CINCINNATI — J.J. Hoover had allowed only a pair of homers all season. No. 3 came at a very bad time.
Matt Carpenter hit a tying homer in the eighth off Hoover, and Randal Grichuk connected in the 13th inning, rallying the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.
Grichuk was moved up to second in the Cardinals’ struggling batting order. He doubled home a run in the sixth inning and hit his 15th homer in the 13th off Dylan Axelrod (0-1), Cincinnati’s eighth pitcher.
Seth Maness (4-1) gave up a pair of walks in two innings.
“As everybody anticipated it would, it came down to one swing of the bat,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We were able to string things together, but we couldn’t come up with that knockout blow. We had a 3-0 lead. We just couldn’t put it away.”
Manager Mike Matheny changed the batting order — Grichuk went from batting eighth on Tuesday to second — to try to spark his struggling offense, but the Cardinals didn’t get much going until late in the game.
Left-hander David Holmberg allowed two runs, including Grichuk’s RBI double off the top of the wall in center that cut it to 3-2 in the sixth.
Carpenter tied it with a homer in the eighth off Hoover, only the third that the reliever has allowed this season. It was Carpenter’s fifth homer in his last six games.
“I was trying to throw a fastball up and away, but I pulled it across the plate middle-in,” Hoover said. “That’s not what I wanted to do.”
The Reds strung together walks and infield hits while scoring three times off Carlos Martinez.
They loaded the bases in the third with a walk, an infield single and a fielding error by shortstop Jhonny Peralta. Brayan Pena’s opposite-field double landed just inside the left-field line and made it 2-0.
The Reds loaded the bases again in the fourth with a pair of walks — one to Holmberg — and Brandon Phillips’ single just out of the reach of second baseman Kolten Wong. Todd Frazier’s soft groundout got in another run.
ANGELS 4, INDIANS 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. — C.J. Cron hit a tying two-run single with two out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning against Cleveland closer Cody Allen and pinch-runner Taylor Featherston scored on a wild pitch, giving the Los Angeles Angels a 4-3 victory Wednesday.
Allen (1-4), coming in to protect a 3-1 lead for Danny Salazar, was charged with his third blown save in 25 chances after giving up a one-out single to Albert Pujols and two-out walks to Erick Aybar and Conor Gillaspie. Cron lined an 0-1 pitch to center to tie it, and Allen uncorked his fourth wild pitch of the season and second of the inning with pinch-hitter David DeJesus at the plate.
The Angels came in 0-44 when trailing after eight.
Cam Bedrosian (1-0), the son of 1987 Cy Young Award-winning closer Steve Bedrosian, pitched a perfect ninth for his first career victory. Jose Ramirez and Ryan Raburn hit leadoff homers in the sixth and seventh innings Angels starterHector Santiago.
METS 8, MARLINS 6
MIAMI — Closer Jeurys Familia finally got the last out and New York halted Miami’s furious six-run rally in the ninth inning, holding off the Marlins for its sixth straight victory.
Ahead 8-0 going into the ninth, the NL East-leading Mets saw the Marlins actually bring the potential winning run to the plate. Familia retired Christian Yelich on a grounder with two runners on to end it.
Juan Uribe hit a three-run homer and Lucas Duda drove in three runs, giving Matt Harvey (10-7) a huge lead. Harvey pitched seven dominant innings, giving up two hits and striking out six without a walk.
Mets relievers Eric O’Flaherty, acquired Tuesday from Oakland, Hansel Robles and Familia all struggled in the ninth. Familia gave up two hits, but got Yelich for his 29th save in 34 chances.
David Phelps (4-8) was the loser.
DIAMONDBACKS 11, NATIONALS 4
WASHINGTON — Washington reliever Aaron Barrett threw away a bunt in the sixth inning and Arizona quickly broke away, handing the Nationals their fifth loss in six games.
