szczur and Addison Russell hit run-scoring doubles as the Cubs extended their winning streak to three. Almora doubled off Joely Rodriguez (1-1) to begin the 13th and held as Javier Baez hit a comebacker. Ben Zobrist was intentionally walked, and Szczur grounded sharply to second baseman Cesar Hernandez, who threw to Galvis for the forceout. Trying to complete an inning-ending double play, Galvis bounced his throw to first, which went to the outside side of the based and skipped into foul territory. Koji Uehara (1-2), Chicago’s eighth pitcher, got three straight outs.

Rockies 3, Padres 2, 11 innings

SAN DIEGO

Ryan Hanigan’s RBI infield single in the 11th inning lifted the Colorado Rockies to a victory over the San Diego Padres. Hanigan, who had homered earlier in his Rockies’ debut, hit a grounder up the middle that Erick Aybar fielded, but he was unable to flip the ball to Cory Spangenberg at second for a force. That allowed Ian Desmond to score. Chad Qualls (1-0) pitched the 10th for the win. Greg Holland followed for his 12th save, although the tying run did reach base. Brad Hand (0-1) took the loss.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Rangers 10, Astros 4

HOUSTON

Joey Gallo homered and drove in three runs, Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus also homered and the Texas Rangers stopped a season-worst four-game skid, beating the Houston Astros. After twice giving up leads earlier in the series, the Rangers went ahead 4-0 in the first inning and used the bullpen to help avoid a four-game sweep. Marwin Gonzalez homered in his fifth straight start for Houston. Odor’s homer off Joe Musgrove (1-3) came with one out in the first. Singles by Nomar Mazara, Carlos Gomez and Gallo made it 2-0 with two outs and Mike Napoli hit a two-run double. Gallo padded the lead with a two-run homer in a three-run eighth inning and Andrus had a solo shot in the ninth. A.J. Griffin (3-0) picked up the win, yielding one earned run in five innings in his return from the disabled list because of gout in his left ankle.

White Sox 8, Royals 3

KANSAS CITY

Derek Holland scattered three hits while pitching into the seventh inning, Jose Abreu and Matt Davidson went deep off Ian Kennedy and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals to split their four-game series. Holland (3-2) exited with two outs in the seventh after giving up two runs, only one of them earned. He also struck out seven with only one walk in his latest dominant start for Chicago. The left-hander has allowed two earned runs or fewer in his first six outings this season. Kennedy (0-3) surrendered five runs on six hits and a walk before leaving with a strained right hamstring with one out in the fifth. The Royals said that Kennedy will be evaluated Friday to determine the severity of the injury. Kennedy struggled from the onset, giving up a one-out single to Melky Cabrera and a 427-foot homer to Abreu in the first. Davidson added his solo shot into the fountains in left in the second.

Athletics 8, Twins 5

MINNEAPOLIS

Jharel Cotton struck out nine in six innings and Ryon Healy hit his fourth home run of the season to lift the Oakland Athletics over the Minnesota Twins. Cotton (3-3) gave up three runs and three hits, and Stephen Vogt had two hits and two RBIs to help the A’s avoid a three-game sweep. Santiago Casilla struck out Miguel Sano with the bases loaded in the ninth for his fifth save in six tries, Sano’s fourth strikeout of the afternoon. Kyle Gibson (0-4) gave up four runs, eight hits and three walks in four innings. The Twins removed center fielder Byron Buxton in the sixth inning after he collided with the wall while making a catch.

Associated Press