Verlander sizzles again

Justin Verlander slowed down the rampaging Mets, pitching seven solid innings yesterdayday to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 5-2 victory over New York.

The Mets had scored a team-record 52 runs in their previous four games, including 30 in the first two of this series. Verlander (11-3) prevented a sweep, holding New York to one run and seven hits.

Verlander finished June with a 6-0 record and a 0.92 ERA, and tied CC Sabathia for the major league lead in wins this season. Verlander has won his last seven starts, allowing two or fewer runs in each.

Cardinals 9, Orioles 6

Lance Berkman homered twice and Jon Jay hit a three-run shot as St. Louis completed a three-game sweep.

The Cardinals never trailed in the series and outscored Baltimore 20-9. In the finale, St. Louis built an 8-0 lead in the fourth inning and coasted to its fourth win in nine games since Albert Pujols went on the disabled list with a fractured wrist.

Pirates 6, Blue Jays 2

Jeff Karstens capped a brilliant June with another strong start and Brandon Wood hit a two-run homer as Pittsburgh won its first interleague road series since 2003.

The Pirates, who have won six of eight, had lost 17 straight interleague series away from home since taking two of three at Tampa Bay in June 2003.

Yankees 5, Brewers 0

CC Sabathia tied his career high with 13 strikeouts and Mark Teixeira hit his 300th homer to help the New York Yankees finish off June with a season-best five-game winning streak by beating the Milwaukee Brewers.

Sabathia (11-4) won for the eighth time in nine starts.

Marlins 5, Athletics 4

Chris Volstad allowed one unearned run in seven innings and John Buck hit a two-run double to help the Florida Marlins cap a miserable June by beating the Oakland Athletics for their first back-to-back wins in more than a month.

White Sox 6, Rockies 4, 10 Inn.

Light-hitting Juan Pierre laced a tiebreaking, two-run single off the wall in the 10th inning, helping the Chicago White Sox rally past the Colorado Rockies.

With the bases loaded, Pierre, who's known for his speed more than his power, turned on a pitch from Clayton Mortensen (2-4) that hit off the top of the wall in right.

The ball was hit so hard and on such a line that the runners held up on the bases, limiting Pierre to just a single. A.J. Pierzynski and Gordon Beckham scored on the play.

Astros 7, Rangers 4

Jason Michaels homered and drove in three runs and Wandy Rodriguez and three relievers combined on a four-hitter as the Houston Astros snapped an eight-game home losing streak.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cubs 5, Giants 2, 13 Inn.

Pinch-hitter Geovany Soto's three-run homer capped a four-run rally with two outs in the 13th inning.

Soto's drive finished off an eventful day for the Cubs. Starter Carlos Zambrano left in the second inning because of soreness in his lower back, then Aramis Ramirez hit a tying home run in the ninth off San Francisco closer Brian Wilson.

The Giants were leading 2-1 after a solo shot by Pablo Sandoval in the top of the 13th off John Grabow (1-0), but the Cubs struck back against Ramon Ramirez (2-1).

Jeff Baker doubled with two outs and scored the tying run on a single by Darwin Barney. Ramirez then intentionally walked Starlin Castro and Soto, batting for Grabow, launched a 3-2 pitch over the left-field wall to give the Cubs the win and the series split.