Cardinals' Looper still pitching in with bat (.429)

Cardinals pitcher Braden Looper was on the field more than he expected Sunday -- the price of getting 2 hits on a hot day.

Looper continued his torrid hitting to help earn himself a win in the Cardinals' 7-4 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. He had 2 singles, scored twice, and drove in a run to raise his batting average to .429 -- tops among pitchers in the majors. On the mound, Looper (7-4) allowed 8 hits and 3 runs in 5¿ innings.

"That's really icing on the cake for me," Looper said about his hitting. "It's not like going up there planning on that. I just trying to put the bat on the ball. I don't have much of a game plan.

"But you know, it was pretty hot out there today and to be on the bases twice running around like that, I had to really concentrate in that last innings. I was drinking as much Gatorade as I could."

Ryan Franklin, the fifth Cardinals pitcher, got three outs for his sixth save in 8 attempts. Franklin made it exciting as he gave up a single and double with two outs before retiring Doug Mientkiewicz on a fly to left.

Skip Schumaker drove in a career-high 3 runs to help the Cardinals.

Ian Snell (2-5) lost his fifth consecutive decision and is 0-5 in his last 9 starts.

Phillies 7, Marlins 5: Chase Utley hit his major-league-leading 20th homer, Pat Burrell had a tiebreaking, 2-run double and host Philadelphia rallied to get the win. Utley went deep for the fourth straight game.

Reds 6, Braves 2: Ken Griffey Jr. remained 1 homer shy of 600, but Jay Bruce had a solo shot and a run-scoring single to lead host Cincinnati past Atlanta. The Braves dropped to 7-21 on the road and were swept in Cincinnati for the first time since September 1996.

D'backs 5, Nationals 0: Dan Haren tossed 7 sharp innings, and Orlando Hudson hit a 3-run homer for host Arizona.

The Diamondbacks have posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since May 26-27, 2006, at Cincinnati.

Brewers 10, Astros 1: Ryan Braun and Russell Branyan hit 2-run homers and host Milwaukee finished off a sweep of the weekend series.

Milwaukee scored 4 runs in the first against Shawn Chacon (2-1) and 6 in the fourth.

Giants 4, Padres 3 (10): San Francisco pinch-hitter Fred Lewis hit a 2-run, game-tying triple off San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman in the 10th inning and scored the winning run on Jose Castillo's infield single.

American League

Red Sox 9, Orioles 4: Manny Ramirez hit his 501st home run, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew also connected, and visiting Boston beat Baltimore.

After becoming the 24th major leaguer to hit No. 500, Ramirez said Saturday night, "The next goal is 501." He took care of that in his third at-bat, driving a pitch from Brian Burres (4-5) into the right-field seats to put Boston up 6-3 in the fourth inning.

Lowell homered two pitches later, and the Red Sox were on their way to making it three straight wins over the skidding Orioles. Today, Boston will seek its first four-game sweep in Baltimore since 2002.

Twins 5, Yankees 1: Michael Cuddyer drove in 3 runs and host Minnesota's bullpen came through with 4¿ innings of scoreless relief after starter Nick Blackburn was hit in the nose by Bobby Abreu's line drive.

Blackburn walked off the field under his own power, escorted by a trainer with a bloody towel pressed against his face. The Twins said Blackburn did not lose consciousness or any teeth. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day with a bruised nose.

Royals 6, Indians 1: Brian Bannister (5-6) pitched into the eighth inning, and Mark Grudzielanek and Jose Guillen homered to help host Kansas City beat Cleveland, a day after the Royals snapped a 12-game losing streak.

Grudzielanek hit a two-run drive off Paul Byrd (2-5) to give the punchless Royals a 6-0 lead in the fifth. It was his first homer in 172 at-bats dating to Sept. 24. Alex Gordon also had a two-run double for Kansas City.

Tigers 7, Mariners 5: Placido Polanco hit a tiebreaking single and visiting Detroit scored four times in the ninth inning off struggling J.J. Putz (2-3) to beat Seattle.

Athletics 13, Rangers 8: Jack Cust and Mark Ellis homered in a 9-run seventh inning as visiting Oakland rallied for a victory over Texas to end a four-game losing streak. Texas slugger Josh Hamilton hit his AL-best 15th homer and drove in 2 runs, giving him a major-league-high 63 RBIs.

Angels 4, Blue Jays 3: Toronto closer B.J. Ryan hit Howie Kendrick with a bases-loaded pitch in the ninth inning to force in the tying run, and Maicer Izturis singled home the game-winner one pitch later to give the host Los Angeles Angels a victory over Toronto.