SAN DIEGO: Ryan Braun had his first three-homer game and added a two-run triple to tie his career high with six RBIs, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
The reigning NL MVP became the first player to hit three home runs in a game at spacious Petco Park since it opened in 2004.
Braun hit a solo homer in the fourth and a two-run shot in the fifth. Both were off rookie Joe Wieland (0-4).
His third shot, to left, came on the first pitch he saw from Ernesto Frieri with two outs in the seventh. Braun came up again with two on and two outs in the ninth and nearly equaled the major league record of four home runs in a game when he hit a triple that short-hopped the right-center fence.
Randy Wolf (2-2) got the win after allowing three runs and nine hits in five innings.
Pirates 9 Braves 3: In Atlanta, Pedro Alvarez and Yamaico Navarro each hit two-run homers, and Pittsburgh enjoyed a long-awaited offensive breakthrough in a win over Atlanta.
The Pirates, last in the major leagues with 58 runs in 22 games, almost doubled their previous season high of five runs. Neil Walker had three hits and drove in a run.
It took the Pirates 22 games this season to score more than five runs. That was the longest streak since the 1972 Milwaukee Brewers went a major league-record 31 games into the season without surpassing five runs, according STATS LLC. The last National League team with a longer streak was the 1919 Boston Braves, who went an NL-record 23 games into the season without topping five runs.
James McDonald (1-1) set a career high with 10 strikeouts as he improved to 3-0 in six career appearances against the Braves.
Navarro homered off Mike Minor (2-2) in the sixth.
Phillies 6 Cubs 4: In Philadelphia, Placido Polanco hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning to lift the Phillies over the Cubs.
Bryan LaHair hit a tying, two-run homer off Chad Qualls (1-0) in the eighth after Vance Worley threw seven impressive innings for Philadelphia.
But the Phillies answered in the bottom half. Scott Maine (0-1) hit pinch-hitter Juan Pierre with a one-out pitch and Jimmy Rollins singled off Rafael Dolis with two outs.
Polanco, who had just two RBIs in his first 71 at-bats, drove in two with a hard liner to the wall in left.
Diamondbacks 9 Marlins 5: In Miami, left-hander Patrick Corbin pitched 5 2-3 innings to win his major league debut, and Arizona beat the slumping Marlins.
The 22-year-old Corbin, who was called up from Double-A Mobile, struck out six and allowed three runs.
Cody Ransom and Justin Upton hit two-run homers, and Willie Bloomquist had a two-run double for Arizona.
Mark Buehrle (1-4) endured his worst outing this season. The left-hander lasted only five innings and allowed seven runs - four earned - and eight hits.
Astros 4 Mets 3: In Houston, Matt Downs hit a two-run homer and Jed Lowrie had the go-ahead single in the eighth inning to propel the Houston Astros to a 4-3 win over the New York Mets on Monday night.
The game was tied 3-all when Jordan Schafer reached on an infield single to start the eighth. He stole second with one out and scored on the hit by Lowrie, which reliever Manny Acosta (0-2) deflected into the outfield.
The Mets tied it by scoring three times in the seventh, including a two-run single by rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
Fernando Rodriguez (1-3) got the last out of the eighth and Brett Myers pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save.
Rockies 6 Dodgers 2: In Denver, Juan Nicasio pitched six solid innings, Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run double and the Rockies overcame Matt Kemp’s latest homer, beating the Dodgers 6-2 in the first of 18 meetings this season between the NL West rivals.
Continuing his remarkable comeback from a broken neck sustained last August when he was hit in the head by a line drive against Washington, Nicasio (2-0) gave up two runs and nine hits.
Kemp hit his major league-leading 12th homer for Los Angeles, which owns the best record in the NL at 16-7.
The Rockies went in front with a three-run fourth off starter Aaron Harang (1-2), who went 5 2-3 innings and gave up five runs on six hits.
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MLB suspends Delmon Young for 7 days
DETROIT: Delmon Young was suspended by Major League Baseball on Monday for seven days without pay following his arrest on a hate crime harassment charge last week in New York. The commissioner’s office said the suspension is retroactive to Friday, when Young was arrested after a late-night tussle at his hotel during which police say he yelled anti-Semitic epithets.
“Those associated with our game should meet the responsibilities and standards that stem from our game’s stature as a social institution,” Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. “An incident like this cannot and will not be tolerated. I understand that Mr. Young is regretful, and it is my expectation that he will learn from this unfortunate episode.”
The statement from the commissioner’s office also said that Young would be required to participate in a treatment program.
Young is eligible for reinstatement from the restricted list May 4.
The suspension will cost Young approximately $257,240 of his $6,725,000 salary.
Speaking before the Tigers game against the Kansas City Royals was postponed by rain, Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said Young will not appeal the ruling and that he will not face additional discipline by the team when he comes off the restricted list Friday.
“Under the (collective bargaining agreement), there’s no dual discipline,” he said. “He’ll be activated and ready to play on Friday. If he’s not in the lineup, that will be the manager’s decision. He’s been working out over the weekend, and took batting practice today, so he’ll be physically ready on Friday.”
Around 2:30 a.m. Friday, Young was standing outside the team hotel in New York. Nearby, a group of about four Chicago tourists staying at the hotel were approached by a panhandler wearing a yarmulke and a Star of David around his neck, according to police.
Afterward, as the group walked up to the hotel doors, Young started yelling anti-Semitic epithets, police said.
It was not clear whom Young was yelling at, but he got into a scuffle with the Chicago group, and a 32-year-old man was tackled and sustained scratches to his elbows, according to police and the criminal complaint.
Both Young and the group went inside the hotel, and at some point, police were called, and Young was arrested, police said. Young was first taken to a hospital because he was believed to be intoxicated, police said.
Young apologized to his teammates and fans in a statement before being arraigned hours after his arrest.
Dombrowski did not know any of the details of the treatment program. It is not known if Young would undergo sensitivity training, treatment for alcohol and anger issues or some combination.
“We have not been told those details, and we might never know all of them,” he said. “When Miguel (Cabrera) was in a similar program last spring, I never saw the entire treatment program. The team is just told what they need to know to facilitate the player’s work in the program.”
Young is hitting .242 in 18 games, batting fifth in the order behind Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. He has one homer and five RBIs.
Braun shines in Brewers victory over Padres
