>>Cardinals Come Back Late, Top Reds
Key hits from rookies helped the St. Louis Cardinals get to the Reds bullpen before Cincinnati could get to Aroldis Chapman.
Trevor Rosenthal was ready for the ball.
Stephen Piscotty doubled in the go-ahead run in a two-run eighth inning, a rally that began with Tommy Pham's leadoff triple, and Rosenthal earned his 47th save in 49 chances to match the franchise record in a 2-1 victory on Monday night.
Rosenthal tied the record held by Lee Smith (1991) and Jason Isringhausen (2004). Manager Mike Matheny said in July, Isringhausen told him to ''slow that kid down.''
Rookie Tommy Pham tripled off J.J. Hoover (8-2) to open the eighth and Jhonny Peralta's one-out single tied it ahead of Piscotty's drive off the wall in left-center. It was the seventh go-ahead RBI for Piscotty in 55 games with St. Louis.
Johnathon Broxton (3-5) allowed one hit the eighth for the Cardinals, who have a four-game NL Central lead over Pittsburgh. They're a major league-best 51-24 at home and have the best overall record, too, at 94-56.
Reds rookie starter John Lamb held St. Louis scoreless for the second time this month, striking out six and allowing five hits in six-plus innings. Brandon Phillips had three hits including a first-inning RBI single.
Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia allowed a run on five hits in seven innings. He lacked control in the first but survived with minimal damage after throwing two wild pitches, walking two and allowing two hits, then retired the side in order the next four innings - once with the help of a double play.
Joey Votto drew his 136th walk, in the sixth, breaking his own franchise record set in 2013. Votto also singled in the first and is 5 for 6 against Garcia with a homer, double and three walks.
Randal Grichuk's arm was exposed in the sixth when Eugenio Suarez took second on a routine single but was tagged out when he over-slid the bag. Todd Frazier attempted to exploit Grichuk when he tagged on a routine fly out in the seventh but the Cardinals had moved Piscotty to left and Frazier was out at second for the third out.
John Lackey (12-9, 2.79) has a 2.23 ERA since June 15, fifth-best in the majors, but he's 0-2 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts against Cincinnati. Rookie Keyvius Sampson (2-5, 7.09) has qualified for the decision just four times in his first nine career starts.
>>Cubs Outslug Brewers
The Chicago Cubs haven't played meaningful baseball in September for a while. But now that they are, confidence isn't at a shortage.
Anthony Rizzo had three hits and scored three runs, Jorge Soler hit a pinch-hit, 3-run homer and the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-5 on Monday night.
The Cubs inched closer to a NL playoff berth as their magic number to clinch fell to four. Chicago, which last made the playoffs in 2008, entered Monday two games behind Pittsburgh for the first wild card berth and has now won six of seven, playing well when it matters.
Soler's first career pinch-hit home run broke the game open in the seventh inning after the Cubs snapped a 4-4 tie in the fifth with a pair of runs. Castro, who had two hits and two RBIs for Chicago, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before Miguel Montero singled in Rizzo, who doubled.
Rizzo reached in all five of his at-bats after collecting two walks to go along with his three hits and extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Milwaukee's Adam Lind tied the game at 4 with a two-run homer in the fifth inning off Cubs starter Jason Hammel (9-6), who allowed three earned runs over his five innings. He scattered five hits while striking out six and walking one.
After falling behind 2-0, the Cubs responded with three runs in the second inning. Dexter Fowler followed up Castro's RBI double with a two-run double that ricocheted off the second base bag. Fowler was initially called out at second, which would have nullified the go-ahead run from scoring. But the ruling was reversed following a review, allowing the Cubs lead to stand.
Addison Russell's RBI walk in the third inning extended Chicago's lead to two runs. Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta (5-10) allowed four walks and gave six runs over 4 2-3 innings on eight hits. He also struck out two.
The Brewers, who got a home run from Khris Davis in the eighth, strung three singles together and took advantage of a Hammel throwing error in the first to build an early 2-0 lead. Hammel threw wide of first base while attempting to pick off Logan Schafer, which scored Scooter Gennett. Schafer, who also singled, scored on an RBI single by Domingo Santana.
Milwaukee has lost eight straight games to Chicago and eight of nine overall, running into a red-hot Cubs team.
Jake Arrieta (19-6, 1.96 ERA) will make his second attempt at becoming the major league's first 20-game winner and the Cubs' first pitcher to reach the mark since 2001 after taking a no-decision in his last outing on Sept. 16.
Tyler Cravy (0-7, 6.42 ERA) will make his sixth start of the season, pitching in Nelson's place. Cravy suffered his seventh loss of the year in a relief role on Sept. 19 against Cincinnati.
>>Samardzija, Johnson Terrific As Sox Sweep DH With Detroit
When Jeff Samardzija finally broke out of his slump, he dominated.
Samardzija pitched a one-hitter, allowing a leadoff single to Victor Martinez in the fifth inning, and led the Chicago White Sox over the Detroit Tigers 2-0 Monday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Martinez blooped an opposite-field hit over shortstop Alexei Ramirez and in front of left fielder Trayce Thompson on a 2-0 pitch, then was erased when Jefry Marte grounded into a one-out forceout.
No other batter reached base against Samardzija (10-13), who struck out six in his second shutout this season and the third of his big league career. He threw just 88 pitches in a game that took 2 hour, 12 minutes.
Samardzija won at Detroit for the first time in four starts with the White Sox.
He also earned his first career win at Comerica Park in four tries since joining the White Sox.
In the makeup of a May 27 rainout, Adam Eaton singled in Carlos Sanchez in the third, and Sanchez homered in the sixth against Kyle Ryan (2-4).
Erik Johnson followed a one-hitter by Jeff Smardzija with six solid innings Monday night, leading the White Sox to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers for a doubleheader sweep.
Gordon Beckham homered, Jose Abreu had an RBI double and Avisail Garcia a sacrifice fly in the night cap of the split-doubleheader. All the runs came off Detroit's Randy Wolf (0-4).
Trayce Thompson led off the second inning with a triple for the White Sox and scored on Garcia's fly before Beckham hit his fifth homer of the season, into the right-field seats. Tyler Saladino tripled in the third and came home on Jose Abreu's RBI single.
Johnson (3-0) allowed a long ball to Alex Avila and a sacrifice fly to Ian kinsler. The Tigers loaded the bases in the fourth but Johnson worked out of the jam unscathed, holding the 3-2 lead.
Making his fourth start this season after spending most of it at Triple-A Charlotte, Johnson matched a career best with nine strikeouts. He allowed five hits and two walks.
The teams continue the four-game series Tuesday night when Chicago's Jose Quintana (9-10, 3.45) faces fellow left-hander Daniel Norris (2-2, 4.28).
Chris Sale likely won't start until Thursday at the New York Yankees. Manager Robin Ventura said the bullpen's workload Monday was a concern after he decided to move Sale's next scheduled start back a day.
