>>White Sox Take Down Rangers

Jose Abreu capped a six-run second inning with a two-run homer, and the Chicago White Sox jumped on Nick Martinez early and cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

Abreu added an RBI single in the fourth as the White Sox improved to 5-5 on an 11-game road trip that ends Thursday in the finale of this three-game series.

Tyler Flowers also smacked a two-run shot, and Carlos Sanchez and Adam Eaton each knocked in two runs to back a strong start from Chris Sale (5-2), who struck out 13 over seven frames and allowed just three hits and two walks.

Martinez (4-2) came in with a sparkling 2.03 ERA but saw it increase by nearly a run after getting touched for seven runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings.

American League Scoreboard
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Boston 6, Minnesota 3 (Game One)
Minnesota 2, Boston 0 (Game Two)
New York 3, Seattle 1
Oakland 6, Detroit 1
Houston 3, Baltimore 1
Kansas City 4, Cleveland 2
Tampa Bay 6, LA Angels of Anaheim 5 (10 innings)
Toronto 8, Washington 0

>>Cardinals Slug Brewers

The St. Louis Cardinals scored five runs in the first inning and held on for a 7-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

Matt Carpenter, Jhonny Peralta and Yadier Molina all had two hits in support of John Lackey (4-3), who got the win with three runs allowed on 10 hits in seven innings.

Jimmy Nelson (2-6) allowed all seven Cardinals runs, six earned, in five innings.

Gerardo Parra had four hits, including a solo homer, but the Brewers were without right fielder Ryan Braun, who was away from the team to get an injection in his ailing right thumb.

The Cardinals won the last two games of the three-game series.

They sent all nine batters to the plate in the first inning. The first six reached base, including Peralta and Mark Reynolds with RBI hits. Between those hits, third baseman Hector Gomez's error on a ground ball from Randal Grichuk potentially cost Milwaukee a double play, and Molina and Jason Heyward added to the big inning with sacrifice flies.

>>After Tempers Flare, Marlins Beat Cubs

Giancarlo Stanton and Jeff Baker hit back-to- back home runs and the Miami Marlins took the finale of a three-game set from the Chicago Cubs 7-3 on Wednesday.

Martin Prado drove in two runs and Adeiny Hechavarria scored twice for Miami, which got 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball from Dan Haren (6-2).

Jon Lester (4-4) was roughed up for six runs on nine hits in just five innings for Chicago, while Junior Lake hit his first home run of the season starting in place of the injured Jorge Soler.

The lead grew to 6-0 after Stanton and Baker hit back-to-back homers in the fifth.

Lake put Chicago on the board with a two-run homer a half-inning later. Lake gestured at the Miami dugout during his home run trot Wednesday night, which inspired a bench-clearing confrontation led by Marlins ace Jose Fernandez.

After rounding third base, Lake put his index finger to his lips as if gesturing for silence while he looked at the Marlins. Several Miami players along the railing screamed at Lake in response and then ran onto the field, with Fernandez vaulting over the railing to lead the way even though he's on the disabled list.

Surrounded by their teammates, Lake and Fernandez screamed at each other near home plate before they were pulled away toward their respective dugouts. No one was ejected.

Lake was slow starting into his trot after he homered, and pitcher Dan Haren glared at him from the mound.

Starlin Castro followed with a triple and three batters later, pinch-hitter Matt Szczur chased Haren from the contest with an RBI single that cut the deficit in half.

Prado's RBI infield single in the sixth produced the final run.

National League Scoreboard
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Arizona 9, Atlanta 8
Pittsburgh 5, San Francisco 2
Philadelphia 5, Cincinnati 4 (11 innings)
Colorado 7, Los Angeles 6
San Diego 7, New York 3