NEW YORK, N.Y. - Ike Davis received a bit of help from the New York Yankees on his three-run homer and Frank Francisco closed out the Mets' 6-4 victory Friday night after calling their cross-town rivals "chickens."

Justin Turner had a two-run single and the Mets scored five runs in the first inning off Andy Pettitte (3-3) with two outs after a rainstorm delayed the start of the season's second Subway Series by 53 minutes.

Davis followed Turner's hit with a fly to right that a leaping Nick Swisher got his glove on. But when he hit the wall, the ball was nudged off the top of the fence and over for a 5-0 lead.

Still, the homer-happy Yankees rallied with three late drives to set up a chance to see Francisco.

Alex Rodriguez hit his 641st homer and Andruw Jones also connected for the Yankees against Jonathon Niese (5-3). Robinson Cano added a two-run shot off Miguel Batista in the eighth to cut it to 6-4 after David Wright had an RBI double in the seventh.

Francisco made headlines in New York this week by saying "I can't wait to face those chickens" and expressing his desire to strike out the side against the Yankees. He explained Friday afternoon what he meant by his strange comment, saying he thinks the Yankees often complain about umpires' calls.

In a heavy drizzle, Francisco retired Mark Teixeira on a game-ending popup with two runners on for his 18th save in 21 opportunities.

The Yankees lost their third in a row following a 10-game winning streak that began against the Mets.

BLUE JAYS 12, MARLINS 5

MIAMI (AP) — Jose Bautista homered and drove in three runs, Kelly Johnson also had three RBIs and Toronto beat the skidding Miami Marlins.

Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., had three hits and scored four times to help the Blue Jays end an eight-game losing streak to the Marlins, who own a 17-5 advantage in the series. Miami has lost five straight and 14 of 16 overall.

Ricky Romero (8-1) provided the Blue Jays with seven much-needed innings after Toronto placed three starters on the disabled list in the last week. Romero allowed four runs and struck out five.

Giancarlo Stanton, Omar Infante and Gaby Sanchez homered for the Marlins.

Anibal Sanchez (3-6) gave up six runs, seven hits and four walks in 3 1-3 innings.

ANGELS 8, DODGERS 5

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Rookie sensation Mike Trout hit a go-ahead homer and scored from first base on a single as the Los Angeles Angels rallied from an early five-run deficit against Chad Billingsley to beat the Dodgers in the opener of the season's second Freeway Series.

Dan Haren (5-7) allowed five runs, nine hits and three walks over five innings with five strikeouts. Ernesto Frieri, the fifth Angels pitcher, worked a hitless ninth for his eighth save in eight chances.

Bobby Abreu hit a three-run homer on the first pitch he saw in his return to Angel Stadium with the Dodgers. But it wasn't enough for Billingsley (4-6), who gave up six runs and 10 hits in five innings. The right-hander is 1-5 with a 5.36 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels.

BRAVES 4, RED SOX 1

BOSTON (AP) — Jair Jurrjens made an impressive return to the majors by limiting the Red Sox to one run and three hits in Atlanta's win.

Jurrjens, an All-Star last season when he topped the Braves with 13 wins, worked 7 2-3 innings and left after allowing an RBI double by Daniel Nava that drove in Will Middlebrooks, who led off the eighth with a double. Adrian Gonzalez's single in the first was Boston's only other hit.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save in 22 opportunities.

The Braves got at least one hit in each of the seven innings pitched by Jon Lester (4-5).

Andrelton Simmons drove in two runs for Atlanta and Jason Heyward had two doubles and a single to help the Braves win their third straight after losing seven of eight.

RANGERS 4, ROCKIES 1

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Roy Oswalt pitched efficiently into the seventh inning in his first start of the season and Texas won its seventh straight.

Oswalt (1-0) allowed one run and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings to win for the first time since Sept. 27. The 34-year-old pitched with Philadelphia last season and signed with the Rangers on May 29.

Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli both homered for Texas, which improved to a major-league best 13-3 in interleague play.

Christian Friedrich (4-4) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings for the Rockies, who have lost 13 of 15.

Oswalt won for the first time since Sept. 27 against Atlanta. His last start in the majors was Oct. 5 for Philadelphia — a loss to St. Louis in Game 4 of the NL Division Series. He struck out six and walked one.

ORIOLES 2, NATIONALS 1

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jason Hammel pitched eight innings of five-hit ball and had a career high-tying 10 strikeouts to lead Baltimore.

Coming off a one-hit shutout against Atlanta, Hammel (8-2) allowed an unearned run in improving to 5-0 lifetime against Washington. The right-hander has gone 19 straight innings without giving up an earned run, a streak that began on June 10 against Philadelphia.

Hammel did not walk a batter and was removed after 96 pitches. He came within one inning of becoming the first Oriole to throw two straight complete games since Sidney Ponson in May 2004.

Jim Johnson got three outs for his 21st save.

Mark Reynolds homered to help Baltimore end a three-game losing streak.

Ryan Zimmermann (3-6) allowed two runs and eight hits over seven innings.

TWINS 5, REDS 4

CINCINNATI (AP) — Ryan Doumit and Ben Revere each had four hits as Minnesota handed Cincinnati its season-high fourth straight loss.

Doumit hit a solo shot off Homer Bailey (5-5), who angrily left the field after failing to get through the sixth inning. Revere broke a 0-for-15 slump with four singles.