Down 11-2 in the ninth, the pitching-rich Nationals resorted to putting utilityman Tyler Moore on the mound. He retired the first batter he faced, Arizona star Paul Goldschmidt, on an RBI groundout.
Goldschmidt, Ender Inciarte and A.J. Pollock each got three of Arizona’s 17 hits. Welington Castillo added his sixth homer in nine games.
The Nationals dropped two games behind the New York Mets in the NL East. Arizona has won nine of 13.
Rubby De La Rosa (9-5) went five innings for the win. Barrett (3-3) was the loser.
DODGERS 4, PHILLIES 3
PHILADELPHIA — Yasiel Puig hit a three-run home run, Brett Anderson allowed one run in six innings and Los Angeles beat Philadelphia.
Howie Kendrick had three hits to help the Dodgers win for the fifth time in six games.
Jeff Francoeur homered for Philadelphia. The Phillies lost for only the fourth time in their last 17 games. They still have the worst record in baseball at 42-66.
Anderson (6-6) won for the first time since July 1. He allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two. Kenley Jansen struck out the side in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 20th save in his 21st opportunity.
Philadelphia starter Aaron Harang (5-12) was the loser.
GIANTS 6, BRAVES 1
ATLANTA — Madison Bumgarner pitched into the eighth inning, Kelby Tomlinson drove in three runs and San Francisco beat Atlanta.
Matt Duffy added a two-run double and Hunter Pence had an RBI single for San Francisco. The Giants have won 16 of 21.
Bumgarner (12-6), last year’s World Series MVP and a three-time All-Star, allowed seven hits, one run and struck out nine in 7 1-3 innings. Just two baserunners made it into scoring position against the left-hander.
Williams Perez (4-2) surrendered 10 hits, two walks and six runs in six-plus innings for the Braves, who have lost 11 of 14.
BLUE JAYS 9, TWINS 7
TORONTO — Jose Bautista hit a grand slam, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson homered and Toronto beat Minnesota for its fourth straight win.
Encarnacion hit a three-run drive and Donaldson added a two-run shot. Toronto has homered in 17 of 18 games since the All-Star break, with 10 multihomer games in that span.
Miguel Sano homered and had three RBIs for the Twins. Sano hit an RBI single and Trevor Plouffe doubled home two runs as the Twins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first against Drew Hutchison (10-2).
Toronto answered in the bottom half against right-hander Tyler Duffey (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Troy Tulowitzki walked and Donaldson hit his 29th homer, tying a career high.
Bautista made it 6-3 in the second with his fifth career grand slam and 24th home run of the season.
Encarnacion made it 9-3 with a three-run drive off reliever J.R. Graham in the fourth, his 20th. The second-deck drive traveled an estimated 462 feet.
LaTroy Hawkins finished for his third save.
RED SOX 2, YANKEES 1
NEW YORK — Steven Wright handcuffed a torrid New York ineup with his steady supply of knuckleballs, and David Ortiz hit a colossal home run for Boston.
A costly throwing error by third baseman Chase Headley helped spoil the debut of prized Yankees pitching prospect Luis Severino, who yielded only two hits over five impressive innings.
Koji Uehara retired pinch-hitter Brian McCann with two on for his 24th save.
Alejandro De Aza hit an RBI double with two outs in the second — immediately following Headley’s 18th error of the season. Ortiz connected on a 96 mph 2-0 fastball leading off the fourth, launching a drive that landed more than halfway up the elevated concrete bleachers in right field.
RANGERS 4, ASTROS 3
ARLINGTON, Texas — Chris Gimenez hit the deciding home run and Texas held on to complete a three-game sweep of AL West-leading Houston.
After Texas scored three unearned runs in the first off Scott Kazmir (6-6), the Rangers’ second started with Gimenez homering to straightaway center for a 4-0 lead. All three Houston runs were scored by players who reached on a walk.
The Rangers have won four in a row and seven of eight, moving within five games of the division lead, the closest they have been since June 30.
