CBSSports Adam Dunn broke out of a prolonged slump with a homer and five RBI, helping the Washington Nationals to a 14-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.

Dunn was in an 8-for-66 skid over 20 games when he doubled home two runs for a 4-3 Washington lead in a four-run third inning. With the score tied at 5 in the fifth, Dunn hit a three-run shot, his 32nd of the season and first since Aug. 11.

Livan Hernandez (9-9) allowed five runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time in five starts.

Jon Jay homered for St. Louis, which has lost four of five.

Roger Bernadina homered and Michael Morse had a career-high four hits for the Nationals, who had lost five of six. The 14 runs were the most scored at home by the Nationals since relocating to Washington from Montreal before the 2005 season.

The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the first. Skip Schumaker singled, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Albert Pujols ground-rule double down the left-field line. After Matt Holliday popped out, Jay homered to right, his fourth of the season.

Ivan Rodriguezs RBI single got Washington on the board in the second. Full Carlos Lee homered off Johan Santana, Brett Myers set a team record and the Houston Astros won for the first time at Citi Field by beating the New York Mets.

Lee also hit an RBI single in the first inning, when the Astros, who have won six of seven, got to Santana (10-9) early with two runs. The Mets ace has an ERA of 8.04 in the first inning this season.

Myers (10-7) gave up six hits and a walk in seven innings. He faced exactly four batters in every inning and never allowed a runner past second.

Myers has pitched at least six innings in all of his 27 starts this season. Larry Dierker had the previous Astros record of 26 in 196 Kosuke Fukudome hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Bronson Arroyo, and the Chicago Cubs finally ended years of futility against the right-hander by beating the Cincinnati Reds.

Fukudomes homer in the fifth inning sent Arroyo (14-8) to his first loss against the Cubs since 2007. Arroyo had won his last five decisions against Chicago, including his two starts this season.

Randy Wells &# his first win since July 23. Wells limited the NLs top offense to five hits and a pair of runs in six innings, including Joey Vottos solo homer. Chicagos bullpen allowed only one hit, with Carlos Marmol pitching the ninth for his 24th save in 29 tries.

It was only Chicagos fourth win in 15 games against Cincinnati this season.

Indi Asdrubal Cabrera led off the 10th inning with a home run to give the Cleveland Indians a win over the Kansas City Royals.

Cabrera hit a 2-1 pitch from right-hander Jesse Chavez (2-2) into the right-field seats. The Indians won their third straight and moved within a game of fourth-place Kansas City in the AL Central. The Royals have lost four of five.

Chris Perez (2-2), the fifth pitcher used by Indians manager Manny Acta, worked a scoreless 10th for the win.

Wilson Betemit hit a two-run homer off Cleveland starter Jeanmar Gomez and tied it at 3 with an RBI double in the eighth against reliever Rafael Per Jhoulys Chacin pitched seven solid innings, Todd Helton and Carlos Gonzalez each homered, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gonzalez also tripled and scored two runs for Colorado, which kept pace with Philadelphia in the NL wild-card race. The Rockies are four back of the Phillies, who beat San Diego 3-1.

Rod Barajas homered for the Dodgers, who had won the first four games of their six-game road trip.

Colorado took the lead for good in the fourth when Gonzalez led off with a triple and Troy Tulowitzki singled. Helton walked and one out later Melvin Mora singled up the middle to drive in Tulowitzki to make it 2-1.

Miguel Montero hit a three-run double to highlight a six-run first inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks went on to beat Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants.

Mark Reynolds added a three-run home run and Daniel Hudson pitched four-hit ball over seven innings as the Diamondbacks won their third straight.

Pablo Sandoval homered for the Giants, who have lost three straight to fall 1½ games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card chase.

Hudson (4-1) gave up two runs, walked two and struck out six. Hes gone at least seven innings in each of his six starts since the Diamondbacks acquired him from the White Sox.

Posted on August 29th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: MLB baseball news