Chris Heisey and Scott Rolen had two-run homers off Twins starter Nick Blackburn (4-4), who lasted only five innings.

Revere, who grew up in neighbouring Kentucky and had a lot of friends and family in the stands, also stole two bases, scored a run and had a sacrifice fly off Bill Bray that made it 5-4 in the sixth.

Minnesota's bullpen made it stand up. Alex Burnett escaped a bases-loaded, one-out threat in the sixth. Glen Perkins worked out of a ninth-inning jam with a pair of strikeouts for his second save in place of injured Matt Capps.

The Twins are making their first visit to Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003.

BREWERS 1, WHITE SOX 0, 10 INNINGS

CHICAGO (AP) — Zack Greinke pitched three-hit ball over nine innings and Rickie Weeks drove in the lone run with a single in the 10th to lead Milwaukee.

The Brewers finally pulled out a close win after dropping five of the previous nine by one run, thanks to one dominant pitching performance and one clutch hit.

Aramis Ramirez led off the 10th by lining his second double of the game down the left-field line against Jesse Crain (1-1). Nyjer Morgan ran for him and advanced on a wild pitch before Weeks drove a single past a diving third baseman Orlando Hudson to make it 1-0.

Greinke (8-2) picked up the win and John Axford of Simcoe, Ont., came on in the 10th and got his 13th save in 17 chances

CARDINALS 11, ROYALS 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Carlos Beltran hit two two-run doubles in his return to Kauffman Stadium and St. Louis pounded Kansas City starter Vin Mazzaro.

David Freese and Tyler Greene added two RBIs each for St. Louis. Jon Jay returned from the disabled list to go 1 for 5 and score twice, and Matt Carpenter came off the DL to go 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Joe Kelly (1-0) gave up three runs over six innings to pick up his first major league victory in his third career start.

Mazzaro (3-2) allowed seven runs, six hits, two walks and a hit batter while recording just four outs.

The Cardinals' 17 hits matched a season high.

Beltran, a six-time All-Star, was drafted by the Royals in 1995, and drove in 100 or more runs four times over six-plus seasons.

PIRATES 4, TIGERS 1

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A.J. Burnett pitched six shutout innings to win his seventh consecutive start and Pittsburgh won for the fifth time in six games.

Burnett (8-2) allowed two hits and three walks and struck out four to extend his streak of starts that resulted in victories to the longest for a Pirates pitcher in 38 years. Doc Ellis won eight consecutive outings in 1974.

Burnett matched his career high by winning a seventh consecutive decision.

Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 4 to improve his batting average to .346 and Rod Barajas added two hits for the Pirates.

Ramon Santiago had an RBI double for the Tigers, who had won four of five.

Burnett improved to 5-0 at home this season, allowing six earned runs in 48 2-3 innings at PNC Park (1.11 ERA).

GIANTS 5, ATHLETICS 4

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Brandon Belt hit a tying, two-run double and scored on Hector Sanchez's single during a four-run ninth inning that rallied San Francisco past Bay Area rival Oakland.

Ryan Cook (2-2) walked Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval on nine pitches to open the final inning. Belt sliced a double down the left-field line just out of the reach of a diving Seth Smith, and Sandoval blew past a stop sign by third base coach Tim Flannery to easily score the tying run from first base.

San Francisco's comeback rescued ace Tim Lincecum from another loss. Lincecum was tagged for three runs in the first inning before retiring 18 of his final 20 batters.

Santiago Casilla allowed Josh Reddick's 16th home run in the ninth before earning his 20th save in 21 chances. Clay Hensley (3-3) got one out for the victory.

INDIANS 2, ASTROS 0

HOUSTON (AP) — Ubaldo Jimenez pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning with eight strikeouts to lead Cleveland past Houston.

Shin-Soo Choo scored after a leadoff triple and Michael Brantley drove in a late run for the Indians, who managed only two hits in seven innings against Lucas Harrell (6-6) in the first meeting between the teams since 2001.

Jimenez (7-5) went 6 2-3 innings. Chris Perez struck out the side in the ninth for his major league-leading 23rd save.

Harrell struck out a career-high nine.

PADRES 9, MARINERS 5

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Clayton Richard settled down after a rough start and drove in three runs for San Diego.

Richard (5-7) gave up four runs — including two homers — over the first three innings before he allowed only an unearned run the rest of the way as he pitched into the seventh.

A two-run double by Richard keyed the Padres' five-run fourth inning when they took a 7-4 lead. Chase Headley also drove in three runs for San Diego.

Franklin Gutierrez and Miguel Olivo homered for Seattle, which has allowed 39 runs on the first four games of its road trip.

Richard gave up five runs, three earned, and six hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.

Huston Street got the final out with two runners on for his ninth save in as many chances.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

DIAMONDBACKS 6, CUBS 1

PHOENIX (AP) — Jason Kubel hit a two-run homer and five relievers filled in for scratched starter Joe Saunders to lift Arizona over Chicago.

Saunders had trouble getting loose in the bullpen, so the Diamondbacks turned to one-time starter Josh Collmenter. He gave up a long homer to Geovany Soto in the fourth and Brad Ziegler (4-1) followed with two scoreless innings.

David Hernandez escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and pitched a perfect ninth to finish off his second save and Arizona's eighth victory in nine home games.

Jeff Samardzija (5-6) gave up a two-run triple to Miguel Montero after Kubel's homer and the Cubs stranded 11 runners.

News from © The Associated Press, 2012