Texas starter Nick Martinez (7-6), the right-hander pitching on his 25th birthday, walked three and struck out one while throwing 86 pitches in a game that started with the temperature at 100 degrees.
Sam Dyson, the sixth Rangers pitcher, worked the ninth for his second career save — both since being acquired in a trade with Miami on Friday.
WHITE SOX 6, RAYS 5, 10 INNINGS
CHICAGO — Avisail Garcia hit a three-run homer in Chicago’s five-run first inning and had a bases-loaded walk in the 10th to lift the White Sox past Tampa Bay.
Garcia drew the winning walk off closer Brad Boxberger (5-6).
In the 10th, Adam Eaton singled and stole second base and advanced to third when catcher Curt Casali’s throw struck shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the ear, knocking him to the ground. Cabrera left the game later in the inning. Boxberger then intentionally walked Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera to load the bases with one out before walking Garcia.
Chicago closer David Robertson (5-3) had four strikeouts in two hitless innings.
Evan Longoria homered for the Rays.
ORIOLES 7, ATHLETICS 3, 10 INNINGS
OAKLAND, Calif. — Chris Davis hit his second grand slam in 12 days with one out in the 10th inning to lead Baltimore past Oakland.
Davis hit his 28th home run and third in four games on a 3-2 pitch from Arnold Leon (0-1). It came two batters after Gerardo Parra was intentionally walked to load the bases. Caleb Joseph and Manny Machado led off the inning with singles.
Closer Zach Britton (2-0) pitched a season-high 2 1-3 scoreless innings for the victory.
PIRATES 7, CUBS 5
PITTSBURGH — Gregory Polanco and Andrew McCutchen homered and Pittsburgh beat Chicago to snap the Cubs’ season-best winning streak at six games.
Polanco led off the first inning with a home run off Dan Haren, who was making his Cubs’ debut. He then hit an RBI single to break a 4-4 tie in a decisive two-run sixth.
McCutchen hit a solo homer in the third and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 6-4.
Francisco Cervelli and Aramis Ramirez each had two hits to help the Pirates win for the 12th time in their last 15 home games at PNC Park.
ROCKIES 7, MARINERS 5
DENVER — Michael McKenry hit a two-out, two-run homer in the 11th inning in Colorado’s comeback victory over Seattle.
McKenry hit Mayckol Gauipe’s 2-2 curveball into the left-field seats for his fourth home run of the season and the first walk-off hit in his career.
Seattle’s Nelson Cruz doubled and singled to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, but failed to homer for the first time in six games. Franklin Gutierrez homered for the Mariners.
The Rockies’ winning rally started with Ben Paulsen’s one-out single off Guaipe (0-3).
Yohane Flande (2-1) pitched the 11th for the victory.
BREWERS 8, PADRES 5
MILWAUKEE — Rookie Taylor Jungmann struk out a career-high eight and allowed six hits without a walk over seven innings in Milwaukee’s victory over San Diego.
Jungmann (6-3) has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight straight starts and in all but one this season. Jonathan Lucroy, Shane Peterson and Jean Segura each drove in two runs to help Milwaukee record back-to-back wins for the first time in 15 games.
After San Diego scored three runs in the ninth off Corey Knebel, Francisco Rodriguez recorded the final out for his 25th save in as many chances.
Padres starter Ian Kennedy (6-10) gave up four earned runs on seven hits in seven innings.
TIGERS 2, ROYALS 1
DETROIT — Matt Boyd pitched seven strong innings in his Detroit debut and Anthony Gose and Ian Kinsler hit key triples in the Tigers’ victory over Kansas City.
Acquired last week from Toronto in the David Price trade, Boyd (1-2) only allowed one run on seven hits and didn’t walk a batter in a career-long seven innings.
The Tigers broke a scoreless tie in the third when Gose’s two-out triple over Lorenzo Cain brought home Tyler Collins. Johnny Cueto (7-7) couldn’t pick up his first win for Kansas City despite only allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings.