Happ wins 17th straight

NEW YORK — J.A. Happ pitched 7-1/3 innings and became the first 17-game winner in the major leagues as the Toronto Blue Jays held on for a 7-4 victory over the New York Yankees Wednesday. Melvin Upton Jr. hit a three-run homer for the Blue Jays, who have scored 19 runs since a 42-minute rain delay on Tuesday. Ezequiel Carrera had an RBI double, Darwin Barney had a two-run double and Russell Martin added an RBI single as Toronto became the sixth team to win five straight series against the Yankees in New York. Happ (17-3) allowed three home runs for the second time this season and sixth time in his career. He won his 11th straight decision despite allowing four runs and seven hits. Rays 2, Padres 0 Chris Archer pitched 7-1/3 scoreless innings and Brad Miller went 3-for-3 with his third home run in the past two games to lead Tampa Bay to a win over San Diego. Archer struck out nine and held the Padres to four hits while improving his mark to 7-16. Alex Colome recorded four outs to notch his 28th save of the season. Pirates 6, Giants 5 Andrew McCutchen capped a six-run fifth inning with a two-run home run as Pittsburgh overcame a 4-0 deficit to complete a sweep of the three-game series. San Francisco starter Matt Cain had allowed only one base runner — a single by opposing pitcher Ivan Nova — through four innings before imploding in the fifth. Rockies 12, Nationals 10 Colorado pounced on Washington starter Stephen Strasburg for seven runs in the first inning, an uprising that included six hits, four of them doubles. Strasburg (15-4) allowed nine hits and nine runs, both season-high totals, in 1-2/3 innings. In his past three starts, Strasburg has a 14.66 ERA, with 24 hits allowed in that span. Cardinals 8, Astros 2 St Louis won its fourth straight and swept the two-game road series by scoring six runs or more for a fourth game in a row. Jeremy Hazelbaker had a solo home run and Brandon Moss added a three-run shot for the Cardinals. Royals 4, Tigers 1 Eric Hosmer broke up Anibal Sanchez’s no-hit bid in the seventh, then hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the ninth to give streaking Kansas City a 4-1 win over Detroit. Hosmer blasted reliever Shane Greene’s 0-1 pitch into the right field stands following Lorenzo Cain’s one-out single. The first baseman’s 17th home run of the season lifted the Royals to their ninth win in 11 games, getting the defending champions back to .500. Reds 3, Marlins 2 Brandon Phillips returned to the starting lineup in a big way with two doubles, one of which drove in the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning, lifting Cincinnati to a win over Miami. Phillips, who had been out of the lineup after suffering a bruised left during Sunday’s game, delivered a two-run double off Nick Wittgren to put Cincinnati ahead for good. In other games it was: Dodgers 7, Phillies 2; Twins 10, Braves 3; Red Sox 8, Orioles 1 (six innings); White Sox 10, Indians 7; Cubs 6, Brewers 1; Rangers 6, A’s 2; Diamondbacks 13, Mets 5; Mariners 4, Angels 3.