Alvarez lifts Pirates past Dodgers 5 4

(MENAFN- Arab News) PITTSBURGH: Pittsburgh pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez lined a bases-loaded single over a five-man infield in the 10th inning to lift the Pirates past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Friday.
The Pirates have the overall second-best record in the National League but remained six games adrift of NL Central division leader St. Louis which produced a shutout win against Milwaukee.
The Dodgers maintained their three-game lead in the NL West despite the defeat as nearest rival San Francisco lost again to the hot Chicago Cubs.
In the American League a tenth-inning homer gave Toronto victory at the New York Yankees cutting the gap between the top teams in the AL East to 3-1/2 games.
Pittsburgh produced its winner in the bottom of the 10th inning loading the bases with no outs against Dodgers pitcher Jim Johnson (2-4) as Jung Ho Kang walked Francisco Cervelli singled and Sean Rodriguez had a bunt single.
J.P. Howell relieved Johnson and Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly moved an outfielder into the infield but the left-handed hitting Alvarez managed to lift a ball into right field for the winner.
The Pirates won for the 13th time in their past 16 home games and improved to 37-18 at PNC Park this season.
St. Louis produced all its six runs in the fifth inning and that was enough to win 6-0 at Milwaukee.
Randal Grichuk hit a three-run homer to cap the scoring burst.
Cardinals starter Lance Lynn (9-6) stranded nine Brewers runners in six innings as the NL Central leaders became the first major league team to reach 70 wins this season.
It was the second consecutive shutout and 12th this season for the Cardinals.
The Cubs made it eight wins from nine games by downing San Francisco 7-3 with rookie Kyle Schwarber having two hits and two RBIs.
Schwarber who homered the previous two games doubled and scored in the first then drove in two and came around in the fifth. Chicago scored five in that inning to break open a 1-1 game.
The Cubs moved 1-1/2 games ahead of San Francisco for the second wild card. They also moved 12 games over a .500 winning percentage for the first time since 2008.
Chicago starter Jon Lester (7-8) gave up two runs over seven innings.
Toronto Jose Bautista homered with one out in the 10th inning to give the surging Blue Jays to a 2-1 win at the Yankees and their sixth straight victory.
Two of the top slugging teams in the major leagues engaged in a dour pitchers' duel before Bautista connected off Branden Pinder (0-1) and Toronto closer Roberto Osuna pitched a perfect bottom of the 10th to secure the victory.
Kansas City's Edinson Volquez pitched seven strong innings to guide the Royals to a 3-2 win against the Chicago White Sox.
Volquez (11-6) limited the White Sox to one run and has allowed three or less runs in seven straight starts lowering his ERA to 3.11.
Lorenzo Cain doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth.
The New York Mets extended their winning streak to seven games with a 4-3 victory at Tampa Bay.
Michael Conforto hit a tying double and Wilmer Flores had a go-ahead single in the ninth inning for the Mets who moved 2-1/2 games clear atop the NL East.
The Mets said it was the first time in franchise history they overcame three different deficits in each of the last three innings to win.
Los Angeles' Mike Trout homered on his birthday for the third time in his career and helped the Angels beat Baltimore 8-4.
After Trout was serenaded with a birthday song from the Angel Stadium outfield crowd in the first inning the reigning AL MVP celebrated his 24th birthday by drilling his major league-leading 33rd homer.
Chris Iannetta delivered a go-ahead two-run double for Los Angeles which moved within 1-1/2 games of AL West leader Houston which lost 3-1 at Oakland.
Josh Phegley had two hits and drove in a run while Danny Valencia hit a home run for the Athletics.
Oakland starter Sonny Gray (12-4) gave up one run in his third complete game from his past six starts.
He prevailed in a pitching duel against Houston's Dallas Keuchel (13-6) who gave up three runs in 7 2-3 innings.
Seattle's Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano hit consecutive home runs to start the sixth inning powering the Mariners to a 4-3 victory over Texas.
Minnesota's Torii Hunter hit a ninth-inning homer to lift the Twins past Cleveland 10-9 ending the Twins' five-game losing sequence.