NATIONAL LEAGUE

Davis makes sure Wainwright pays for his mistake

Pittsburgh Pirates' Ike Davis (15) celebrates as he returns to the dugout with teammate Russell Martin after hitting a two-run home run off St. Louis Cardinals' starting pitcher Adam Wainwright during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014.
Pittsburgh Pirates' Ike Davis (15) celebrates as he returns to the dugout with teammate Russell Martin after hitting a two-run home run off St. Louis Cardinals' starting pitcher Adam Wainwright during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014.

PITTSBURGH -- Ike Davis wasn't able to play meaningful late-season games during his time with the New York Mets. He's making the most of his chance with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"It's the first time he's been involved in games that have this kind of significance this late in the season," Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle said Wednesday after Davis' long home run keyed a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. "He's showing up to the ballpark ready contribute any way he can."

Davis hit a two-run drive off a speaker above the seats in right-center field in the second inning. A day earlier, Davis had a pinch-hit, tie-breaking, three-run home run in the eighth inning of Pittsburgh's 5-2 victory.

Davis arrived in the major leagues with the New York Mets in 2010 and was traded to Pittsburgh in April. The Mets finished with losing records in all of his seasons in New York.

"It's hard when you're mathematically eliminated," Davis said. "You hit a home run and it's a great feeling still, but it's kind of like it didn't really matter. If you're still in it, it definitely feels a little sweeter."

Davis hit his 10th home run after Adam Wainwright (15-9) plunked Russell Martin on the left elbow with a pitch that Martin barely tried to avoid. Davis sent an 88 mph cutter clanking off a speaker raised on a pole, about 15 feet above the seats, a drive estimated at about 433 feet.

"I just got the barrel on it," Davis said. "It just carried out today."

Wainwright knew he made a mistake when he saw where his pitch was headed.

"I threw it right into Ike's swing path and he made a good swing on it," Wainwright said. "I wanted to get the pitch higher, but I got it and down and in, and that's a left-handed hitter's honey spot right there."

Davis also had an inning-ending lineout that left the bases loaded in the fifth.

Pittsburgh took 2 of 3 from the defending National League champions and has won 5 of 7 overall. St. Louis (71-61) leads the NL wild-card race, with San Francisco (69-62) trailing by 1 1/2 games and the Pirates (69-64) one game back of the Giants for the second wild-card berth.

Jeff Locke (6-3) allowed 1 run and 6 hits in 7 1/3 innings, giving up Matt Holliday's third-inning home run. Locke also singled in the third and scored on Andrew McCutchen's sacrifice fly, just the 11th hit for the pitcher in 98 career at-bats.

Mark Melancon pitched a one-hit ninth for his 24th save in 28 chances.

Locke escaped trouble in the third, stranding Daniel Descalso on third when Josh Harrison made a diving stop on Randal Grichuk's two-out grounder down the line and threw to first

Wainwright allowed 3 runs and 8 hits in 6 innings. He gave up five runs to Philadelphia on Aug. 22 and has gone winless in consecutive starts for just the second time this season.

"Yo'ure not going to be at your best all time," Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny said. "Right now, he's not at his best but he showed some good signs today."

BRAVES 3, METS 2 Jason Heyward hit a leadoff home run off Zack Wheeler, Julio Teheran won his third consecutive start and visiting Atlanta beat New York to stop a three-game losing streak. PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 4 Pinch-hitter Grady Sizemore hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning, helping host Philadelphia beat NL East-leading Washington to complete a three-game sweep.

REDS 7, CUBS 5 Skip Schumaker drove in a pair of runs and host Cincinnati withstood Jorge Soler’s first-at-bat home run and an RBI single for a victory over Chicago. Soler, a 22-year-old prospect from Cuba, was called up on Wednesday, started in right field and batted fifth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

RANGERS 12, MARINERS 4 Rougned Odor hit a third-inning grand slam to back Colby Lewis, and last-place Texas beat host Seattle to take two of three from the Mariners. Erasmo Ramirez (1-6), recalled from Class AAA Tacoma for the start, allowed 10 runs and nine hits in three-plus innings. Seattle, which began the day a half-game ahead of Detroit for the second American Leauge wild-card spot, had been the only major-league team not to allow 10 or more runs in a game this season. Lewis (9-11) allowed 7 hits, struck out 7 and walked 1 in his second complete game of the season and second in August. He had been 0-3 since pitching a five-hit shutout at the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 5. Texas, a big league-worst 52-80, won a series for only the third time since the All-Star break. The Rangers took 2 of 3 from the Yankees from July 28-30 and at the Chicago White Sox from Aug. 4-6.

BLUE JAYS 5, RED SOX 2 Pinch-hitter Danny Valencia had a go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh inning, leading host Toronto over Boston. Jose Bautista hit a home run for the second consecutive night.

RAYS 3, ORIOLES 1 Drew Smyly (Little Rock Central, Arkansas Razorbacks) allowed two hits over seven innings as visiting Tampa Bay defeated Baltimore.

ROYALS 6, TWINS 1 Nori Aoki drove in the go-ahead run during a six-run eighth inning, sending host Kansas City over Minnesota. Billy Butler and Salvador Perez each drove in two runs during the surge.

YANKEES 8, TIGERS 4 New York chased David Price with nine consecutive hits in the third inning, beating host Detroit. The Yankees scored all eight of their runs in the third off Price (12-10).

WHITE SOX 3, INDIANS 2 Jose Abreu hit two run-scoring singles against visiting Cleveland ace Corey Kluber, and Chicago beat the Indians to stop a season-high, seven-game losing streak.

ATHLETICS 5, ASTROS 4 Sam Fuld hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run in the ninth inning to give Oakland a victory over host Houston.

Sports on 08/28/2014

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