Fowler, Pham lead Cardinals over Mets 4-3 in 13 innings

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dexter Fowler has hit in six different lineup slots in the last six games for the St. Louis Cardinals. In the series finale against the New York Mets, he was at the right spot at the right time.

Fowler's 13th-inning single capped a comeback from a pair of deficits Thursday and gave the Cardinals a 4-3 victory .

"I'm a swing man, I'm hitting everywhere," Fowler quipped. "First, second, I'm trying to get all nine. Some people play all nine positions, I just hit everywhere."

The lineup juggling has been an attempt by Cardinals manager Mike Matheny spark Fowler and several other hitters after a slow start. Fowler has three RBIs in his last two games.

"My swing's there," Fowler said. "I've just been hitting stuff off the end of the bat, not hitting it the way I want to. I'm barreling it, just towards the end."

St. Louis trailed 2-0 in the seventh and 3-2 in the 10th. Tommy Pham had four hits and scored twice, a day after leaving a game after cutting his head with his bat while warning up in an indoor batting game. He played with a large bandage on his head.

"It could have been worse," Pham said. "I'm just extremely lucky."

Jose Martinez walked with one out in the 13th against Paul Sewald (0-1), took second on a single by Marcell Ozuna and scored when Fowler singled to right for his sixth game-ending RBI.

John Gant (1-0), recalled from Triple-A Memphis before the game, pitched three perfect innings of relief for his second big league win. His first was for Atlanta against the Mets on June 17, 2016.

"He was finishing that game," Matheny said. "He did a good job of finishing that game."

St. Louis won its second straight against the Mets after losing the series opener in 10 innings. The Mets have lost eight of 12 after an 11-1 start.

"It would be frustrating if we weren't where we are at in the standings," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. "Were still in a pretty good spot, so what has happened the last week or week-and-ahalf is not going to continue to happen. That's just not going to happen, 'cause we have really good pitchers and really good players."

New York went ahead 3-2 in the 10th when Luke Gregerson loaded the bases with a walk to Adrian Gonzalez and forced in a run with a walk to Jose Lobaton.

Pham singled with two outs in the bottom half and scored when Martinez doubled off the center-field wall against Jeurys Familia, who blew a save for the third time in 12 chances.

"That guy's nasty," Martinez said. Mets starter Noah Syndergaard allowed two runs — one earned — and six hits in 7 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. He retired his first 10 batters and did not allow a runner into scoring position until the seventh inning.

"I think the big thing for me today was for me to going out there and throwing in and tight to hitters," Syndergaard said. "I haven't really had my slider all season, but it was nice going out there and mix and match my sinker and change up and curveball when I needed it."

Pham said Syndergaard has gotten better.

"I faced him in Triple-A and I faced him a couple of years ago — he was more so just a thrower with great stuff," Pham said. "Now he's elevated his arsenal."

Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez gave up one run and four hits in six innings.

Yoenis Cespedes hit an RBI double in the first that ended Martinez's scoreless streak at 18 innings and made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. His 23 RBIs are one behind NL leader Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs.

Pham doubled leading off the seventh and scored on Marcell Ozuna's single. Greg Garcia led off the eighth with a grounder that bounced off the glove of shortstop Amed Rosario, who didn't get hit glove down and was charged with an error. Garcia advanced to third on Matt Carpenter's single against Syndergaard and scored on Pham's single off Robert Gsellman.

BRAVES 7, REDS 4

CINCINNATI (AP) — Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies, the two youngest players in the major leagues, both homered and combined for five RBIs to lead Atlanta over the Reds to give the Braves a split of the four-game series.

Acuna became the youngest player in the major leagues Wednesday at 20 years, 128 days, and went 1 for 5 in his debut. He led off the second inning Thursday with a home run five rows deep into the left-field upper deck against Homer Bailey, singled in the sixth and hit a tiebreaking double off Wandy Peralta (1-1) in the eighth following Freddie Freeman's third double of the game.

Albies, a 21-year-old who made his debut last August, hit a two-run homer in the fifth for a 4-0 lead and added an RBI double in the ninth.

Sam Freeman (1-1) retired all four batters he faced, and Arodys Vizcaino pitched a one-hit ninth for his second save. Cincinnati dropped to 5-20 for the first time in franchise history.

Every Atlanta starter except catcher Kurt Suzuki had at least one hit, including pitcher Sean Newcomb.

Newcomb gave up four runs, five hits and three walks in six innings. He allowed just two hits through four innings, but Cincinnati tied the score in a four-run fifth that included Joey Votto's three-run homer. Votto has homered in three straight games for the sixth time.

Bailey allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings.

YANKEES 4, TWINS 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer off Fernando Rodney in the ninth inning, and the Yankees beat the Twins to complete a four-game sweep and extend their winning streak to six.

New York was held hitless through five innings and trailed 3-0 before Aaron Hicks' sacrifice fly in the seventh. Didi Gregorius grounded to third leading off the ninth and reached second when Miguel Sano's throw went wide for an error.

Giancarlo Stanton followed with a slow roller gloved by a charging Sano, who did not make a throw as Stanton crossed first with an infield hit.

Sanchez took a strike, then sent a fastball from Rodney (1-2) down the leftfield line and into the lower deck. The Yankees bounded out of the dugout to mob the All-Star catcher as he crossed the plate.

Dellin Betances (1-1) struck out the side on 13 pitches in the ninth for his first win since June 27. The big righthander struggled to keep from flying open on his delivery during the second half last season and early this year, causing control problems.

Rodney (1-2) has blown three of five save chances.

Eduardo Escobar hit a two-run homer in the third on the ninth pitch of his at-bat against Jordan Montgomery. Robbie Grossman, who had three hits, homered in sixth against Domingo German.

Montgomery needed 76 pitches to get through the first three innings and allowed four hits and three walks in five innings.

Twins starter Kyle Gibson struck out a career-high 10. He was perfect through three innings and didn't allow a hit until Brett Gardner's two-out single in the sixth. Gibson allowed just the one hit in six innings and was removed after 95 pitches.

Escobar was 8 for 22 with two homers and four RBIs on the trip.

PIRATES 1, TIGERS 0

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Corey Dickerson hit the first game-ending home run of his major league career, a disputed one-out drive in the ninth inning that lifted the Pirates over the Tigers.

Dickerson sent an 0-1 slider from Alex Wilson (0-1) just over the 21-foot-high wall in right field, at first standing at the plate and watching the drive before starting to jog up the first-base line. A fan in a black Pirates sweatshirt reached out and caught the ball, and Wilson immediately pointed to ask for a video the initial home-run call.

Dickerson rounded third base, rolled his helmet toward the plate and was mobbed by teammates, with Adam Frazier dumping a jug of Gatorade over him. Nearly two minutes later, the home-run call was upheld, and the Pirates exchanged more hugs. It was just the second home run of the season for Dickerson.

Felipe Vazquez (1-0) escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the ninth created by two singles and a walk. James McCann grounded to third baseman Colin Moran, who threw home to force Francisco Cervelli, Victor Martinez popped out and Jose Iglesias bounced into a forceout.

Pirates starter Ivan Nova allowed six hits in eight innings and struck out five. Detroit's Michael Fulmer struck out nine in six innings while giving up four hits.

DIAMONDBACKS 8, PHILLIES 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jarrod Dyson, Nick Ahmed and David Peralta homered as Arizona improved to 17-7 and matched the 2008 Diamondbacks for the best 24-game start in franchise history

Dyson hit a two-run homer in the first and Chris Owings added an RBI double off Ben Lively (0-2) for a 3-0 lead.

Matt Koch (1-0) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings.