Karstens pitches gem as Pirates beat Astros 4-0  —  HOUSTON (AP)—Jeff Karstens(notes) shut down the Houston Astros and pitched the Pittsburgh Pirates into a tie for first place in the NL Central.  —  Karstens threw a five-hitter and Andrew McCutchen(notes) tripled and drove in two runs …

Marmol loses closer's job for time being  —  CHICAGO — For the second straight game, Carlos Marmol was unable to convert a save situation and protect a two-run lead.  Cubs manager Mike Quade said the right-hander will take some time to work on his mechanics and has lost his job as the closer for now.

Lincecum, bullpen combine to four hit Padres  —  SAN DIEGO - Tim Lincecum and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and Cody Ross homered as the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants beat San Diego 6-1 Friday night, extending the Padres' losing streak to a season-high seven games.

Ben Zobrist's slam helps Rays beat Red Sox 9-6  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — All-Star David Price pitched six solid innings and Ben Zobrist hit his fifth career grand slam, helping the Tampa Bay Rays tighten the AL East standings with a 9-6 victory Friday night that snapped first-place Boston's six-game winning streak.

Numbers don't point to A-Rod resurgence  —  While the Yankees were busy celebrating Derek Jeter's ascension into the 3,000-hit club last weekend, a more sobering reality now confronts them in the second half.  The question isn't will the Bombers still score runs with Alex Rodriguez …

Mayberry Jr. drives in five as Phillies thump Mets  —  NEW YORK — John Mayberry Jr. drove in five runs to set another career best, Vance Worley pitched well enough and the Philadelphia Phillies got off to a strong start after the all-star break by beating the New York Mets 7-2 on Friday night.

Prado returns from DL, hits homer to help Braves whip Nats  —  ATLANTA — Martin Prado had two hits, including a homer, in his return from five weeks on the disabled list and the Braves beat the error-prone Washington Nationals 11-1 on Friday night for the 10,000th win in franchise history.

A's hold off Angels 5-3  —  OAKLAND, Calif.—Josh Willingham homered and drove in two runs, Jemile Weeks singled twice and scored, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 on Friday night.  —  Brandon McCarthy (2-5) pitched into the sixth inning and matched his season-high …

Floyd outduels Verlander as White Sox rout Tigers  —  DETROIT — Gavin Floyd allowed six hits into the eighth inning, outpitching Justin Verlander and leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.  —  Carlos Quentin had three hits and three RBIs for the White Sox.

Brewers a serious threat in NL Central  —  For anyone who wasn't paying attention during the offseason, Milwaukee is serious about winning an NL Central title.  General manager Doug Melvin, his future with the Brewers very much tied to how they finish this season, reinforced that determination during the All-Star break.

Kemp drives in 4 in Dodgers' 6-4 win  —  PHOENIX - All-Star Matt Kemp homered and drove in four runs, Clayton Kershaw pitched around a costly error in the seventh inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers opened the second half of the season with their fifth straight win, 6-4 over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Crawford aces his first test  —  He sees good signs in Pawtucket stint  —  PAWTUCKET, R.I. - Of all the things Carl Crawford was concerned about last night, one stood out above the rest.  —  “The most important thing was being able to break out of the box like I normally can …

Rookie Hosmer's homer in ninth lifts Royals over Twins  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning off Matt Capps to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 2-1 victory Friday night over Minnesota, the seventh blown save this season for the Twins' closer to match the major-league lead.

Wright pleased with first rehab game  —  N.Y. Mets third baseman takes strong first step back with St. Lucie Mets  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — David Wright had his first at-bats in two months Friday night, and after hitting a double and scoring in the first inning, the New York Mets third baseman …

Francoeur wants to stay put as trade deadline approaches  —  It was Bastille Day so, naturally, Frenchy was in a feisty mood Thursday before the Royals opened their post-break schedule with the first of four weekend games against the Minnesota Twins.  —  Specifically, yes, of course …