– The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH – Gerrit Cole took a shutout into the seventh inning of his major league debut and hit a two-run single in his first at-bat Tuesday night, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 victory in front of a festive crowd.

The top pick in the 2011 draft, Cole allowed two runs and seven hits in 61/3 innings after being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day.

Cole began his highly touted career with a three-pitch strikeout — all 96-mph fastballs — of Gregor Blanco and struck out two overall. He did not walk a batter.

MARLINS 5, BREWERS 4: Giancarlo Stanton hit his first homer since coming off the disabled list, a two-run drive with two outs in the eighth inning to lift host Miami.

With Juan Pierre on first, Stanton connected on the first pitch from Jim Henderson (2-2), sending a drive over the wall in left-center. It was his fourth home run this year.

CARDINALS 9, METS 2: Michael Wacha recovered from a wild start to earn his first major league win, and Allen Craig hit a three-run homer as St. Louis beat the staggering Mets at New York.

The Cards’ David Freese extended his career-high hitting streak to 20 games, longest in the National League this season.

REDS 12, CUBS 2: Xavier Paul hit a three-run homer, Joey Votto added a two-run shot and Cincinnati roughed up Matt Garza at Chicago.

Tony Cingrani (3-0), filling in for the injured Johnny Cueto, pitched seven strong innings as Cincinnati extended its franchise-best winning streak at Wrigley Field to 11 games.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

ORIOLES 3, ANGELS 2: Miguel Gonzalez allowed one run over eight innings and Nick Markakis hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the seventh inning for the Orioles at Baltimore.

Ryan Flaherty, a former Deering High star, contributed two well-timed hits for the Orioles, whose third straight victory put them a season-high nine games over .500 (37-28).

The Angels lost their fourth in a row despite a home run by Mike Trout that traveled an estimated 448 feet.

TIGERS 3, ROYALS 2: Max Scherzer won his ninth straight decision, and visiting Detroit snapped the Royals’ six-game winning streak.

Scherzer pitched seven sharp innings and became the first Tigers starter to begin the season 9-0 since Vern Kennedy did it in 1938.

He limited the Royals to three hits and two runs while striking out six and walking two.

INDIANS 5, RANGERS 2: Corey Kluber allowed one run over eight innings and visiting Cleveland snapped an eight-game losing streak.

The Indians also ended a 12-game road losing streak.

Mark Reynolds had and RBI single in the fourth off Derek Holland (5-3) that put Cleveland ahead to stay.

INTERLEAGUE

TWINS 3, PHILLIES 2: Justin Morneau hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning to cap a three-hit night and carry Minnesota to a win at home.

Philadelphia had tied it at 2 in the top of the eighth when Ryan Howard’s single off reliever Brian Duensing scored Kevin Frandsen.