Around the Bases: Pinch-hitters deliver walk-offs, Gray gets his first win, Cobb returns

Angels 8, Yankees 4: C.J. Wilson held the Yankees to just one run despite allowing 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings and getting just three strikeouts. The Yankees stranded 12 runners in the game and failed to back up a solid outing from Phil Hughes, who allowed three runs on six hits over six innings. Chris Nelson went deep twice for the Angels, including an eighth-inning grand slam that put this one out of reach from the Yankees' late rally. Alfonso Soriano continued his hot hitting for New York, going 4-5 with an RBI.

Cardinals 6, Pirates 5 (12 innings): Matt Carpenter missed a cycle by the home run, but he did manage to reach base five times and score the winning run, coming home on Matt Holliday's walk-off single. Both starters failed to go deep in this one, leaving the Pirates bullpen to cobble together seven innings and the Cardinals pen to make up 6 2/3. Cardinals reliever Trevor Rosenthal faltered first, giving up the tying run on a homer by Russell Martin, but Pirates reliever Bryan Morris took the loss.

Athletics 5, Astros 0: Rookie Sonny Gray threw eight shutout innings with four hits and one walk with nine strikeouts to earn his first major league win. Nate Freiman provided the bulk of the Athletics offense, going 4-4 with a home run and four RBIs. This is the 11th time the Astros have been shut out this year.

Giants 4, Nationals 3: Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez took Rafael Soriano deep with a three-run shot in the top of the ninth inning to give the Giants the win and steal away a series sweep from the Nationals. Dan Haren continues to shave runs off his once-dismal ERA. Haren went six innings, allowing just one run on three hits and two walks before Soriano's meltdown. After posting a 5.61 ERA in the first half, Haren has turned things around, with a 2.53 ERA over his last five starts.

Blue Jays 2, Red Sox 1: Mark Buehrle took a page from C.J. Wilson's book and held the Red Sox to one run despite giving up 10 hits and two walks and striking out just four. Jake Peavy was better than Buerhle through six, but he ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing three straight hits to tie the score. Mark DeRosa then delivered a sacrifice fly off reliever Craig Breslow and that proved to be the game winner.

Tigers 4, Royals 1: Prince Fielder's two-run blast in the first was all Anibal Sanchez needed after he found his groove. Sanchez allowed three of the seven hits he gave up in the first, but escaped with just one run against him and lasted a total of 7 1/3 without giving up another. Jeremy Guthrie allowed four runs on 13 hits and no walks with two strikeouts, and it turns out he wasn't as excited about Prince Fielder's shot as the people at MLB.com

Lets agree to disagree on this. RT @MLB: Any time we can watch @RealPFielder28 hit a home run, it’s a good day: http://t.co/BMaKCU07zE

— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) August 16, 2013

Reds 2, Brewers 1: Tony Cingrani was excellent here, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out nine in six innings of work to beat Kyle Lohse and the Brewers. Lohse went seven, allowing just two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four, but a sixth-inning solo homer from Joey Votto pinned him with the loss. Khris Davis' solo shot in the second gave the Brewers their lone run. Milwaukee center fielder Carlos Gomez was injured in the game when he hit the wall hard while robbing Brandon Phillips of an extra base hit.

Twins 4, White Sox 3: Chris Herrmann's pinch-hit walk-off single completed a slow-and-steady Twins comeback. Chicago took an early lead, scoring three runs in the first three innings off Mike Pelfrey, but the Twins' righty held the game close opposite a strong outing from rookie Andre Rienzo. The White Sox rookie held the Twins scoreless until a Trevor Plouffe solo shot put Minnesota on the board in the sixth. The Twins continued to chip away at the White Sox lead, getting another run off Rienzo in the seventh and then tying the game in the eighth against Nate Jones.

Rays 7, Mariners 1: Alex Cobb returned to the mound for the first time since he was hit in the head with a line drive on June 15, and he picked up right where he left off, holding the Mariners to one run on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts over five innings. Wil Myers provided the bulk of the Rays' runs with four RBIs and two runs scored and Evan Longoria hit a two-run home run to back Cobb.

Mets 4, Padres 1: Starters Zack Wheeler and Tyson Ross were both in top form and both left the game to their bullpens after giving up just a single run. Wheeler last six, racking up 12 strikeouts while giving up seven hits and walk. Ross went an inning longer and allowed fewer hits (five) and no walks, but struck out a mere eight batters. Marlon Byrd's two-RBI double in the eighth broke the stalemate and put the Mets on top, and John Buck added some insurance with a solo shot in the ninth.