Baseball-Highlights of Saturday's Major League Baseball games

(Adds late games) May 31 (Reuters) - Highlights of Saturday's Major League Baseball games. - - - Yankees 3, Twins 1 Masahiro Tanaka improved to 8-1 and Brian McCann hit a go-ahead RBI single with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the New York Yankees to victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. The Yankees won for the fourth time in their last 12 home games by stringing together a rally against left-handed reliever Brian Duensing, who had not been scored upon in his previous nine appearances. Tanaka, in his rookie MLB season after a dominant career in Japan, allowed an unearned run and four hits in eight innings while walking two and striking out nine. - - - Cardinals 2, Giants 0 Right fielder Oscar Taveras, playing in his first major league game, made his first hit a big one when he smashed a home run and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants. Taveras broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning, while Michael Wacha (4-3) allowed three hits in six innings, striking out seven. San Francisco's four-game winning streak ended, but the Giants (36-20) still have the best record in the league. - - - Orioles 4, Astros 1 Caleb Joseph sparked an unexpected rally that culminated with a sudden and shocking lack of control from Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel and the Baltimore Orioles halted a four-game skid with a road win over the Astros. Houston's season-high seven-game winning streak ended as Keuchel, who had walked just one batter in his previous four starts, issued three consecutive walks in the fifth inning after Joseph lined a two-out single to right field. - - - Padres 4, White Sox 2 Will Venable had four hits and drove in two runs, and the San Diego pitchers had another good day as the Padres beat the Chicago White Sox. Venable also stole a base and scored once in support of a solid start from Tyson Ross (6-4), who gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits over six innings before giving way to the bullpen, which provided another lockdown performance culminating with Huston Street's 17th save in as many chances. - - - Blue Jays 12, Royals 2 Right-hander Marcus Stroman pitched six strong innings in his first major-league start and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Kansas City Royals to halt a two-game slide. Stroman (2-0) allowed five hits, no walks and one run while striking out six after being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo for the start. He had a 12.79 ERA in five relief appearances in his first stint this season with Toronto. - - - Nationals 10, Rangers 2 Doug Fister won his third straight start and Anthony Rendon broke out of his slump with four hits, including a homer, as the Washington Nationals crushed the Texas Rangers. The Nationals blasted four home runs to win for only the third in their past nine outings, while the Rangers dropped their second straight. - - - Indians 7, Rockies 6 An RBI single by second baseman Mike Aviles in the eighth inning was the difference as the Cleveland Indians edged the Colorado Rockies. Aviles, whose three-run home run in the second inning capped a four-run Cleveland rally, became the hero in the eighth inning after the Indians blew a four-run lead. - - - Cubs 8, Brewers 0 Anthony Rizzo homered twice and Jason Hammel threw seven shutout innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers. A day after scoring a season-high 11 runs on 15 hits, the Brewers managed just four hits off Hammel, who did not allow a walk and struck out a season-high eight. The Cubs improved to 20-33, the worst record in the league. The Brewers (33-23) have cooled off after starting the season 10-2. - - - Braves 9, Marlins 5 Every Atlanta starter had at least one hit, and backup catcher Garald Laird scored three runs as the Braves beat the Miami Marlins on the road. Miami, which still leads the majors with 20 home wins, has suddenly gone cold at Marlins Park, losing three in a row. - - - Mets 5, Phillies 4 (14 innings) The New York Mets gained revenge over the Philadelphia Phillies in the second 14-inning marathon between the two teams in as many nights. New York third baseman David Wright hit a line drive to left field that scored shortstop Ruben Tejada with the go-ahead run in the top of the 14th inning. But the Mets almost blew it in the bottom of the inning. Carlos Torres, their seventh pitcher in the game, walked third baseman Reid Brignac and gave up a single to catcher Carlos Ruiz before retiring three in a row to end it after five hours, 32 minutes. - - - Dodgers 12, Pirates 2 Shortstop Hanley Ramirez homered twice and tied a career high with five RBIs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers crushed the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ramirez went 4-for-4 and scored four runs, tying another career best, to help the Dodgers (30-27) end a three-game skid. - - - Red Sox 7, Rays 1 Rubby De La Rosa pitched seven shutout innings in his first start for Boston, Brock Holt hit his first career home run and the Red Sox extended their winning streak to six games with a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. With the exception of Boston's 11 hits, it was a relatively quiet game one night after both benches cleared and three coaches and one pitcher were ejected in yet another chapter of the long-running feud between the American League East rivals. (Editing By Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina)