CHICAGO – Chicago Cubs pitcher Travis Wood hit a fourth-inning grand slam off Jake Peavy and allowed just two runs in six innings to lead the way in an 8-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Wrigley Field on Thursday.

Nate Schierholtz and Luis Valbuena each hit their sixth home runs of the year in an 11-hit effort by the Cubs’ offense, keying a fourth straight win overall and third consecutive convincing victory over their crosstown rivals.

Wood (5-3) hit his fifth career home run and second this year in the fourth inning with the Cubs leading 2-1.

Welington Castillo and Valbuena started the inning with singles, and Peavy hit Darwin Barney before Wood’s grand slam. It was the first grand slam by a Cubs pitcher since Jason Marquis hit one Sept. 22, 2008, in New York against the Mets.

RANGERS 9, DIAMONDBACKS 5: Arizona right-hander Brandon McCarthy, a former Ranger, gave up six runs in a span of four outs after allowing just one in his previous 25 innings, and Texas rookie Justin Grimm took a shutout into the sixth to help the host Rangers snap their first three-game losing streak of the season.

MARINERS 7, PADRES 1: Nick Franklin hit his first two big league home runs, and Kendrys Morales, Brendan Ryan and Endy Chavez also went deep to give Seattle a victory over host San Diego.

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The five homers were a season high for the Mariners, who worked over Andrew Cashner and Petco Park in earning a split of their home-and-home, two-game series with the Padres.

Felix Hernandez (6-4) snapped a two-start losing streak, holding the Padres to one run and three hits in eight innings. He struck out six and walked three.

GIANTS 5, ATHLETICS 2: Pablo Sandoval hit a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth to help Barry Zito end a six-start winless stretch, and host San Francisco beat its cross-bay rival to avoid a season sweep.

INDIANS 7, REDS 1: Scott Kazmir allowed one run in seven innings and host Cleveland scored seven runs with two outs in the fourth to defeat Cincinnati and gain a split of the annual Ohio Cup interleague series.

BRAVES 11, BLUE JAYS 3: Ramiro Pena drove in four runs with three hits, including a run-scoring single in the sixth that gave host Atlanta the lead, Mike Minor pitched seven strong innings and the Braves’ makeshift lineup had 16 hits in a rout over struggling Toronto.

METS 3, YANKEES 1: Dillon Gee struck out a career-high 12 and limited the Yankees to four hits over 71/3 innings, and Marlon Byrd stroked a two-run second-deck homer as the Mets completed a four-game smothering of their famous foe from the Bronx.

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PIRATES 1, TIGERS 0: Russell Martin hit a bases-loaded single off the left-center wall in the bottom of the 11th inning to give host Pittsburgh a victory over Detroit.

TWINS 8, BREWERS 6: Joe Mauer had two hits, two RBI and one of host Minnesota’s four home runs to help the Twins beat slumping Milwaukee.

ORIOLES 2, NATIONALS 0: Freddy Garcia pitched eight innings of three-hit ball to get the best of Dan Haren in a duel of veteran right-handers, and host Baltimore beat Washington.

RAYS 5, MARLINS 2: Matt Joyce and James Loney homered to support pitcher Alex Colome in his major league debut and helped send Tampa Bay past host Miami, which lost its ninth straight.

NOTES

ROYALS: Hall of Famer George Brett was appointed the club’s interim hitting coach, taking over for Jack Maloof and Andre David, who have been reassigned to the minor league organization.

This will be Brett’s first in-season coaching role, though he’s been the franchise’s vice president of baseball operations since retiring as the greatest Royal ever following the 1993 season.

DODGERS: Slumping center fielder Matt Kemp, a two-time All Star batting just .251, was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a right hamstring strain.

METS: Pitcher Jonathon Niese will miss at least one turn in the starting rotation because of a sore shoulder, and shortstop Ruben Tejada will be out at least two weeks with a strained right quadriceps and could lose his starting job.


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