BALTIMORE – Chris Dickerson hit a three-run, game-ending homer with two outs in the ninth inning, capping an four-run uprising against Jose Valverde that carried the Baltimore Orioles past the Detroit Tigers 7-5 Friday night.
Valverde entered in the ninth inning with a 5-3 lead after starter Max Scherzer retired the final 16 batters he faced.
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Nick Markakis led off with a homer before Adam Jones singled and took third on a single by Chris Davis. Valverde (0-1) then retired Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy on popups before Dickerson hit a 2-1 pitch into the bleachers in right-center, much to the delight of the sellout crowd of 46,249.
It was Dickerson’s first start since May 23 following a bout with a sore wrist. He was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts before connecting.
Darren O’Day (3-0) got the final out in the ninth for the Orioles, who have won 8 of 11.
RANGERS 7, ROYALS 2: Derek Holland struck out eight and Nelson Cruz hit a long tiebreaking three-run homer and Texas beat weary Kansas City at Arlington, Texas.
Holland (5-2) allowed two runs, one earned, over seven innings to wrap up his undefeated May. The left-hander was 4-0 in his six May starts.
The Royals, after playing a game until 3:14 a.m. Friday for a victory at St. Louis, led 1-0 after Adam Moore led off the third with a double and scored on a single by Alcides Escobar.
MARINERS 3, TWINS 0: Hisashi Iwakuma struck out five in 72/3 innings and Kendrys Morales homered as Seattle broke host Minnesota’s four-game winning streak.
Iwakuma (6-1) gave up seven hits and walked two, and Jesus Sucre added two hits and an RBI for the Mariners.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CUBS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 2: Scott Hairston hit a grand slam and Matt Garza got his first victory of the season as Chicago managed to extend its winning streak to five games.
Alfonso Soriano had a two-run homer and Cody Ransom added a solo shot for the Cubs, who scored all their runs on homers and have won five straight for the first time since winning seven in 2011.
The Cubs are still in fourth place in the NL Central, but they’ve shown signs of a turnaround.
MARLINS 5, METS 1: Jacob Turner pitched seven scoreless innings in his season debut and Marcell Ozuna had three hits to help host Miami halt a nine-game losing streak.
Jordan Brown hit a two-run double for the Marlins, who won for just the third time in 19 games.
REDS 6, PIRATES 0: Johnny Cueto allowed one hit over eight dominant innings and Cincinnati won at Pittsburgh.
Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips hit solo home runs for the Reds, who cooled off the Pirates behind their ace.
Cueto (3-0) struck out six and walked one to improve to 13-4 against Pittsburgh.
BREWERS 8, PHILLIES 5: Jonathan Lucroy went 5 for 5 with two home runs and four RBI as Milwaukee snapped its losing streak at six games.
Yovani Gallardo (4-5) overcame a shaky first inning to get the win for the Brewers, who finished the month of May with a dismal 6-22 record.
NATIONALS 3, BRAVES 2: Craig Stammen pitched four perfect innings after ace Stephen Strasburg left with an apparent injury, Denard Span tripled and scored two runs, and Washington won at Atlanta.
Strasburg lasted just two innings and had a 2-1 lead before leaving in what was the shortest outing of his career.
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