• Cards top Cubs on Schumaker's HR in 11th (AP)

  

  A rare longball from singles-hitter Skip Schumaker took Jason Isringhausen off the hook. Schumaker hit a game-winning two-run homer off Chad Fox in the 11th inning, lifting the Cardinals to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. A career extra outfielder before this year, he was floored by the mob scene that met him at home plate.

  
  

• Furcal leads Dodgers to seventh straight (AP)

  

  Rafael Furcal can't remember having a better stretch at the plate. The Los Angeles shortstop had three hits, including a three-run homer in a seven-run sixth inning, and the Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 11-6 Friday night for their seventh straight win. "This is the best of my career," Furcal said.

  
  

• Wang improves to 6-0, Yanks top Mariners (AP)

  

  Before Chien-Ming Wang's latest gem, Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner gave a pointed assessment of the team's sluggish start. "We just can't win one out of five games, every time Wang pitches," Steinbrenner said. "It's not going to work. It's not a good win percentage. Starting pitching is where it's at, especially in the postseason.

  
  

• Brewers cut ex-All-Star closer Turnbow (AP)

  Former All-Star closer Derrick Turnbow was cut Friday by the Milwaukee Brewers. Turnbow was 0-1 with a 15.63 ERA in eight games this season and gave up six runs in two-thirds of an inning at Chicago on Wednesday. "His production had fallen to the point where it was hard to find spots to use him," Brewers manager Ned Yost said.

• Braves' Hudson hurls 11th career shutout (AP)

  

  Tim Hudson had just about everybody in the Atlanta clubhouse relieved. Maybe the Braves' starting rotation hasn't quite reached a crisis point yet. Hudson pitched his 11th career shutout and Brian McCann hit a two-run homer, helping Atlanta end a season-high four-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Cincinnati on Friday night.

  
  

• Pedroia has 3 RBIs, BoSox cool off Rays (AP)

  

  The Boston Red Sox used some late-night offense to cool off the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. Dustin Pedroia drove in three runs, including a two-run single in a five-run fourth inning, and the Red Sox earned a 7-3 win over the Rays in a game that started 2 hours, 27 minutes late because of a rain delay.

  
  

• Cox: Return to bullpen likely for Smoltz (AP)

  

  Manager Bobby Cox said Friday that John Smoltz is likely to return as the Atlanta Braves' closer when he comes off the disabled list. Smoltz, the only pitcher in baseball history with at least 200 wins and 150 saves, has a severely inflamed biceps tendon and inflammation of the rotator cuff of his right shoulder.

  
  

• Astros hit 3 straight homers in win (AP)

  

  When Miguel Tejada met 8-year-old Jacob Scott on Friday, he was so touched by the little boy with muscular dystrophy he promised him a home run. Tejada fulfilled his vow to the youngster by hitting the first of three straight Houston home runs in a 7-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Astros hit five homers in the game.

  
  

• Burrell's homer in 10th lifts Phillies (AP)

  

  Pat Burrell got one fastball after another until he timed it just right. Burrell hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on Friday night. Aaron Rowand gave the Giants a one-run lead with a solo shot leading off the top of the inning, but the Phillies rallied against Brian Wilson (0-1).

  
  

• Reyes barely misses cycle in Mets' win (AP)

  

  Jose Reyes took New York Mets manager Willie Randolph's pregame instructions to heart. "He told me every time you go up to the plate tonight try to hit a fastball," Reyes said. Reyes had four hits and was thrown out at the plate in the eighth inning while trying to complete the cycle with an inside-the-park homer, leading the Mets over the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-2 Friday night.

  
  

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