Rockies Get First Series Win Over Giants In Two Years – MLB Roundup For May 20th

UNDATED (AP) — It was one of the best performances of Miguel Cabrera's career, yet it wasn't enough for the Detroit Tigers to beat the Texas Rangers.

Cabrera hit three homers while going 4-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored, but the Rangers rallied from deficits of 4-1 and 7-5 to beat the Tigers 11-8. David Murphy hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth and had four RBIs to lead the Texas comeback. Lance Berkman, Adrian Beltre (BEHL'-tray) and Mitch Moreland added two RBIs apiece for the Rangers.

Cabrera raised his average to .387, but the Tigers fell two games behind the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians.

The Rangers took three of four from Detroit and lead the AL West by 6 ½ games over Oakland, the largest division lead in the majors.

Tampa Bay's Matt Moore is baseball's first eight-game winner. The left-hander is 8-0 after holding Baltimore to a run and five hits over seven innings of the Rays' 3-1 win over the Orioles.

Moore has won nine straight decisions, breaking the franchise record of eight set last year by David Price.

Luke Scott and Matt Joyce hit solo homers as the Rays swept the three-game series.

Also in the majors, John Lackey allowed one hit and an unearned run over six innings of Boston's 5-1 win at Minnesota. Dustin Pedroia (peh-DROY'-uh) smacked a two-run homer and Will Middlebrooks hit a solo shot in the Red Sox's fifth consecutive win.

Justin Masterson improved to 7-2 by allowing just three singles while striking out 11 over seven innings of Cleveland's 6-0 shutout of Seattle. Michael Brantley hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs as the Indians won for the 17th time in 21 games and improved to 25-17, tops in the AL Central.

Yoenis Cespedes (yoh-EH'-nehs SEHS'-peh-dehs) led off the bottom of the eighth with a tiebreaking homer to push Oakland past Kansas City 4-3. The A's managed to complete a three-game sweep despite scoring just eight runs in the series and trailing 2-0 in the getaway game.

Jason Vargas was sharp in the Los Angeles Angels' 6-2 win over Chicago, holding the White Sox to four hits in seven shutout innings. Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick laced two-run doubles for the Angels, who also scored on a pair of bases-loaded walks.

Ricky Nolasco also struck out 11 and Miami stopped a season-high seven-game losing streak by holding off Arizona 2-1. Marcell Ozuna broke a scoreless tie with a two-run double in the sixth.

Pittsburgh made it eight wins in 10 games as Jeff Locke allowed three hits over seven innings of a 1-0 triumph against Houston. Pedro Alvarez homered as the Pirates improved to 26-18, the team's best 44-game start in 22 years.

Reds' closer Aroldis Chapman gave up home runs to Freddy Galvis and Erik Kratz in the bottom of the ninth inning in Philadelphia as the Phillies beat the Reds, 3-2. Chapman blew his second straight save opportunity after converting his first eight chances this season.

St. Louis beat former Cardinals pitcher Kyle Lohse (lohsh) for the third time this season as David Freese and Jon Jay each had two hits and an RBI in the Redbirds' 4-2 decision over Milwaukee. John Gast won his second straight start in place of the injured Jake Westbrook as the Cardinals won for the 14th time in 17 games.

Mike Minor combined with three relievers on a three-hitter and Atlanta scored four times in the eighth to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 to complete a three-game sweep. Jordan Schafer drove in two runs and Ramiro Pena put the Braves ahead with a sacrifice fly.

Yonder Alonso went 3-for-4 with a homer and three runs scored as San Diego crushed Washington 13-4 to earn a split of the four-game series. Kyle Blanks and Will Venable homered off Dan Haren to support Andrew Cashner, who allowed three runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings.

Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki (too-loh-WITS'-kee) each had two RBIs as Colorado beat San Francisco 5-0 for their first series win over the Giants in two years. Juan Nicasio (nih-KAH'-see-oh) held the defending champs to three hits in six innings.

Juan Ligares (lih-GAR'-ihs) smacked a game-tying, two-run homer in the seventh before Daniel Murphy's eighth-inning blast gave the Mets the rubber match in their three-game series with the Cubs, 4-3 at Wrigley Field. The Mets' bullpen came through with four hitless innings of scoreless relief after starter Dillon Gee surrendered a two-run blast to pitcher Travis Wood and a solo shot by Ryan Sweeney.

The Toronto at New York game was postponed because of rain. No makeup date has been announced.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz and first baseman Ryan Howard will have MRI exams Monday. Ruiz will miss Monday's game at the Miami Marlins after straining his right hamstring Sunday. Howard didn't play Sunday due to left knee soreness. He joined the team on the trip to Miami, but manager Charlie Manuel didn't sound optimistic about Howard's chances to play Monday.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers have placed second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 15-day disabled list because of bruised ribs. Because Kinsler entered Friday night's game as a pinch-runner, the DL move was retroactive to Saturday, when Kinsler didn't play. The earliest he would be eligible to return is June 2.

Kinsler is hitting .302 with seven home runs, 20 RBIs and 24 runs scored in 40 games.