Jul 9, 2014 4 min read

Max Scherzer pitched seven impressive innings, outdueling Zack Greinke and helping the shorthanded Detroit Tigers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 on Wednesday.

Detroit was without sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, but the AL Central-leading Tigers scored two runs in the first inning against Greinke, and Scherzer (11-3) made the lead hold up. The All-Star right-hander allowed a run and four hits. He struck out seven and walked two.

Joba Chamberlain struck out two in the eighth, and Joe Nathan fanned two in a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 23 chances.

Greinke (11-5) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out eight without a walk.

Miguel Rojas of the Dodgers hit his first career homer in the fifth.

American League

L.A. Angels 8, Toronto 7: Albert Pujols hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning and Kole Calhoun also connected, leading the Los Angeles Angels to an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday in the rubber game of the three-game series.

The Blue Jays took a 7-6 lead in the sixth on Dioner Navarro’s two-out RBI single against Fernando Salas.

But Pujols responded with a drive that hit the top of the center-field fence beyond the outstretched glove of Colby Rasmus and bounced over for his 20th homer of the season. It scored Mike Trout, who reached on a fielder’s choice grounder after Calhoun drew a leadoff walk from Aaron Loup (2-2).

Jason Grilli (1-1) pitched a scoreless inning for his first AL victory since 2009 with the Texas Rangers.

National League

Arizona 4, Miami 3: Paul Goldschmidt doubled in the last two of Arizona’s three runs in the 10th inning and the Diamondbacks beat the Miami Marlins 4-3 on Wednesday.

Miami had taken a 3-1 lead in the 10th on Donovan Solano’s two-run double off Brad Ziegler (4-1), who got the victory.

Aaron Hill opened the Arizona 10th with a pinch-hit single off Steve Cishek. Ender Inciarte walked on four pitches, then David Peralta’s RBI single cut the lead to 3-2.

On the next pitch, Goldschmidt hit one to the left-center gap for his major league-best 35th double and his fifth career walk-off hit.

Cishek (4-5) blew his third save in 23 opportunities.

Nathan Eovaldi blanked Arizona on two hits and nursed a 1-0 lead through seven innings before giving up a leadoff triple to Didi Gregorius in the eighth. Nick Ahmed singled on the next pitch for his first major league RBI to tie it at 1-all.

Colorado 6, San Diego 3: Troy Tulowitzki hit two of Colorado’s five home runs, and the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 6-3 on Wednesday.

Drew Stubbs, Charlie Blackmon and Wilin Rosario also went deep for the Rockies, who won a home series for the first time in nearly two months.

Colorado last won a home series taking two of three from San Diego in May. The Rockies managed to split a four-game set with Atlanta in June but lost five other series at Coors Field. They were swept twice.

They erased that mark with back-to-back homers off reliever Joaquin Benoit (3-1). Blackmon started the rally with a single and Stubbs followed with his ninth homer of the season and fifth in his last five games.

Tulowitzki then hit an 0-1 fastball into the left field seats. It was Tulowitzki’s second multihomer game this season and 10th of his career.

Benoit had not allowed a run in 18 1/3 innings before Stubbs’ homer.