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Castro Lifts Cubs Again; Cards/Royals Rained Out; Sox Lose Despite Sale's Strong Performance; Baseball Notes

 width=>>Castro Lifts Cubs Past Reds

Starlin Castro got his second walk-off hit in two days, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds in 11 innings on Sunday night.

Castro, who won Saturday's game with a hit in the ninth, stroked a 1-1 sinker from Burke Badenhop (0-2) into the left-center field gap to score Chris Coghlan, who had hit a one-out double.

The Cubs took three of four in the series against their NL Central rivals and have won six of their last eight overall.

They escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth inning and threw a runner out at home plate in the sixth.

Billy Hamilton had a career-high five stolen bases for the Reds, including two in the 10th inning to land at third base after a walk. But Brandon Phillips struck out and Joey Votto lined out to leave him there.

Brian Schlitter (1-2) got the last two outs in the top of the 11th for Chicago to earn the win after Zac Rosscup walked two.

The offenses scuffled against two familiar starting pitchers, but managed to eke out a run against both.

Cubs left-hander Jon Lester, who entered the game on a three-start losing streak, pitched against the Reds for the third time this season and gave up five hits and no walks in seven strong innings.

Reds righty Anthony DeSclafani, who won his previous three starts, faced the Cubs for a third time this year and yielded six hits and two walks in 6 1/3 frames.

 width=>>Cardinals, Royals Finale Washed Out

The series finale between the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals on Sunday was postponed due to rain.

The game was tentatively pushed back two hours from the original start time, but rain in the forecast forced the postponement.

The Cardinals won the first two games of the series.

National League Scoreboard
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New York 10, Atlanta 8
Colorado 4, Miami 1
Pittsburgh 1, Philadelphia 0 (11 innings)
Washington 4, Milwaukee 0
Arizona 4, San Francisco 0
Los Angeles 4, San Diego 2 (12 innings)

 width=>>Despite Strong Performance From Sale, Sox Lose

Chris Sale made one just mistake and Asdrubal Cabrera crushed it into the left-field seats.

Cabrera's two-run homer in the seventh inning lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to their second-ever sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 2-1 victory on Sunday.

The Rays were scuffling against Chicago's ace before Steven Souza Jr. drew a leadoff walk in the seventh. Souza, among the league leaders in strikeouts, was down 1-2 in the count and patiently took three pitches off the plate.

Sale compounded the walk by grooving a fastball that Cabrera didn't miss.

Cabrera's third home run of the season was enough to take the finale of the three-game series.

Nathan Karns and three relievers limited the White Sox to a 1-for-9 effort with runners in scoring position.

That hit came in the second when Carlos Sanchez followed Gordon Beckham's double down the left-field line with an RBI single through the right side.

Karns pitched six innings, struck out eight and scattered seven hits, while C.J. Riefenhauser (1-0), Steve Geltz and Kevin Jepsen all pitched a scoreless inning in relief. Jepsen picked up his fifth save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Sale (6-3) was handed the hard-luck loss despite striking out 12 and allowing just three hits and three walks over 6 2/3 innings. He has at least 12 strikeouts in each of his last four starts, a feat that had not been accomplished since Pedro Martinez went four in a row with Boston in 2001.

American League Scoreboard
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Detroit 8, Cleveland 1
Toronto 13, Boston 5
New York 5, Baltimore 3
Houston 13, Seattle 0
Minnesota 4, Texas 3
Oakland 8, LA Angels of Anaheim 1

>>Top Prospects Promoted Over Weekend

The Cleveland Indians have joined the recent trend of calling up top prospects to the major leagues, selecting the contract of highly regarded shortstop Francisco Lindor from Triple-A Columbus prior to Sunday's series finale in Detroit.

Lindor, who entered 2015 rated the No. 4 overall prospect by MLB.com, fills a roster spot made available when the Indians placed designated hitter Nick Swisher back on the 15-day disabled list due to continued knee troubles.

The 21-year-old Lindor was hitting .279 with two home runs, 22 RBI and five triples in 57 games at Columbus. The No. 8 overall pick of the 2011 MLB Draft owns a .278 average with 21 homers and 89 stolen bases over 414 career games in the minor leagues.

Swisher missed the first month of this season while recovering from surgery on both his knees performed in August. The 12-year veteran has hit just .198 with two home runs and eight RBI in 30 games since returning to action on May 5.

Byron Buxton scored the winning run in his major league debut, crossing the plate on Eddie Rosario's double in the ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

Buxton, a 21-year-old outfielder seen by many as baseball's top prospect, was called up Sunday from Double-A Chattanooga, where he was hitting .283 with 12 triples, six home runs and 20 stolen bases in 59 games.

The former No. 2 overall draft pick failed to reach base in his first three at-bats, striking out twice. He bunted in the ninth with the go-ahead run at second base after Eduardo Escobar's leadoff double off Shawn Tolleson (1-1).

>>Blue Jays Put Former Top Prospect Sanchez on DL

The surging Toronto Blue Jays will be without starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez for at least two more weeks after placing the improving rookie on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right lat muscle.

The team announced the move, which is retroactive to June 6, after it recorded its 11th straight win in Sunday's 13-5 rout of the Boston Red Sox. Right- hander Scott Copeland will be recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take Sanchez's next scheduled start, slated for Tuesday against the New York Mets.

Sanchez also had his previous turn skipped due to the injury, with Copeland drawing the assignment and allowing one run over seven innings in the Blue Jays' 7-2 triumph over Miami on Wednesday.

Sanchez had yielded two runs -- one earned -- and six hits over a career-high eight innings to defeat Houston in his most recent outing on June 5. The 22- year-old has gone 4-2 with a 2.91 ERA in seven starts since May 2.

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