Jul 20, 2018 3 min read

Matt Carpenter hit three home runs and two doubles in just six innings, tying the major league record for extra-base hits in a game, and the St. Louis Cardinals hammered the Chicago Cubs 18-5 Friday.

Carpenter went 5 for 5 and drove in seven runs at Wrigley Field. He led off the game with a home run and was pulled after adding a three-run drive in the sixth.

Carpenter became the 14th player with five extra-base hits in a game, and the first to do it for the Cardinals.

Trailing 15-1 after Carpenter’s third homer, the Cubs used three position players to pitch the rest of the way – infielder Tommy La Stella, backup catcher Victor Caratini and versatile Ian Happ. La Stella and Caratini gave up homers as the Cubs became the first team since the 1979 Milwaukee Brewers to use three position players on the mound in a game.

The NL Central-leading Cubs lost for just the fourth time in their last 17 games.

Atlanta 8, Washington 5: Stephen Strasburg was batted around by the Atlanta Braves, then engaged in a heated spat with Nationals ace Max Scherzer in the dugout during Washington’s 8-5 loss.

It was unclear what prompted the exchange between the star pitchers in their first game after the all-star break.

The dispute occurred after Strasburg (6-7), activated from the 10-day disabled list earlier in the day and throwing on his 30th birthday, gave up six runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked into the dugout, got a pat on the back from Scherzer and sat down on the bench. They began barking at each other, then both quickly went off-camera by leaving the dugout.

The Braves lost All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies in the third inning, and the team said he was lifted as a precaution because of right hamstring tightness. He had an RBI double and stole a base in a two-run first inning.

Anibal Sanchez (5-2) allowed three runs over six innings for the Braves, who started the second half near the top of the NL East.

Ronald Acuna Jr. homered, doubled and singled, scored three runs and stole two bases for Atlanta. Charlie Culberson, who replaced Albies, also homered.

Toronto 8, Baltimore 7: Aledmys Diaz singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays recovered after blowing a three-run lead in the ninth to beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7.

Diaz had four hits, including a solo homer, and scored twice as the Blue Jays improved to 7-1 against Baltimore.

Russell Martin hit a two-out single off left-hander Paul Fry (0-1) in the 10th and advanced to second when Randal Gruck walked. Diaz followed with a grounder that ticked off the glove of third baseman Renato Nunez and eluded shortstop Tim Beckham, allowing Martin to score.

John Axford (3-1) pitched one inning for the win.

Toronto led 7-4 through eight innings but Tyler Clippard couldn’t close the door in the ninth. Tret Mancini led off with a double, took third on an error and scored on a wild pitch to cut it to 7-5. One out later, Caleb Joseph homered to make it a one-run game. Clippard struck out Beckham for the second out, then surrendered a game-tying blast to Jonathan Schoop.

The blown save was Clippard’s sixth in 12 opportunities.