Cardinals’ Martinez shuts down the Pirates, makes case for All-Star selection

Those are the teams the Cardinals need to win in order to establish themselves as the clear front-runners of the National League Central. In the bottom half, rookie third baseman Jung Ho Kang hit a leadoff triple and scored the tying run on catcher Chris Stewart’s one-out single off closer Trevor Rosenthal.

DENVER – Carlos Gonzalez blooped a single with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning to lift Colorado over Atlanta. Pittsburgh, which has the NL’s second-best record, lost the first three games of the season series with the Cardinals in extra innings in May.

Moustakas left Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Twins after five innings.

Moustakas joins Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Salvador Perez, Alcides Escobar, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera in a group of seven Royals All-Stars. The game was tied 2-2 in the eighth until Ian Kinsler and Yoenis Cespedes. He allowed two runs, five hits and four walks while striking out nine.

The Bucs got on the score sheet in the first when Jordy Mercer smacked a line drive to center for his 14th double of the season and brought home Walker. Burnett (7-3, 1.99)Lackey is coming off a stellar outing against the Cubs in Chicago on Monday, when he scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings for the victory. Houston’s lead in the AL West remains 1 ½ games over the Los Angeles Angels. Carlos Martinez was outstanding on the mound, pitching 7 and a third shutout innings.

While injuries have plagued the two teams, players continue to step up.

Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano has allowed more than three runs in just three of his 17 starts this season.

Moustakas, 26, becomes the seventh Royal to make the All-Star team. If everyone could pitch and hit with power, here’s guessing they probably would.

Opposing him was Jeff Locke, who took the loss despite looking locked-in for the early part of his start. However, if the Cardinals take both games, their lead will build to 6.5 games over the Pirates. Tulowitzki’s RBI put the Rockies ahead 4-0 in the second inning. It was his second game-winning homer of the week. He has permitted two runs or fewer in six of eight starts versus the Cardinals since 2013, and is 3-1 with a 1.34 ERA in five starts in Pittsburgh.

As expected, LeBron James is staying with the Cavaliers.

Martinez’s promise long has been in play but the results hadn’t really been there until this year. He says a frank conversation with James last week helped him decide to come back. At only 21, the New Orleans Pelicans’ franchise player has been averaging…

The 2014 NL Silver Slugger’s performance against fastballs and his power have declined dramatically from last season. He was the 2nd overall pick of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.

“You can see his confidence keep growing and growing because he is getting better every time out”, St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina said. The Nets also inked Thaddeus Young. Zimmermann, whose wife gave birth to a baby girl Friday morning, allowed two homers and four runs and nine hits.

Spieth managed an even-par 71 despite three bogeys in a four-hole stretch.

Martinez is also from the Dominican Republic, but Cueto does not know him well.