Molina has three RBIs in return from IL as Cards top Rockies

ST. LOUIS — Yadier Molina drove in three runs in his return from the injured list, Paul Goldschmidt homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 9-8 Saturday.

Goldschmidt also had three RBIs and Nolan Arenado hit another double against his former team. The Cardinals have won eight straight and 14 of their last 15 games against Colorado at Busch Stadium.

Molina hadn’t played since April 26 because of a strained tendon in his right foot. The All-Star catcher was leading the Cardinals in batting, homers and RBIs when he was hurt.

Carlos Martínez (3-4) wound up winning his third straight start. He allowed five runs on six hits and five walks in five innings.

Alex Reyes struck out the side in a scoreless ninth for his 10th save after narrowly escaping an eighth inning jam.

Raimel Tapia hit an RBI double off Giovanny Gallegos in the eighth to cut the Rockies’ deficit to 9-6.

Reyes entered and walked Trevor Story before giving up a two-run single Charlie Blackmon, marking the first earned run allowed by the reliever in 15 2/3 innings this season. Blackmon advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw from Reyes before Garrett Hampson lined out to end the inning.

Rockies starter Chi Chi González (1-1) gave up seven runs on eight hits in four-plus innings. He has allowed 13 runs in 13 2/3 innings over his last three starts.

Goldschmidt hit his sixth homer, a tworun drive that broke a 5-all tie in the fifth and finished González.

Arenado, who doubled and singled Friday

night in his first game against the Rockies since they traded their longtime star in the season, doubled and scored on a double by Paul DeJong. Tyler O’Neill added a sacrifice fly to put St. Louis up 9-5.

Dom Nuñez hit a three-run double in the Colorado fifth that tied it at 5.

St. Louis scored three times in the first on run-scoring singles by Goldschmidt and DeJong and an RBI groundout by Molina.

Molina hit a two-run single up the middle in the third to make it 5-1.

CUBS 3, PIRATES 2

CHICAGO — Pinch-hitter Matt Duffy had a go-ahead single in the seventh inning, reliever Keegan Thompson pitched three scoreless innings for his first major league victory and the Chicago Cubs beat Pittsburgh for their fifth straight win.

Willson Contreras and Eric Sogard each drove in a run for Chicago, which has won seven of nine to improve to 17-16.

Thompson (1-0) allowed two hits and a walk following starter Trevor Williams, who gave up two runs and five hits in four innings. Andrew Chafin worked a scoreless eighth and Craig Kimbrel got the final three outs for his sixth save.

Duffy pinch hit for Thompson and blooped a two-out single to right off reliever Clay Holmes to score Heyward — who led off with a walk against Sam Howard (2-2) and stole second — with the winning run.

Ka’ai Tom hit his first big league homer and Adam Frazier had three hits for Pittsburgh, which has dropped eight of nine. The Pirates have totaled eight runs in their last six games. They are 2-17 in their last 19

games at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs jumped ahead

1-0 in the first when Contreras was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and one out. Pittsburgh starter Wil Crowe (two runs, six hits in six innings) avoided further damage by getting Jason Heyward to line out and David Bote to fly out.

Tom’s two-run blast to the left-center bleachers in the fourth put the Pirates on top

2-1.

Chicago tied it in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Sogard to drive in Contreras.

GIANTS 7, PADRES 1 SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon

Crawford, Brandon Belt and Austin Slater homered and San Francisco kept rolling at home, defeating San Diego.

Kevin Gausman (3-0) permitted three hits and struck out seven in six smooth innings before San Francisco’s bullpen blanked the Padres for the final three innings.

Lightly regarded when the season began, the Giants (2013) own the National League’s best record and a 2 1/2-game lead over second-place San Diego in the West. The Giants have thrived at home, posting a

12-3 record at Oracle Park. Crawford ignited the Giants with his seventh homer of the season, a three-run drive in the third inning off Joe Musgrove (2-4).

Jake Cronenworth singled to open the Padres fifth, stole second base and advanced to third on catcher Curt Casali’s accompanying throwing error, then scored on Austin Nola’s groundout.

Slater had a pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth, stayed in the game to play the outfield and had a two-run homer to center field in the eighth.

Gausman allowed only three Padres to reach scoring position. He retired 11 consecutive batters from the first through fifth innings.