(MENAFN- Arab News) ST. LOUIS: It may be the early stages of the baseball season but St. Louis is already looking like a sure thing for the playoffs after moving 6-1/2 games clear atop the National League Central division by beating their nearest rivals the Chicago Cubs 7-4 on Tuesday.
Elsewhere both New York teams the Yankees and the Mets won to maintain their handy leads in the respective East divisions of the American and National leagues and Texas finally won back-to-back games for the first time this season by defeating state rival Houston.
St. Louis had to rally from three runs down to beat the Cubs and extend its winning streak to eight straight.
Matt Carpenter tied the game with a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs while Mark Reynolds doubled off the center-field wall to snap a tie in the sixth inning.
The Cardinals' major league-best 20-6 start is a franchise best since 1900.
The Cubs have lost a season-worst four straight.
The Yankees improved their impressive road form by winning 6-3 at Toronto with Mark Teixeira hitting a two-run homer.
Beltran's 373 home runs ties teammate Carlos Beltran for the fourth-most by a switch-hitter.
New York has an 11-4 record away from home.
Yankees starter Michael Pineda (4-0) matched his career high by going eight innings striking out six to win his fourth straight road start. He has road wins over all four AL East opponents in that span.
The New York Mets won 3-2 at home against Baltimore with Bartolo Colon becoming the first pitcher in at least 100 years to beat the same opponent with seven different teams.
Three weeks shy of his 42nd birthday Colon (5-1) struck out nine and walked none in 7 2-3 innings.
The Mets ended a scoreless streak at 21 innings when Daniel Murphy hit an RBI single in a three-run fourth inning.
Baltimore has lost its past seven meetings with the Mets.
Texas' Kyle Blanks had three hits including a homer to lead the Rangers to a 7-1 win against Houston.
Carlos Peguero added a two-run shot for the Rangers who won a series for the first time this year having ended the Astros' 10-game winning streak on Monday.
Texas starter Wandy Rodriguez (1-1) allowed one run in a season-high eight innings against his former team to get his first win for two years.
San Francisco made it five successive wins by downing San Diego 6-0 with Ryan Vogelsong in command on the mound.
Vogelsong (1-2) pitched seven scoreless innings in his longest outing of the season.
Joe Panik homered for the Giants who threw their third shutout in a row and second against the Padres who came to town after scoring 26 runs in a three-game sweep of Colorado last weekend. San Diego has gone 20 innings without scoring.
The Giants won their eighth straight at home.
Boston's Mookie Betts homered to lead off the sixth inning and added another in the eighth to give the Red Sox a 2-0 win against Tampa Bay.
On the night the Red Sox honored their 1975 AL championship team Betts hit two solo shots over the Green Monster that Carlton Fisk cleared in the World Series 40 years ago. It was Betts' first career multihomer game.
Boston's first win in five games lifted them out of the AL East cellar.
Rays starter Drew Smyly (0-1) did not give up a hit until Betts' sixth-inning shot.
Miami starter Mat Latos and four relievers combined to limit Washington to just three hits giving the Marlins a 2-1 victory.
Latos (1-3) allowed two hits over 6 1-3 innings to earn his first win with Miami.
National starter Stephen Strasburg (2-3) left in the third inning after allowing two runs and throwing 64 pitches. One inning earlier he grimaced after throwing a pitch and was visited by the team trainer pitching coach and manager.
Strasburg was scheduled to lead off the third and put on a batting helmet but was told to take a seat. It was his shortest pitching outing since a two-inning stint in 2013.
Kansas City's Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer to power the Royals to a 5-3 victory over Cleveland.
The Chicago White Sox ended a run of five-straight defeats by beating Detroit 5-2 with Jeff Samardzija pitching seven effective innings.
Oakland's Jesse Chavez struck out seven and allowed one unearned run in 7 1-3 innings to guide the Athletics past Minnesota 2-1 ending Minnesota's five-game winning streak.
Cincinnati's Marlon Byrd homered and drove in four runs and Todd Frazier belted his NL-leading ninth home run of the season as the Reds cruised to a 7-1 win against Pittsburgh.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won 8-2 at Milwaukee with Zack Greinke winning a career-best 10th consecutive decision after allowing only one unearned run in 7-2/3 innings.
Atlanta's Shelby Miller threw his third career shutout to steer the Braves to a 9-0 thrashing of Philadelphia.
The Los Angeles Angels edged Seattle 5-4 with Carlos Perez capping his rousing major league debut with a game-ending homer in the ninth inning.