WASHINGTON: Washington’s Michael Morse hit a grand slam and Bryce Harper also homered as the National League-leading Nationals beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Friday. The Nationals became the latest team to tag struggling Mets ace Johan Santana (6-9) The two-time Cy Young award winner was impressive early, but the hosts strung together four consecutive hits in the fourth, capped by Morse’s homer. Santana has a dismal 15.63 ERA over his past five starts, allowing at least six runs in each appearance. Reds 7 Cubs 3: In Cincinnati, Todd Frazier hit a two-run homer and Ryan Ludwick and Jay Bruce added solo shots, as Cincinnati beat Chicago in the opener of a four-game series. Reds starter Bronson Arroyo (9-7) overcame a shaky start to improve to 5-1 in his past six outings. He gave up three runs in 6 1-3 innings.
The NL Central leaders have won six of seven. They had six extra-base hits in five innings against former teammate Travis Wood (4-9), who has lost his past six decisions.
Giants 10 Padres 1: In San Diego, the San Francisco Giants needed this win badly. Coming on the heels of Wednesday’s news that leading hitter Melky Cabrera had been suspended for 50 games for testing positive for testosterone, San Francisco was reeling. After an off day on Thursday following 20 straight games, the Giants rebounded in a big way. Matt Cain pitched eight dominating innings and San Francisco scored eight runs in the third inning to move into first place in the NL West with a 10-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
“What happened on Wednesday was tough for all of us, kind of a shock for all of us,” Cain said. “But that’s the thing about baseball, you have to turn the page. I think the guys have done a good job of that.” San Francisco lost at home to Washington on Wednesday shortly after learning of Cabrera’s suspension. “It’s important that you are resilient in this game,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “With what has happened, it was important that we come out and play well, and the fellas did. We have to move on and that’s what the guys are doing.” Cain (12-5), who pitched a perfect game on June 13, surrendered one run on four hits. The right-hander didn’t allow his first hit until Yonder Alonso’s one-out double in the fifth. Alonso scored one out later on Everth Cabrera’s single. “He was hitting his spots,” Bochy said. “He had all his pitches going. He’s tough when he’s on and he was on (Friday).” Cain, 6-0 in nine starts following a San Francisco loss, struck out six and did not walk a batter. “He threw a lot of strikes,” Padres rookie catcher Yasmani Grandal said. “He throws everything for strikes. He just keeps you off balance. He was real tough.” The Giants moved one-half game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost 4-3 in 11 innings at Atlanta. San Francisco had been in first place for 32 consecutive days before Wednesday’s loss to the Nationals. Marco Scutaro homered and drove in two runs and Angel Pagan had three hits and two RBIs to lead the Giants’ 15-hit attack. All nine San Francisco starters had at least one hit.
Scutaro hit a solo homer in the first inning before San Francisco’s season-high scoring output in the third off Ross Ohlendorf (4-4) and reliever Nick Mikolas. One of the Giants’ biggest concerns moving forward, was how they would replace Cabrera’s .346 batting average, 11 homers and 60 RBIs. But for one game, they had the answer. The Giants eight runs came on eight hits, including two doubles and a triple, along with two walks and a passed ball as they sent 13 batters to the plate.
