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Cardinals Win; Cubs, White Sox Postponed

>>Cardinals Outlast Reds For Series Sweep
 
Carlos Martinez struck out a season-high 11 in seven shutout innings and Harrison Bader's two-run home run helped the Cardinals complete their first four-game sweep in Cincinnati since 1949 with a 3-2 win on Sunday.
 
After waiting through a rain delay of 2 hours, 36 minutes, Martinez allowed two hits and four walks while helping send the Reds to their eighth consecutive loss, one short of matching their longest losing streak of last season.
 
The Reds scored 10 runs in the series while being swept in four games at home by St. Louis for the first time since July 8-10, 1949.
 
The Reds haven't enjoyed a lead in 32 innings, going back to the fourth inning on Thursday. They are 2-13 overall this season for the first time since the 1931 Reds won two of their first 19 games.
 
Bud Norris allowed Adam Duvall's ninth-inning leadoff homer and the Reds got a runner to second with nobody out. Norris struck out Alex Blandino and Phillip Ervin and got Billy Hamilton to line out to clinch his third save.
 
The Cardinals have won five of their past six games.
 
Bader drove Homer Bailey's 1-0 pitch into the right field seats for an opposite-field homer with two outs in the second inning. The opposite-field shot was his first in four big league homers. 
 
The Cardinals added a run with one out in the seventh on Jose Martinez's one-out double and Yadier Molina's RBI single, his second hit of the game.
 
Hamilton homered off reliever Tyler Lyons in the eighth inning for his 500th hit.
 
Bailey (0-3) allowed four hits and three runs with four strikeouts and two walks in a season-high seven innings.
 
Adam Wainwright (0-2), who is 10-2 in 23 games at Wrigley Field, was scheduled to start the opener of a three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago on Monday.
 
>>Braves, Cubs Series Finale Postponed
 
Sunday's series finale betwen the Cubs and Braves was postponed by rain and rescheduled for May 14, setting up an unusual four-game set that begins in Chicago and finishes with three in Atlanta.
It also was wet, cold and windy on Saturday, but the teams played through the conditions and the Cubs rallied for a wild 14-10 victory over the Braves. When it was over, both sides were critical of the decision to play.
 
Saturday's gametime temperature was 38 degrees, and there was a 24 mph wind and a steady mist. The temperature fell and the wind increased as the game progressed.
 
Five other major league games were postponed Sunday - White Sox at Twins, Angels at Royals, Blue Jays at Indians and the Yankees-Tigers doubleheader in Detroit - running the season total to 21. That is baseball's highest number through the end of April since there were 26 in 2007.
 
It was the second postponement of the Cubs' first homestand after their home opener against Pittsburgh was pushed back a day by snow.
 
>>Entire Twins, White Sox Weekend Series Called Off
 
Rows of blue suitcases lined the hallway leading into the Minnesota Twins' clubhouse on Sunday, signs of a trip the frigid players can't wait to take.
 
Three straight postponements because of snow only heightened the anticipation for this week's series in Puerto Rico.
Instead of preparing to face the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Minnesota took batting practice and threw bullpen sessions indoors. Players were coming and going, their thoughts turning from snow and freezing to the warmth of Puerto Rico.
 
The Twins and Cleveland play Tuesday and Wednesday in San Juan.
 
While the weather has tormented the majors' early-season schedule - six postponements on Sunday, 21 total this season - few teams have been hit as hard as Minnesota.
 
The Twins had four postponements during their initial 10-game homestand. The final three games of the four-game weekend series with Chicago were postponed as an unlikely spring blizzard hit the Twin Cities.
 
The series finale last weekend against Seattle has been rescheduled for May 14. The Twins have not announced new dates for the three games postponed against the White Sox.
 
Chicago next plays at Oakland, with Reynaldo Lopez starting Monday night at the Coliseum. Miguel Gonzalez and Carson Fulmer will follow in the White Sox rotation.

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