Nationals Fall Again – MLB Roundup For April 24th

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Nationals are just 10-10 after entering the season as one of the favorites to win the World Series.

Adam Wainwright scattered five hits over 8 1/3 innings as St. Louis handed the Nats their eighth loss in 11 games, 2-0. Allen Craig and Carlos Beltran provided RBIs in the fourth inning to help Wainwright improve to 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA.

The Atlanta Braves were winners in the coldest game at Coors Field, braving 23-degree temperature in a 4-3 decision over the Rockies in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Justin Upton smacked his major league-leading 10th homer, while Dan Uggla (UHG'-lah) and rookie Evan Gattis also went deep. Reed Johnson went 4-for-4 with three doubles in place of right fielder Jason Heyward, who underwent an appendectomy Monday night and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia 2-0 behind Jeff Locke, who allowed two hits while striking out six in six innings. Gaby (GAB'-ee) Sanchez hit a solo homer and Brandon Inge (ihnj) doubled home a run as the Pirates won for the fifth time in seven games.

Carlos Marmol blew a lead in the ninth inning before Darwin Barney hit his first homer in the 10th inning to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Marmol picked up the victory after surrendering Joey Votto's game-tying single.

Manny Machado had two hits, including a two-run single that capped a four-run second in Baltimore's 4-3 triumph over Toronto. Miguel Gonzalez allowed three runs in six innings as the Orioles won for the ninth time in 13 games.

Ichiro Suzuki's tiebreaking two-run single in the ninth inning led the New York Yankees to a 4-3 win at Tampa Bay. The Rays fell to 0-5 in games started by David Price, who was charged with three runs and eight hits in eight-plus innings.

Bartolo Colon limited Boston to three hits in seven innings as Oakland clobbered the Red Sox 13-0. Seth Smith hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs in a game that was called by rain in the seventh.

Kevin Correia (koh-RAY'-uh) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings of Minnesota's 4-3 win over Miami in the opener of a day-night twinbill. Oswaldo Arcia belted his first major league home run, a three-run blast that erased the Marlins' 2-1 lead in the fourth inning.

Cleveland's game at Chicago was postponed, the second time the White Sox have been postponed due to inclement weather during their current eight-game homestand. No makeup date has been announced.

And the Detroit Tigers' game against the visiting Kansas City Royals was postponed because of rain. No makeup date was immediately announced.

UNDATED (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley will have Tommy John surgery this week and miss the rest of the season.

Billingsley was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts this season. The 28-year-old injured his elbow last August and decided to try rehabilitation instead of major surgery.

In other baseball news:

— The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a one-year contract with reliever Jose Valverde, and he is expected to report to the team Wednesday. Tigers manager Jim Leyland says Valverde will assume the closer's role once he is activated.

— Detroit has put reliever Octavio Dotel (ahk-TAY'-vee-oh doh-TEHL') on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation. The move opened the way for Bruce Rondon to be called up from Triple-A Toledo.

— Stadium operations officials from the 30 big league baseball teams will meet this week and are expected to discuss whether to make any security changes in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. Major League Baseball said Thursday's meeting in New York was planned before the attacks last week. Among the security topics that could be discussed are backpacks that fans bring into ballparks.