>>Homers By Grichuk, Carpenter Pace Cardinals
Randal Grichuk and Matt Carpenter each hit two-run homers, and the Cardinals survived to beat the Royals 4-3 on Thursday.
The I-70 contest between division leaders was a makeup game from June 14 and came down to the wire.
Trevor Rosenthal gave up a run in the ninth on an Omar Infante triple, and a walk and stolen base by Jarrod Dyson put the go-ahead run on second base.
Rosenthal, though, got three straight outs to finish off his 30th save.
In the top of the first, Salvador Perez and Alex Rios each singled in a run, but that's all the Royals managed off starter John Lackey.
Lackey (9-5) went seven innings, scattering six hits and two walks while striking out five.
Grichuk sent a hanging 3-2 pitch into the left-field bleachers in the second, and Carpenter reached the right-field seats an inning later to give the Cardinals the lead.
Chris Young (8-6) served up both homers and did not make it past the third inning.
>>Sox Route Tribe
Jeff Samardzija threw eight strong innings and the Chicago White Sox hit four home runs for an 8-1 win over the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night.
Melky Cabrera homered twice, driving in three runs. Alexei Ramirez cracked a three-run homer and Adam Eaton added a solo blast as the White Sox snapped a four-game losing streak.
Samardzija (7-5) allowed just four hits and one run while striking out three and walking none. He retired the last eight batters he faced.
Trevor Bauer (8-7) struck out nine in six-plus innings for Cleveland but also gave up three of Chicago's four home runs, tying a career high for the 24- year-old right-hander.
Cabrera lined a homer to right leading off the fourth and Ramirez cracked his three-run shot to left later in the inning.
Eaton pushed Chicago's lead to 5-0 with a leadoff homer to right in the fifth.
Samardzija allowed just two hits in the first five innings before the Indians got to him for a run in the sixth after Michael Bourn led off with a single and later scored on Francisco Lindor's hit.
Chicago extended its lead to 8-1 against Kyle Crockett in the seventh on Tyler Saladino's sacrifice fly and Cabrera's two-run shot to left.
National League Scoreboard
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Pittsburgh 7, Washington 3
Los Angeles 3, New York 0
Arizona 8, Milwaukee 3
Miami 4, San Diego 0
American League Scoreboard
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New York 9, Baltimore 3
Seattle 3, Detroit 2 (12 innings)
Toronto 5, Oakland 2
Minnesota 3, LA Angels of Anaheim 0
Houston 5, Boston 4
