Justin Smoak hit one of four Blue Jays home runs, Scott Copeland won in his first major league start, and Toronto beat the visiting Miami Marlins, 7-2, on Wednesday to extend its winning streak to eight games.
Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin and Jose Reyes also connected for the Blue Jays (31-30), who moved above .500 for the first time since May 19 (16-15).
Toronto is on its longest winning run since a nine-game streak from May 20 to 28 last year.
Copeland, a 27-year-old right-hander who made his big league debut in relief on May 2, started in place of Aaron Sanchez, who was skipped because of general soreness.
Copeland allowed one run and six hits in seven innings, struck out four and walked none.
REDS 5, PHILLIES 2 Ivan De Jesus Jr. homered for the second time in three games, and host Cincinnati swept Philadelphia after losing shortstop Zack Cozart to a knee injury. Cozart twisted his right ankle and knee as he tried to beat out a grounder in the first inning.
Jon Moscot got his first win in his second major league start. He gave up two runs and six hits in six innings.
CARDINALS 4, ROCKIES 2 Carlos Martinez pitched efficiently into the seventh inning for a fifth straight start, and Randal Grichuk hit a solo homer, helping St. Louis avoid a series sweep at Colorado.
Martinez had a shutout until Ben Paulsen’s two-run homer in the seventh. He gave up eight hits in six and a third innings and tied a career high with two singles at the plate.
ORIOLES 5, RED SOX 2 Adam Jones drove in a run and played exceptional defense behind the left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who earned his second win of the season for host Baltimore.
J. J. Hardy had two R.B.I. for the Orioles.
Jones, a four-time Gold Glove winner, threw out a runner from center field and made two fine catches. He also put Baltimore up by 3-1 in the third with a run-scoring single.
Chen allowed two runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.
PIRATES 2, BREWERS 0 Charlie Morton scattered three hits in seven and a third innings to remain unbeaten in his return from hip surgery as Pittsburgh beat visiting Milwaukee.
Morton struck out six and walked three to win his fourth straight start since coming off the disabled list last month. He did not allow a hit until Aramis Ramirez led off the fifth with a single up the middle.
BRAVES 4, PADRES 1 The rookie Williams Perez allowed four hits in seven innings, Kelly Johnson returned from the disabled list with three hits, and host Atlanta beat San Diego.
Johnson had an R.B.I. single in the second inning in his return after missing 24 games with a strained right oblique. Cameron Maybin drove in a run with two of Atlanta’s 14 hits.
RAYS 4, ANGELS 2 Evan Longoria homered for host Tampa Bay, and starter Erasmo Ramirez got help from four relievers .
Longoria, who started at third base after being out of the lineup the past three games because of a sore left wrist, put the Rays up by 3-2 with a solo homer in the third off Jered Weaver.
CUBS 12, TIGERS 3 Chris Coghlan and Miguel Montero each hit a three-run homer as visiting Chicago pounded Detroit.
Jake Arrieta shut out the Tigers until Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run shot of his own in the sixth. The Cubs led by 6-0 before that, and Chicago added six more runs in the seventh.
MARINERS 9, INDIANS 3 Kyle Seager, batting cleanup in place of the ailing Nelson Cruz, hit a grand slam and drove in five runs to lead Seattle past host Cleveland.
Source: Free News Headlines Sports Roundup: Blue Jays Surge to 8th Straight Win